I have been accepted to Eckerd and New College for the fall 2015 semester. I will be majoring in marine science/biology and would like some input as to which school is preferred for that major. I have been to both beautiful campus locations to see research facilities, I am NOT a partier, very serious science student and want to go on to grad school. Advice??
Eckerd really seems to win the Marine Science “Top School” category if you ask me. There is ample partying there, but there is at New College too. You just need to find your niche. (My youngest goes to Eckerd as a Bio major and is not into partying. He does other things.)
If looking for top Marine Science schools - esp thinking of grad school - it could be useful to see the schools NOAA likes with their Hollings Scholarships:
http://theonlinecurrent.com/hollings-scholarship-winners-provide-eckerd-a-legacy/
Eckerd easily wins - no comparison to other schools really. U Miami comes in second and I suspect many of theirs are for meteorology rather than marine science.
My daughter graduated with a degree in Marine Science, (Biology). She is still working with her mentor. Her research began as a freshman, out in the field and in the lab. She became an assistant, has worked with her mentor and the EPA and was also trained at the USF grad school labs. Her mentor advised her for her thesis and will continue to assist in grad school. The professor and mentor/student relationship was a huge factor in her decision to attend Eckerd. The opportunities to work with top scientists and institutions around the world while a student are endless. If you are able to attend the accepted student days this spring it will help with your decision. Best of luck. PM me if you would like more information.
Either would be perfectly fine preparation for graduate school, which you’ll need to pursue for marine biology. I give Eckerd an edge if for no other reason than having a geology program – not a very well-rounded one, admittedly, but it offers at least a few relevant courses. Oceanography, regardless of your interests, is a very interdisciplinary field. I encourage all potential students to acquire a strong background in all of the sciences.
Things to consider…
[ul][li]Oceanography is not a lucrative field, so don’t run yourself into debt. How do the financial packages of the two compare?[/li]
[li]NCF is significantly smaller than Eckerd. Would you find that intimate or claustrophobically small?[/li]
[li]Both schools have similar ethnic/racial diversity (~75-80% white) and gender diversity (40% male, 60% female). Whereas 80-85% of NCF’s students come from Florida, however, about the same percentage of Eckerd’s students come from out-of-state. [/li]
[li]NCF is the more selective of the two, if that matters to you.[/li]
[*]Around 70% of college students change their majors at least once, and many do so multiple times. Majors like marine biology and archaeology, which seem much more glamorous to prospective students than they actually are, suffer especially from attrition. Be aware that your major and career plans may change quite rapidly, so look at the bigger picture. Where do you see yourself fitting in best?[/ul]
My D goes to Eckerd - she’s a junior there. She started off as an environmental studies major but ended up in anthropology which she just loves. She works closely with her advisor and has gotten a Ford Scholarship. She is able to do a lot of really cool things there. Having said all that, she’s not a partier, either, and I think the environment was really difficult for her at the beginning. We ended up buying a condo across the highway and she’s living in it with two roommates. It’s the perfect situation for her and it ended up being cheaper than campus housing for us. If your parents are interested in buying our condo after she graduates, we should talk!