Need Marine Biology direction for 11th grader

[Libby in Texas]

Dd has had her heart set on becoming a Marine Biologist since she was in 1st grade (specifically for killer whales).

 

She has been narrowing her list of colleges but doesn't yet know which ones are her top choices. I'm positive someone here as BTDT with their child so I'm hoping to gain from your wisdom :). Could someone kindly share what colleges you found to have the best biology program? My daughter is having a hard time pinpointing her top choices since she can't seem to find a conservative Christian college. This is important for her as well as staying close to home but she has said if she has to go out-of-state she's fine with it. She'd prefer a small, cozy setting instead of a huge university, but again has said she's flexible on this as well. Her main thing is the college being Christian (we are from a conservative Baptist background).

 

For now I guess that is my main question: what colleges did your child look at w/a marine biology degree in mind? Even if your choices were not in line with ours I'd still like to know as my daughter is pretty open minded and adamant to find out as much as she can. She is in the 11th grade and a sharp cookie, pretty sweet, and is sincerely trying to take charge of her life.

 

Also, so far for science she's had Biology, Physical Science, and this year she's taking chemistry (BJU). Would it hurt her in her senior year if she took Marine Biology instead of the standard Physics? I guess I'd also like to know how your child prepared academically (if comfortable).

 

Ok, so I think that's it. Sorry if my thoughts are all over place. AT&T dropped the ball on the installation date and I don't have internet or tv at home. So I'm having to post from the computer library and the noise level is quite distracting.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to read.

 

Blessings,

Libby in Texas :)

 

Mama to 4 dc aged 17, 15, 14, and my wee one---an 10 yo

[Jane in NC]

I cannot help you with the conservative college aspect, but I will point out that not many colleges offer a marine biology degree to undergrads. One thing that your daughter might want to consider is whether she wishes to earn a BS in Biology as an entry degree with the plan of going to grad school or whether she wishes to work in Marine Bio from the get go. If the latter is the case, the pool of schools is indeed small.

 

If my child wanted to study marine biology, I might consider Eckerd College in Florida or Roger Williams in Rhode Island. Both offer marine biology to undergrads in a smaller environment than many of the larger state schools.

 

Another consideration is that of a wildlife biology focus. This might open up the undergrad options.

 

Jane

[Libby in Texas]

Thanks Jane. The whole thing about pursuing a marine biology degree from the get go was another thing we were still trying to figure out. She's getting conflicting advice from admissions counselors. Some have advised her to just get a strong biology background in her undergrad years and then worry about the marine part afterward, while others have advised the opposite. Marine Biology means a lot to her so since not many colleges offer the degree to undergrads (we found that out also at a college fair), she probably wouldn't mind going about it the best way possible--even if it wasn't what she'd preferred. She's been looking at Texas A&M Galveston or Corpus Christi. Not Christian or conservative but she likes that she'd be close to home as we are in Texas and the campuses are smaller than something like UT Austin. What to do!

 

Blessings,

 

Libby in Texas

Mama to 4 dc aged 17, 15, 14, and my wee one--10 yo

[Grace is Sufficient]

I know it's a long way from Texas, but there are a couple of options in Maine. University of Maine has several smaller campuses on the coast, and at least one of them has one. Also, there's a school right on the island where Bar Harbor is, that is all about Marine Biology. It's called the college of the Atlantic. I also think Ohio State has an extension program on the South Bass Island off the coast of Lake Erie.

 

If you want to stay closer to home, you should look along the gulf coast; at any rate, such places are probably found close to the ocean.

 

FYI, none of those are Christian, and especially in the field of Biology, that will make life challenging. That's something we've been concerned about here. Your daughter's academics and career will probably be spent in an radical environmentalist/evolutionist milieu.

[Deb in NZ]

she'll be studying at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic (BoP) in Tauranga, New Zealand. Years 1-2 she'll be working on a Diploma of Marine Studies (diplomas in NZ = 2 years of tertiary study). Year 3 she'll work on a Bachelor of Applied Science: Marine Biology with Auckland University of Technology (AUT), either in Tauranga or in Auckland. Dd is very excited as she has had a passion for the sea since a very young age. This program gives her a bachelors degree in 3 years + tons of hands-on experience working in the marine environment. Other NZ universities offer marine biology, but only at the masters or doctorate levels.

 

My dd used Apologia for science (General Science, Physical Science, & Biology). We have the Marine Biology book, that she will take with her to school for fun reading. ;) BoP wasn't concerned with what she had taken or not taken as much as her passion for the marine environment. She had been studying part-time at the local polytech since she was 16 & had shown that she could handle tertiary level work. Her CV showed her commitment to the marine environment in the things she had done:

 

• PADI openwater dive course
  
• CoastGuard Day Skippers certificate
  
• CoastGuard VHF radio certificate (volunteers now for the CoastGuard)
  
• Young Mariners member (8 years)
  
• monthly volunteer at a local island reserve (4+ years)
  
• MountainSafety outdoor first aid certificate
  
• MountainSafety BushCraft 1
  
• weekly sailing in her Starling sailboat
  
• weekly volunteer at SPCA (5+ years)
  
• + much more
  

 

 

Dd has not studied chemistry or physics, but has a good enough base in science that she can learn what she needs as she needs it.

 

If your dd has her heart set on Marine Biology, I would recommend that she take the PADI openwater dive course this year. Diving is a big part of a marine biologist's work. She needs to be comfortable & confident under the water. If she doesn't like diving, she'll find out early enough to look at other career options.

