<p>Hello...can anyone tell me what they know about the reputation of Florida Gulf Coast University? What is it known for? Is it a party school? What is Fort Myers like? We don't know much about it, but our son is interested in transferring there from Colorado. Thanks for sharing anything you think a parent ought to know about this school!</p>
<p>Some people like Fort Myers; some consider it just a blue collar town. We love the beach, the proximity to Sanibel. The college looks very new, the dorms look like hotels, some of which are on a lake with a beach (Miramar?). The college does look like a corporate park in a way. There is some good shopping close by. The college is very convenient to the Fort Myers airport. I can’t speak to academics but it is a popular school. My son may be going there himself after he graduates in 2011, since we are hoping to move to the Fort Myers area ourselves then.</p>
<p>Small school as state U’s go in Florida. A regional University. More of a commuter school. Not a lot going on on the weekends. Not a state flagship or even a second tier for Florida. Newer, so yes newer buildings and nice newer dorms. My guess is there are not many upperclassmen in the dorms. The most important question is what is your son’s major? Where do his interests lie?</p>
<p>Thank you for your reply! He is undecided…is an amazing artist, has an interest in ecology and has excellent leadership skills/experience. He wants to be in a warmer climate, likes the size of the school…and I hear it’s a 2 to 1 ratio of females to males. Any way to find out if it is a “party” school? Seems like entrance requirements are fairly low…</p>
<p>I live in Ft. Myers and received my MA from FGCU ten years ago. It is a small but growing school that is gaining in respect with each new year. The new president is well-respected and will hopefully lead the school in positive directions. The surrounding area is nice for shopping and eating out. There is also a big arena close by with a local hockey team. A lot of big concerts are also hosted at this arena and I think there is also public ice-skating. Before your son makes his decision have him look into the programs they offer and make sure his area of interest is accredited. Some of the newer programs haven’t received accreditation yet and that can affect sitting for a professional exam later down the road.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for your reply proud mom! My son’s major is still undecided, although he is very talented in art, has an interest in ecology and also business. What is the school known for in terms of it’s programs? Can you address the “party school” question as well? I am grateful for your time!</p>
<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I would also like to know about the “party situation”</p>
<p>Best Regards, Canes</p>
<p>I think Sunnyflorida is right on. It is a 3rd tier state school with nice dorms. Students who mistakenly thought they could get into USF or UCF go there. I’m not aware of it having a “party school” reputation. Is he looking for a party school?</p>
<p>my nephew got his MBA there. Campus is new and school is growing rapidly However, I would recommend he also look at University of North Florida. It’s another smaller, up and coming school. It’s located outside Jacksonville which is a fast growing city–so a good place for business majors. But it’s located on several acres just outside of the city and it’s beautiful there–very nature park llike. A friend of mine’s sister works for the College Board and says it’s a school getting a lot of “buzz”. The president used to be the mayor of Jacksonville and he’s done a lot for the school and has big plans. My son seriously thought about going there, but, alas, he wanted a school with a football team and liked FSU when we visited there so that’s where he’s going. UNF has a new dorm that has two swimming pools (one is a lazy river pool), and a putting green–but I don’t think freshman can get into it. A doctor I work with has a son there and he said it it NOT a big party school. In my opinion, it would be a better choice than FGCU.</p>
<p>I don’t know if FGCU is a party school or not. My husband always says that if you have a place where most of the residents are 18-22 then inevitably you will have a party environment. Personally, I think all schools will have a “party” group and a “non-party” group. It depends on the affiliations the students make.</p>
<p>I agree with this all schools will have a “party” group and a “non-party” group.
