College of the Atlantic Admissions

College of the Atlantic Admissions Overview:

Students can apply through the school's website, or via the Common Application. In addition, interested students should submit high school transcripts, letters of recommendation, a few short essays, and a small application fee. Since CoA is such an academically-focused school, the admissions office reviews each application holistically, taking more than just grades or test scores into account.

Admissions Data (2016):

• College of the Atlantic Acceptance Rate: 65%
• GPA, SAT and ACT Graph for COA Admissions
• COA has test-optional admissions
  • SAT Critical Reading: -
  • SAT Math: -
  • SAT Writing: -
    • Compare SAT scores for Maine Colleges
  • ACT Composite: -
  • ACT English: -
  • ACT Math: -
    • Compare ACT scores for Maine Colleges

College of the Atlantic Description:

With our increasing interest in sustainability, you can expect to see College of the Atlantic's reputation grow in the coming years. The college has a single major -- human ecology -- but students can approach the subject in a multitude of interdisciplinary ways. What's required is that students focus on the relationship between human beings and their world. Don't expect Division I athletics or high-rise living at this small school, but tourists would pay a lot of money to stay at College of the Atlantic's ocean-front campus in Bar Harbor, Maine. COA has an impressive 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio and an average class size of 12. Students come from 38 states and 34 countries.

Sustainability and Student Life:

College of the Atlantic takes pride in their carbon-neutrality, and Princeton Review recently listed College of the Atlantic as one of the "greenest" campuses in the nation (and truth be told, COA pollutes a lot less than other schools on the list such as Arizona State and Georgia Tech). Indeed, sustainability is part of the day-to-day life of students. They don't just study it, but live it -- students help grow some of the food they eat; 90% of meats served are free-range; recycling efforts are robust; and soon all power will come from wind turbines in Maine. COA is a member of the Eco League with four other small colleges that focus on sustainability: Alaska Pacific University, Northland College, Green Mountain College, and Prescott College. Students can easily take a semester or two at one of these other schools.

Enrollment (2016):

• Total Enrollment: 344 (337 undergraduates)
• Gender Breakdown: 27% Male / 73% Female
• 93% Full-time

Costs (2016 - 17):

• Tuition and Fees: $43,542
• Books: $600 (why so much?)
• Room and Board: $9,747
• Other Expenses: $1,080
• Total Cost: $54,969

College of the Atlantic Financial Aid (2015 - 16):

• Percentage of New Students Receiving Aid: 99%
• Percentage of New Students Receiving Types of Aid
  • Grants: 99%
  • Loans: 64%
• Average Amount of Aid
  • Grants: $32,103
  • Loans: $7,127

Academic Programs:

• Most Popular Majors: Only one option here -- Human Ecology. Students work with faculty to create an interdisciplinary approach to the topic that best fits their passions and interests..

Graduation and Retention Rates:

• First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 84%
• 4-Year Graduation Rate: 44%
• 6-Year Graduation Rate: 65%

Data Source (except for SAT scores):

National Center for Educational Statistics

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