University of North Florida

University of North Florida (visited 4/25/23)

Fun fact: campus is cat/pet friendly!

I went to visit this without doing a lot of research in advance. Sometimes it’s more interesting to get a fresh perspective on a school rather than relying in a preconceived notion based on what other people have said. I was impressed with the school: it’s laid out well and accessible; communications in advance of the tour were good; students were out at the curb to check people in and give directions to the main room, and other students were mingling with us (counselors visiting from the conference and the families there for a regular weekday visit). Although I totally appreciate that students were running the show, I would’ve loved a chance to talk through specifics with an admissions rep but that’s easily remedied with a phone call or zoom.

Interestingly, UNF started as an upper-level (junior and senior) institution and didn’t admit first- and second-year students until the mid-80s. UNF is public; for students interested in studying in Florida, this is a much more accessible option than some other branches of the system (notably FSU and UF) with an acceptance rate in the low 70% range. However, they don’t pull as many out-of-state students that the others do. We talked to a student from Virginia, though. “It’s kind of a non-issue. No one really cares.”

With just over 14,000 students, it’s also smaller than most of Florida’s other massive state schools. “It’s a happy medium in terms of size. You don’t know everyone when you walk across campus, but you always know at least a couple people in your classes.” It’s large enough to give people a lot of options while making sure no one falls through the cracks. For example, they have a free pantry with food, clothes, hygienic products. “It’s a ‘Give what you can, take what you need’ sort of situation,” said the tour guide. “People help out others here.”

One of the students we spoke to before the tour said that she really likes the small class sizes and how green it is everywhere. She had visited schools and didn’t like the concrete at some of the other campuses. It really is a beautiful campus with water, fountains, and plants everywhere. In fact, campus sits on a nature preserve so there’s limited space for growth. There are two ponds on campus, one of which is home to a baby alligator named Mindy. “We saw her chilling on a turtle last year. When she gets big enough, we’ll relocate her.” The Eco Adventure program at Lake Oneida has a ropes course; equipment like canoes, sleeping bags, and more for students to borrow; a 5-mile hiking trail; and offers trips like Rock Climbing, Rafting, and skiing.

Campus maybe takes 20 minutes to walk across, but shuttles loop around to 13 stops on campus, usually coming every 5-7 minutes. One route also takes students to Town Center (about 5 minutes away) where there’s a Target, Publix, and other stores as well as apartments that some students will live in. Although it’s walkable, it’s nice that they have the shuttle option (but it only stops at 1 place on campus). All students can have cars on campus; the cost for parking passes differ depending on the lots they choose to use.

Obviously, being a larger school means larger classes. Our tour guide’s classes run from 13-250; average size hovers around 35 (which, for a state school, isn’t horrible). Because a lot of the first (and some second year) classes are so large, many of them have Graders. The tour guide mentioned them a lot so we asked for clarification on what they are: she explained that they can be upperclassmen or grad students but are NOT TAs in that they don’t ever teach classes. They usually take over about half the class to literally grade papers (hence the name) in the large intro classes. They also serve as an additional resource to students and are available to meet with them to go over content, grades, or other issues.

Academics of note:

• They use their location to their advantage for several of their majors, including Coastal and Marine Biology and Coastal Environmental Science. Engineering even offers a certificate in Coastal and Port Engineering.
• Their biology department also has the only Necropsy Facility between Wilmington, NC and Southern FL.
• They also play to the strengths of Jacksonville being a health hub with a bunch of nationally known hospitals. Nursing, Nutrition and Dietetics (with a 100% placement rate) and Biomedical Sciences are particularly strong.
• The Education program is well-known, and they even have a program in Learning Design and Technology, unusual at the undergrad level.
• ASL/interpretation and Deaf Education. They can concentrate in Community or Educational Interpreting; students intern at the School for the Deaf and Blind.
• Sports Management
• Self-designed/Interdisciplinary Major and the Office of Interdisciplinary Programs. 
• Screen Writing, Digital Video Production, and Multimedia Journalism
• Music Performance (Bachelor of Music degrees), including Music Tech & Production and certificates in Conducting, Music Tech, and Sacred Music.

The Honors College brings in about 200 first-years with a total enrollment of about 700. There are specific study-away/abroad trips offered such as to Greece, Machu Picchu, and the Galapagos. Honors students have 2 specific classes: Colloquium and Practicum. Some honors-level classes (capped at 20 students) will replace regular classes; students end up taking about half of these honors classes in their major). Students must maintain a 3.2 GPA to stay in the program.

One of the dorm clusters

Living on campus is recommended but not required, but 70% of first-years do choose campus housing. Rooms can be triples depending on incoming class and how many want to live there. They have several Living Learning Communities such as honors, education, Healthy Osprey, and business. A lot of students do either commute from home or move off after first year. The tour guides said that finding off-campus housing is easy: “There are plenty of decently priced apartments not far from campus.” As for food, they said it’s decent and they like it: “it’s campus food but there’s variety and always something you’ll want.” Meal swipes do not roll over week to week. They’re locked into their meal plan for the semester but can change the plan for the next semester. They also have an on-campus garden where students can grow and pick food.

The students we talked to all had good things to say about campus life. “They offer so many events around campus.” They definitely aren’t bored. The do go into Jacksonville but treat it as supplemental to things on campus rather than their primary source of entertainment. Sports are a fairly big deal on campus – game tend to draw a lot of fans. They’re particularly known for volleyball and basketball. There’s a relatively solid Greek life on campus with 28 chapters ranging across all 4 councils. There’s no separate housing; “groups usually just share suites or floors.” Students can rush starting in their first year.

© 2023

Florida State University

Florida State University (visited 4/22/23)

The campus is absolutely stunning, one of the prettiest I’ve seen, particularly for a school this size. They may put palm trees on the brochures, but you look around and see Spanish moss. “Tallahassee is different than what people think. We’re more Georgia than Florida.” Being in the state capital has perks, one of which is having 70,000 college students within a few-miles: FAMU is only a mile or so away, as in the Community College. However, although they’re located with in the city limits, you don’t feel like it once you’re on campus; it’s not built into the city like some other urban schools. Campus is 2 miles across “but classes are clumped together in the same area to make it easy for students.” All students can bring cars; parking fees are included in transportation fees.

The students we spoke to couldn’t say enough about the school, the students, and the academics. Students seem to go out of their way to help each other. “I know people say this all the time, but it is a community. People have all sorts of little groups around them all the time. Even just in the clubs I’m in, there are people I can count on all the time.” One said that what surprised her was “The way people support each other here and how the school pushes us in good ways. They saw something I didn’t see in myself.” Another student agreed: “I feel empowered to do whatever I want to do here.”  

