<p>I thought FSU would be some ok, average school with a mentality that I would transfer to UF later, ER NOT GONNA HAPPEN. I LOVE FSU NOW, after orientation I visited the campus, beautiful campus, beautiful people, friendly, everything is within close proximity, I just love it. I love FSU.</p>
<p>That's funny you brought this up because I was just asking my son if he wanted to transfer after he completes his associates requirements next semester but he is utterly and totally pleased with FSU and is focused to complete the MACC program and obtain his CPA. It is so nice as a parent to hear that he loves his college experience and is nailing down his career direction too.</p>
<p>Wow yankee boy! That's great to hear. I have a yankee son from Chicago and he's seriously considering FSU (music) in 2009. Do you mind expanding a little on your reasons for choosing FSU, seeing as you must not be from the area? We're fiinding lots of apprehension & raised eyebrows from other yankees (er, midwesterners) as to why he would choose FSU vs. IL, Mich., or Ohio, etc.</p>
<p>FSU has all the resources and support IMO to help gear someone towards their goals. I thought tallahassee was going to be a spread out town, its not, it has lots of nice places to eat, have fun, all very close to the university. I talked to one kid at orientation who got into the college of music, it seems like he enjoyed it very much. IMO dont worry about the rankings or prestige if thats what your concerned about, but then again it receives the most applications in the state of florida. Dont worry about other yanks, they are swarming down to florida schools too, met lots of ppl from jersey,ny,mich,indiana, but the majority of other ppl are from south florida (which i consider to be a hot bed yankee relocation spot). Hands down I firmly believe FSU has the best campus in the state, giant old oaks everywhere on campus with spanish moss, nice palm trees, weather is fantastic at least it was when I went there, great dorms,countless activities to involved in. I made lots of new friends at orientation and im not the type to approach strangers, but it seemed a lot easier this time. I think if your son went here, he would be very happy, because I know I am now, I almost dreaded driving to tallahasse and thought about UCF, but thats never going to happen, and im glad I have chosen FSU. Go seminoles!</p>
<p>Once you attend FSU, transferring to UF just doesn't seem very attractive. UF may have the upper hand in academic rankings, but when it comes to the whole package (campus, social activities, academics, Tallahassee, coeds) there is no comparison IMO.</p>
<p>Thanks yankee boy for your insight. Good luck to you!! Congratulations!</p>
<p>Well, UF's upper hand in rankings is fairly new. That will level out over time. FSU has long been considered the better academic school. UF's general rise (this is not to say they have not been better in their specialty areas as has FSU) started as best as I can determine in the mid-late 1980s, when the US News rankings began to gain traction and UF was seeking admission into the AAU. UF, with Lombardi, focused on exploiting the rankings business which was only glanced at by FSU as it apparently was more focused on gaining it's med school. I don't believe FSU took the rankings business too seriously, because the rankings rewarded STEM (science, technology, engineering and medicine) areas and FSU had long been more liberal arts oriented, with the exception of the sciences, which have always been quite good, even exceptional. As I recall, FSU was #64 overall in 2002, so I think they thought they were ok with regard to rankings. </p>
<p>Now FSU is seriously focused on STEM and the AAU.</p>
<p>When I attended FSU in the mid-1970s it had the better students overall. We thought of UF as an "ag" (agricultural) school with all the rednecks. They were good at agricultural sciences and construction-related sciences and that was about it. The med and law schools were decent.</p>
<p>Must of been a huge slip since 2002 then because right now they are ranked at 110 and UF is ranked at 47 for undergrad. Also, their law school is ranked 53 to UF's 47 and and UF made the top 50 in both research and primary care in there medical school, while FSU didnt. Take that for what its worth...</p>
<p>FSU's med school is new while UF's is mature.</p>
<p>rstone, comparing law school rankings of #47 and #53 is completely marginal when you're ranking 3-400 law schools at a time. The two law schools are generally looked at exactly the same by legal employers. And this is coming from a guy who has several people clolse to the family working in the legal field.</p>
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When I attended FSU in the mid-1970s it had the better students overall. We thought of UF as an "ag" (agricultural) school with all the rednecks. They were good at agricultural sciences and construction-related sciences and that was about it. The med and law schools were decent.
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<p>Things change, but as it stands right now UF holds more than an "upper hand" when it comes to school rankings. The two schools right now are on completely different levels when it comes to public perception. And public perception is what will keep the quality students coming to UF instead of FSU. Back when I was in high school, FSU was the school people would go to if they didn't get into UF AND if they didn't like UCF's campus. Maybe things will change, but you can't expect UF to make a gigantic blunder like FSU may have 30 years ago. UF will only continue to improve.</p>
<p>While I don't want to admit it,abc is right. UF was my first choice and due to the fact that I didn't get in(damn them) I choose FSU instead. A better school(IMO) than my backup USF.</p>
<p>I agree - UF has the better rankings in their areas of emphasis currently and this has attracted better students of late. </p>
<p>I see FSU right now where UF was in the mid-1980s - at a decision point. Of course, UF has had some advantages in STEM areas, like a self-administered College of Engineering and a mature med school. Here, FSU must overcome some obstacles UF never faced. </p>
<p>The law schools, for example, are very close in rank which indicates an appropriate level of quality given current resources.</p>
<p>FSU must have it's own College of Engineering (totally split from FAMU which operates as a huge impediment to FSU's efforts to substantially improve overall CoE quality) and the new FSU med school must mature and grow it's research arena.</p>
<p>FSU must reach for presidents in the future away from the political ranks of Florida as UF has done.</p>
<p>My husband attended FSU when our kids were little. My daughter actually started school in Tallahassee and is so happy to be returning.</p>
<p>We are a Navy family and have moved 13 times in the last 18 years. FSU was somewhere towards the beginning. We currently live just outside of Seattle, but we are being transferred to Tampa for my husband to work at Central Command at MacDill AFB.</p>
<p>Our daughter skipped her senior year of high school and went straight to college here in WA. She has almost completed her AA and only applied to 2 schools as a transfer student over the winter. FSU and UNC CH. She will be doing a double major in East Asian Studies and International Affairs and these schools seemed to have great programs for both.</p>
<p>She was happy to be accepted in state for FSU (- we never gave up our residency) and out of state at UNC CH. It took a few weeks for her to make her decision, but she finally settled on FSU just before our orientation in late May. </p>
<p>Obviously, UNC Chapel Hill has an amazing reputation and is a great school, but rankings aren't everything!</p>
<p>We had such a great time at the orientation! I only wish my husband could have been there to yell the fight song. He is currently somewhere under the ocean on a submarine...</p>
<p>Our major concern was her living situation. She was accepted as a transfer student and so only received notice in March. She took a while (argh) to actually put down her choices for housing which made her number upwards of 6000. HOWEVER, she still managed to snag a dorm room in Dorman hall which is just down the way from Bellamy building where most of her studies will be. </p>
<p>The school is so much bigger than I remember in the mid-90's. The addition of the medical school, revamping of many dorms and dining halls, and all the construction currently ongoing leads me to believe that UF and other area schools will have a hard time keeping up with FSU's progress.</p>
<p>All in all, we are SUPER happy with her choice and will be at every football home game (yay!) this year.</p>
<p>w00t, w00t! :)</p>