I just got accepted to FGCU as a transfer from a colorado cc. I have lived in florida for the past 18 years (until this year) of my life and love that state</p>
<p>FGCU is a commuter school. At nights and weekends, its quiet. There’s a lot of shopping close by as well as the International Airport. Most of the students come from the Fort Myers-Naples area and go here to either get as many credits and transfer or finish their undergrad to go to grad school elsewhere. As a grad student, who came from another big in-state university, its fine. Its close to my job and my teachers are great. Not much social life, but I have one outside of the university, like many others do. We have good baseball and women’s basketball teams. As for a party-school status, the place is what you make of it. You won’t get “Animal House” parties like at UF, FSU, or even UCF and USF. We have a nice new big library, but we need more books and access to additional academic online materials. This is something that is sorely missing at the university and I hope they correct it soon should they want to be more research oriented instead of a diploma mill for just hospitality management majors.</p>
<p>As for the surrounding Ft. Myers and Naples area. Its ok. Its definitely not like Florida’s East Coast, Tampa Bay, or Orlando…and it’s definitely not a college town like Gainesville or Tallahassee. The area is predominately a retirement region and very seasonal. Summers are usually dead in general and even moreso on campus. As for nightlife for college students, it can get old pretty fast since things are kind of limited in Southwest Florida, and geared more to either a older and/or affluent crowd or white trash. There’s only a handful of places that are frequented by younger crowds.</p>
<p>I dont intend to slam FGCU but it is a commuter school. It is still very young. The admin still runs the place like its small time, but its rapidly growing. Its nice to see progress with new buildings, but like I said before, more money needs to be put into improving its research (ie. library and its resources) than what they do. My experience as a Grad student is fine and I’m enjoying it. My professors and classmates are great too. That said if you want to have a full college experience (one that you always see somewhat portrayed in movies, tv, books, ect.), I believe you won’t get it at FGCU like you would at other colleges in other cities and towns. Give the place a decade or two to catch up.</p>
<p>I’d honestly lobby for UNF. When the earlier poster said “buzz” she wasn’t joking. UNF was usually seen as a commuter university, but things have changed. Price wise, UNF is consistently ranked in the top 5 value schools in the nation. Academically it is on par with every other state school in FL, without exception to UF. Class sizes are great, and oppurtunites are endless. Internship oppurtunites are great no matter who you know or what your field is. I was pre-law and the program is small, personal, and extremely successful. I basically had an internship thrown at me with a local firm. Jacksonville businesses of all sorts are jmuping to have a connection with UNF. Socially it is not your large school atmosphere. Though it has roughly 16,000 students, there still is a very personal aspect. It has a great Greek system, which has been rated the most organized and values-based system in Florida. Athetically it is on the grow. School spirit was low in the past but with a full promotion to Div. 1 this year it now has a chance to pull in better athletes. A new atheltic director has turned the program around all ready.</p>
<p>My daughter was just accepted to UNF yesterday. I am glad to see positive comments about the school. She is still waiting for USF and UCF to respond. Her SAT’s are good but her weighted gpa is not great. She over did the AP’s last year and it hurt her. UNF has been my first choice for her because I love the campus and the smaller school feel that it offers. Thanks for the postings.</p>
<p>Has your daughter decided where she will be attending?</p>
<p>I went to UNF for my A.A. & am attending FGCU now for my B.S.N…if you guys have questions you can ask me! By the way, FGCU is definitely NOT a party school.</p>
<p>UNF vs FGCU</p>
<ol>
<li> which one has more school spirit?</li>
<li> Which one has more student involvement in clubs?</li>
<li> Which school puts on more fun events for the students?</li>
<li> What is greek life like at each school? Houses?</li>
</ol>
<p>My daughter was accepted to UCF and is waiting to hear from both UF and FGCU. I’m assuming that, since she got into UCF, she will get into FGCU (Though FGCU is taking FOREVER to process her application – she got in to UCF in a week, but FGCU hasn’t processed her application in a month, though they say they have it). However, she really didn’t like the “vibe” of UCF because it was very big and impersonal. She preferred FGCU and wants to attend there if she doesn’t get into UF, which is a reach school for her. Would she be making a huge mistake to attend FGCU when she got into more competitive schools? We know several people whose kids have gone to Gulf Coast because they didn’t get into UCF. Is that basically the school’s reputation? Only FGCU, UCF, and UF have her major, so no other possibilities in Florida.</p>
<p>This is an old thread so you might want to start a new one. UCF can be big and impersonal and is bit of a commuter school but every college is what you make of it. Once you have a group of friends and classmates things tend to get a lot more homey! FGCU is third tier. And a commuter school though obviously a lot smaller. It’s not a bad choice but it doesn’t have the reputation that the other two have (and especially UF). If she got into UF, that’s the place to go, UCF secondly and FGCU third.
What’s her major?</p>
<p>My son went to FGCU and it was a good experience for him, would have been a fish out of water at a large school like UCF or UF. Another consideration, UCF has the well deserved reputation of being difficult to finish in 4 years, hence the nickname, UCF, u can’t finish. My son never had difficulty getting into the classes he needed at FGCU. FGCU is definitely a school on the rise, when my son started therein 2004, very few people on the east coast had even heard of it. Now, I hear people talking about it all the time and know several very bright kids who chose FGCU over other highly ranked universities, ie. UF, Tulane, Miami. Some kids just do better in a smaller environment and if they plan on grad school, undergrad “prestige” is not nearly as important.</p>