FSU is doing something really right starting with bringing in students who are good fits and then taking care of them once they’re on campus – 95% of students return for sophomore year which is almost unheard of. They have a Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE) which runs multiple programs, services, and support systems for traditionally underserved students (who also are less likely to persist through to graduation) such as Summer Bridge and a special Living-Learning Community for First Gen students (22% of students) as well as Unconquered Scholars for students in foster or relative care, are experiencing homelessness, or have ward-of-state status. CARE also runs multiple advising, mentoring, and coaching programs ranging from financial literacy, TRIO programs, Hispanic and African-American Honor Societies, College Life coaching, and Bridges to Grad School.

They work hard at making sure that students are academically successful and will persist until graduation, but part of their high retention rate is getting students involved outside of academics. There’s a ton of school spirit here – and athletic games are free for all students. One student said that a favorite memory was being at the stadium when they beat UF. A lot of students were wearing school colors, t-shirts with their Greek affiliation, or showing off other campus orgs. They have several traditions that the students raved about. “My favorite is that we thrown in the fountain the night before our 21^st birthday.” She went on to tell us that all the fountains on campus are chlorinated so they’re technically swimming pools. Another student said that she loved the President’s Ice Cream Social.

Admissions has become increasingly competitive – and in a short amount of time. Applications to FSU doubled between 2017 and 2023 when they got almost 75K apps. Not surprisingly, selectivity has gone up with this rise in app numbers: they admitted about 25% in 2023 vs about 50% in 2017. Admitted students now have an average 4.4 GPA in core subjects (75% of students had all A/B grades in high school) and scores of 1370 SAT/30 ACT. Florida requires testing for the state schools. Although they don’t use rank as part of their admissions process, they look out of curiosity: 87% were in the top 10% of their class.

The admissions reps we spoke to stressed that no single criterion guarantees admission. A GPA might increase the likelihood of getting in, but it doesn’t guarantee anything. “A phenomenal story or essay isn’t going to leapfrog mediocre grades. We weigh academics more than the qualitative components like essays and extracurriculars. An admissions decision is a success decision. We want to make sure we have the resources in place to make sure the student succeeds.” They take a mission-aligned approach to reading files, considering multiple, intersecting factors for each applicant. “Our aim to have students succeed individually and positively contribute to the institution’s goals. As part of that, we do not only consider the “good” parts of an application.” They also warned people to keep in mind that the decision-making criteria and priorities can – and do – change year to year. “Institutional Priorities are set by the President, the Provost, the State. It could also change depending on what the entire applicant pool looks like.” Last year, they accepted 30% from EA, 52% in RD, and 18% Rolling.

Their Mission-aligned holistic review looks at the 3 distinct things:

• STRENGTH: focusing on rigor, grades, and HS courses. Each applicant is evaluated based upon the performance within the context of a student’s academic environment.
• SKILL: looking at how students use their out-of-classroom time through sports, clubs, organizations, family responsibilities, jobs, or other achievements.
• CHARACTER: taking the information students have shared to learn who they are, any formative experiences they may have had, and what their life goals may be.

There’s a lot to be said for the range and strength of the majors, schools, and specialized institutes that rival any other program in the country:

• Students looking for Film should look at their College of Motion Picture Arts where students can get their BFA in Animation and Digital Arts or Motion Picture Production.
• Their Hospitality School offers a Global Club Management & Leadership (the only major of its kind anywhere!), Hospitality Management & Tourism (Ranked #4 in the US, #13 in the world!), and Rec & Tourism Management and a National Center for Choreography.
• They offer both Music Therapy (within the School of Music which offers all sorts of Performance, Education, and more) and Art Therapy (School of Fine Arts). They also run the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training.
• The School of Entrepreneurship has majors in Commercial, STEM, or Retail entrepreneurship along with minors in things like Arts, Textiles & Apparel, Hospitality, and Computational Science.
• The FSU/FAMU Engineering partnership the only joint engineering program in the country, offering 8 areas of undergraduate study (and a few more in the graduate program). They run a Joint Lab located about halfway between the 2 campuses; although it’s walkable, they also run shuttles.
• They run the Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies giving Meteorology and other students in the Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science Department an impressive array of hands-on experience.
• Their History department runs the Institute on Napoleon and the French Revolution and the Oral History Collection.
• FSU is home to the National High Magnetic Field Lab, the state’s only national laboratory – and is the largest, highest powered magnet lab in the world.
• Students enter the Honors Program either as incoming first-year students or after the first semester on campus. They get priority class registration, smaller classes, mentorship, and free printing. They must earn a certain number of points to get the medallion at graduation.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that you’ll have large classes here – but do be forewarned that they really can be huge! The tour guides all talked about “Baby Bio” (aka Intro/Bio 101) which often will have in the range of 950 students! “Recitation sections hover around 20 students, though.” Another said, “yeah, it’s huge. No getting around it. But it’s like living in the traditional freshman dorms – we all share the experience and bond over it.”

© 2023

Florida A&M University

Florida A&M University (visited 4/22/23)

There is a lot of school spirit here; in fact, they call it their “FAMUly”. Students and staff are proud of their school and the fact that when there’s an injustice or something quirky going on, they step up. There are several heritage sites on campus, including the Carnegie Library of Black Heritage which they took over from the city when Tallahassee wasn’t going to take care of it. They weave in social justice to the things they do. With that, they provide resources for students, but they expect the students to advocate. “We aren’t going to assume that students need or even want the resources [including learning support] – but if they set up for it, we’ll be there to help them out.”

Black Archives building and marker

This pride shows in the care taken of the buildings and grounds, the murals, and the safety measures for the people in the university’s care – but more so, it’s in the people. Students want to show off their school. Each year, students elect Mister and Miss FAMU, usually seniors (elected as end-of-year juniors) who help represent the school in recruitment and other functions. They were there to greet the bus when we arrived on campus and were fabulous ambassadors. Alumni are just as proud of their school; they go out into the world to represent and continue to come back to homecoming for decades after their graduation. There are thousands of alumni, including some big names like the CEO of ABC News and the Mayor of Atlanta. “Rattlers go everywhere. We talk about social mobility. You want to go to the ivy league, be a CEO, whatever, we can get you there. People make connections here.” In fact, they’re ranked #3 Social Mobility (HBCU)/#13 Social mobility overall.

Venom, the mascot, sits in front of the student center.

They’re doing a lot right here at FAMU. “We love to break the stereotypes and stigmas of what an HBCU is all about,” said a rep. One of the tour guides said that she decided that it was time for a change when it came time to choose a college. She wanted to be around people who looked like her and had the same goals. She says she knows without a doubt that she made the right choice. Another counselor’s niece just graduated from here. “They have a lot of fun here.”

