<p>I'm a FL resident. I received scholarships from Rollins & Clemson, and then the Bright Futures Scholarship for UF. </p>
<p>I realize that UF & Clemson are opposites of Rollins (enrollment: around 2,000), but I need some honest opinions. Is a big school or small school better?</p>
<p>I was accepted into the 3/2 Accelerated Program and Honors Program at Rollins. Their business program is in the top 30 best business programs in the nation, alongside some of the Ivies. However, I feel like it is too small of a school for me and it would feel like going to another high school.</p>
<p>UF is huge, and I do not want to get lost in the crowd. I know I would have fun there though. </p>
<p>Clemson is a good size, but UF is supposedly a better school anyway. </p>
<p>Please give honest opinions :) I reallly need help!</p>
<p>My S attends Rollins and he likes the smaller school setting due to the opportunities presented to him. Besides he gets to know the professors on a first name basis. Depending on what atmosphere you are looking for will give you an idea of best fit. For instance my S did not want to go to a school with a football team because that is not the type of atmosphere he wanted. He gets plenty of opportunity to pursue his sports when he wants.</p>
<p>Classes will definitely be smaller and usually centered around a conference table. Of course you will have some larger classes but not huge like in larger universities. One drawback will be the number of courses available each semester but with planning you get everything you need. Advisors will be so helpful which can be a negative at the larger universities.</p>
<p>There are plenty of social avenues at Rollins and being right next to Orlando provides so much: Disney, Universal, clubs, sports teams and concert venues. One of the things he likes is the opportunity to get involved right away. He is getting very involved in clubs at school and being offered positions of leadership. While the larger schools will have more clubs and activities you still can’t do all of them. Look at the organizations pages at the colleges and see what clubs interest you. </p>
<p>I don’t know much about the 3/2 accelerated program but Rollins is ranked very high in business. My advice would be to scour the webpages at each school and read about what is happening on campus to get a good feel for what it would be like for you. Visit if you haven’t and talk to students. Perhaps send emails to the professors in the departments to get feedback. Actually when S visited he sat in on a class and later spoke with a couple professors about his goals. He received a followup phone call and email from one professor. </p>
<p>Good Luck! Rollins is an amazing place but only you know what will feel like a best fit.</p>
<p>Rollins grad here, and YES for the right student Rollins is an amazing place. I still exchange Christmas cards with one of my Bio profs and I graduated in the 70’s. The classes around a conference table are far and away a different experience than an auditorium style classroom with hundred’s. The professional relationships you can develop with profs as a freshman and sophomore cannot be matched at big state flagships. For me it was research I could do. In retrospect, the personal rec’s I got for med school were priceless. And the advising is really advising.</p>
<p>Crummer Business school is outstanding, and the 3/2 program, honors, scholarship will make it a great experience with even more perks. I suggest an overnight visit, and sitting in on classes in Crummer, both some undergrad and grad classes. Call/email admissions about a visit. Email the department head or a prof(yes you can and yes you will get an answer) about your visit. </p>
<p>Don’t write the campus off because there are only 2000 undergrads. You can go to a school with 25,000 and in 2-3 years know FEWER people than you will at a campus with 2000. For me it was NOTHING like high school. </p>
<p>It may not be for you, but explore it before you write it off.</p>
<p>Thank you both- your posts are very helpful.</p>
<p>I have looked closely at all three schools (visited, toured, spoke with students, researched a ton). Rollins is gorgeous but, again, I’m worried about the size. Now that it’s decision time, I’m trying to keep an open mind. I always imagined myself at a big school, on a dance team and what not, but I realize the drawbacks of big schools in regards to class size and accessible professors. Rollins seems to have a lot of pros and the only cons, for me, are the size and it’s proximity to home. </p>
<p>I’m just curious- what is your impression of the student body? I have heard (only heard, not seen for myself) that Rollins has a lot of “stuck up” or “snobby rich kids,” but I do not like to form opinions until I experience things for myself. Since you both have had experience there, what do you think the typical guy/ girl is like? I do not have trouble meeting people or making friends, but I’m just interested to hear what your experiences were like.</p>
<p>I asked my S to give his impressions of the student body and he told me that there are many types so it isn’t just one group that is dominant. He went to a private school so he is used to preppy people but doesn’t find that group any more than the laid back mellow kind. The dress is anywhere from dressy to casual. Many wear jeans/shorts and a t-shirt but some do dress up. Sandals are pretty much the norm.</p>
<p>He says he hasn’t really met any “snobby rich kids” and that most have been really friendly and nice. He said that it is easy to make friends and find your crowd while avoiding those you don’t much care for. There are some that are partiers and those that drink and do drugs but that it is very easy to avoid. My S is very down to earth and prefers a close group of friends. He has fun but not to extremes. </p>
<p>Events on campus are usually well attended. I asked if there was a dance team and he told me one of his friends is on the team. As far as size he said it fluctuates but he doesn’t know too much about the group. He has seen them perform and enjoyed it.</p>
<p>Rollins is quite big on study abroad and also has short term programs in the summer as well as between semesters. Most colleges have good study abroad programs but I mention that as a way for you to get a break from the small school feeling if that is what you desire. There is also alot of help getting internships. On the Rollins webpage you can read student journals about study abroad as well as campus life. As a parent I enjoy reading those entries.</p>
<p>My S said the small numbers do not make it feel at all like high school. Of course he feels Rollins is great. His group of friends can easily go to clubs and concerts or stay in and watch movies or play board games. (Funny how these games are cool in college but not at home with the parents. HaHa) I would never have thought my video game playing S would want to take yoga classes, learn ballroom dancing or go sing in front of a crowd but in college you explore many things and find your friends along the way.</p>
<p>I don’t know who would rank Rollins alongside the Ivies for anything academic, but out of your 3 choices I would pick NOT Rollins. After working in banking and PE in the Northeast for a few years, I moved down to Florida to work for a large renewable energy company. We have people from all over- Ivies and other top national schools, big Florida names like UF and FSU, even some from less prestigious schools like FAU, FIU, or Nova Southeastern. Now I’m a pretty social guy so I make an effort to talk to people whenever I can, but out of the hundreds of people I know or whose offices I’ve seen, not a single one has been a Rollins grad. Nor have any of the people I’ve met from other similarly elite firms in the area been Rollins alumni. </p>
<p>You already seem pretty wary about the size so let me just reiterate that nothing in my experience suggests that Rollins is a particularly good school. I had never heard of it before moving here, and in fact the only reason I know it exists is a particularly annoying acquaintance (unemployed at the moment and for the past 6 months) won’t shutup about how great it is. I mean, I went to Harvard and you don’t hear me going on about great our academics are and how wonderful our campus is. You know how there are about 100 different alumni license plates you can get in Florida? I’ve seen Bethune-Cookman, I’ve seen FAMU, I’ve seen FGCU, Barry, and Lynn, but in nearly two years I have seen exactly ONE plate from Rollins. I like or can pretend to like most schools, but Rollins is just insufferable. I definitely would urge you NOT to go there- you’ll be just fine at UF or Clemson and all the opportunities SweetTea mentioned will exist x 100 at those larger and superior schools.</p>
<p>Clemson has a great business school at a much smaller size than UF. Let me know if you have any questions about Clemson!</p>