- Location:Suburban
- Total Enrollment:832
- Undergraduates:832
- Male/Female:41/59
- SAT Ranges:CR 620–740
M 570–670 - ACT Range:26–31
- Financial Aid:57%
- Expense:Public $
- Student Loans:39%
- Average Debt:$
- Phi Beta Kappa:Yes
- Applicants:1,348
- Accepted:60%
- Enrolled:28%
- Grad in 6 Years:69%
- Returning Freshmen:83%
Description
The mere existence of New College of Florida is proof that it’s possible to find success through individualism. This school has done away with grades and GPAs, so students compete with themselves rather than their classmates. The laid-back student body and rigorous academic program “proves to students that learning can be a self-directed, fun, and productive experience,” a sophomore says. Indeed, college alumni include a Rhodes scholar, a Field Medal winner, two Carnegie and Mellon Fellows, and a Gates Cambridge Fellow. What’s more, NCF has produced 36 Fulbright scholars since 2001. Strong programs in psychology, biology, and anthropology complement the liberal arts offerings and boost the reputation of this fast-rising star. “New College does not produce cookie-cutter graduates,” asserts one senior. “We are intellects, activists, and sometimes a little self-righteous.”
New College began in 1960 as an alternative private college for academically talented students, but when inflation threatened its existence in the mid-1970s, it offered its campus to the University of South Florida. Today, NCF serves as Florida’s honors college but is an academically independent entity. New College’s campus is adjacent to Sarasota Bay and consists of historic mansions from the former estate of circus magnate Charles Ringling, abutting modern dorms designed by I. M. Pei. The central quad is filled with palm trees, and sunsets over the bay are spectacular. New College shares its campus with the Sarasota branch of USF, which offers upper-level courses in business, education, and engineering. A new academic building features 10 classrooms, 36 faculty offices, and a state-of-the-art computer lab.
The administration once had no required core curriculum, but has added requirements to provide “each student with the depth and breadth of knowledge characteristic of a good liberal arts education.” All undergraduates must complete at least eight courses in the liberal arts curriculum, including courses in humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, and show literacy in math and computers. The school calendar, however, is still unusual: The two 14-week semesters are separated by a month-long January Interterm, during which students devise and carry out their own research or conduct group projects. Students work out a “contract” with their advisor each semester and receive written evaluations instead of grades. The seven semester-long contracts and three independent study projects lead to an area of concentration, capped by a senior project thesis and an oral baccalaureate examination.
Due to the highly individualized nature of the curriculum, getting into some classes can be a challenge, especially for science majors looking to fulfill requirements for grad school admission. Courses are rigorous and challenging, but the environment is not competitive, students say. “New College is not competitive like normal universities because we do not have a GPA,” says a biology major. “Instead, competitiveness can be seen in what internships people apply for, who gets to work with a professor on their research, how many students get prestigious awards like Truman scholars and Fulbrights.” The shape of any student’s program depends heavily on the outlook of his or her faculty sponsor, and students say advising—both academic and career—is readily available.
New College doesn’t offer the specialized courses of a large university, but there’s still plenty to choose from across the academic spectrum. A 1,100-gallon sea water system is available for lab experiments in animal behavior and physiology. Anthropology wins raves, and many students gravitate to biology, psychology, political science, and sociology. Academic programs are constantly changing to best suit students’ needs; an example is the beefing up of offerings in environmental studies, religion, and economics. The Jane Bancroft Cook Library makes up for its small size—fewer than 300,000 volumes—with a language lab, videotape viewing area, an interlibrary loan program with the entire state university system of Florida, and a classroom equipped for teleconferences. A program in Chinese language and culture is available, as is a concentration in applied mathematics.
Students praise the personalized attention they receive from professors; graduate students and teaching assistants don’t lead classes here and 73 percent of classes have 19 or fewer students. All disciplines provide the opportunity for original research and students also may conduct field research around the globe. “For a small college with limited resources, we have an incredibly thought-provoking and challenging curriculum,” says one student. “Our biggest asset is our professors, who are not only experts in their fields but are extremely accessible to students and invested in our education.”
In keeping with the revolution theme, students on this relatively cosmopolitan campus tend to be creative liberal types with ’60s nuances and social habits. “New College students are brilliant, and they take their minds off of their intensive studies by partying hard,” one senior explains. “They are thought of as being the people who were the ‘weird kids’ in high school, but I think that this stereotype is a little unfair because my peers here are very social and outgoing.” Eighty percent hail from Florida, perhaps because New College has yet to make a national name for itself. Minorities account for nearly 20 percent of the student body; Hispanics account for 14 percent, 2 percent are Asian Americans, and African Americans make up 2 percent. Students are active and highly aware of social and political issues, tending to lean to the left. Issues run the gamut from women’s rights to poverty and commercialism. Merit scholarships are available to qualified students although there are no athletic awards.
Seventy-five percent of students live in campus housing. “We just built five new dorms,” says one student, “which some people like but others think are too stiff.” The Dart dorms, two apartment-style halls, accommodate 140 students in two-bedroom, two-bath suites with a kitchen, living area, and—of course—air-conditioning. Rooms are chosen by lottery and there has been a room shortage as of late, forcing some to find off-campus housing. Dining gets a hearty thumbs-down from students. “The food at Hamilton center (our only dining hall) is notoriously awful,” groans one student. As for security, the campus is considered exceptionally safe. A student quips, “I could walk across the entire campus at four a.m. completely naked and be safe” (although it’s not recommended).
The abundance of students sporting T-shirts and shorts on Friday night reflects the laid-back campus social scene and the shortage of school-sponsored events. “New College has a very active social life,” a senior says. “There are frequent parties on the weekends, campuswide social events such as the Gatsby Party and Woodstock. For those who do not like the partying scene, there are a great deal of substance-free events thrown by the Resident Advisors.” The PCPs (Palm Court Parties) are “blow-out-of-proportion” social gatherings that occur during Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and graduation. Alcohol policies are “almost frighteningly sanguine,” a student says, “but this makes for a much safer and supportive environment.” Sarasota offers little more than “beaches and old people,” according to one sophomore. The Ringling Museum of Art and the Asolo State Theater adjoin the campus, and many New College instrumentalists perform with the Florida West Coast Symphony, Sarasota’s professionally led symphony orchestra. The open road to Tampa, Gainesville, Key West, Orlando, New Orleans, Atlanta, and even Washington, D.C. (“to protest stuff”), beckons when Sarasota becomes too quiet.
New College is definitely not a haven for jocks; it fields no varsity teams, although the school is a member of the Intercollegiate Sailing Association. Many students take advantage of intramural sports, which range from basketball, soccer, and softball to swimming and sailing. The yearly faculty/student kickball game is popular, and anyone can play. Students also look forward to the Crucial Barbecue in January with music and mud wrestling; the Male Chauvinist Pig Roast; the SemiNormal, a semiformal event on the bay; and the Bowling Ball, a formal-dress occasion at a bowling alley. While the school has a 25-meter swimming pool, students complain that it closes at 10 p.m. The nearby ocean (which is open 24/7 barring hurricanes or red tide) is a bigger draw. “The beaches are gorgeous—white sand and blue water,” says a student.
Without a Greek scene, grades, or crazy football games, NCF is definitely not your typical Southern institution. But the eccentricity doesn’t impede students’ academic motivation or their love of learning—whether it’s belly dancing, biology, origami, or psychology. “If you want to get hands-on experience, work side by side with published professors, and leave with knowledge greater than what can get you a good score on a standardized test, then go to New College,” says one happy senior.