They have students from more than 70 countries on campus (and provide more than 60 study-abroad destinations for students wanting international experiences). Within the black diaspora, there’s diversity; “we honor how people identify themselves.” In addition to the social mobility stats, they’re ranked #1 Public HBCU, #2 HBCU for STEM Majors, and the #2 Best Engineering Program in Florida. Maybe one of the most impressive things I learned about the school is the partnership they’ve created with FSU (a little over a mile up the road) for Engineering.

Despite the name, they aren’t just an A&M school, although they are particularly strong in (and tend to emphasize) STEM (and Ag) fields. However, they offer almost 100 degree programs across 14 Colleges/Schools. They do have some “preferred majors” which are more popular and may fill up; these include many STEM majors, Pharmacy, Nursing, and Business. The reps encourage students to apply earlier rather than later for these; depending on timelines or qualifications, applicants might get into the university but not the school of their choice.

• The Engineering partnership with FSU is the only joint engineering program in the country, offering 8 areas of study to undergrads (and a few additional for graduate students). They run a Joint Lab located between the two campuses. Although it’s walkable, they also have shuttles.
• Their Pharmacy school is the top producer of black pharmacists in the country. They offer a BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences, but most degrees from this school are PharmD.
• The Law School offers a 3+3 program. Students complete 90 credits/3years at the Tallahassee campus, then move to the Orlando campus for 3 years of law school. They can start on the track right out of high school – This is Direct-Admit IF they start in the program a First-Year student.
• Their Theater programs – and performing arts in general – are of “unreal quality.” Students put on 7 or 8 productions a year. They have extensive Music degree offerings, including concentrations in Music Industry, Electronic Music Composition, Jazz Studies, and many performance options including a well-known 100-person strong Marching Band. The school has connections on the Broadway level, and Disney recruits on campus.
• They have a long legacy of ROTC (both Army and Navy) on campus which is now woven into the fabric of the culture there. “It’s positive and a great community.” They offer Naval Science Studies as well as a minor but nothing strictly aligned to the Army (like general Military Studies).

FAMU is becoming increasingly competitive to get into, currently accepting about 30% of applicants; the average GPA for incoming students is 3.96. Any applicant who meets the preferred 3.3/4.0 GPA (in core academic units) and has the required SAT/ACT scores is eligible for admission – BUT that doesn’t mean an automatic acceptance! Filling out the SSAR is optional but will expedite getting a decision. Be aware that FAMU requires a 4^th year of math! As long as it’s not a remedial class, they’ll honor it. Stats is a great option for a non-STEM major but STEM needs at least pre-calc.

The Business School

They can take up to 20% out-of-state students (set by the state). Florida also requires test scores for public institutions. FAMU will superscore and look at section scores vs composite. This tells them more about the students’ competencies. There is some flexibility in numbers, “but it really needs to be close; we’re more likely to overlook a lower score if the student’s GPA is higher.” Students who transfer in with at least 30 credits, including college-level math, no longer need to submit test scores.

Make sure to apply by 11/1 to meet the Scholarship Deadline. Several people mentioned that the school doesn’t do a great job with scholarships, but the starting price point is lower than a lot of other schools. People with at least a 3.5 GPA and a 1300SAT/26 ACT have the best shot of getting them.  

There’s no shortage of things to do; students all talked about the active social life on campus. Greek life is huge here and embedded into the life of campus. They have all Divine 9 chapters (and others such as Music). Each has a Plot on campus that is decorated, cared for, and widely used. People aren’t allowed to take pictures of (or socialize on) the plots unless they’re members of that group. The DI athletics attract participants and fans; there’s always a game to watch if they’re into that. The university is within the city of Tallahassee, a safe, decent-sized city (about 200,000 people) although it tends to have a small-town feel. “We’re going to show you some real southern hospitality. Tallahassee is more Georgia than Florida.” With FSU just up the road, stores and restaurants cater to students. There’s no shortage of fun in a short distance around campus.

Only first-year students are guaranteed housing (and are required to live on campus). Freshman housing is a “little ways away” (about 7-10 min walk) according the students. They’ve recently built a new dorm, Towers, with lots of natural lighting; open spaces; gaming, study, and computer rooms; kitchens; and gender-neutral bathrooms. There are also non-traditional options like suites and apartments. “The more privacy they want, the more they’re going to spend.”

© 2023

University of Central Florida

University of Central Florida (visited 4/5/22)

The walkway through the Cypress Swamp heading away from the Student Center

To say that UCF is massive is understating it. With 60,000 undergrads (one of the largest in the country) and just over 70,000 total students, it’s basically its own city with its own zip code and police force. Yet it’s incredibly well planned instead of being haphazard like so many campuses. Because it’s laid out in concentric circles, students say that it’s easy to navigate. The campus is enclosed by a major boulevard around the outside, but the campus itself is mostly pedestrian.

Hammocks along the edge of the Memory Mall

The Student Center sits at the center which makes sense. It acts as the hub that students pass through as they’re getting to classes and dorms located in the middle and outer rings. What’s neat about this middle ring is that a cypress swamp sits behind the Student Center; it’s the first campus I’ve seen with a swamp in the middle of it. It’s also the first time I’ve had a student tell me, “I’ve never seen an alligator, but we’ve had a bear sighting!” There are several walkways over it, and if you follow those out, you land at Memory Mall. “It feels like the National Mall” said the tour guide (but it’s obviously much smaller). On one corner is “Hammock Island” where several students had set up hammocks and were enjoying the day.

Despite the massive size, UCF is clearly doing something right with a 92% first-year retention rate (and a 6-year graduation rate around 75%, well above the national average for public universities which is just under 60%). I did hear from one student that she wasn’t impressed with the advising on campus, but otherwise, she really likes the university. UCF has been classified as a Hispanic Serving Institution (28% self-identifying as Latinx) with 49% of the student body self-identifying as students of color. It’s also been named a Best Value University. The Cost of Attendance is the 2^nd lowest in the US (in-state Tuition/R&B is about $17,000; out-of-state is a little over $33k).

One way they make things smaller is with the Honors College which brings in about 500 new students a year. “It’s not meant to be harder but instead more-in depth and interdisciplinary.” In fact, 1 of the 2 required extra classes is an interdisciplinary one within the students’ majors (the other one is a general class). Honors classes are capped at 25 which is great in such a large university. They also have housing set aside for Honors students, “and we get snacks on Monday and Thursday,” said one of the tour guides.

