<p>We have a HS senior that has been acepted to both schools for fall 2009. We have not received any financial info from either school, so the price of Hillsdale is certainly more reasonable than Rollins. Our son is conservative but open to discussion on political topics. He plans to major in International Business with a minor in Spanish. We live in Colorado Springs, so it's not as cold as Mi. but not as warm as Fl. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks, Jack</p>
<p>I don't know anything about Hillsdale, but I think it also depends on where you son might like to live. Rollins is well known on the East Coast, and has a good reputation for its business school. But you also need to think through how motivated he will be to study when it is warm all the time and there is a swimming pool in the middle of the beautiful campus. My D was accepted there but opted for a liberal arts college in Pennsylvania. There is no right choice; you need to speak with parents of students at both colleges. I'm sure the admissions folks will be happy to give you names and numbers.</p>
<p>I would imagine that Hillsdale is a much more conservative place than Rollins. </p>
<p>I would visit both and see what you think. I used to live where Rollins was... nice place, although a bit small. Also, Winter Park is definitely not a college town (but I enjoyed living there). There did seem to be a lot of drug use at Rollins from what I remember, but this mostly consists of anecdotes and people I knew who went there--so don't take that as any meaningful sort of statistic.</p>
<p>Edit: Orlando is also probably a better place to learn Spanish than Michigan, I'd bet.</p>
<p>Just by reputation, Rollins has a wealthy student body with an active party scene. Hillsdale is more sober-sided with a politically conservative student body.
Back in the day, my Mom was thinking of either Antioch or Washington and Lee as attractive schools for me. What was she thinking? Like Rollins and Hillsdale, close to polar opposites. I guess they all are liberal arts schools.
Northstarmom has a son at Rollins and could likely give her specifics. I think he is serious minded and has adapted well to Rollins.</p>
<p>Hillsdale would cost about $30,000 a year before aid, but it refuses to participate in any federal aid programs so they may not have the financial aid resources that Rollins does. You might be surprised by the relative costs of the two schools after aid.</p>
<p>Rollins is a 4 year Country Club.</p>
<p>enough said.</p>
<p>I know two kids who go to Rollins. Country club is a good description. Think--guys dressed in Polo and popped collars and girls with Coach bags and designer clothes. The girl that I know who goes there talks about the trips that the school offers--to Greece, scuba diving, etc. These kids get college credit for doing nothing more than going on school sponsored trips. These two kids spend a lot of money going out to restaurants, shopping in expensive clothing stores, and day trips to Disney World.</p>
<p>just curious, would Rollins still be bashed if it was in upstate NY? easy to talk about it as a country club, but as a prospective student, how would the academics be assessed? maybe northstarmom can post.....it seems that every private in FLA is looked at the same way on CC...</p>
<p>Have you visited the school? Visit and you will get a better idea of why it's viewed as a "country club". It's not meant as a bashing. It's the feel of the campus which includes the feel for the student body. Go visit and see if you agree. It's the perfect place for some kids.</p>
<p>My son is a freshman at Hillsdale. He had a 4-year fully paid scholarship to a Big Ten school, but selected Hillsdale for the academics. He loved the classes he participated in during his visit and was thrilled that professors encouraged discussions of multiple sides of issues. Yes, the school is more a more conservative environment than many others. However, in my son's opinion that means he is receiving a well-rounded education and a 360 degree approach to issues.</p>
<p>In terms of financial aid, we are paying less for his education than for our daughter who is at a Big Ten state university. The financial aid is fair. The school just announced a commitment to freeze tuition for next year, as they understand what parents are going through right now. I would feel very comfortable in letting them know if we needed additional aid. </p>
<p>I agree wholeheartedly with other posters. Visit the schools and have your son attend classes.</p>
<p>Hmmm, I've been on both campuses, not with a kiddo but for other reasons. On the surface there are some minor similarities. Hillsdale is known for pretty good financial aid for families that need it. I agree, in this case it would be wise to visit both with open eyes and an open mind.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone for the great response. Our son has visited Hillsdale on his own, he felt everyone was cut from the same mold. Even though he is pretty conservative (he was a major volunteer for Mc Cain), he enjoys discussing his views with others that may not agree. He and I (dad) visited Rolins in Nov. It is truly a beautiful campus but we didn't get to actually sit in on a class or interact with too many students. Mom and son will visit Rollins again in April before we make a final decision. He will attend classes and spend more time interacting with students. He is definately leaning towards Rollins.</p>
<p>he will definitely enjoy the club.</p>
<p>Go to students*review dot com and check out both the colleges. I was heavily leaning towards Hillsdale early in my college search because it had a libertarian tradition. But after the new President, the school has become a neocon bastion. A bunch of the libertarian professors have gotten out of the school after the new President's reign. They erected a statue of Winston Churchill, which makes no sense to me since they supposedly are for small government. The school newsletter, Imprimis, has had articles in the past year from Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Malkin, and Ann Coulter. Clearly, they are catering to a different breed of students than they did in the past, but maybe your son is one of those students.</p>
<p>I haven't read the students*review page for Rollins yet, but it seems like one of those colleges for east coast rich kids who say they're from the Bronx and live on Long Island, partied through high school, and plan on partying through college.</p>
<p>By the way, the website has no asterisk in the name, I just have no clue why this website blocks it.</p>
<p>I know someone who sent her daughter to Rollins so she could find a rich husband. I'm not kidding!</p>