collageNew College of Florida, a uniquely small and unconventional public institution, “provides challenging courses for highly self-motivated students who want a large amount of control over their academic choices.” It’s all about “self-directed learning” here (working closely with faculty advisers, “the student decides what he or she is going to learn and how she is going to learn it”). Those who can balance the intellectual freedom New College offers with the academic accountability it demands, wind up with “a rounded education that enables them to critically and pragmatically examine and understand the world in which we live.” The academics “are undeniably awesome” at New College, while the small-school setting and the student body “encourage a love of learning, whether it be academic, political, or hobby-related.” It’s the sort of school where “it is very popular for groups of students to get together to talk about class readings outside of the classroom.” New College undergrads receive “narrative evaluations instead of grades. These evaluations give advice and help us to become better students.” Many here “love having written evaluations in which our process and progress are documented, not only the final outcome. The evaluations force students to fully participate and the professors to pay close attention.” All students must write a senior thesis to graduate; reports one undergrad, “recently we had a survey…on which one of the sections dealt with the possibility of making the senior thesis optional. There was an overwhelming response that this was unacceptable. I think that says a lot about how proud we are of our academic standards.”
Student Body
New College students share “a few things in common: Most…are friendly, passionate about the things they believe in, very hard workers, liberal, and most of all, try to be open to new experiences.” Thirty percent of the population are students of color. You’ll find that students on campus are “largely…liberal.” There are of course exceptions, but the school is rather small and there is “a fairly strong [LGBTQ] community here, and many transgendered people who have decided to make New College their coming-out grounds. The student body is generally aware of gender issues and respectful of {LGBTQ] people of all types.”
Campus Life
Having fun “in a glorified retirement community requires ingenuity of the New College student population,” but “thankfully, most grew up in suburban Florida” and so are used to a slower pace. It helps that the campus is near Lido and Siesta Beaches, “where [students] enjoy unlimited swimming, sunning, and Frisbee playing,” and that “downtown Sarasota isn’t that bad either,” since it’s home to a number of “ethnic eateries. Thai food, in particular, seems to have a cult following on campus—with constant debate as to which restaurant is the best or most authentic and student events that advertise Thai food are bound to pull in dozens of followers.” On campus, students enjoy everything “from club meetings to public speakers to ‘hip’ bands playing shows. There’s usually something to do and usually free food to be found!” There are also “school-wide parties…in a courtyard outside of the dorms. Different students get to decide the theme of each dance party and the music to be played. Most on-campus students never leave campus during the weekend because of these dance parties.
New College of Florida Reviews
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- How would you rate on-campus housing?30 Students rated on-campus housing 3.7 stars. 17 % gave the school a 5.0.
- How would you rate off-campus housing?20 Students rated off-campus housing 3 stars. 0 % gave the school a 5.0.
- How would you rate campus food?29 Students rated campus food 2.2 stars. 0 % gave the school a 5.0.
- How would you rate campus facilities?30 Students rated campus facilities 3.7 stars. 20 % gave the school a 5.0.
- How would you rate class size?30 Students rated class size 4.7 stars. 80 % gave the school a 5.0.
- How would you rate school activities?30 Students rated school activities 3.5 stars. 20 % gave the school a 5.0.
- How would you rate local services?30 Students rated local services 4 stars. 43 % gave the school a 5.0.
- How would you rate academics?30 Students rated academics 4.7 stars. 77 % gave the school a 5.0.
WHAT’S YOUR OVERALL OPINION OF NEW COLLEGE OF FLORIDA?
10 Students rated New College of Florida
Randy-09/16/2020
I truly unique school, that allowed me to continue to explore in my education. I loved the campus culture and the professors truly cared if you learned the material. I also really enjoyed the narrative evaluation system it allowed me to explore more in academics than my friends that went to more traditional schools.
Kelly
I think, the thing with New College is, you either get it, or you don’t. There’s no in between here because everyone is for the most part extremely intellectually homozygous, because it’s a collection of people who have no home somewhere else, because it’s a conglomeration of activists who are to tired to be angry anymore, because it’s different, because it’s an experience. You either feel at home or you don’t and if you do feel at home it’ll be one of the best feelings that you’ll ever have.
Haylee
I really enjoy attending New College. My professors and I will hang out and just talk sometimes if there are a few of us meandering the academic buildings. Everybody is passionate about something, and you may not feel the same, but it feels good to be in such an emotionally charged environment. Sure, we may not have top food or dorms, but it’s the people and unbeatable academic setting that gets you to stay. No, New College is definitely not for everyone, but if you’re looking for something I’ve mentioned above, you’ll be right at home.
Karianne
It is a great school, in fact it is one of the best liberal arts in the country. Its small class sizes (the highest I have ever had is 40, and the smallest so far being 14) is amazing. So you will get to know everyone in your area, and learn so much all while getting the one-on-one attention you need. Also despite what people say the food has greatly improved, they can even accommodate vegans and vegetarians Though it has some faults. There is no special housing prices/any program really for those of us who are disabled and require special accommodations, so your bill goes through the roof. Also the no grades thing is great and allows you to learn more, but it makes applying for simple scholarships very difficult. So while this school is on the cheaper side, you may want to keep that in mind if you are struggling financially. (Luckily the mall is nearby and has a free for students bus, so many students are able to get jobs, but that can only help so much). And yes it is true that no one wears shoes 🙂
New College Of Florida Admission Requirements
What are New College of Florida’s admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:
- GPA requirements
- Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
- Application requirements
In this guide we’ll cover what you need to get into New College of Florida and build a strong application.
School location: Sarasota, FL
This school is also known as: New College/NCF
Admissions Rate: 76.8%
If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.
The acceptance rate at New College of Florida is 76.8%. For every 100 applicants, 77 are admitted.
This means the school is lightly selective. The school will have their expected requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores. If you meet their requirements, you’re almost certain to get an offer of admission. But if you don’t meet New College of Florida’s requirements, you’ll be one of the unlucky few people who gets rejected.
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New College of Florida GPA Requirements
Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.
The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school’s average GPA for its current students.
Average GPA: 4.04
The average GPA at New College of Florida is 4.04.
(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.
With a GPA of 4.04, New College of Florida requires you to be at the top of your class. You’ll need nearly straight A’s in all your classes to compete with other applicants. Furthermore, you should be taking hard classes – AP or IB courses – to show that college-level academics is a breeze.
If you’re currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 4.04, you’ll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate. This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.
SAT and ACT Requirements
Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Most schools require the SAT or ACT, and many also require SAT subject tests.
You must take either the SAT or ACT to submit an application to New College of Florida. More importantly, you need to do well to have a strong application.
New College of Florida SAT Requirements
Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school’s average score.
Average SAT: 1324
The average SAT score composite at New College of Florida is a 1324 on the 1600 SAT scale.
This score makes New College of Florida Moderately Competitive for SAT test scores.
New College of Florida SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)
The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1220, and the 75th percentile New SAT score is 1420. In other words, a 1220 on the New SAT places you below average, while a 1420 will move you up to above average.
Here’s the breakdown of new SAT scores by section:
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
| Math | 650 | 590 | 700 |
| Reading + Writing | 674 | 630 | 720 |
| Composite | 1324 | 1220 | 1420 |
SAT Score Choice Policy
The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.
New College of Florida has the Score Choice policy of “Highest Section.”
This is also known as “superscoring.” This means that you can choose which SAT tests you want to send to the school. Of all the scores they receive, your application readers will consider your highest section scores across all SAT test dates you submit.
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