Academic Buildings along the Quad/mall

Another way they spread things out is with expansion to campuses. In addition to the main campus (located in East Orlando, a residential area 13 miles due west of Orlando itself), they run a few other campuses:

• Rosen College of Hospitality is in Orlando, right in the midst of all the parks. It’s one of the top programs of its kind (currently ranked #1 in the US and #2 in the world). They can house about 400 students on this campus, but many more take classes there.
• UCF Downtown: Built in 2019, this is a complete campus in its own right, developed as a partnership with Valencia College. There are dorms (housing about 600 students), classes, and rec facilities allowing the 7,000 students utilizing this campus easy access to things in the city such as internships or a more urban environment if that’s what they’re looking for.
• College of Health Professions and Sciences: In addition to the very popular Health Sciences, majors like Communication Sciences/Disorders, Athletic Training, Social Work, Kinesiology, and Physical Therapy are already housed there. Nursing will move over there in a few years.

Due to the size, they do have a few majors which are labeled as “Limited Access” (similar to Impacted majors in the UC system). Several majors in the Communications School, many of the performing arts (music, dance, theater), and the Medical Lab Sciences majors are included in this (there may be more; I couldn’t find a definite list). These majors required additional steps beyond admission to the university such as auditions or a review by the department to be admitted to the major.

The fountain, the site of one of the best loved traditions of racing for the rubber ducks.

Their current Strategic Impact Academic areas include aerospace and defense (and the university hosts both Army and Air Force ROTC), digital arts and entertainment, healthcare, hospitality and tourism, modeling and simulation space. A few of their academic bragging points include:

• They’re ranked #14 for undergrad Game Design; this falls within the Digital Media major which also has a Web Design track.
• They brought in 107 National Merit Scholars in 2022, a record number.
• They offer the only Forensic Science undergrad major in the state.
• Due to their size, many majors have specific tracks/ concentrations as well as a general track for people not ready to specialize (or who aren’t interested in doing so at the undergrad level). They can offer niche programs such as:
  • Photonic Science and Engineering
  • Stage Management and Design & Tech (As well as acting and musical theater) within the Theater department: “students are in rehearsals about 35 hours a week in some form,” said a tour guide.
  • Digital VLSI Circuits (within Computer Engineering)
  • Social Innovation and Activism (within Human Communication)
  • Mathematical Biology
  • Nanoscale Science and Technology (within Physics)
• BFA degrees are available in Emerging Media (including Character Animation, Experimental Animation, and Graphic Design tracks), theater, Studio Arts, and Film.
• For students who really don’t know what they’d like to do, they offer an Integrative General Studies degree as well as Interdisciplinary Studies options (including tracks within that like Diversity Studies Leadership).

Admissions is rolling, but they encourage students to submit in the fall for the best chance at scholarship consideration. Enrollment itself has about doubled since 2000, and the number of applications has reflected that. It’s not unusual for them to receive in the range of 50,000 applications a year; they tend to admit just under half of that (usually hovering in the low to mid 40% range). They require students to self-report grades instead of submitting transcripts. Due to the sheer number of applications, “we won’t look at transcripts themselves unless needed for an appeal,” said a rep. Essays are strongly recommended but not required. Because this is a Florida state school, they are bound by a directive from the State Board of Regents requiring test scores.

The seal in the Student Center which is roped off so people don’t accidentally step on it and “not graduate in 4 years.”

There are only 6,500 beds available on the main campus with another 470 or so beds in Greek Housing, “but it doesn’t feel like a commuter school. I came in as a transfer student and I still feel like I’m part of the campus culture.” Some off-campus housing is either “Affiliated” or “Managed” by UCF. There are student-only apartment complexes. One of the tour guides lives in one. “There are lots of activities and it’s cheaper than campus. It’s the best of both worlds.” The tour guides said that many commuters are only about 5 minutes down the road and shuttles from 6am-12am. You’re most likely going to have a car – but it’s easier to ride the shuttle than to find housing.”

Traditions:

• Spirit Slash at Homecoming seems to be the biggest deal. The tour guides got really excited about describing this event. It’s held around the reflecting pond outside the library. The Football team and cheerleaders are out there beforehand to get people riled up. “When the sword drops, it’s like Hunger Games – you’ll see a couple thousand kids rushing into the reflecting pool fighting over a couple hundred rubber ducks! It’s a huge deal to get one of them. Definite bragging rights.”
• UCF Celebrates the Arts: “This is a wonderful festival where we take over downtown. Lots of departments get involved in putting it on, and there’s always some sort of headliner event.” Shrek the Musical was one of the recent ones.
• The Knighting which is open to the incoming class for that semester, kind of a kick-start festival for first-years to get acclimated. Students get a cute pin, take a group photo on the UCF shape, hear a speech from the President.
• Like so many schools, they have a “don’t do X or you won’t graduate/will fail your next exam” tradition. Here, there’s a large seal in the Student Center that’s actually roped off to prevent people from walking on it. During graduation season, they take the ropes down so seniors can take their pictures on it.
• This is one of the few schools I’ve seen that has 2 mascots: Pegasus is the academic mascot (to symbolize unlimited possibilities). The athletic mascot is a knight.
• Athletics, of course, are a big deal at a school like this. They’re DI and will join the Big 12 in 2023. “Lots of students get involved in some capacity. Some of the Club teams are super competitive. Lacrosse holds tryouts and will play against some DI teams like Auburn. Those can get pricey, like $1500 a semester, because of travel and other things. Intramurals and other club sports are super cheap, like $35. Basically we get a t-shirt.”

© 2022

University of Florida

University of Florida (visited 4/2/22)

I visited campus with a group of counselors – unfortunately in the middle of massive rainstorms! “We like to tell people that we have 250 days of sunshine. Today is not that day.” However, the campus was still beautiful! The admissions staff was fabulous, and they put on a great program for us despite having to make last-minute adjustments to our tour (We got a bus tour of the perimeter let by 3 students who were otherwise going to have walked us through campus). I’m sorry that we didn’t get to see more of campus, but this gives me a good reason to go back at some point.

Other than the fact that Gatorade was developed for the Florida athletes, I asked what cool facts they could share about campus. This is what I learned:

• The Hyper Gator, (2^nd fastest computer in the country) is housed here
• Gator Growl is the country’s largest student-led pep rally
• At football games between the 3^rd and 4^th quarters, everyone sings “Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty (Gainesville native) and “We are the Boys” (the school song).
• The Marching Band performed at the London Olympics!
• It’s home to one of the largest number of fresh-water springs in the country. They have lots of wetland facilities.
• The student newspaper is the largest student-run paper in the country.
• Their stadium is nicknamed “The Swamp” because “only Gators come out alive.” Football is a HUGE deal at UF. Students pay $20 a game or $120 a season.
• They offer a 7-year Med Honors Program
• They have over $900million in funded research

Applications to UF have almost tripled since 2000 – and doubled since 2016. Part of this comes from Florida demographics, but more so because their reputation continues to rise. “We’re Top 5 in sports (DI) AND academics; we’re a standout in the social aspect,” said a rep. Despite this increase, they’re keeping enrollment relatively steady, dropping their admit rate from approximately 65% to 25%. They aim for about 6500 incoming freshmen in the fall; depending on yield, this varies from about 6400-7300 year to year. In-state enrolment numbers are mandated at a system-wide level: they must enroll 90% Florida residents, but this is spread over the 12 state institutions. “Our freshman class skews more to out-of-state, but the transfers are overwhelmingly in-state which keeps us within range.”

