Another vote for UW Stevens Point.
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You guys beat me to SUNY ESF and UMaine 
⊠and I learned a lot from the above suggestions.
I donât think Iâve seen the UMN program and apologize if I missed it 
https://forestry.umn.edu/bs-forest-and-natural-resource-management
So, to suggest something our of the box: look at Canada - itâs a field in which theyâre international leaders and costs are likely less than OOS costs.
This project was really interesting
https://www.ualberta.ca/undergraduate-programs/bachelor-of-science-in-forestry-forestry.html
I also like McGillâs McDonaldâs campus but I donât believe they have Forestry per se at the undergrad level (I think their pathway is a specialized engineering program at the BS level then a grad specialization). Also, McGill will soon require conversational French for graduation (new province requirement). But Quebec is a great place for forest learning - they have several solid CEGEP forestry programs, which would be great (very cheap tuition, lots of hands in experience and paid co-ops!)⊠except theyâre in French only.
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Iâve heard great things about SUNY ESF. One of my students is there now and loves it.
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We were at Colorado State in Fort Collins for the World Science Olympiad Championship with Thing #1 and were much impressed with the campus.
There are some great suggestions here. Have your son go onto school websites and compare classes he will be taking as a Forestry major and different concentrations within each school (Fire management, conservation and restoration, bioproducts, rangeland management, urban forestry, business). Have him look at the research that the school produces. Have him look at any labs or research centers that the school houses.
Does he have an area of the country or a type of forestry he prefers? The program in Iowa looked very different (Prairies and Watersheds) than the program in FL (tropical) from the program in MN(includes urban forestry) than the Mountain West.
Most programs require an off-campus experience At some schools that will tack on a summer after either sophomore or junior year. (Also figure this into price. S23 has a pretty hefty scholarship, but it doesnât cover summer courses.)
Iâm not sure if it will be important to your son, but my son preferred schools where his major was part of the School of Natural Resources rather than The School of Agriculture.
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What I do find impressive is all of the outdoor activities in the area. S23 can bike to Horsetooth Reservoir and the Poudre River from campus but still has all of the fun of a college town in Old Town.
He romanticizes living in the woods as a ranger or working outdoors. Frankly, heâs 15 and doesnât know what he wants to do when he grows up. That said, heâs our outdoors kid and into 4H, showing horses, raising chickens, etc. Our philosophy is if he is interested in something we want to get him involved in it as soon as possible so he sees if he loves or hates it. That is why we have him signed up for forestry and environmental sciences programs this summer at MI Tech.
For spring break Iâm thinking of flying Thing #2 out to one of the forestry programs out west like CO State or Idaho.
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Just wanted to give another recommendation for Oregon State University. The school is generous in giving credit for AP courses, with the result that a ton of students in the Honors College pursue double majors and/or minors, in case that is of interest to you.
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While on the subject of schools out west, does anyone have any experience with Univ of Montana?
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Great school, everyone I know who went there loves it. Outdoor heaven, as many of the western schools are. I love Missoula (though real estate is $$$).
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Can you define âchallengingâ curriculum? My son was accepted into the VA Tech Forestry program for Fall 2024 and Iâm afraid he doesnât realize how challenging this degree can be. He is not particularly strong in the sciences and in general is a A/B student. He loves the outdoors and thought this would be a good match. He has other acceptances and we just want to make sure this is the right match for him. Thanks!
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Iâll list the check sheet here again so you donât have to look for it.
I suppose I was trying to make sure it was understood that forestry is not about hiking around in the woods and directing people to campsites, or giving Ranger Rick talks in parks. Forestry is the art and science of growing and managing crops of trees to meet management objectives of the owners. The curriculum is science and math heavy and also includes courses from a wide variety of academic disciplines like economics, public policy, statistics, law, geography, public relations, etc. Foresters need to understand the sciences that apply to forest landscapes, the field procedures that are used in forest management, the harvesting systems used to extract forest products, and the legal, economic, and financial aspects of the industry.
A forest student doesnât need to be an academic genius, just willing to put in the work to do well in the multi disciplinary curriculum.
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Forestry involves a lot of bio and chemistry in the early courses. If your student wants more outdoor management than forest science, they may be interested in a Human Dimensions of Natural Resources major.
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very helpful! Thank you!
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