SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
The State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry, located in Syracuse, NY, was founded in 1911 and is the nation’s oldest institute of higher learning dedicated to these studies. There are about 1600 undergraduates there and another 600 or so graduate students. Located in Syracuse, the ESF main campus occupies 12 acres of land. But with a series of regional campuses comprising another 25,000 acres in the Adirondacks and upstate New York, SUNY-ESF, provides a plethora of different ecosystems, biospheres, and areas where students can focus their interests. It’s the aim of ESF to create a better world through environmental discovery by promoting stewardship of the natural and designed world.
One of the most unique aspects of ESF is its regional campus system. Participation in field experiences and research are critical to a quality education in Environmental Studies and so students spend plenty of time working on the different campuses, engaged in a variety of research projects. At Thousand Islands Biological Station, students work on ecology of rivers and wetlands, fisheries, invasive species, limnology, and ecological perturbations. Students study biodiversity, forestry, wilderness, biology and do indepth research at Cranberry Lake (accessible only by boat). You can do both class and field work in the Svend O. Heiberg Memorial Forest and Tully Field Station. And these are just some of the campuses. There are several more!
In addition to the these campuses, ESF has a deal with University of Syracuse which allows students to take classes on their campus as well. This means you actually get kind of the best of both worlds. You get the tiny and specialized world of ESF and the large university feel of Syracuse (15,000+ undergrads). Students get a bunch of privileges at SU. They can eat in the dorms, use the library, take classes, work with professors, join clubs, be in bands, play sports (not the DI ones though), and more. So you do get to go to a small school and a big school at the same time
As an undergrad you can pursue several specialized majors at SUNY-ESF. While most places will limit you to Environmental Studies or Environmental Science, here you can really specialize in such things as Environmental Biology, Forest Ecosystem Science, Renewable Resources Management, Wildlife Science, Sustainable Energy Management, or Bioprocess Engineering. You can choose from these (and more) while still having a traditional minor in areas such as Statistics, Economics, Computer Science, Management, or Chemistry. For students who know this is the area they are interested in working in in their future, this school allows you to get a focused, hands on, cutting edge education so that you have the experience and the skills to enter the workforce upon graduation.
EFS also has an honors program which allows students to engage in exciting ways with each other, their professors, the community and their world. Special classes and interdisciplinary projects provide rigor at the underclassmen level. Service learning and programming connect freshmen and sophomores to their campus and to Syracuse. As upperclassmen, honors students take on a leadership role within the school and become involved with select research projects under the guidance of faculty which are multidisciplinary, holistic, and real world in their application. Student who are invited to be in the honors program find that the work is challenging but very rewarding.
Internships are a crucial aspect of education at ESF. Students can get academic credit for some internships, but all students are encouraged to work in the field professionally as well as academically. Students who graduate from ESF find that they have both the academic skills from their work and research, and the job skills from their internships that they need to be successful.
So what’s it like to go to ESF? It’s healthy! People here are lovers of nature and the environment. So they don’t usually put a lot of trash in themselves either. The Insomniacs are a student group who help you plan late night activities that are healthy and safe but still a lot of fun, and there are bike racks everywhere (the freshman dorm actually has a picture of how many there are just to reassure you you’ll have one!). Earth day is huge of course. Students have activities like “Sustainability Tabling” where you bring your own plate and mug for dinner and talk about how to be more sustainable in everyday life. Instead of buying clothes there is a “Ecoswap” event where you shop each other. Hit up Tea and Terrariums, hear a speaker, sample some vegan cooking, or go hear the orchestra play (this spring’s concert? Disney favorites!). Play soccer on the Quad, run in the Stumpy Stampede 5K, take a moonlit snowshoe trek, run track, hit the challenge course, white water kayak, play basketball, kickball, or softball. Help out on the Yearbook, write for the paper, The Knothole, join the Music Society, or choose from any of the myriad environmental and hortological clubs available.
So, is SUNY-ESF for you? It’s a small school and a big school in a lot of ways. But it’s also highly, highly specialized. Environmentalism has to be your life here. If it is, then this is definitely for you!