They do not consider the applicant’s intended major during admissions review – in fact, reviewers are unaware of what students have applied to. The only caveat to this is that Performing Arts majors must audition. Admission criteria for summer and fall is the same so there’s no secret loophole or backdoor. “They do not have a better chance if they apply for the summer! However, more students apply for fall, so we may move them to summer if they’re qualified and we have room for them to start then.”

The mid-50% GPA range for admitted students is currently at 4.4 – 4.6 weighted. “Rather than focusing on the number, know that most successful admits have been taking rigorous classes and getting mostly As in them.” Rather than a transcript, domestic applicants are required to complete the SRAR; UF only looks at Core Classes (no electives) and will add a full point for IB, AP, ACE, and dual enrolment classes.

They offer a few Pathway Programs for specific demographics with specific caveats or requirements (for entry and/or while enrolled at UF) depending on the program. “Students shouldn’t try to game the system and apply for a major they aren’t interested in. It never works out well.” Selection is often major-dependent, and often applicants must self-select to be considered.

Pathways to Campus Enrollment (PACE) launched in 2015, allowing more students access to a UF education without overburdening campus physical resources (classrooms, housing, dining halls). It’s highly selective and only open for select majors (few of which are STEM). Students may start as Undecided but must declare a PACE major and finish at least 15 credits including pre-reqs before transitioning onto campus as a resident. Many students move to the Gainesville area during this time and can opt into a fee structure to get involved in the campus community (clubs, athletics, etc) if they’d like. Additionally, some majors can be completed entirely online if they’d like to do so.

Innovation Academy started in 2012. “We’re looking for students interested in expert and peer collaboration, trial and error/creating/risk-taking, those who like to tinker/take things apart, students who like play but also who have passion and purpose.” There are about 25 majors offered in this program. Students should list at least 3 majors they’re interested in (in case they change their mind) and can double major. All students in the program end up with an innovation minor (tracks offered in General Concentration or Artificial Intelligence) by taking 6 classes taught exclusively to the 300-350 students brought in each year. “These students get a small-college experience analogous to an LLCs/honor college.” The program runs on a Spring/Summer calendar (January to August) with the fall off; they can go home, study abroad, work, or intern. During the first year, they go abroad for 6 weeks in the fall; there’s no financial aid available for this except for Florida Pre-Paid plans.

Obviously, this is a massive campus to accommodate the almost 35,000 undergrads. Freshman orientation is in The Swamp (the football stadium) for introductions, speeches, learning the chants, joining clubs, and more. “There’s an overwhelming number of events the first couple weeks. There are a thousand clubs including a club to help you find clubs you’re interested in!” said one of the tour guides.

UF does their best to help students make it feel more manageable including an Early Move-in program to give students a smaller cohort, including a 1-credit orientation class. There are several involvement opportunities through first year connections and cohorts. Most of these are self-identified; admissions may reach out based on information on the application. “Horizons for LGBTQ+ is the only one that starts after the semester begins since there’s no way to self-id before they arrive.”

The Honors College focuses on experiential learning and enrichment. Students get specialized advisors, early class registration, networking, Honors Organizations, special events (trips, therapy dogs), and more.

• (un)Common Classroom
• Students can be an (un)Common TA including leading the UnCommon Read with help of a faculty mentor)
• There’s a new honors Res Hall with single (300 rooms) and double occupancy with double beds, a multipurpose LLC, and community events. The goal is to have 19 Honors houses.
• Access to 3 types of Scholarships: research; Wentworth (PD opps, conferences, study abroad, etc), and the Lombardi and Stamps (for incoming HS students. Each HS can nominate 2 students for this – it’s a tiny cohort. “We want souls who are adventurous! Don’t just sent us your top SAT scorer. They’re going to be going abroad, living with host families, etc.”

Other than the Honors Housing, UF offers traditional, suite, apartment, and LLC housing (“there are a TON of these!”) for students. Students are never required to live on campus (or required to have a meal plan), but most of those who do are freshman. They have several small dorm communities and apartments on the outskirts of town.

Not surprisingly, UF offers a ton of unusual academic programs such as:

• African Languages – as well as other less commonly taught languages such as Portuguese, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, and Arabic. Students can also choose Foreign Languages and Literature (more general study) or Dual Languages as a major.
• Microbiology and Cell Sciences
• Geomatics
• Sustainability and Built Environment
• Music Production, Technology, and Management
• Certificates in areas like: Beekeeping; Political Campaigning; Urban Pest Management or Landscape Pest Management; Senior Fire Officer or Fire Ecology and Management; Medical Anthropology, Entomology, or Geography; Horticultural Therapy; and Dance in Medicine.

© 2022

University of South Florida – Tampa (main campus)

USF – Tampa (visited 4/1/22)

The Mascot fountain

This is the main (and largest) USF campus with over 37,000 undergrads and a large graduate population. Physically, it has a huge footprint within Tampa with over 1,500 acres. Other Fun Facts include:

• When this university was built, it was the southernmost of the state institutions, hence the name.
• The Arbor Day Foundation has designated it a “Tree Campus USA” – most of the streets are named after trees as are many of the newer dorms.
• This is the only university to have a Publix on its campus (the kids love that!)
• They have a beach on campus “but don’t jump in!” said the tour guides. “Great for hanging out and getting a tan, but there are alligators in the water.” I pretty much assume that all water in Florida has a gator in it at this point!
• In addition to the St Pete and Sarasota/Manatee campuses, USF used to have several more satellite or affiliated campuses including what are now New College of Florida (becoming independent and the State Honor’s College in 2001) and Florida Polytechnic (became its own school in 2012)
• Surprisingly for a public school of this size (particularly one with such a strong engineering department that tends to skew more towards males), the school is 58% women (something you’re more likely to see at a smaller liberal arts institution).

MLK quad

During the admissions info session, the rep talked about three main points that they stress at USF: Global Orientation, Research Extensiveness, and Community Engagement.

