New College of Florida

New College's back yard

front gate

marine biology lab

New College of Florida, located in Sarasota, Florida, is a small public school that is called an honors college, which means that it is run like a private college.  This college of 850 students is best suited for someone who wants the freedom to manufacture their own learning.  Apart from the core liberal arts courses, students work with the faculty to craft a major that will address their own personal curiosity and life goals.  Students write a “contract” with their advisor for the next semester that details the classes that they will take, the personal goals that they are setting for themselves, and what school organizations that student plans on participating in.  A very interesting thing that makes New College different is that they do not assign grades for classes taken there.  Students receive a narrative evaluation from the professor at the end of the class that becomes part of the student’s record.  Students either “satisfy” or receive an “unsatisfactory.”  Roughly, this takes the competition for a letter grades out of the learning process; students are encouraged to really learn.  One question that was asked by the panel of school counselors was how does the fact that the college graduate does not have a GPA for professional programs like graduate school, law school or medical school effect them later on.  It turns out that 80% of New College’s students go on to a post graduate program, so the grading system is not impeding their graduates.

As with so many of the other schools, New College is located right on the coast and has a marine biology program that is excellent.  If this is an intended major for any SCHS students, you have many options to choose from.  Pick a school that has the right fit and meets your needs for financial aid.  New College set up great to serve students who are curious and want to discover more about the things that they are passionate about.   Students who want a college that will allow them to color outside of the lines will appreciate this college option.  This is a truly supportive environment for a student who might otherwise get lost in the shuffle of college but is bright enough to handle rigorous course work. 

New College Profile

Cost of attendance- $43,784 per year ($15,000/yr scholarship goes to out-of-state students)

GPA- 3.71-4.31

SAT- 1200-1360

ACT- 25-30

Eckerd College

Day four- Eckerd College             

view from Marine Science building

If you recognize the name of this school as the same as the drug store popular in 1990s and 2000s, it is because this college is named after the same person who founded Eckerd Drug Stores.  Eckerd is located in St. Petersburg, Florida, right on the water.  This campus is very different from many other college campuses from around the State of Florida or from around the United States.  It is a liberal arts college that finds its identity in the state of mind that its location might inspire.  Being right on the water and having a beach steps away from the dormitories, you might think that all students approach their education with a relaxed state of mind.  Students do, however, work very hard in their course work.  Eckerd College is an unconventional college that has different   First, students can bring their pet to college with them.  Though this is not exclusively an Eckerd thing, it is definitely a popular decision at Eckerd.  Next, they are on a 4-1-4 schedule.  Fall semester, where a student will take four classes, ends in November and students have a three week mini-mester where students can study abroad or take a class on campus that deals with a special topic.  These mini classes are meant to add a richness of depth to the education that a student will receive.  Last, they have a three week orientation that incoming freshman will take a class called The Human Experience.  This class allows students to interact with their professors and advisors and, most importantly, with their peers.  The last class that students will take at Eckerd is a capstone class called Human Justice where the same students that started off together will be reunited to use the education that they have received to identify and solve a problem that plagues a group of humans.  Unconventional is a great way to describe Eckerd College.

approaches to education.

Due to Eckerd’s location, it is no surprise that maritime studies and opportunities exist.  Because of their marine science program, Eckerd students come here in droves to be marine biologists as they can walk out their door and get on the boat to go to class.  While this is true, the inside lab time is a reality of this education.  It is not all boat-time.  Additionally, students can volunteer to be on Eckerd’s search and rescue team that assists the Coast Guard in helping rescue victims of maritime calamities.  Students can sign out kayaks, long boards, and canoes, but even better can go out on snorkeling and water skiing trips that leave the dock on campus.  Sounds great!  With all of these great options for a student to get involved in, it is no surprise to learn that their 4 year graduation rate is 64% and 6 year graduation rate is 68%.  These rates tell us a story.  If you have a student who struggles with personal responsibility, Eckerd may not be the right place.

marine science lab

Ultimately, Eckerd fits a niche kid who loves learning in an environment that is very open, inclusive and free-spirited.  Chances are that their Eckerd education will present ideas and opportunities that they have never been exposed to.  This school fits the liberal-minded, “gonna save the world” student who is very comfortable meeting and befriending people who are very different from them.  Eckerd is a member of a group of colleges that have been identified as having the desire to impact students’ lives at the core of all they do.  This list is called “Colleges that Change Lives: www.ctcl.org.  

