Thanks to College of the Atlantic, I’ll now be asking “how many islands do you have for research?” to all colleges. Read about their islands, sustainability, and self-designed majors below.

For Three Quick Questions, I send the same three questions to admissions representatives at colleges all over the country, and then I hope to hear back from them. The three questions are meant to probe some of the things that make a school unique but that aren’t easily captured as a stat to go in a book or web search.

Today’s response is from Casey Schuller Jordan, Admission Counselor at College of the Atlantic in Bal Harbor, Maine.

What is a course, tradition, program or event that is unique to College of the Atlantic?

There are too many to name them all! Pretty much everything at COA is unique. The concept of our self-designed major in human ecology is a good place to start. While we offer a wide selection of courses covering arts, sciences, and humanities, you may find many of our courses take a unique purpose-driven, hands-on, and experiential approach. Check out some of our courses through our areas of study (which are not paths you have to follow, but may be a helpful place to begin exploring). If you are interested in entrepreneurship and sustainable business, you might like our hatchery program. Additionally, we have two farms and two islands that are used for research, coursework, and general student experiences.

We are also the #1 Green College in the U.S. and sustainability is central to everything we do. Our system of college governance where faculty, staff, and students make decisions together is a key part of COA as well. Student voice and participation are highly valued on campus, which is all part of our tight-knit community. Finally, if I had to pick one favorite campus tradition it would probably be the Bar Island swim after convocation, which is followed by a cookout.

Naturally every college wants to recruit the perfect student--high grades, high test scores, involved in their community, leadership...everything. But what kinds of imperfect students tend to flourish at COA?

First, we have always been test-optional, so if testing is not your strength that's okay. We often attract students who are looking for something beyond traditional education systems, students who want to think beyond departments and majors, and students who are passionate about something, even if they don't know why or where that will lead them. Our students are curious, deeply engaged in their education, and want to go beyond understanding the world as it is to be a part of actively shaping the future. If you want to explore beyond the traditional classroom, we might be a good place for you.

When people come to visit Bal Harbor what's a place off campus that you recommend they check out while they're there?

There is so much to do here! I highly recommend everyone visit Acadia National Park. There are so many beautiful hikes, biking trails, and swimming spots, but if you have limited time you should at least drive the Park Loop Road. There are also a lot of ways to get out on the ocean from kayaking to whale watching to lobster boat tours. Finally, Bar Harbor is a pretty cute town itself if you want to spend time wandering through local shops.

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Photo by Angela Elisabeth. [The banner photo is not of College of the Atlantic. I use the same photo for all Meet the Class posts so you can spot them easily.]