• Global: students come from all over the US and 50+ countries.
  • They offer a lot of support for international students include the logistics like how to use the city bus system or sign up for bank accounts. “You’ll hear different languages being spoken on campus all the time,” said the tour guide.
  • Approximately 50% of the students self-identify as BiPOC.
  • They offer lots of study abroad options which students can start taking advantage of as early as freshman year
• Research: This is a Tier 1 institution, so they offer research in every area.
  • The Office of Undergrad Research connects students with opportunities relevant to their program.
  • Students often design and conduct interdisciplinary projects including a recent one with Engineering and Dance! They created the dancing wheelchair so students can participate in programs. It’s patented in the campus patent office.
• Community: Tampa is the only major Florida city that doesn’t rely on tourism as a mainstay of the economy.
  • Students get involved in the larger Tampa community. They take advantage of all there is to offer: beaches, major athletic teams, the botanical gardens, Busch Gardens, etc.
  • The local “Bull Runner” bus takes students within a 5-mile radius (including off-campus housing sites); the City bus goes all over Hillsborough County
  • If students are looking for work or internships, the university has partnerships to leverage with places like hospitals, engineering firms, local businesses and educational institutions, and more. “It’s a key part of professional development.”
    • Pre-med students often get certified as EMTs.
    • Many companies employ students right out of here because it’s the only major university in the area.
    • USF pays for certifications in classes like in Engineering including the cost of the exam. “These last a lifetime and can mean a lot in the job process,” said one of the students.
  • On campus involvement is just as robust.
    • 8% of students go Greek.
    • Clubs offer things for everyone (including a Chocolateers Club!)
    • ROTC is a fairly strong presence on campus, with all military branches offered. They offer several minors geared to the ROTC participants including: Aerospace Studies (AF), Military Science and Leadership (A), and Naval Science and Leadership (either Marine or Navy options)

Campus is attractive, well-maintained, and laid out well. Many of the undergraduate classes and facilities are in the central part of campus with MLK Plaza at the center. Prominently displayed is a bust of MLK; leading away from this are lines pointing at major cities that he is associated with.

All the students I spoke to love it here. “It’s a great place!” The students feel heard and can get things done when they feel changes needed to be made “even if it’s just getting the Einstein Bagel changed to Panera to have something on campus that’s open later.” A little over half of freshman live on campus, but students feel like there’s still a solid community, even for students who move off campus. “People stay involved. It’s really hard to be bored here. We want to be here because our friends are here and there’s a lot to do,” said one of the tour guides.

The Beach

Academics are challenging “but doable.” Even with the large number of students, only about 5% of classes have more than 100 students (although the students said it’s more common to have classes close to that with several in the 50-80 range). Even so, faculty tend to be approachable and there are always TAs and other ways to get help as needed. Business and Health-related majors are the most popular with almost 20% of students majoring in those areas. They have an amazing array of options, including Concentrations within majors and about a dozen Certificate Program options some of which aren’t common: Dance Medicine and Science, Sales, Japanese, Visualization and Design, and Undergraduate Research in Behavior and Community Sciences.

For admission purposes, USF recalculates GPAs, looking only look at core classes (so not gym, band, health, etc). They add a full point for Dual enrollment, AP, IB, or ACE classes as long as the student earned a C or better; honors classes get a half-point with a C or better. Florida requires test scores still for public institutions (the rep hasn’t heard of any plans for the state to go test-optional), so USF looks at apps on a sliding scale between GPA and test score.

There are no specific requirements (such as math) for particular majors, although some majors (like engineering and nursing) are competitive based on test scores. Admissions is relatively competitive with just under half of the applicants being admitted. The Priority deadline is 12/15; there’s no separate scholarship deadline, but students should apply by mid-January if they want consideration for merit aid.

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Ringling College of Art and Design

Ringling College of Art and Design (visited 3/31/02)

I was looking forward to my visit to campus; I’ve heard amazing things about the programs (and in all fairness, they ARE amazing) as well as the beautiful campus. Unfortunately, I ended up being disappointed in several things, including the overall disorganization in the admissions office (including that no one was answering the phone, either at the main number or the direct line of the rep I’d been working with) and the lack any signage to help people find parking or navigate campus (particularly to the Admission Office which is what most visitors need to find).

The main gate to campus

I was given an address in my confirmation email for my appointment with Admissions but no specific parking instructions. After circling campus, it was clear that the address was for main campus but not the admissions office. Nor was there any parking to be found. I ended up parking in the lot of an abandoned Burger King next to campus. Wondering if I was going to get the rental towed, I walked around to the main gate (where my GPS had told me that “I had arrived!”) and into a beautiful quad. Still no indication of where I should be going. This is always a bad sign, and I feel particularly bad for how prospective families feel in this situation, since they’re likely going through the same experience upon arrival. I asked a student who was gracious and helpful and got me into the Admissions Office to find … no one there. I eventually found one person in a back office who did her best to help. She apologized that the reps were all at lunch (it was about 11:15) despite me having an appointment with one of them. I ended up not being able to talk to my rep OR get a tour; she offered me the chance to come back for a 2pm tour, but I had appointments at other schools and wasn’t able to do so. She said she had only been working there a week and wasn’t able to answer many questions, but she did get me a stack of information to take with me and said I was free to walk around campus. (I also pulled up my notes from a previous zoom call with a rep to have more information for this post).

All that being said, this is a gorgeous campus! Although located right in Sarasota, campus is a bit of an oasis with a wall around much of it. It’s tucked away in a nice part of town. “It’s kind of hidden – it’s great for security. Kids feel safe. The ‘Ringling bubble’ is a thing,” said the rep I spoke to earlier. “It has a great big-town/small-city feel. Sarasota is a safe beach town – the closest public beach is a 5-minute drive away.” The kids often use beach houses for film sets! Because the college is right in town, students have access to lots of theaters, ballet, and other creative fields and outlets as well as all the other things they want for shopping and food.

Buildings along the bayou

The college pulled in their biggest class yet in 2021; they’re currently have about 1700 students “which is still small enough to have a good community but big enough not to have cabin fever.” Students were socializing and seemed to be very well connected to each other; few students were on their own or plugged into music. About 1/3 of the students are from Florida and over 70% are female. Most freshman will live on campus. They recently built two new dorms for freshman, and a new dining hall opens this year. They are deliberated in creating creative, collaborative living communities. Campus “tends to be pretty quiet; there’s no Greek life, no big parties. Art schools tend to attract night owls; you’ll see them in studios and labs until all hours.”

One of the studios

Students here are fairly determined. They tend to know what career they have their sights on. The applicant pool is self-selecting; they know they want this intensive sort of art school (but even so, admissions is somewhat selective at about just under 70%). Students start right away in their declared major; if they aren’t sure what they want to do, it can be tricky to change majors and graduate on time.