Eckerd College Quick Facts

Cost of attendance- $57,000 per year

Average financial aid award is $34,048

GPA- 3.0

SAT- 1000

ACT- 20

Chapel

University of Tampa

Day four- University of Tampa

University of Tampa's campus

internship options

University of Tampa (UT) is located in the metropolis of Tampa and this university takes full advantage of this.  The breathtaking layout of this campus is only part of the partnership that UT enjoys.  The business school at UT is number seven in the nation behind some incredibly high-powered colleges.  One of the things that sets this college’s Business School apart is the internship opportunities.  I took a picture of the skyline from UT’s campus so that the number of huge corporations in communications/broadcast (NBC), to financial (PNC), to branding services (Sykes) could be seen.  As you can tell from the photo, these incredible opportunities are literally steps away from the campus of UT.  College has to be more than a classroom experience; the real-world work experience that comes with a business degree from UT will open doors later on.  UT offers a great way to save costs with their four and one program where a student can earn a bachelors degree and an MBA in five years.  Both of these programs are accredited by the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business).  This accreditation is looked for by corporations as a sign of the quality of the education of a student graduating from a particular business school.

Business is not the only program that UT is pouring in resources.  The College of Health Sciences where students can earn nursing degrees and physician assistant degrees has recently moved into a brand new building where students can have a one on one station clinical experience and not have to share lab space with a partner student.  This will allow him or her to gain a deeper and more complete understanding of the skills that the profession will demand.  If business and nursing are not your thing, there are a lot of other majors available, including marine biology, a program that they are well known for.

   

front porch of Plant Build

In all, UT is an incredibly diverse campus.  It is likely that no student coming to UT will feel as if they are in the minority nor the majority based upon racial and ethnic backgrounds.  All 50 states and 140 countries are represented in the almost 9000 member student body.  The total cost of attendance to University of Tampa is $39,930 per year with the average financial aid package being $10,671.  97% of students at UT are receiving financial aid.  UT is best suited to students who are very independent and able to navigate life with little help from parents and school officials.  UT opens the gates wide for students to explore and grow, but admittedly does a poor job of holding students hands.  This does not mean that there are not great services in tutoring, healthcare and counseling for students, but it does mean that the student will have to initiate these resources.

The Old Plant Hotel

This campus is filled with history, beauty and opportunity.  Though it is in a major city, this campus is a safe and inviting place, where opportunities both on and off campus abound.  This college is definitely worth a look if you are interested in leaving the state of Georgia for a college education.

University of Tampa Profile

GPA- 3.4 average

SAT- 1180

dorm room

University of South Florida

Day four- University of South Florida.

The USF Bulls

University of South Florida (USF) is located in Tampa, Florida on the same exit as Busch Gardens.  USF is a relatively young university which opened its doors in 1956.  Since that time, it has grown into a behemoth with 46,000 students.  To accommodate this many students, USF has amassed a sprawling campus, seemingly the largest in land mass of the schools visited to date.  Being closely linked to Tampa, many activities both on and off of the campus are available for students.  Pictured in this blog entry is the recreation center where students have access to one of the finest workout facilities that they will probable ever have access to as an adult.  Much of this university’s offerings are quite similar to the others I have written about this week, so I will refrain from talking about those things.  Instead, it is of better use to look at the things that USF seems to do very well.

