I graduated with a degree in Biomedical Engineering (heavy emphasis on electrical engineering) in 1996. When I graduated, there were 5 women in the entire engineering school. I was treated fantastically by faculty. I think a big part of that was the fact that I was a good student. As a matter of fact, all of the girls were tops in their various classes...I think we all felt the burden of needing to prove ourselves. I think academic aptitude has much more to do with how you're treated than gender. That was certainly my experience.

No matter where your daughter chooses to go, she's going to be a minority. It's just the way it is...women don't enter the engineering fields at the same rate as men. As has already been mentioned, some engineering disciplines are more likely to attract women than others.

SWE (Society of Women Engineers) is a fantastic resource. I was a member all through my college years.

I know many women engineers who have graduated from WPI. It's both a great school, and has a great atmosphere. The school I graduated from (Western New England College) has a fantastic (if relatively unknown) engineering school. I loved my time there...mostly because the faculty were really awesome. My husband graduated from Renneslaer Polytechnic Institute with a degeree in Electrical Engineering. He loved it, and there were many girls there. I've met several of his female college engineer friends, and they're all bright women.

No matter what schoool she goes to, college is still just a microcosm, and not terribly reflective of the working world. I haven't personally experienced discrimination, but I know how hard it was to be confident when you're a young woman, just out of school, trying to change the ways of male engineers who are 20+ years your senior. It gets better, as most things do, with age and experience. But, those first few years will be a bit scary for her. She's got to find her inner strength and know her stuff 2x better than the guys.