Murals are all over campus

The studios I saw were amazing (including a large glass-blowing studio being actively used by students; I got to watch them since the large garage-doors were wide open). Students can get their BFA or BA degree here. The students I spoke to said that they love their classes and find them challenging. They get worked very hard, but it’s worth it – they say that a lot of what they run into set them up to succeed when they’ll have to meet deadlines and solve problems on the job when they’re working in the industry. They like that a lot of professors are working in the field yet to give them real-live situations and experiences so they know what they’re getting into.

Their Computer Animation program is ranked #1 in the world; Illustration is #4 in the US. They also offer an excellent Business of Art & Design program. “When a movie ends, all those credit names you see have to be trained somewhere. Those are the positions we focus on,” said the rep. In additional to the traditional visual arts, students have access to some more unusual majors such as Creative Writing, Virtual Reality Development, Motion Design, and Entertainment Design. VR and ED are relatively new (in their 4^th year). The rep said that they’re looking more for STEM kids who are into coding, computer science, etc for VR. Entertainment Design is more about themed entertainment – cruise lines, escape rooms, Disney, etc. “This is a growing major.”

Ringling also has a hidden gem of a Film program! “Students start freshman behind the camera and work on 4-6 films their first year!” In their first two years, students learn all the basics: camera, lighting, screenwriting. “They become a generalist and complete a general demo reel by junior year which Career Services help them submit. “This is when it gets interesting; they actually complete their senior thesis in JUNIOR year so they can spend their senior year focusing on a specialty and complete another demo reel. They need to get their foot in the door because it’s such a competitive world. Students keep the rights to the films they produce.” Although they’re technically Ranked #14, all the programs ahead of them are master’s programs. Technically this makes them the #1 undergrad film program in the country.

©2022

New College of Florida

New College of Florida (visited 3/31/22)

I. Love. This. School! There’s a good reason why New College is the Public Honors College of Florida and on the Colleges that Change Lives list! (And what’s not to love about a college that has a knitting club called “Anarchy Death Sticks” and hammocks way up in a beloved banyon tree?)

The Admissions building, former home of the “Lesser Known Ringling brother.”

Sitting right on the water and full of historic buildings, New College is innovative without losing their history. They know who they are and who they’re trying to attract to campus – and they do it well. Admissions is only moderately selective at about 70% “but we also have a highly self-selecting population. Prospective students find out quickly if this is the place for them, so we tend to have fewer students applying than many other schools do.” They’re not trying to be what they aren’t: Students who do well here are quirky and passionate about hyper-specific things. Students who apply (and end up matriculating) are looking for exactly that. “We’re the weird-kids-turned-academics,” said the tour guide.

Bayfront; this area is well utilized!

This is the 2^nd newest college the state (Florida Poly is the newest). It’s also the smallest school with 650 students – but I strongly encourage people not to be turned off by that number! I was shocked to hear that it was so few; the vibrancy on campus, the size of campus, and the available resources speak to a MUCH larger feeling campus, and it rivals those that have at least 2 or 3 times that number of students! They have resources such as a Natural Botany Garden/restoration area and a student-conceived/run “Four-Winds Café” – this is attached to the anthro/archaeology building (itself a cute place set aside from other things) but is now run by the college, offering things like smoothies and sandwiches. The college also utilizes their location sitting directly on the Bay. “We sit there to watch the dolphins and the sunset. It’s great!” They have an active crew and sailing team. They have club sports which are lower pressure and more fun.

The Anthro building and home to the Four Winds Cafe

A student led the Info Session which is nice by itself … and it’s indicative of how students are empowered here. They’re expected to take the lead, and they step up to the plate. As part of their graduation requirements, they must put together and execute 7 Contracts (one for most semesters); in these, they list the classes they’re going to take in the semester as well as their long- and short-term goals. “It’s like a holistic schedule; we list the credits, but also include a reflection section and goals – it could be that we want to get down to the waterfront and learn how to take out a sailboat, or something we’d like to continue doing or work on to improve. There’s also an additional info section like if we’re doing jobs or extra-curriculars. This is so professors have a better sense of what’s on our plate. We do other things beyond school.”

The new library building

Academics are “challenging but well worth the effort. I’m grateful for the experiences I had here,” said one student – and the rep said, “We don’t offer a cookie-cutter curriculum. There’s no need to think inside the box.” Students get narrative evaluations instead of traditional grades. “Generally med and law schools love it because they see a lot more about who you are as a student and a person than a number or letter on a transcript. If needed, students can request a proxy GPA for grad schools,” said one of the reps. Clearly, it’s working based on their long-term 80%+ acceptance rate to Med Schools. Students can take the MCAT class here for free (which usually costs thousands of dollars). Academics can be highly individualized (students can create their own majors through the Individualized Area of Concentration), and they also offer a lot of majors/minors that are more unusual for a school this size including:

• Biopsychology
• Rhetoric and Writing
• Urban Studies
• Marine Biology (this is a perfect location for it! They run a Marine Bio Research Center, and the department has research boats!)
• Quantitative Social Science
• Health, Culture, and Societies
• Statistics, Data Science, or Applied Math
• Medieval and Renaissance Studies
• Anthropology/Archaeology and Museum Studies: In addition to an Anthro/Arch building that houses a MesoAmerican Lit library and conference-style classrooms, they also run a Public Archaeology Lab. One of the students raved about one of the professors who is studying Angola and a deserted maroon community. He leads excavations that students can be part of.

Regardless of major, all students do research including a Capstone Project (similar to a thesis) in their senior year. “It feels daunting at first, but we get so much support, and we’re all ready to do it when the time comes. People are really proud of their work.”

The Admissions office is in a historic mansion on the water. Having done a lot of tours, I appreciated their clear signage directing people to Admissions and that there was plenty of visitor parking. Their pre-visit information was also thorough and timely, helping people get to where they need to go. Not every school does this.

The footbridge/overpass to the residential side (and a Southwest flight coming in for a landing at the airport nearby!)

Campus is split by Route 41 with most Residential options being across way; the residential and academic sides are connected by a footbridge, so students don’t have to worry about traffic. A Sarasota city bus stop is on the residential side of campus; students have free access to the bus system which gets them all over so there’s easy access to Target, Walmart, grocery stores, restaurants, and more. There are also so many walkable things – and the Sarasota airport is only a mile away (and Amtrak is 4 miles) allowing for easy travel home.

Some of the freshman dorms

New College has the biggest First-Year dorm rooms in the state university system. The buildings in that unit were designed by I. M. Pei! He purposefully made them to look like a rat maze to make sure students interacted with each other – “and it works,” said one of the tour guides. “It looks a bit crazy at first, but we’re all around talking to each other.” There are several annual events that happen in the First Year Quad area including Wall (these are themed events held in the quad, “a bit ironic because there are no walls in the quad!” said the tour guide) and Coup which is held 3 times a year and always has some great theme (recent ones included Dante’s Inferno, Cryptic, and Where the Wild Things Are).

