<p>Floridians and current students, compare these three colleges with impressions, experiences, or anything else. 
Which one is the best… for which type of students, for which programs, if you like what type of environment, social atmosphere?</p>
<p>@ECmotherx2 can give the best insight into Eckerd.</p>
<p>My DD is interested in engineering, so we focused our research on SE large public universities and a few privates like Vanderbilt.</p>
<p>We loved visiting Flagler (and St. Augustine) and have gone on a few tours of the campus. We need to go again, as it has an interesting story, and a gorgeous campus. The main building is based on the Ponce de Leon luxury hotel, built in 1888 by Flagler. This is where the female dormitories (all in Tiffany blue…) and dining hall are located. The individual dorm rooms consist of the former hotel rooms, so many are unique. The center piece is the Dining Hall with Louis Comfort Tiffany’s stained glass windows. Flagler worked with Tiffany on much of the hotel. </p>
<p><a href=“File:The Dining Hall at Flagler College.jpg - Wikipedia”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Dining_Hall_at_Flagler_College.jpg</a></p>
<p>Compared to the other 2 Colleges, Flagler is the most affordable (before grants), as tuition is around 18K a year. It’s also a bit less selective.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/search1ba.aspx?institutionid=136950,133492,133711”>http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/search1ba.aspx?institutionid=136950,133492,133711</a></p>
<p>Flagler is also currently going through a “scandal”.</p>
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<p><a href=“http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/education/2014/02/18/grade-changing-at-flagler/5588629/”>http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/education/2014/02/18/grade-changing-at-flagler/5588629/</a></p>
<p>Maybe we’ll head down on Saturday for a visit :)</p>
<p>Thanks Gator88NE, always happy to share our Eckerd experiences. Our son also looked at Flagler and we have a friend who has a family member who is a professor at Rollings. MYOS1634, if you can share a little about what your child is interested in, I can give you specifics about Eckerd. The most impressive is the mentor program and the 4-1-4 scheduling. A freshman enters in Aug. and the class, mentors, student activators and RA’s are the only ones on campus. They take 1 course that meets daily in the morning for 3 weeks. The afternoons and weekends are spent doing team building activities, visiting surrounding beaches, learining about the environment, swim test, paddle board and kayak lessons all with the activators and mentors. The professor who teaches the “autumn term” course will also teach their year long human experience course that meets 3x per week. They meet frequently with the students, help with the selection of fall and spring classes and involve them in their research. They become close with these students and often are the first ones who will write recommendation letters, assist them finding internships, and working with them on research projects starting freshman year. There is a winter term in January that allows for domestic and international education programs. The students attend the programs with other Eckerd students and their professor. My children did a winter term on a research vessel, a marine research program in Roatan, a marine bio program in the Galapagos, the Amazon and language immersion studies at universities in Shanghai and Lyon. The spring break trips are organized by students with a faculty advisor and are all service trips. There are spring into summer programs for the Hague, the UN in Geneva, and a holocaust study program. You can also study abroad with Eckerd students and an Eckerd professor at the London Study center. There are numerous universities with exchange programs. Eckerd is small enough that the students are afforded research opportunities as early as freshman year. It is a “green” campus. They have the highest number of NOAA Hollings scholars in the US and the youngest institution to have a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. They are generous with merit scholarships, research scholarships and study abroad scholarships as well as financial aid. Elie Wisel lives on campus during Winter term and teaches a class. There is also the Writers in Paradise series during Winter term that is hosted by Eckerd Alums Denis Lehane and Sterling Watson. A local theater company has made Eckerd their home. They offer the opportunity for self directed study. There is an active student organization and clubs are run by the students, including the budget. There is a small art gallery on campus and art majors have their own studios. The students are eclectic and open and accepting of eachother. The average distance a student comes from to attend Eckerd is 1,100 miles. The student led Palmetto productions plans entertainment, there is always something going on. There are also College Program Series events, usually 2-3 per week. These are invited speakers, movies, lectures, cultural programs etc., and freshman and sophmores are required to attend a certain number. There is a spiritual life dept. that has several ministers, (one is an alum), Catholic priest, Rabbi and Buddhist monk. It is a true community where very different groups get along very well together. </p>