<p>I am an outdoorsman at heart. I have a deep l love for backpacking in the mountains (literally spending most of this summer in the backcountry), and really want to go to an outdoorsy school. What are some colleges that have some great access to outdoor activities (hiking, backpacking, fishing, mountaineering, etc)? I don't feel like listing my stats, but I think I'm a contender for highly selective schools. I want to study engineering also btw. I'm from seattle and would consider any part of the country as long as the school is NOT PREPPY (which cancels out most small NE schools). Thanks for any help!</p>
<p>The “preppy” characterization of small northeastern schools mostly outdated. Even prep schools aren’t preppy any more. Williams is a great outdoorsy destination but no engineering. </p>
<p>Williams, Middlebury, Dartmouth–all “preppy” to some degree, but otherwise they fit the bill. Undergrad engineering rules out almost all premier LACs (except Swarthmore, which is suburban, and the techies like Mudd).</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/north-america/united-states/california/Outside-University--The-Top-40.html”>http://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/north-america/united-states/california/Outside-University--The-Top-40.html</a></p>
<p>Cornell
Georgia Tech
UC Boulder, Virginia Tech, Penn State
University of Washington</p>
<p>Hamilton College in NYS might work for you.</p>
<p>UVM has an amazing outing club. Close proximity to mountains, rivers, lakes. Vermont is an outdoorsman’s paradise. </p>
<p>I have the perfect school for you! University of Montana has a mountain trail literally behind the school, and the setting is STUNNING! I went there on a student exchange and it is one of my best memories. This is what it says about the city: </p>
<p>Missoula: Known as the “Garden City” for its dense trees and lush green landscape, it is nestled in the heart of the northern Rockies of Western Montana. A community of nearly 86,000 residents, Missoula lies in a mountain forest setting where five valleys converge, three major rivers flow, and seven nearby wilderness areas offer a paramount playground for outdoor enthusiasts. You’ll have ready access to some of the world’s best hiking, biking, fishing, skiing, and water recreation. Missoula offers urban sophistication in a mountain-town setting.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, they don’t offer engineering :(</p>
<p>If you have the stats for CalTech, it isn’t too far from the San Gabriels and some beautiful southern California wilderness areas. The same goes for Harvey Mudd and other Claremont colleges: they brag that it’s possible for their students to surf and ski within the same day. </p>
<p>RE: Movemetoo’s suggestion, U. of Montana is NOT the place to go if you want to study engineering (no engineering curriculum). However, Montana State University in Bozeman has a good engineering school and trumps Missoula in terms of outdoor potential. Surrounded by mountains, it offers great hiking & technical climbing opportunities, world-class trout rivers (Madison, Yellowstone, Gallatin), and Bridger Bowl ski area is just a half hour away.</p>
<p>I’ll second that opportunity at Montana State. Knew a flyfisherman who enrolled at MSU. His father was worried he would spend all his time fishing. The father needn’t have worried: he found he loved skiing just as much as flyfishing. I’ve seen this happen at Boulder, too. Beautiful campuses with wilderness within reach. </p>
<p>South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, located in Rapid City, which is in the Black Hills region. A good contingent of Puget Sounders usually find their way to SDSM&T’s undergraduate engineering programs.</p>
<p>Unity College in Maine is known for being really outdoorsy and is known as “America’s environmental college”</p>
<p>Cal Poly SLO, Colorado School of Mines and South Dakota School of Mines (great price for the education) all are on or within close proximity to breathtaking mountains and have nationally ranked engineering schools</p>
<p>Thank guys for all the responses! CU boulder seems like an awesome school for an outdoorsy person, but do you think the school would be too distracting for an engineering student? It seems CU has a giant party rep? (Don’t get me wrong, I like to party but I don’t want to fail out of engineering)</p>
<p>You will have to be disciplined to major in engineering, no matter where you go. If you think you will be easily distracted, you should pick another major.</p>
<p>Michigan Tech! Great merit money too.</p>
<p>I think you’ll be much more satisfied heading west. New england outdoorsy is very different from west/southwest outdoorsy.</p>
<p>Far nicer weather year-round, wide open spaces, taller mountains, and arguably prettier, more dramatic scenery.</p>
<p>Suggestions:
-Wyoming
-Colorado School of Mines
-New Mexico Tech
-Northern Arizona
-University of Arizona
-Embry Riddle Prescott
-South Dakota Mines
-Montana State</p>
<p>Just to name a few.</p>
<p>You are a perfect candidate for Deep Springs College.</p>
<p>I don’t know, fractal, the scenery around Cornell is mighty dramatic. </p>
<p>University of Alaska Fairbanks, if you’re man enough for it! (I went there.)</p>
<p>What would you rather do - wrestle bears in Alaska or feed peanuts to squirrels at Cornell?</p>