College Counseling: Great Schools for Programs in Environmental Studies & Environmental Science

Saturday, December 06, 2014

Emily Standish, GoLocalPDX College Admission Coach

Is there a student in your home who loves the outdoors? Has s/he been an Outdoor School Student Leader as often as allowed? When I work with students who would rather live at Outdoor School than in their comfortable room at home, I know I’ve found a person who could happily study any of the many iterations of Environmental Science found in US colleges and universities. Undergraduate programs in Environmental Science prepare students to develop methods and policies that address the many ecological challenges confronting the planet now and in the coming decades. Colleges and universities that offer environmental science as a degree track have concentrations to fit any student’s talents and passions: arctic studies, fisheries and aquatics sciences, sustainable food systems, energy conservation, wildlife ecology and many others. Here are five colleges and universities with unique programs to pique the interest of students who love the sciences and who love to get their hands dirty.

Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ

ASU’s School of Sustainability is the first of its kind to offer degrees that combine multiple disciplines to prepare students for careers that address solutions to environmental issues.
The Global Sustainabliity Studies Program allows students in the college to apply their knowledge in summer locations such as Brazil, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Nepal, and Spain and Morocco.
By the numbers: 80% acceptance rate. SAT Mid-ranges: CR 500-620, M 520-650; ACT Mid-range 22-28.

Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME

Students in Bowdoin’s Arctic Studies Concentration access the Peary-Macmillan Arctic Studies Center and Museum for research and field experience.
Earth and Oceanographic Sciences majors may take courses in Volcanology, Planetary Geology, Paloeoceanography, and may pursue off-campus opportunities with NOAA, NASA, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
By the numbers: 15% acceptance rate. SAT Mid-ranges: CR 680-760, M 680-750; ACT Mid-range: 30-33. Note: Bowdoin College is test-optional.

Green Mountain College, Poultney, VT

All students at Green Mountain base their education around the core courses of the Environmental Liberal Arts program.
Majors offered are Environmental Studies, Natural Resource Management, Renewable Energy and Ecological Design, Sustainable Agriculture & Food Production. Additional majors for students who love the outdoors: Adventure Education, Wilderness & Outdoor Therapy.
By the numbers: 76% acceptance rate. SAT Mid-ranges: CR 480-630, M 440-570; ACT Mid-range 20-27.

Montana State University, Bozeman, MT

MSU’s major in Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems offers concentrations in Agroecology, Sustainable Crop Production, Sustainable Livestock Production, and Sustainable Food Systems.
The Bachelor of Science in Earth Sciences offers focus options in Snow Science, Paleontology, Geology, Geographic Information Science, and Geography.
By the numbers: 85% acceptance rate. SAT Mid-ranges: CR 500-630, M 510-630; ACT Mid-range: 21-27. ACT of 28 or higher qualifies for Western Undergraduate Exchange scholarship.

State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY

25,000 acres of forested Adirondack Mountains are the living laboratory for students in all disciplines at SUNY-ESF.
ESF offers 24 undergraduate majors in environmental sciences, ranging from aquatic and fisheries science to environmental health to paper engineering to urban forestry.
By the numbers: 51% acceptance rate. SAT Mid-ranges: CR 530-630, M 550-630; ACT Mid-range: 22-26.

Other colleges and universities with ….College of the Atlantic (ME), Cornell University (NY), Juniata College (PA),Middlebury College (VT), Northland College (WI), Oregon State University,), University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources, University of Southern California, Western Washington University, and hundreds more. For an exhaustive list of colleges and universities that offer Environmental Sciences majors, search Big Future, the College Board’s searchable database of colleges.

Emily Standish is a partner in Portland, Oregon-based College Admission Coach LLC which helps students identify and gain admission to right-fit schools where they will thrive academically and personally. Contact me at [email protected].