Match Me: NC resident with 4.44 weighted [3.98 unweighted], $75K for OUT OF STATE ONLY animal behavior/environmental science/wildlife

[smiling2]

NC resident

Looking for OUT OF STATE only

Public charter high school

Female/White

Intended Majors: animal behavior, environmental studies/science, or wildlife related major

4.44 weighted GPA; 3.98 unweighted, 18/150 class rank

No test scores

Have taken honors classes in all subjects when available and 7 AP classes
Highest level of math completed senior year - precalculus honors
Four years of Spanish including AP Spanish

Extracurriculars include travel ice hockey, volunteer hockey coach, paid preschool summer camp counselor, school tour guide for prospective families, leadership position on school PTSO, and several hands on wildlife/animal volunteer and summer experiences

No cost constraints

Looking for colleges/universities with:

strong focus on undergraduate teaching and research
LESS than 20,000 students
within 10 hour driving distance of NC
“outdoorsy” schools with mountain or rural location ideal
schools with athletics (doesn’t need to be DI but like some energy around sports)
other social options other than partying and Greek life

Thanks for helping “match me”!

[Izzy74]

Tough one

I’d say Sewanee except it’s pretty fratty. They have an excellent environmental science program, it’s outdoorsy and in the mountains.

[tsbna44]

Where in NC - 10 hours is tough. You miss schools like UNH, URI, SUNY ESF. Cornell is a reach but may be ten hours depending from where.

That’s a long drive - why not fly?

For ten hours,

You can look at Miami Ohio as a safety but fits your desires. Also, UTC, Tenn Tech, and ETSU.

Also, Marshall in WV.

UAH.

Perfect for you would be W carolina - but you don’t seem interested.

You really need to be out West / midwest to open up options.

Good luck

Good luck.

[CMA22]

Look at Oregon State University. It lists more than 20,000 students, but that is partly because it wraps up all the ecampus online students in that number, also. I believe there are about 23,000 in Corvallis including both undergrad and grad students.

It has strong animal science and wildlife programs.

EDIT: Oops, I didn’t see the 10 hour drive requirement

[ucbalumnus]

Do all other states with 10 hours of driving of NC not have the undesirable aspect of NC that you are trying to avoid?

[Darcy123]

Virginia Tech, Purdue, University of Georgia, Clemson, University of Kentucky, University of Maryland - schools with animal science within a 10 hour drive.

[tsbna44]

True but she also added under 20K students - not that you can really know an 18K vs. a 24K. But those are all over.

[AustenNut]

With respect to access to your interest in nature, I substituted access to oceans & lakes for mountains where necessary.

• Eckerd (FL): About 2k undergrads and offers majors in animal studies (including psychology and behavior labs), environmental studies, and marine science.

• Ithaca (NY): About 4600 undergrads at this school in the Finger Lakes area with popular majors in environmental science and environmental studies.

• Juniata (PA ): About 1200 undergrads with majors in environmental (economics, engineering, geology, science, studies), fisheries & aquatic sciences, and wildlife conservation.

• Ohio Wesleyan: About 1400 undergrads and in addition to majors in environmental studies, science, and zoology, with some interesting opportunities working with a zoo and aquarium.

• Roanoke (VA): About 1800 undergrads with a popular environmental studies major and lots of options to explore the Appalachian mountains.

• Roger Williams (RI): About 4100 undergrads and uses its location on the water to its advantage for its marine biology and environmental science offerings.

• Rollins (FL): About 2600 undergrads with majors in environmental studies, marine biology, and a minor in sutainable development and the environment.

• Saint Francis (PA ): About 2500 undergrads. Offers majors in Aquarium & Zoo Science, marine biology, and minors in animal-assisted health and education and biological diving.

• Salisbury (MD): About 6400 undergrads. This is actually the first school I thought about you. Lots of options for studying environmentally-related things and Salisbury actually had the most students get a Fulbright scholarship out of any college in the U.S. classified as a comprehensive (i.e. its highest degree given is generally a Master’s).

• Skidmore (NY): About 2800 undergrads and, depending on where in North Carolina you live, within the desired driving distance. Offers popular majors in environmental subjects and its location is a good jumping off spot for outdoor adventures.

• St. Mary’s College of Maryland: About 1500 undergrads at this public liberal arts school. Studying environmental studies along the Maryland’s eastern shore offers tons of opportunities.

• Stockton (NJ): About 8100 undergrads. Environmal studies, environmental science, marine science, and sustainability are all possible majors here.

• SUNY Brockton: About 5100 undergrads. Offers majors in environmental science and water resources as well as a minor in outdoor education and recreation.

• Susquehanna (PA ): About 2200 undergrads with majors in ecology, environmental studies, and a minor in sustainability management, among others.

• Ursinus (PA ): About 1500 undergrads. Offers a major in environmental studies as well as minors in animal behavior, marine science.

If you’re willing to look at some schools with more full-fledged graduate programs, these might also be of interest:

• U. of Delaware: About 19k undergrads. Offers majors in various forms of environmental science, environmental studies, wildlife science and management, etc.

• U. of Rhode Island: About 15k undergrads. Takes advantage of its location by the water for offerings in marine biology, wildlife and fisheries science and management, environmental science, etc.