Study abroad programs are more than just a trip when taken through USF.  Offering faculty-led and individual options around the world, students are channeled into making the study abroad experience a learning and networking event.  When doing a study abroad program, students pay tuition and travel expenses.  By completing a study abroad program, students will earn college credits which will apply towards the ultimate degreehe or she is working.  The bad news is that students will pay both tuition and travel expenses; the good news is that out-of-state students are afforded in-state tuition rates for the study abroad trip.  Additionally, students are offered numerous funding grants for these experiences.  When the trip ends, the learning does not.  USF hosts reentry events for students to make meaning of the incredible experience that they just had.  Additionally, students are placed into an ambassador program where they will use the experiences gained abroad to work on solutions to world problems.  USF’s tag phrase encourages students to “live a story worth sharing.”  Study abroad can be that experience which can completely blow out the border walls of a kid’s life and makes him or her grow as a person.

so many dining options

An important consideration that I have failed to mention with other schools is the meal plan.  Food services on every college visit should be a part of the consideration.  Meal plans can range from camp food all the way to three star on a four star scale.  Dining halls can offer wide variety of choices in a walk-up buffet plan to point systems where students can redeem points for meals at widely recognized national chain restaurants.  USF has taken into consideration students with food allergies and has constructed a self contained food prep station that does not use 7 of the most common food allergens.  Cross-contamination is eliminated because only "allergen-free" cooking takes place there.

USF boasts, yet another, impressive engineering program which caters to students with a high potential for solving problems, yet do not possess Georgia Tech quality test scores.  If you are considering engineering and do not think your SAT/ACT will be in the top 10%, you need not change your plans; you may just need to look at other schools.  USF is also ABET accredited.  Students in the engineering program are inventing things which require patents.  USF ranks number 5 in the nation among public schools for the number of patents being issued.  For students who are several years out from graduating, USF offers a pre-college program in engineering (www.usf.edu/innovative-education/programs/pre-college/programs/2015-aspx). 

University of South Florida Profile
GPA 3.9-4.4
SAT 1220-1350
ACT 27-30
Total cost for out of state: $29,322 per year

student center

fitness center

University of Florida

Century Tower chimes the hour

Last stop for the day: University of Florida.  University of Florida (UF) is located in Gainesville, Florida and serves almost 55,000 students.  As you might expect from the State’s flagship university, there are tons of majors and students can work all the way up through a PhD.  UF has inviting campus and is tied to a city with plenty of great options for dining and entertainment.  On campus, there are over 1000 different student groups and clubs that are available to students. With all of the great things to do at UF, the academics opportunities are boundless.  UF was determined by US News and World Reports to be the 9^th best public college in the United States.  This respectability is bringing applicants to UF to the tune of 32,000 this past year, 13,700 were admitted for an acceptance rate of 43%.  It is easy to see that this is a desirable place for students who are wanting to extend their education.  In order to help students and parent better understand UF’s and many other schools’ admissions practices, a deeper look into the process is helpful.  The following terms are integral to the UF application and to many others:

Coalition Application- The Coalition Application just finished its second full year of existence, and it is a common application that is meant to increase access for all students.  The Coalition Application includes tools that can be used by students as early as the freshman year to help prepare for college application process in the senior year.  140 college and universities from around the United States participate in the Coalition.  UF uses this application exclusively.   To learn more about this free tool, go to www.coalitionforcollegesuccess.org.

 Demonstrated Interest- This is a set of statistics that colleges keep on prospective students.  Whenever a student “touches” a university in the form of a campus visit, a stop by the table at a college fair, registering for the admissions twitter/email list/facebook page/blog page, emails a question to the admissions office, these are deemed as a student demonstrating interest.  For colleges (many times private) this can be a great way for them to tell if the student is interested in going there or if the student is just fishing.  If a college offers admission, they typically want a student to accept and demonstrated interest can be a predictor of that likelihood.  Because UF is overrun with applications, they do not take into account this statistic when making an admission decision.