Pros:
Cons:
The State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry, located in Syracuse, NY, was founded in 1911 and is the nation’s oldest institute of higher learning dedicated to these studies. There are about 1600 undergraduates there and another 600 or so graduate students. Located in Syracuse, the ESF main campus occupies 12 acres of land. But with a series of regional campuses comprising another 25,000 acres in the Adirondacks and upstate New York, SUNY-ESF, provides a plethora of different ecosystems, biospheres, and areas where students can focus their interests. It’s the aim of ESF to create a better world through environmental discovery by promoting stewardship of the natural and designed world.
One of the most unique aspects of ESF is its regional campus system. Participation in field experiences and research are critical to a quality education in Environmental Studies and so students spend plenty of time working on the different campuses, engaged in a variety of research projects. At Thousand Islands Biological Station, students work on ecology of rivers and wetlands, fisheries, invasive species, limnology, and ecological perturbations. Students study biodiversity, forestry, wilderness, biology and do indepth research at Cranberry Lake (accessible only by boat). You can do both class and field work in the Svend O. Heiberg Memorial Forest and Tully Field Station. And these are just some of the campuses. There are several more!
In addition to the these campuses, ESF has a deal with University of Syracuse which allows students to take classes on their campus as well. This means you actually get kind of the best of both worlds. You get the tiny and specialized world of ESF and the large university feel of Syracuse (15,000+ undergrads). Students get a bunch of privileges at SU. They can eat in the dorms, use the library, take classes, work with professors, join clubs, be in bands, play sports (not the DI ones though), and more. So you do get to go to a small school and a big school at the same time
As an undergrad you can pursue several specialized majors at SUNY-ESF. While most places will limit you to Environmental Studies or Environmental Science, here you can really specialize in such things as Environmental Biology, Forest Ecosystem Science, Renewable Resources Management, Wildlife Science, Sustainable Energy Management, or Bioprocess Engineering. You can choose from these (and more) while still having a traditional minor in areas such as Statistics, Economics, Computer Science, Management, or Chemistry. For students who know this is the area they are interested in working in in their future, this school allows you to get a focused, hands on, cutting edge education so that you have the experience and the skills to enter the workforce upon graduation.
EFS also has an honors program which allows students to engage in exciting ways with each other, their professors, the community and their world. Special classes and interdisciplinary projects provide rigor at the underclassmen level. Service learning and programming connect freshmen and sophomores to their campus and to Syracuse. As upperclassmen, honors students take on a leadership role within the school and become involved with select research projects under the guidance of faculty which are multidisciplinary, holistic, and real world in their application. Student who are invited to be in the honors program find that the work is challenging but very rewarding.
Internships are a crucial aspect of education at ESF. Students can get academic credit for some internships, but all students are encouraged to work in the field professionally as well as academically. Students who graduate from ESF find that they have both the academic skills from their work and research, and the job skills from their internships that they need to be successful.
So what’s it like to go to ESF? It’s healthy! People here are lovers of nature and the environment. So they don’t usually put a lot of trash in themselves either. The Insomniacs are a student group who help you plan late night activities that are healthy and safe but still a lot of fun, and there are bike racks everywhere (the freshman dorm actually has a picture of how many there are just to reassure you you’ll have one!). Earth day is huge of course. Students have activities like “Sustainability Tabling” where you bring your own plate and mug for dinner and talk about how to be more sustainable in everyday life. Instead of buying clothes there is a “Ecoswap” event where you shop each other. Hit up Tea and Terrariums, hear a speaker, sample some vegan cooking, or go hear the orchestra play (this spring’s concert? Disney favorites!). Play soccer on the Quad, run in the Stumpy Stampede 5K, take a moonlit snowshoe trek, run track, hit the challenge course, white water kayak, play basketball, kickball, or softball. Help out on the Yearbook, write for the paper, The Knothole, join the Music Society, or choose from any of the myriad environmental and hortological clubs available.
So, is SUNY-ESF for you? It’s a small school and a big school in a lot of ways. But it’s also highly, highly specialized. Environmentalism has to be your life here. If it is, then this is definitely for you!
Pros:
- Multiple campuses for in depth work and research
- Specialized curriculum for those passionate about the environment
- Incredible honors program for students who want to extend learning
- Small size means a lot of research and opportunity
- Agreement with Syracuse means chance for large school feel too
Cons:
- No NCAA sports of their own (and no chance to play them, only to watch at Syracuse)
- Almost no Greek Life (but can join at Syracuse)
- May be too specialized
- Environmentalism isn’t a study here, it’s a lifestyle