火爆社区

College of the Atlantic only admits a limited number of applicants each year, which allows it to focus on and fully serve the approximately 350 students enrolled. There鈥檚 an 鈥渆ncouragement to pave our own paths and build our learning to suit ourselves,鈥� which can be seen in the way enrollees design their own major and course of study, a format that 鈥渁ttracts a self-selected group of passionate, driven, and deeply curious individuals who are committed to interdisciplinary learning and environmental and social justice.鈥� This 鈥渁daptability to allow for every student to have an experience that is meaningful to them鈥� is aided by a system of three classes per trimester 鈥渟o that work never becomes overbearing but gives us many opportunities.鈥� A student says: 鈥淵ou can choose to do whatever you want, and if the hyper-specific thing you want isn鈥檛 offered yet, you can ask a teacher and they鈥檒l make it happen for you.鈥� The experiential nature of the curriculum means 鈥渃lasses are usually project-based, which allows students to delve into particular subjects of their interest within the topic and gain experience with such things as research design, field methods, analysis, artistic creation, and much more.鈥� Students appreciate the hands-on learning opportunities, with one student sharing, 鈥淚 did my internship on one of our island research stations, monitoring copepod population health for 10 weeks while simultaneously contributing to the college鈥檚 40-year-old whale presence dataset.鈥�

While there are many different personalities at COA, 鈥渆veryone holds the same inherent values of kindness, giving back through nature, curiosity, and exploration.鈥� Among this 鈥渧ery accepting and diverse, very LGBTQ-friendly鈥� group, 鈥渁ctivism and rhetoric [are] extremely well-intentioned among virtually all students, often translating to engaging conversations.鈥� On the whole, enrollees 鈥渁re quite invested in change-making, both at the school and on a national and international scale.鈥� There also seems to be less of a digital focus, as students tend to 鈥渉ave very tangible hobbies...for example, lots of people knit, sew, carve wood, play instruments, make art, that sort of thing.鈥� One student describes the potpourri of their peers as a 鈥減erfect鈥�mix of art/theater kids and science kids, both extroverted and introverted, down to go hunt for worms in the forest at 2 a.m. or make elaborate costumes for a one-off play written in 12 hours.鈥� As one student sums up: 鈥淐OA students come here each looking for something different鈥�[and] weave their own tapestry of campus culture, which includes a little bit of everything and everyone.鈥�

The 鈥渃ampus is beautiful鈥� and 鈥渋n the fall and spring, there鈥檚 constantly people hanging out outside, either playing instruments, reading, painting, playing soccer or Frisbee, or just enjoying the weather.鈥� Given the school鈥檚 Maine location, many students also enjoy 鈥渢he Outing Program (adventures like hiking, stargazing, boogie boarding, and polar plunging)鈥� or activities in nearby Acadia National Park, which 鈥減rovides endless exploration for both the Outing Program and individuals.鈥� You can find people participating 鈥渋n just about every hobby under the sun. From tincture making to taxidermy, there is a place for all crafts and activities here.鈥� There are also plenty of 鈥渟tudent activist clubs and college-sponsored outdoor recreation,鈥� as well as regularly scheduled activities like 鈥淔ireside Friday (crafting club held weekly), Mending Matters (clothing and gear repair club), and COAmmunity Dinner (weekly community dinner club).鈥� The school鈥檚 small size 鈥渕eans that academic and social life often blend together, with discussions continuing over meals in Take-A-Break [dining hall] or spontaneous gatherings in the library or on the pier.鈥� For the students wanting to 鈥渕ake change on campus and in local communities,鈥� there is the weekly All College Meeting, in which faculty, staff, and students come together to discuss and vote on large-scale decisions, policies, and community issues, fitting for a population that鈥檚 鈥渉ighly committed to curiosity and bettering the planet.鈥�

COA has 鈥渟trong connections to the surrounding community, [which is] extremely beneficial to our student body.鈥� Faculty advisors start helping students shape their curriculum from the start and offer professional advice and connections. Career Services provides further guidance, development activities, labor market information, and access to the alumni mentorship program. The mandatory internship guarantees that students have experience under their belts by graduation (with typical completion during the summer, though opportunities are also available throughout the year), and the senior capstone project is also a nice addition to any portfolio or r茅sum茅. Within one year of graduation, 97 percent of students have gone on to graduate school or have secured a job, with more than half studying at the master鈥檚 or doctorate level.