Holistic Review- A holistic review is when the college looks at the GPA and test score of a student AND takes also into account the activities, leadership, community service, and learning experiences that went beyond the classroom.  In short, they are looking at the “whole” student.  UF looks at students holistically, so resume activities and essays are a very important part of the consideration, along with the GPA and scores.  Many other schools also are holistic reviewers.

Context- Students are put into context of where they got their high school education.  UF looks at and judges a student by the opportunities that were available in that student’s local high school.  If 5 APs are offered at SCHS, then UF cannot hold a Redskin to the same consideration as a student who went to a school where 20 were offered.  GPAs are recalculated to level playing fields for all students, so local weights, like our 10 points which are added to final grades for AP and Dual Enrollment are removed and reconsidered with the college’s weighting system.  It is important to note that this idea of context is NOT universal, and schools, as much as the students who come from those schools, are judged.  This is why SCHS’s relentless push for excellence is not to be compromised.  It puts students at a disadvantage when the high school is not deemed to be a rigorous high school.

If you are interested in attending UF, be aware that 17% of incoming freshmen are from out of state.  This can increase competition if plenty of students from out of state are applying as well.  With all of this said, UF is a great school with many great opportunities.  Notable alumni from UF include Tim Tebow, Steve Spurrier and our very own Ms. Erin Claridy received her training from this reputable university.  Scooters, bikes and skate boards are immensely popular at UF.  The roads have been modified to accommodate these vehicles and automobiles at the same time.  Bike racks outside of the dorm are pictured to give you an idea of the scope of this campus' love for these single-rider vehicles.

University of Florida Profile

Recalculated GPA 4.3-4.6

ACT- 28-32

SAT- 1280-1430 

Downtown Gainesville

main thoroughfare on campus 

Florida State University

Florida State University- Stop number seven was in Tallahassee, FL at Florida State University (FSU).  This beautiful campus serves over 41,000 students degrees ranging from 101 different bachelors degree, to doctoral studies in many of these same disciplines.  Of course, we are all familiar with the sports programs at FSU, where there are 18 different Division 1 sports offered.  Their mascot is the Seminole.  FSU is a major research university providing students with many opportunities for research.  Professors and students have cutting-edge research “toys” at their disposal.  Unique to FSU is a magnetic lab that possesses the ability to generate a magnetic force 1,000,000 times stronger than the earth’s gravity.  Using the technology there, they were able to levitate a frog using the iron in its blood stream.  Levitating frogs- could lead to the ability to levitate humans.  Very cool toy that is the only kind in this hemisphere of the world!

First glance at this campus, one cannot question that it has been voted as one of the most beautiful campuses in the United States.  Moss laden trees create a canopy that provide shade to Legacy Walk, a bricked pathway that meanders through the academic   Many students and faculty are able to find places to study, rest, relax or generally socialize.  Picking pictures to post with this article is proving very difficult!  Notable alumni from FSU include our very own Coach Justin Drew, Ms. Michelle Spell and Mr. Terry Spell.  I have often wondered why they did not choose to go to one of the great Universities of America (UGA, my alma mater…), but after one visit, I get it!  It is a truly high quality university.

and housing buildings of campus.

lobby of dorm

To many students, quality of housing is the preeminent condition that a decision about what college to pick is (wrongfully, but understandably) based upon.  The two newest dorms at FSU are the finest that I have seen on any campus.  They have to house 6200 incoming freshmen, and these students are offered sit-down restaurants in the lobbies of these two new dorms.  The furniture and appointments are incredibly nice.  Housing and food costs are $10,458, making the total cost of out of state attendance at $32,000, a price tag that was named #4 to Kipplinger’s Personal Finance, “Best College Value” for Out of State Students.  The average salary of an FSU graduate is $48k per year.  A way to save on the cost of a Florida State University education is to take advantage of a special program that they offer where out of state students can study abroad for their freshman year in one of their programs and receive in-state tuition for the remaining three years.  This is a cost savings of $14k per year!  What a wonderful way to save money- traveling the world! 

lecture hall

When talking with a current student at FSU, I asked what it is that she liked about this university.  Her reply was what I enjoyed about my college experience 30 years ago. “It is the perfect blend between hard academic work, opportunity to develop and realize your dreams, and having fun.”  Florida State has all of this and more.  They are eager to help students with whatever they need.  It is an academically minded university that can find moments to enjoy life.