B Dorm – the only one on the academic side of campus.

There’s a variety of dorm styles to choose from after first year. Suites can be coed. There’s only one dorm (“B Dorm”) on the Academic side: “That one has a very specific culture, and students who request it are usually juniors and seniors who want to be closer to the library as they’re working on their capstone project. It’s communal-style and only has about 30 people. They share bathrooms and a kitchen.” Students get an unlimited meal plan with housing. Pell Eligible students get a free meal plan.

© 2022

University of South Florida – St. Pete

USF – St. Pete Campus (visited 3/31/22)

USF-SP is the mid-sized campus of the USF trio. For those who are looking for a vibrant waterfront community, smaller classes, and access to everything St. Petersburg has to offer, this is a great fit. One of the reps said, “This campus is a better choice for the artistic, creative, introverted, shy student. It’s easier to get involved and be seen here. If students enjoy extra-curriculars, this is a great choice.” However, if students are looking for Greek Life and 300-person lecture halls, this isn’t the school for them. If that’s what they’re looking for, they’d probably fit into the Tampa campus which will provide the “traditional” large state school college experience.

If USF is high on your list, it’s important to apply by the priority deadline in order to have the best shot at getting the campus you want! If you apply for fall (most competitive), they’ll consider students for summer and spring as well. It’s more a capacity issue than anything else, said the reps I spoke to, both of whom were recent alumni. They were quick to point out that even though there are 3 campuses, “It’s one USF. You can take classes at any of them.” That extends to multiple other things, including being able to attend football at the main campus; all students go up to Tampa for the games (and they’ll run buses up from St. Pete). It’s also fairly easy to transfer if they feel like they’d be better served later at another campus.

They can currently house about 4000 students on campus giving students a medium-sized university feel with the options of a larger institution; a brand-new dorm opened last year with 916 beds. Students are never required to live on campus, though, and all students can bring a car to campus. Parking passes cost $215 and enables students to park at all 3 campuses. The reps didn’t gush over the food here but did say that it’s changed recently and is now “pretty good. Food off campus is great, though!”

Campus is right on the edge of downtown. “There are tons of museums (including the Dali Museum), the Pier (a focal point of the city), and many great restaurants. It’s a young, emerging city with energy, festivals, and a lot of job opportunities and internships. It’s colorful and vibrant.” They described the St. Pete vibe as “choose your own speed.” Students take advantage of the weather and the surroundings, including spending a lot of time on the campus Harbor Walk; the campus is on the water which students seem to enjoy. People were out there even on the relatively dreary day I visited. The university even has solar-charging stations for students who are studying out there.

The reps said that there’s more community outreach here vs. the Tampa campus. The Career Center has developed a new partnership to pair students with local business leaders for shadowing and internships opportunities for more access to career exploration. One of the reps did a Judicial Process class where he was able to observe courtrooms and talk to judges, defenders, and prosecutors about the process. Through the Compass Student Experience Program, students can also get paired with an upper-level mentor.

Activities and traditions include: Screen on the Green (done once a month), cardboard boat races during homecoming (This happens at all campuses with some specific twists unique to each campus – and they’ll shuttle students up for the Tampa concert), Welcome Week, and Back-to-School pool party. They offer lots of dances; the PD Shuffle is their traditional campus dance which all students learn at orientation. Most sports are Club and Intramural on this campus with the exception of the Varsity Women’s Sailing team housed on this campus. They host students from the other campuses (men compete in a coed sailing club team).

Classes are much smaller here than they’ll be on the Tampa campus. The rep’s smallest class was 6 students (News Editing 1); largest was about 45 (American History). His favorite class was The Road to the White House: students went to NH for 10 days and covered both sides of the aisle. Because they were gone for so long, they had to clear this with their other classes to make up the work, but the professors worked with them. He also took a Travel Course that looked at food and cooking in Germany and France (he loved learned to make Black Forest Cakes and trying the cheeses in France).

Academic draws at this campus include:

• Graphic Arts (design and illustration fall under that umbrella) which is housed in the old Dali Museum. Students can go to the new Dali Museum for free with ID.
• Sustainability Studies
• Forensic Studies and Justice and Criminology
• Digital Communications and Multimedia Journalism
• Marine Sciences (Can’t beat the location for this major!)
• Business Analytics and Info Systems and Global Business
• Professional and Technical Communication

© 2022

University of South Florida – Sarasota/Manatee

University of South Florida – Sarasota/Manatee (visited 3/31/22)

The main building

USF-SM is the commuter campus of the USF system. There are only a couple thousand students on this campus; about half of them are full-time which isn’t surprising for a commuter campus. Currently there are no dorms, but I was told that they’re discussing the possibility of building one. Also not surprisingly, Florida residents make up about 95% of the student body. In-state tuition is incredibly reasonable at just over $4,000. What did surprise me is how highly selective this campus is, accepting only about ¼ of applicants.

This is a beautiful campus that’s easy to navigate – and signage is excellent and there’s plenty of visitor parking, both of which are huge pluses in my book! There’s one main 3-story building which houses most of the academic classes and administrative offices although they are expanding out.

The USF Mascot

Classes are small so this is a good place to start if students don’t want to get lost in the crowd in their pre-req or intro classes; students can also elect to take a hybrid program. Their biggest programs tend to be in the Business department, including Risk Management & Insurance, Hospitality Management (hybrid programs), and Info Assurance & Cybersecurity Management. Their Psych major is also very popular and strong. If students are undecided, they offer Exploratory Programs which the staff member told me about. Students sign up for a general area in: Arts & Sciences, Global & Social Sciences, Business, STEM, or Health & Natural Sciences.

I was there in the middle of the day to wander a bit, and I had the chance to talk to a student and an employee. The senior was in his last semester of a psychology degree and had really enjoyed his time there. He liked the small community and the campus. “I love my classes – the professors are really good. There are plenty of places to hang out and study, and the people are nice.” He said that there’s a lot to do in the afternoons, and even though it’s a commuter campus, people are friendly and they find their groups.

This is a great location for a school: there’s a ton of things going on around campus, but the campus itself is quiet. There’s some water and a walking path as well as hammocks (the student said they get a lot of use!) on campus – and the community around it is easily walkable. There’s also not a ton of traffic (easy to drive around) and the airport is right across the street. It sits almost directly on Sarasota Bay. New College of FL is less than a mile away, and Ringling College of Art and Design is about 2.5 miles down the street; this is definitely a college-friendly area.

Overall, this seems to be a great school for students who want small classes at an affordable price, who want to study at a school that pays attention to them and helps them attain their educational and career goals, and who want to be in a vibrant town with a lot of amenities around.

© 2022