<p>I'm really interested in going to school in the Southeast or Southwest, where it's warm. Someone recently suggested I look into smaller schools, and I found a couple that caught my eye but I can't find a whole lot of information about them because they're not as well known as a bigger school.</p>
<p>A lot of small schools I'm worried are too conservative or too liberal for me; I don't want to be in an environment that leans strongly to one side or the other. Some of these schools are very small and others are more medium sized. My in-state safety is U Kansas, which has about 30k, so I guess it's all relative.</p>
<p>Let me know what you think of these. I'd also appreciate any new school suggestions.</p>
<p>Eckerd College (St Petersburg, FL)
Coastal Carolina University (Conway, SC)
Appalachian State University (Boone, NC)
Florida Southern College (Lakeland, FL)
Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, CA)
Roanoake College (Salem, VA)</p>
<p>I know a bit about some of the schools on your list. </p>
<p>Azuza Pacific is a nice, supportive Christian school. Students are friendly but definitely more on the conservative and religious side than the liberal side. A parent I know with two daughters there raves about the academics, the caring shown to students, and the school in general. If Azuza appeals to you, you might also check out Point Loma Nazerene in San Diego, Chapman University in Orange County, and the University of Redlands near LA (the last two are more centrist in terms of student body). </p>
<p>Eckerd has a pretty campus right on the water. Academics are strong in some areas, weaker in others. (Marine bio is their strongest program). Students are reported to be pretty laid back but we have had first-hand reports here saying that there is a definite party culture on campus (lots of drinking, some pot). </p>
<p>Don't know about the other schools on your list but you might also want to take a look at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, Uof North Carolina -Ashville, Rollins in Florida, and Elon in North Carolina as possibilities.</p>
<p>I can't tell you anything about Appalchian State based on personal educational experience, but Boone seems as though it would be a great college town. Appalachian State is a major physical presence in the town since it is a fairly large school--check Web site for enrollment; the mountains are beautiful, too. The weather will not be all that warm though--maybe warmer than Kansas, but definitely a four-season climate.</p>
<p>If you're looking at Roanoke, also look at Hampton-Sydney and Lynchburg. Other Southern schools: Furman, Elon, Rhodes, Rollins, Stetson and Randolph Macon.</p>
<p>I think UNC-Asheville might be more toward your tastes...App is rather liberal, and it has a well-deserved reputation for being, um, "artsy-fartsy." It does have, however, a booming college town. Mattmom is correct, App does get cold weather (and a great deal of snow). UNC-Ashville is much smaller (public LAC) and deserves more recognition than it gets. It has all of the mountain amenities that App has (except the ski resorts). Elon is definitely another good choice. Elon is small, has WONDERFUL professors, and has a very attractive campus. Furman might be another choice, but it definitely has conservative leanings. The financial aid is very generous, though, and it has a stunningly beautiful campus. :)</p>
<p>My aunt and uncle are both professors at Florida Southern, and he's one of the smartest, accomplished, and most interesting people I've ever met. It's also really warm. That's about all I know!</p>
<p>Yes, UNC-Asheville is definitely a "commuter" school; about 40% (I think) of all undergraduates live on campus. Housing is guaranteed for all four years, though. I don't think being a commuter school is necessarily a bad thing. UNC-Chapel Hill, for example, has a vibrant campus life although only about 40-45% of undergraduates live on campus. Asheville is a great city (and cheap), so it's very tempting to live off campus.</p>
<p>I did not make myself clear.....by "commuter" I meant attended by kids that live locally and thus tend to live at home rather than move out on their own. If so I would tend to believe the school is less likely to develop a community spirit,etc. Is this true?</p>
<p>Sorry, I misunderstood your question. UNC-Asheville is not really a commuter school in that sense; UNCG is much worse (only about 25% stay on the weekends :)). UNC-Asheville's mountain location and Asheville's appeal makes it a popular in-state option (less so than App, though). As a result, there are plenty of people outside the Asheville/Appalachian region, although most of the students are from NC. UNC-Asheville is fairly close-knit and does have a strong sense of community. School spirit is not very strong, though.</p>
<p>Appalachian is NOT warm. It's in the mountains (as was mentioned, ski resorts). I'm from the Western NC Area and Boone is high elevation - not the tropical climate you're looking for. UNCA is much more climate-friendly - and a better bargain. It's an awesome liberal arts public school. I go hang out at their library and such. Plus, Asheville has a great culture (it's a very liberal place in a very conservative region), and there are a lot of job/internship opportunities in the city.</p>