FSU is currently accepting about 58% of applicants.  This means that they are a selective university and students’ grades, difficulty of rigor in class choices and test scores all play an important role to gaining entrance.  The moral of this story is that if you want to attend this or any school, you have to work harder than you want to by studying and challenging yourself.  FSU was great, now on to University of Florida. Pray for me. ;)

FSU Profile

GPA- 4.1-4.5 recalculated, weighted academic GPA

SAT- 1200-1400

ACT- 28-32

Student Learning Center

Integration

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

Florida Agricultural Mechanical University (FAMU) is a Historically Black College in Tallahasee, FL which sits atop the highest of the seven hills that make up Tallahassee.  Though FAMU is a Historically Black College (HBC), they serve students of every race and nationality.  FAMU is widely known for its marching band, The Marching 100.  With over 53 undergraduate majors and 12 PhD programs, FAMU is setting the bar as the #1 Historically Black College in the United States, according to US News and World Reports.  Students in every major have extensive opportunities to participate in paid internships.  These internships often times lead to jobs after college.  We had a chance to learn some highlights from several of their programs that are worth noting:

FAMU Charter School

• ·        Architecture + Engineering program is ABET (www.abet.org) accredited.  This signifies the quality of these programs.
• ·         Agriculture Food Sciences Comes with an automatic scholarship. 
• ·         College of Education- There is a teacher shortage.  FAMU runs a Charter school for high school students off of its campus grounds where students can learn first-hand how to serve younger generation students.
• ·         FAMU Offers a Music Industry Program.  Will Packer (https://willpackerprods.com/) is a famous alumni from this industry.
• ·        Medical Scholars program- auto acceptance into FAU Medical School for very highly qualified incoming freshmen.
• ·          School of Business incorporates “unconscious competence” into the development of its students. What this means is that students are drilled on soft skills and particular knowledge and work skills that they do not have to think about it.  It naturally flows out of who they are.

FAMU has a rich heritage, and right in the center of campus is the Carnegie Library and Black Archives/Research Center.  This is an exceptional museum of African American History and a celebration of the ingenuity displayed by African Americans.  In this museum, one can be exposed to the rich heritage that generations of African Americans have built.  I learned a great deal through our tour guide, a senior from FAMU.  We were treated to details that explained the significance of many of the various artifacts.  I wish that we could have had more time in this museum and would like to return for a future visit.

Greek life is incredibly important to the life of FAMU, and their system is made up of colleges from the Divine Nine.  Affiliation to these sororities and fraternities lasts for the duration of four years and throughout life.  Campus is decorated with numerous signs and displays of pride in these organizations. 

fraternity and sorority pride

FAMU offers 14 competitive sports in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and is an NCAA partner school. Multiple ROTC Programs are available to students as well.  FAMU offers different Living/Learning Communities where students in similar majors will live, study, and go deeper in their educations together.  All of these wonderful experiences have created an undergraduate program that is the number 1 university in sending African American students on to ultimately earn their PhD.  They are creating a rich heritage today that will be chronicled in the Carnegie Library in later years.

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University’s Profile

Total cost is $27,500 per year, with lots of scholarship and financial aid programs available.  Apply by Nov. 1^st to be considered for those.

Acceptance rate is 33%.  This means the 64% of applicants do not get in.

Minimum GPA is 2.75*

SAT- 1000*

ACT- 19*

*Remember that they are a competitive university and making the minimum does not guarantee admission.