Hi CC community,
My high school junior has declared an interest in a career involving business and renewable/sustainable energy. What are some good summer options/programs for him this summer? Also, what are some good major options and colleges that are well known in these areas?
Thanks!
CC mom
Have you seen this thread: Seeking not-too-competitive science program for rising junior? Some of the recommendations there might be of interest for your son as well.
With respect to business and renewable/sustainable energy, I’m there are lots of options out there, and I would imagine that at many colleges he would specialize in one and minor in the other, or perhaps do a double major, etc.
One major that might be of interest is Environmental/Natural Resource Economics. Econ is not business, but it might meld some of his interests. Juniata, Michigan State, U. of New Hampshire, and U. of Rhode Island all offer this major and seem to have some related majors that means they’d probably offer some pretty good strength.
But what area(s) of the country is your son interested in (or interested in avoiding)? Size of school(s)? How does he feel about the importance of college sports or Greek life? What’s his academic background? What’s the budget?
There are many possibilities, depending on where you live. Your city may have a climate working group, for example, that citizens (including high school students) can join (my daughter serves on our city’s climate action committee that sets the city’s sustainability goals, including things like switching to renewable energy). There may be internships available - my daughter has done a few with local conservation-related orgs as well as with local political leaders (such as local assembleymember, state senator, etc, focused on their developing their climate platform, including renewable energy strategy). Also, if you’re near a university, they may offer internships or research opportunities for high school students.
indiana U offers an Environment and Sustainability Studies major.
The study of sustainability bridges the arts and humanities, social sciences, and the physical and life sciences. It complements traditional disciplines by offering an opportunity for education that couples natural and human systems in order to encompass the study of the environment, society, economy, and the arts.
The Environmental and Sustainability Studies B.A. program will provide you with a broad introduction to the complex system-scale challenges of sustainability, as well as the tools needed to address problems that transcend solely social or environmental domains.
- Interest in sustainability, human-environment interaction, sustainable food systems, and/or environmental ethics
- Desire to take courses from and that bridge the arts and humanities, social sciences, and physical and life sciences
- Interest in a career in areas such as environmental planning and coordination, environmental education and communications, sustainability coordination or consulting in the private or public sector, green design, environmental law or public affairs, or graduate study
Sustainable/green management practices is very big with outdoor sporting goods companies.
Major can be customized to fit a particular interest.
Washington and Lee University has a strong Environmental Studies/Science department, and it allows for a concentration in business (that is, business with an environmental/sustainability focus). You can also combine environmental studies/science with other concentrations. My son is considering Environmental Studies and Data Science.
W&L also has fantastic opportunities. This same son is doing paid research over the summer studying coral reefs in Belize and then analyzing the data collected. This professor has an ongoing 10+ year research project there. The career office has a dedicated person to advise Environmental Studies/Science majors about careers and summer internships/jobs.
If your son knows for sure that he wants business, then he might consider these majors:
Babson & Bentley are known for their strength in business programming. These majors/concentrations would obviously meld your son’s two interests.
Lots of majors can be applicable, from engineering to social sciences to natural sciences to business.
If interesting in the engineering route for renewable/sustainable energy, Alfred University (not Alfred State), has an ABET accredited renewable energy engineering major. It’s one of two schools in the country with this major.
My D majors in Sustainable Business at Western WA Univ.
My son was able to design his own major at his school and combined economics, environmental science and ethics. He has taken a consulting job for after graduation and will be working in the sustainability area. During his internship last summer he was able to work on a decarbonization project.
Where did he attend?
He goes to Vanderbilt.
Great point! A number of colleges allow students to design their own major, and that would be a great way of making sure that he gets the type of preparation he’s looking for.
Thank you, everyone!! These are all very helpful!! I’m very happy that my son is interested in this important field. I’m letting him drive the college application process, but we’ll be sure to mention these programs and schools to him.
As for the summer, is there any value in paying for a pre-college program or class in this field? Or is he better off being say a camp counselor or getting a job somewhere?
Thanks again!
Unless a college is “admitting by major”, there likely is little to no value. At best, if it ties with other ECs in the same field, it shows his commitment to that EC.
However, admission officers know very well, that these are essentially “themed sleep-away camps” for those who can afford to be “brand conscious”. In the sense of college admissions, I don’t see a big ROI.
I’m not in the sustainable energy field, but have worked as an advisor to several companies in the field and have a broader interest with how the ESG concerns influence companies. Plus, I was recently advising a niece who is in college and wants to be in the field.
My quick takes. Engineering or science knowledge will be really helpful depending upon where you want to sit. There are a host of different kinds of positions from working for renewable energy developers to working inside a company trying to enhance sustainability to ESG investment. Although I am not usually too excited for what passes as undergraduate business courses, I suspect a combination of relevant science or engineering and some basic business courses would help your kid get considered.
My own bias is that one should learn to think in more than one way as an undergraduate because much of the very specific stuff will be obsolete. As I have told my children, the two primary jobs I have held as an adult did not exist when I was in college, so I could not have taken courses designed to prepare for these careers. Today, one can take courses that are preparatory. But, the jobs your kids will do may not exist now. So, I’d opt for basic thinking and writing skills
Thank you, very helpful!