Good environmental science/ wildlife bio schools?

College Search & Selection
1

My school is also considered a pretty good school, so classes may be tougher

-GPA Total: 3.56 (UW)/ 4.16 (W) (there is a downward trend in grades, explained further down)

-EC: -Docent at Aquarium for 2 years (summer)
-Historian for school Kiwins Club (international service club) for 2 years; Treasurer for 1; trying to revive club
-Played basketball for 3 years (2 F/S, 1 JV ) Captain of JV
-Coastal Park naturalist at aquarium (do population surveys, educate public on dangers of eating fish they catch, teach public about tide pools, maintain salt marshes)- 3 years
-Have a nature Photography blog on Flickr

-SAT: 2050 best, 2060 Superscore

-AP: Bio: 3
-Lang&Comp: 4
Will take: -EnviSci, -Lit, maybe -Calc AB

-No class ranking
-Not reporting SAT Subject tests, did poorly, but 670 in Bio E and 630 in Math 2

-Awards: -CSF (california scholarship federation) - last 3 years, will do this year
-Science honors society - 2 years, not eligible this year

Personal statement main idea: Finding out I had ADD summer before senior year, explains downward trend on transcript

Additional Info: -had depression last semester of junior year

  • ADD contributed to stress and social anxiety

Majoring: Undecided, but related to Environmental or Wildlife Science, Ecology, etc.
Size: Small to medium
-Preferably Public
-Mostly out of california
-Cold weather, snow or rain is fine
-Near nature/ lots of trees (See western washington as example)
-Live in dorm
-preferably semester schedule
-down to earth

I’m a bit introverted, but I don’t know how I feel about Greek life or party schools because I want to meet new people. i want the ability to connect with others and form close friendships.

2

Humboldt State (~8000 students) is a great option since you’re a CA resident. Extremely strong in environmental science and ecology, particularly botany, and a nice location. UCSC sounds like a potentially good fit as well.

To get out of CA, check out the WUE schools for cheap(ish) out-of-state tuition. U Alaska-Fairbanks, Colorado State, U Hawaii-Manoa, U Wyoming, and Washington State are particularly good for wildlife biology.

http://wue.wiche.edu/search1.jsp

This is better addressed in a statement by your school counselor, in my opinion. Focus your essay on what you’re bringing to the table. Your aquarium job and photography blog could make for a very interesting personal statement.

(I find your interests extremely refreshing after seeing endless posts on CC about econ/finance, computer science, and engineering. Admissions officers may feel the same.)

3

If you want to head east, check out Juniata in PA. They are small, more or less in the woods (certainly not in a major city) and have a great rep for your interests. They are also one of the CTCL schools. (Colleges that Change Lives)

http://www.juniata.edu/about/

4

What can your family afford?

What do the folks at the aquarium where you are volunteering recommend?

Most good wildlife bio programs are at public universities. Sometimes they are buried inside another department such as natural resources, fisheries, or forestry. Remember that public universities usually are more expensive for out of state students, and some of the better wildlife bio programs might require a whole new heavy-duty winter wardrobe.

Environmental bio is easier to find. If that is OK with you, you will have more options.

5

@happymomof1
I was talking to my parents and they weren’t really specific about that, but I’ll ask again.
I don’t know exactly what kind of major I want to go in, but I know for certain that I want to work with nature and/or wildlife.
As for the out of state, my parents are ok with me going out of state, and I LOVE cold weather.

@Creekland @warblersrule
Thank you for your insight!!

6

http://www.uwyo.edu/zoology/undergrad_degrees/wfbm.html

7

I went to the University of Alaska Fairbanks and wildlife biology was one of the most popular majors. It was a good enough program to attract people from all over the world.

8

Also, no Greek at Juniata, and they strive to create a welcoming, friendly, close-knit campus.

OP, check out the Raystown Field Station in the [virtual tour](http://www.youvisit.com/tour/juniata/). Students in certain majors can take all their classes and room there for a whole semester; very likely the Wildlife Conservation major is one of those.

9

Well, not a lot of trees, but Grinnell has a prairie conservation center and strong bio dept, so if you want to learn about a different kind of ecosystem, that’s a great place to do it. It’s 1,600 students, almost everyone lives on campus in the dorms, they’re on the semester system. Also, they have no distribution requirements, so if you don’t want to take a particular subject, you won’t be forced to. (You can’t take all your credits in the sciences but that’s pretty much it except for a freshman seminar on one of two dozen topics of your choice.) To chance yourself, check out section C of the common data set: http://web.grinnell.edu/institutionalresearch/webdocs/GC_CDS_1314.pdf

10

bump

PS, to those who named Juniata, thank you very much! It is now my top choice!

11

I attend this school and love it. I am introverted and have been able to make friends here. The school is community oriented. It has a great environmental science program, a lot of scholarships are given out, and you would have plenty of research opportunities, if you want them.

12

Not out of California, but UC Santa Cruz is good on environmental studies (and great location).

13

A bit of an unusual suggestion, but Lees-McRae in Banner Elk North Carolina has a wonderful wildlife bio and rehabilitation program. They have a rehab center on campus where students get to work with animals.
The campus and the whole area is gorgeous - right in the western NC mountains, and the campus is about 10 minutes from multiple ski resorts.

You’re likely above the avg student credential-wise, so you’d be a good candidate for merit aid.

http://www.lmc.edu/academics/programs_of_study/science-mathematics/wildlife-biology/index.htm

14

You really should look into North Carolina schools. Look up Warren Wilson. It’s a rural, mountain, small private college that has one the best Environmental Science programs in the country. It’s also really small with only about 750 students. Other schools you should consider are UNC Asheville, Appalachian State, Western Carolina, and Mars Hill.

15

-Bennington College
-Colby College
-Dickinson College
-Elizabethtown College
-Hampshire College
-Middlebury College
-St. Olaf College
-Williams College

16

If one is interested in approaching environmental science from the perspective of organismal biology and ecology. If then Colorado College seems to be a pretty good small college for that. Its location at the foot of the Rockies, combined with its unusual block schedule, would make it a good place for field work.

https://www.coloradocollege.edu/academics/dept/obe/index.html