Sierra Nevada College

Statistics

School Says - General Information
Sierra Nevada College offers Nevada's only 4-year private Liberal Arts Education, and was founded in 1969. Students benefit from a small, intimate class room setting and enjoy an average class size of 15 students. In addition, the 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio is a large contributor to academic responsibility and personal attention.

Since inception, Sierra Nevada College has striven to incorporate the extremely unique environmental qualities and setting of Lake Tahoe with unparalleled academics and proprietary programs. Academic departments at SNC include Business, Fine Arts, Humanities, Science and Technology, and Teacher Education. Notable undergraduate programs include Environmental Science and Ecology, Biology, Transpersonal and Humanistic Psychology, Ski Business and Resort Management, Entrepreneurship, Computer Science, and Interdisciplinary Studies. Notable graduate programs are the two Masters degrees offered in Teacher Education (Masters of Arts in Teaching, Masters of Education).

In addition to academic excellence in a stunning location, the cultural diversity represented on campus is highly unique. 18% of the 489 undergraduate students are from outside of the United States; and in total 27 states and 23 countries are represented on campus. The cultural diversity also holds a degree of reciprocity that allows many students hailing from the US to study in Argentina, New Zealand, El Salvador, Thailand, Nepal, and beyond.

The mission of Sierra Nevada College is as follows: Our graduates will be scholars of and contributors to a sustainable world. SNC combines the liberal arts and professional preparedness through an interdisciplinary curriculum which emphasizes entrepreneurial thinking and environmental, social, economic, and educational sustainability.

School Says - Student Body
Sierra Nevada College students can and are encouraged to be involved in a number of student organizations and activities on campus and in the surrounding Sierra Nevada. Campus is a place for do-ers, not watch-ers, and students actively pursue every activity from Poetry Slams to weekend camping trips.

SNC has three sports teams and two intramural sports clubs, 13 organized clubs, an active Student Government Association (SGA), and an unparalleled Outdoor Adventure Program. All of these clubs, sports teams, and activities make boredom a seldom occurrence for students.

SNC's competitive teams have built a reputation that cannot be surpassed. Throughout the years, the ski and snowboard teams have won 23 national titles, gaining national and international recognition across the winter sports community. In addition, the Sierra Nevada College Rock Climbing Team (while still in its infancy) has performed above and beyond expectations. The Rock Climbing team won California State Regional's last year and even sent two members of the team to Collegiate Nationals in Austin, Texas. The intramural sports teams at Sierra Nevada College include soccer and volleyball; and any student is more than welcome to participate.

The Outdoor Adventures (OA) Program is SNC's most popular organization, and is the main contributor of activity for students. This program allows any student access to a plethora of outdoor activities, ranging from surf trips to Mexico, backpacking in Yosemite, kayaking in the American River, and going on bike tours of San Francisco (to name a few). Director of Student activities and the OA program Will Hoida has this to say about the program "a true liberal arts education at Sierra Nevada College isn't complete until you have paddled the waters, hiked the trails, climbed the rocks, and experienced all that the Tahoe Basin has to offer firsthand. The wilderness never fails to contribute to friendships between students sharing the same experiences."

All students also benefit from the Student Government Association (SGA). The SGA members and advisors work hard to create and organize events that help the campus give back to the community, and also host events that serve as an outlet for students to relax and have fun outside of the classroom. Student favorites include the annual Winter Formal and the Charity Poker Tournament where all proceeds go to fund local charities and non-profits.

School Says - Academics
Sierra Nevada College offers a wide range of student resources on campus. Academic resources include free tutoring for all current students, various English as a Second Language (ESL) programs, various Departmental Internships in the community and the surrounding areas, extensive Study Abroad options and Travel Courses, and various Service Learning opportunities. In addition, an Honors Program is offered to new students and can be pursued through graduation.

The range of possibilities within these academic programs at Sierra Nevada College is highly diverse; Students have the opportunity to mentor and tutor other students in the Office of Academic Services and Instructional Support (O.A.S.I.S.), they can pursue Spanish-in-the-field credits in Buenos Aires, Argentina, they can even join Service Learning Trips to Kathmandu and Tibet. The amount of opportunities offered to students in conjunction with the high academic demand combines to truly engage both the hearts and minds of students at Sierra Nevada College.

School Says - Admissions
The admissions process at Sierra Nevada College is designed and executed to be simple, informative, and helpful. The first step in the process is to fill out the free application at www.sierranevada.edu/apply. Next, freshman students are required to submit their high school transcripts, a letter of recommendation or school report form, and finally your SAT or ACT test scores. Transfer students (15 or more college credits) are only required to submit their college transcripts. GPA requirements are listed below. SNC also operates on rolling admissions, and can accept term-specific applications up into the first week of classes for said term; however, priority application deadlines do apply, and are listed below.
Freshman Minimum GPA=2.6*
Transfer Minimum GPA=2.0*

*All applicants are considered for admission to Sierra Nevada; however, 2.6 serves as the initial GPA standard for most students. Extra-Curricular activities, volunteering, and other activities are all considered during the admissions process, as well as learning-disabilities.
November 30: Early Application
February 15: Priority Application
April 1: Standard Application
May 15: Priority Housing Deadline
July 1: Late Application

School Says - Campus Life
Sierra Nevada College is located on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe in Incline Village, Nevada. While considered 'rural', Incline Village lies within very close proximity to many larger cities and takes advantage of the access to these cities. Reno, Nevada hosts an international airport and is 45 minutes from campus. In addition, Sacramento and San Francisco are both 1.5 and 3.5 hours from campus, respectively.

The campus sits on 18 acres of pristine, forested land, and is located less than two blocks from the shore of Lake Tahoe. 6 facilities are located on campus, including 2 residence halls, with additional facilities being constructed to complete the master plan in the coming semesters.

School Says - Cost Aid
The Tuition, Fees, and Room & Board at Sierra Nevada College are as follows:

Tuition: $24,000
Room and Board: $9,750
Student Government Association Fee: $200
Outdoor Adventure Fee: $125
Tech Fee: $190
Total Costs: $34,265

There are no variations in tuition derived from student location. Both in and out-of-state students pay the same costs, as do international students.Over 80% of students at Sierra Nevada College receive Financial Aid in some capacity. Extensive scholarships, need-based grants, and loans are available to bring costs down and make SNC affordable. Sierra Nevada College offers merit based scholarships available for freshman students with a 2.8 cumulative GPA or higher. SNC transfer students will be eligible for the Sierra Nevada College Transfer Scholarship, as long as they maintained a 2.0 cumulative GPA or higher at their previous accredited institution, and completed 15 units. Additional merit-based scholarship amounts range from $4,000 to $11,000, depending on the entering students GPA. Other financial resources available to students are Federal and private grants and loans available by filling out the FASFA and entering the SNC Institution Code 009192.

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