 

***Orca are frequent visitors to our harbour. Dd was so excited one day when she had to phone Ingrid Vissor (an orca researcher) to inform her about a pod of whales sighted by a local sailor. Her CG supervisor told dd that Ingrid Vissor has offered many times to take her out in her boat. Dd plans to contact Ingrid Vissor & see if she can volunteer during one of her school holidays.

 

JMHO,

Edited January 17, 2010 by Deb in NZ

[Karen in CO]

Eckerd College in FL has a great marine biology program. Here is a link to their biology program and a link to their marine science program.. The school is small (a little over 1800 students). It has a beautiful chapel on campus, but it isn't a Christian college. The have a wonderful marine science lab.

 

They work extensively with the Marine Mammal research group in the department of fish and wildlife.

 

 

Eckerd is my alma mater, and I was a comp. sci major, but even 20 years ago their marine science program was impressive and it has just continued to excel.

 

It should be on your list.

Edited January 17, 2010 by Karen in CO

[creekland]

If Le Tourneau or Biola don't offer Marine Bio, I don't think you'll find it within a Christian College setting. You could always ask them and they might know of somewhere else. Otherwise, yes, it is likely to have to be at a secular Uni or College. Be sure to check out the Christian clubs at secular places. They are often quite good and filled with some dedicated Christians. I enjoyed my time with some of them.

 

I'll second the PADI diving if your daughter's not already certified. Not only will it be needed in her field, it's also just plain fun. Our whole family got certified as soon as my youngest was old enough (10).

[Melissa B]

I went to Eckerd for marine biology. I loved the school and would be happy to see my kids going there - BUT I came from a northern, conservative (Catholic) background and I found the college to be much more liberal and informal than I was used to. Saying that, I found a great group of kids and had a wonderful experience - after getting used to tank tops and flip-flops (or no shoes at all) in classrooms and a wide variety of opinions in all matters. If things haven't changed, each student is assigned a mentor - a teacher that looks out for the student the full four/five years. I found my mentor to be a great help while I was there.

 

Most of the state colleges in Florida have pretty good Biology/Marine Biology programs. FGCU is the smallest and most conservative (but that may be because the average age is older) and has more of an environmental science focus.

[creekland]

I stand corrected. I put Marine Biology in here:

 

http://www.christiancollegeguide.net/search/results.html?states=&major=97&mincost=&maxcost=&minenrollment=&maxenrollment=&menic=&womenic=&menim=&womenim=&affiliation=&Submit.x=48&Submit.y=15

 

and got those 6 results.

 

If the link doesn't work, go to christiancollegeguide.net and put Marine Bio in for the major leaving everything else open to get all 6.

 

I'm not that familiar with the Christianity (conservative vs liberal) with any of them, so you'd need to be going from there if any of them interested you.

[Libby in Texas]

Dum-dee-dum still having to email from the library computer. Anyhoo, wow thanks for all the responses! I'm definitely going to let dd read all of this. Hey Deb in NZ, thanks for the point about diving. I mentioned it to dd and she said she felt she needed to think about it (even though she's a strong swimmer).

 

She mostly just wants to help liberate killer whales from captivity (I know, that's another point--she's a fanatic about the Free Willy movies). She watched all the Whale Wars episodes on Animal Planet and I think she's Facebook friends with them. All that sort of stuff. She knows every single tank on the planet that holds whales in captivity and even the whales' names, how long they've been there, etc..

 

Does that paint a vivid picture? If anyone else has any other advice or anything you'd like to share please post away so she can read it. Maybe your marine biology child would like an email pen pal who's equally passionate about the cause and he/she and my dd could correspond for support or just for friends.

 

I haven't had a chance to visit any of your links but I certainly will (AT&T comes by Thursday!). Again, so so many thanks!

 

Blessings,

 

Libby in Texas :)

 

Mama to 4dc aged 17, 15, 14, and my wee one---10 yo!!

[Libby in Texas]

By the way Deb, once dd sees that Orcas are frequent visitors to your harbor you might not have a choice but to let her move in! LOL

 

Libby in Texas :tongue_smilie:

[Carol in Cal.]

Their marine biology program starts at the BS level, and it's supposed to be outstanding. They are also involved with pioneering marine mammal research, shark research, and one of the earliest peregrine falcon captive breeding programs--which is widely credited with saving the wild peregrine falcon population from extinction.

 

They are not Christian, quite the contrary actually. However, I know some great Christians who attend there, and could hook your DD up with some of them.

 

Also, there is a public arm of their research facility that we have visited many times. If your DD wants a taste of the area and program she could maybe sign up for one of their summer camps next summer. The facility is the Long Memorial Lab of the Seymour Center of the University of California, Santa Cruz, CA. You could google it and find their website and see what you think of it.

 

Another option is to sign up to be a counsellor at a local Christian summer camp. Counsellors usually get some significant time off on the weekends, and the camps I'm referring to are residential camps that are just minutes from Santa Cruz. I'm most familiar with the Mount Cross Lutheran Outdoor Program in Felton, CA, and would recommend it without reservation. They are starting to take applications for summer counsellors, and they have a counsellor in training program for high school students who might like to become a counsellor down the road. Another local Christian camp right up the road is Mount Hermon. I don't know much about them, but they have a good reputation.