• West Virginia: About 19k undergrads. This school has so much of what you say you’re interested in. Unfortunately, the school is facing a big budget hole and is making some deep cuts. You may want to investigate to see whether the school’s attractions outweigh any potential risks.

[groundhog74]

It seems like University of Vermont would be good, but too far.

[thumper1]

University of Maryland…if you can compromise on the size. Apply EA.

[smiling2]

This is very helpful - thank you!

[DPS43]

Virginia Tech, Washington College (Maryland), Univ of Delaware, Ursinus (PEnnsylvania)

[smiling2]

I found that Franklin and Marshall ¶ and Bucknell ¶ both have animal behavior programs and seem to meet most of my other criteria…although not quite sure about the Greek life/partying. Do you think these schools are too much of a “reach” for me given my stats?

[happy1]

Both are good targets but Bucknell is particularly Greek-life driven from what I understand.

[tsbna44]

Neither is too much a reach.

You might worry about test optional.

F&M doesn’t seem to have a common data set but has been TO for 30+ years.

According to Bucknell’s CDS, 96% submitted a test score. It’s a newer thing for them and I wonder if they require everyone to submit even if they have a TO policy - i.e. they capture but don’t use in admission. You should check.

F&M is in a small city. Bucknell is in the boonies - tiny town.

Bucknell is $80,980 for tuition, room and board - so if you have no need, you’d have to get merit which is possible.

F&M - surprisingly doesn’t list a COA - but I believe it’s over $80K. Historically, they’ve offered need aid only. However, last year someone got a $15K merit and they now list the possibility on their website.

So not sure if either will work for you cost wise and they are different settings so you should go see.

But if you’re looking for small schools, most LACs will have environmental science - so from an under $75K POV, you might look at Dickinson, Allegheny, Juniata, Susquehana, Muhlenberg, and Ursinus as well. You have to check on the animal part.

The two you mentioned are fine and I think you could get in but are harder and the Bucknell test stats worry me, although the data might not reflect the true spirit. And the cost is above budget.

These would all work - but now you’re looking at LACs which is really changing your desire from less than 20K to less than 4K and even smaller than that.

Good luck.

[kaslew]

I’d like to point out that many schools will offer animal behavior and wildlife science courses and plans of study embedded in biology, environmental science, or environmental studies departments, with research opportunities, etc. So - I’d encourage you to look for schools with strong environmental/biological offerings, and not be concerned if the more specialized major name does not show up on your search.

Just to use one example, one of the schools that I know well is Salisbury University (mentioned by AustenNut above). In the biology department, one faculty member does research on animal behavior, focusing particularly upon flying squirrels, out at the university’s Nanticoke River Center field site (across the Nanticoke River from a section of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge). There are a number of undergraduates working with the professor on this research, including through summer funding opportunities. (There are five other biologists working on birds, frogs, small mammals with their students, at different field locations). In Environmental Studies, there is a faculty member working on spotted turtles with her research team, at a number of field sites in the region. Students from both departments regularly do internships at the Salisbury Zoo, where its small size allows them to receive direct experience with the varied animals there, doing behavioral studies, breeding of endangered species, etc. They also do internships with the four national wildlife refuges and the national seashore that are all between 25 and 50 miles of campus. In the geography department one faculty member’s research is on GIS monitoring of wild elephant populations in East Africa; she has students working with her as well, one of whom recently won a Fulbright to continue his education with a team of Brazilian researchers studying monkey behavior in Brazil’s forests.

TLDR: lots of good school options for your interests within 10 hours of NC, and that will offer programs of study that will be right up your alley; don’t dismiss them if they don’t have a degree program called “animal behavior” or “wildlife science.”

[Sweetgum]

University of Vermont might work for you if you’re willing to stretch your distance a little

[JESmom]

+1 for Juniata College. D23 is a freshman there. One thing that emerged as important to her when looking at LACs was some kind of immersive experience for environmental science. Juniata College has a field station on nearby Raystown Lake where students live/study/work for a semester. There are 4 rotating themes so you can choose to be there during the theme that most interests you. One of those is wildlife conservation.

There is a good energy around athletics, especially volleyball since they are the D3 national champions in women’s volleyball. No greek life, very active clubs, fun school traditions. D23 has pretty quickly found a good group of friends.

Some other colleges that had options for an immersive ES experience were Washington College (Chesapeake Semester), St. Lawrence University (Adirondack Semester), Clarkson (also called Adirondack Semester), UMW (can apply to study away at the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation),

[ColdWombat]

As mentioned above, you might consider SUNY Environmental Sciences and Forestry. It’s quite unusual, and is a possible fit for you.

SUNY ESF is public school, but it’s adjacent to (basically “on”) the Syracuse University campus. The schools share a ton of resources and you can take classes through both campuses. It has the feeling of a small specialty school within a larger university. It’s an eclectic and beautiful campus with lots of outdoorsy stuff nearby.

Most SUNY ESF students are definitely in the outdoorsy hippie category (which I personally love).

ESF is a really unique public school, including its relationship with a much larger private school – but it’s a fantastic option for just the right student. I encourage you to check it out.