My daughter is a junior, so we’re just beginning to look at colleges. We ended up making a last minute trip to Orlando for a swim meet and decided to visit UCF - no tours, no interviews, just an informal visit - but I thought I’d share our impressions in case it’s helpful to others. First, before you get to UCF, the traffic is horrendous…so of course, I worry about that…
But once we made it to campus, we were both quite impressed. She would in the Honor’s College and most likely in the Towers, and the dorms are amazing. Everything feels clean and new - and the dorms are really like apartments, with each student having a private room with a double bed. The four suite mates share a kitchen and two bathrooms. For my independent and self-sufficient daughter, the arrangement feels much more grown-up than a traditional dorm.
We also spent some time in the engineering building, and this really opened our eyes a bit to the benefits of a large school: the maker spaces, computer labs, 3-D printers, etc. (Not to mention Jimmy Johns, Steak and Shake, Chilis, and at least half a dozen Starbucks!)
Besides the facilities, I spent time quietly observing the engineering students - and they seemed very engaged in their engineering projects; their enthusiasm was refreshing and contagious. We also spoke to several students who mentioned the benefits of a newer university - while they realize UCF is not be the flagship school, they feel the school is more innovative and future-looking because of they’re not resting on their laurels. The students’ excitement for their school was wonderful to see.
Everyone was also just very NICE. For example, within 10 minutes of being on campus, one student asked if we needed help as we tried to decipher the map and another shared the secret of the crosswalk signals with my daughter.
The campus itself doesn’t feel overwhelmingly large, but it has a certain energy and excitement. So while there’s no beautiful Ivy-covered buildings, etc., the school truly has its own appeal.
It’s definitely on the list still for “fit” and she’s looking forward to learning more about the academics, the honor’s college, study abroad, internships, etc. We both preferred the overall vibe over USF which seems somewhat bland in comparison. We’ll need to explore all of our Florida options more, but my daughter is certainly more excited about UCF than before the visit.