Life at COA is informal, friendly, supportive, and always busy. Students are involved in developing skills and interests, in exploring activities and careers, and in clarifying personal and social values. Close ties unite people during their years at COA and long afterward. Each individual has the opportunity to make the COA experience unique and meaningful.
STUDENT LIFE COA’s mission attracts students who are comfortable with alternative
viewpoints and a certain degree of uncertainty. This is ref lected
in a campus atmosphere that balances consistency and spontaneity in and
out of the classroom. Pick-up soccer and ultimate Frisbee, informal groups of students dedicated to environmental activism, student-run theatre productions, student-run digital and print publications, coffee-houses and open mic nights are indicative of the student activities at the college. Acadia National Park, located a short walk from campus, offers hundreds of miles of trails for hiking, running, cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, and bicycling. The park ’s ponds, lakes, and mountains keep swimmers, ice skaters, rockclimbers, and kayakers happy. Many students organize hikes and camping trips in the park and surrounding area. On school breaks there are opportunities for backpacking and other activities that allow students to get away from the campus for a few days.
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