<p>Hello, I am looking for an in depth analysis of life at NCF about the atmosphere, people, social functions and so forth. I already understand that it has superb academics, is liberal, termed "hippie" and so forth. Recently, I was just accepted with a very tempting scholarship offer and both of my parents are alums, so I have a connection and interest in the school, but I haven't visited in a very long time. Another worry of mine is if many out of state students attend, and what acclimating to Sarasota from San Francisco would be like. I've pretty much researched everything available online about NCF, and am eager to hear more. Please relay any rants you see fitting! Thanks!
Also my other two acceptances are from Bard and Lewis and Clarke and I am having trouble deciding, so if you feel the wish to advocate for one I'd love to hear why.</p>
<p>Hello! I am a student at New College who grew up on the West Coast. Hopefully I can help you out a bit! </p>
<p>You are right to say that New College is liberal, "hippie"ish, and fantastic academically. I think NCF’s size shapes its atmosphere the most. There are fewer than 850 students who attend NCF, which makes it very, very small–even for a liberal arts college. Bard has closer to 2,000 students; L&C has about 2,000 undergrads and another 1,500 graduate students. Because of its size, New College has unique strengths and shortcomings. If you choose to attend, you will come to know almost everyone on campus, most of whom are really awesome and brilliant people. You will have really small class sizes and will get individual attention from professors. You won’t have to walk very far to get to class or to the library at all. Unfortunately, you won’t have that much anonymity, which can be nice at times. I would encourage you to compare course catalogues because NCF offers fewer courses and has fewer professors than the other two schools. </p>
<p>As an OOS student, you would definitely be in the minority at NCF. About 77 percent of the 2012 cohort hailed from Florida. Only 2.6 percent of all students are from the West. Speaking as part of this 2.6 percent, I can say that I am somewhat of a novelty at New College. People ask me about what things are like on the West Coast fairly frequently. I am lightly teased for my slight accent and for saying things such as “pop” instead of “soda.” That being said, there are a great deal of Florida residents who do not identify as Floridians who attend New College. I know people who grew up in Connecticut, California, Arizona, South America, and elsewhere who moved to Florida in their late teens and who now attend NCF. </p>
<p>I’m from the Seattle area, so getting acclimated to Sarasota had a lot to do with the literal climate. Since SF is a bit more southerly, that particular adjustment may not be as strange. I love the weather in Sarasota, but it is odd to not get to watch the seasons change in the ways that I’m used to, like seeing the leaves change in autumn and whatnot.
While NCF is very liberal, it is located in a red county, which took some adjustment from me as well. Sarasota is less urban than SF. Also, there are only three Asian people in my cohort. </p>
<p>I don’t know much about Bard other than that it is a really reputable school in NY–sorry! I do, however, know a bit about L&C, as I seriously considered going there and know a handful of people who do. Ultimately, I ruled L&C out because I was not comfortable with how much money I’d have to take out in loans to attend. While I would prefer to be closer to home–the flight to Sarasota is terribly long, although NCF is conveniently located across the street from an airport–I do think that New College was a better fit for me academically. From sitting in on classes at L&C and attending classes at NCF, the students at New College seem to be more engaged with and excited by the material. </p>
<p>New College also has a unique academic program, whereas L&C is more traditional in this respect. NCF runs on a Sat/Unsat system–no letter grades are given, but you do get narrative evaluations. All students are required to complete a thesis their final year and Independent Study Projects (ISPs) each January leading up to that. There are less in the way of gen ed requirements. New College also grants credit for most classes taken at a community college during hs and waives the liberal arts requirement classes (our more flexible equivalent of gen eds) for AP and IB scores of a certain standing. </p>
<p>Hope this helps a bit! If you have any more questions that are more specific, let me know.</p>
<p>My son is a current high school junior, and is very interested in NCF. We live in the Northeast. Do you know how heavily they favor FL residents in terms of academic requirements? Some state systems (e.g. California) are very explicit about the difference. My son’s statistics line up pretty nicely with NCF’s, but I wonder whether they’re low for an out-of-stater.</p>
<p>Although, I am only a prospective student I believe that NCF is looking to increase the number of out of state students who attend. This should reflect favorably on your sons application. I wouldn’t worry about not meeting the cut, I fit the higher stats of NCF students, without the AP classes, and have received a really great scholarship. I am sure if your son has what it takes, a meager issue of which state he resides in should not result in a rejection. Good luck!</p>
<p>waldorfian, how long did it take between application and admittance for you at NCF? thx</p>
<p>I submitted my complete application on November 1st and received a response a few days before December 25, so it took about two months.</p>
<p>thanks Waldorfian, my daughter applied the beginning of January and was starting to get impatient. We actually received her acceptance package about an hour ago!</p>
<p>This is a good discussion as my son, who, happily, was just admitted, is from the northeast. </p>
<p>I went to New College back in the dark old days when it was part of USF, and still had a great experience. We’ll be visiting in April and hopefully my son will like it - his other top choice, St. John’s College, is both different and similar in interesting ways! Still waiting to hear from other schools, but these are his top two choices and I don’t see that changing. </p>