<p>I'm thinking of being an Environmental Science major. However, I can't seem to find any info on which university is best for studying environmental science. Does anybody know if Cornell is a good choice for this major? Does anybody know about Stanford? Does anybody know of any universities that are good for this major? Thanks.</p>
<p>Well if my memory is right Cornell is the top 10 for environmental science... Stanford, MIT, and Berkeley are the best for Environmental Science... This is according the US News ... Now if it is true- no idea</p>
<p>Where can I find this US News article? Please tell me as I am having a very hard time deciding between schools. Thank you!!!!</p>
<p>Have you been accepted to Cornell? Which program did you apply for? There are a couple of different programs in different colleges, with a lot of overlap between them. All are very strong programs.</p>
<p>Ag: <a href="http://snes.eas.cornell.edu/compare.html%5B/url%5D">http://snes.eas.cornell.edu/compare.html</a>
Engineering: <a href="http://www.engineering.cornell.edu/programs/undergraduate-education/majors/gs/index.cfm%5B/url%5D">http://www.engineering.cornell.edu/programs/undergraduate-education/majors/gs/index.cfm</a>
Arts: <a href="http://www.eas.cornell.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://www.eas.cornell.edu/</a></p>
<p>I'll also note that Cornell's making a big push into sustainable energy and research. An MIT Professor (and Cornell alum) was just hired to head a new institute at Cornell.</p>
<p>well people mention it on different threads but you can subscribe to USNEWS just google it to find the site ... From there looking at rankings and such</p>
<p>yes, I have already been accepted to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. I applied as an environmental undecided major. I've googled to try to find any US NEWS rankings on best universities for environmental science, but I couldn't find anything.</p>
<p>Honestly, I don't think the U.S. News rankings for a program like environmental science are all that important. But if it matters to you, the Gourman Report considers Cornell's undergraduate Natural Resources program to be the best in the country.</p>
<p>Cornell's teaching and research in the fields of natural resources, environmental science, earth systems, etc. are outstanding. While the other Ivies may joke about Cornell's Ag School, they should probably be jealous of the quality and breadth of it's offerings. From the Shoals Marine Lab to all of the different research stations around Upstate New York, there are tons of opportunities for undergraduates to have hands on experience in the field.</p>
<p>I would read as much about the different programs as you can to see which ones seem to best match your interests in terms of classes, research opportunities, etc. And beyond that, consider which school will offer you the type of student life that you will be most comfortable at. Stanford and Cornell are pretty different when it comes to student life. And above all, visit the campuses, if at all possible, and talk with current students, professors, etc.</p>
<p>Here's some reading material I was able to dig up on Cornell's natural resources program with just a little use of Google:</p>
<p>I studied Natural Resource Policy and Management at Cornell. This might just be my personal bias, but when someone comes with an "Environmental Science" degree, it kind of has the impression of being a crunchy who just loves hugging trees. Not necessarily true, just the impression. You would probably gain a lot more practical knowledge and have more credibility going Natural Resource Management.</p>
<p>It's a great program that really engages in practical solutions that are far from the "liberal" stereotype of universities. Actually, I hired an intern who'd graduated from Duke's Environmental program and she had clearly been indoctrinated by very unrealistic, simplistic liberal solutions that had no prayer of working in the communities where natural resources need managing. I gained new respect for Cornell's very politically balanced DNR program after that intern.</p>
<p>Being in such a rural setting, you also have ample opportunity for hands on work in the field or out on lakes. I also took a number of classes outside the school in the City and Regional Planning Department over in the AAP school because I'm mostly interested in urban issues. Cornell's diversity is great for that sort of interconnection between disciplines. </p>
<p>You should probably decide early on whether you want to pursue more of a hands-on path (such as a career managing eagle populations) or a big-picture policy path. I did the policy route and afterward beat out lawyers and people with PhDs in Washington, DC for a position in a department full of Yale PhD grads. So, all else equal, it would take a real pretentious nut to dismiss you because you "only" have a Cornell degree.</p>
<p>Whatever you do, don't try to decide on your school based on what some ranking says. Find the school that is best for you. No one's going to say, "Hmm... he only went to the 6th ranked school for this particular program." or whatever it happens to be any given year based on whatever criteria they decide on for that year. Talk to the professors or other students if you can. </p>
<p>While you're there - check out the ornithology lab. You'll never see so many dead birds in all your life.</p>
<p>I can echo Applejack's story about the Duke grad.</p>
<p>I have one friend who studied Environmental Science at Harvard, and, well, she ended up having to go to Michigan for her MPP to work in their field.</p>
<p>I have another friend who studied Chemistry at Brown who was interested in nutritional science, and, well, she ended up having to take additional courses at Boston University after she graduated.</p>
<p>In both cases, I thought... well, you could have just gone to Cornell from the beginning. Not that the experiences at those schools aren't fantastic, but if you really want to excel in an applied field, Cornell is often a cut above the rest.</p>
<p>Thanks, that was all good advice. I don't want to judge a school by it's rankings, I just want to go to the best school for environmental science. And while I say I want to major in environmental science, I just really want to work in anything to do with the environment, so I may branch out into natural resources like applejack suggested. Thanks!</p>
<p>You should give a serious look at the SUNY ESF (environmental science and forestry) program operated in conjunction with Syracuse University. It is one of the top environmental science programs in the country.</p>
<p>"ESF was named one of the nation’s 350 most interesting colleges in the 2009 edition of “How to Get into College” produced by Kaplan/Newsweek. ESF was also listed as one of four top schools for environmental science majors, along with Yale University, Barnard College and Rutgers University." </p>
<p>If it's rankings and ratings you look to for your information there are a myriad from Newsweek to Princeton review, etc listed on this site: SUNY-ESF</a>, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry</p>
<p>I don't know how ESF has not made it into this discussion thus far...</p>
<p>Hi, Applejack, </p>
<p>My son is interested in environmental related programs and is accepted by Middlebury and Cornell. He has the impression that Middlebury excels in this area compared to Cornell. We were impressed by Cornell’s resources and also liked Middlebury when visited. We haven’t been able to find any comparison data to help with his college decision. I came across your posting and am wondering if you could offer some advice as a Cornellian.</p>