<p>My daughter graduated from high school in 2009 and took a gap year. She deferred to Macalester College and had an amazing "life changing" interim year. So... she's now at Mac and is happy with the school community and her courses, but realizes that Macalester doesn't have a major that she's passionate about. Something along the line of sustainable agriculture is what excites her, which completely changes the focus of her college choice. As she said, Mac would have been the perfect college for her a year ago, but her interests have changed.</p>
<p>Sterling College in VT looks good on paper, but does anyone have any firsthand experience? We're now looking at more unconventional, alternative schools, and I worry about academic rigor and the student body. She's a hardworking, bright young woman who really wants to learn, and doesn't have much patience for people who don't have the same commitment. Any words of wisdom would be appreciated! I also posted this in the College Search forum -</p>
<p>How about Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)? Have her check out the website. There are many majors within that school and from what I have heard, they are also pretty flexible, so she could probably easily major in agriculture with a focus on sustainability. Ithaca is a very progressive small city and great college town, with many environmentally focused people living in the area. Plus she is used to a northern climate, and it is a very high quality school. Sounds perfect for her. My daughter doesn’t attend, but I live in New York State and have been to Cornell/Ithaca many times, and know many who have attended.</p>
<p>One more thing about Cornell. They get quite a number of transfer students every year and seem to integrate them well into the university. I think they also tend to group them in transfer housing,etc, so she would meet other transfer students and wouldn’t feel alone as a new student in a different school. Good luck to her!</p>
<p>There is a list of college/university programs at [Education:</a> ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service](<a href=“http://attra.ncat.org/education.html]Education:”>http://attra.ncat.org/education.html) I’d also recommend that your daughter do some reading in the current journals in the field to find out about the specific research that is going on these days.</p>
<p>I’ve “seen” that major listed at a number of the publics when S2 was looking for sustainable architecture as a major interest but I do know someone who had a D that graduated from Grinnell a few years ago and went into sustainable agriculture in some facet. I think she put together an interdisciplinary studies major at Grinnell. Wish I knew more, but if your D wants to stay in the midwest Grinnell might be a good option if she wants to stay in the small college atmosphere.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone for your thoughts! I spoke with her again today and she’s realizing that how much she likes the small liberal arts experience, just wishes she could be someplace offering sustainable agriculture or the like. I also talked with a current student at Sterling (we live in VT and know someone there) who was rather lukewarm about his experience. Now College of the Atlantic is on her list for a closer look. I graduated from Cornell and also suggested a larger land grant univ., but she loves the smaller school vibe. She applied and was accepted to Grinnell but we never visited at the time because she was sold on Macalester. Our son is a senior at Olin College and has been happy there since day one, so the whole transfer experience is uncharted territory for our family!</p>
<p>Hard not to think of Iowa when one thinks of agriculture sounds like Grinnell might warrant a second look. Another one might be Earlham. In my opinion both Grinnell and Earlham are “stronger” colleges than College of the Atlantic or Sterling or Green Mountain all of which we “researched” for S2. The only other two that come to mind, and again I stumbled on it with S2 were Evergreen and Warren Wilson. I think they both had something connected to sustainable architecture and sustainable agriculture, but I haven’t gone back today to do the research.</p>
<p>A solid undergraduate degree in biology or chemistry with some work in environmental science should be sufficient prep for grad school in sustainable agriculture. Most grad programs would simply ask that she take Intro. Soils and Intro. Crops along with the undergrads to catch up on the topic. </p>
<p>Another small Ag. college worth looking at is Delaware Valley College near Philadelphia. It is probably the closest to being a small cozy LAC of all the Ag. schools in the country.</p>
<p>Depending on how large the number of people who major in sustainable agriculture is and how large the department is at a big university, you may be able to get a small vibe feel even at a big university.</p>
<p>Her field of interest sounds rather specialized; would many small liberal arts colleges offer anything like this? I think I would second the poster above who suggested a science degree that could lead her to graduate work.</p>
<p>Thanks to all for your thoughts. She called this evening and is going to make a trip home for her fall break at the end of October and make a whirlwind trip to visit College of the Atlantic, Unity College, U Maine at Orono, and Sterling College. As she said, she’s happy at Macalester and might very well stay there, but she’d like to see what’s out there so she can weigh her options. Who knows which way this will all go!</p>
<p>If your daughter decides to stay at Macalester, she may want to check out The Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, a Partnership of the Sustainers’ Coalition and The University of Minnesota. [What’s</a> New](<a href=“http://www.misa.umn.edu/home.html]What’s”>http://www.misa.umn.edu/home.html) There are lots of links at the bottom of the home page-perhaps she could pursue volunteer/internship opportunities.</p>
<p>Might I suggest Middlebury? I am not sure of their having a Sustainable Agriculture major, but they do have environmental studies AND the entire school is based on sustainable everything. They even have their own farm.</p>
sounds like Grinnell might warrant a second look. Another one might be Earlham. In my opinion both Grinnell and Earlham are “stronger” colleges than College of the Atlantic or Sterling or Green Mountain all of which we “researched” for S2. The only other two that come to mind, and again I stumbled on it with S2 were Evergreen and Warren Wilson. I think they both had something connected to sustainable architecture and sustainable agriculture, but I haven’t gone back today to do the research.</p>