<p>I'm a sophomore transferring from JMU in Virginia to a university in Florida. I have never visited any of the schools, and I won't get a chance to visit before I make my decision. I applied to FSU, UCF, and USF. I have been accepted to USF and UCF and I haven't heard from FSU yet, but I think I'm going to be accepted there too. The problem is, I have no idea which school to pick! Where should I go?!
Which school is best academically?
Which of those schools has the best undergraduate political science program?
Which area would be easiest to find housing near the campus on a short notice?
What are some other pros/cons of each of the schools?</p>
<p>FSU has a VERY strong poli sci dept. It is far superior to the others on your list for poli sci.</p>
<p>Florida State is the oldest university in Florida (Tallahassee) and a US News Tier 1 school and currently rated as a #48 national public university. The other two are Tier 3 schools, but at least UCF has been rated an “up and coming” school. FSU has the best rated political science department in Florida.</p>
<p>Additional ratings for Florida State, which I believe is one of two top rated publics (the other is the Univ of FL in Gainesville) in Florida: [FSU</a> Highlights](<a href=“http://fsu.edu/highlights/rankings.html]FSU”>Rankings | Florida State University)</p>
<p>Housing would not be an issue at FSU as the school recently cut 1000 undergrads from its enrollment.</p>
<p>UCF and USF are more organized as commuter schools with multiple campuses. To a degree both are trying to shake that image by building dorms and sports programs. Both are located in more broadly urban settings (main campuses in Orlando and Tampa) than Florida State, which is located in the state capital.</p>
<p>thanks for the input! </p>
<p>if I don’t get accepted to FSU, which of the other two schools would be the better choice? UCF and USF seem pretty similar to me.</p>
<p>Florida State University
Academics
Florida State University, “a major research university in Florida’s capital city,” provides students “with lots of opportunities for experimentation” while “making pivotal career decisions.” Indeed, it’s difficult to imagine a school that provides more options; FSU offers excellent programs in everything from business, psychology, and education to music, graphic art, and creative writing to meteorology, professional golf management, and exercise science. The school even has a circus program! As at most big state schools, “Lecture classes are large and can be intimidating,” but “teachers are always willing to help outside of class,” and “taking advantage of this help can make or break your grade.” Professors “are hit-or-miss,” although “in general they are very nice and helpful and try to learn everyone’s name, even when the class is fairly large.” Those seeking a more personal experience should shoot for the honors program, “where class sizes are small” and “they really encourage research.” FSU works hard to stay up to date, building “state-of-the-art facilities” and embracing technologies that make it “as convenient as possible for students and professors to communicate and achieve success.” Partner campuses “in London, Valencia, Florence, and Panama with a variety of other programs across the world” facilitate wonderful study-abroad opportunities. As one student sums up, "Overall, if you’re looking for a school with endless possibilities and opportunities, FSU is the place to be.</p>
<p>Student Body:
There’s a bit of everything for everyone, and there’s nothing that you don’t see on campus at FSU, where a student population of just less than 30,000 ensures a place for people of all types. Expect “a lot of southern hospitality,” which basically centers on “making others feel welcome.” The southern accent is also found in a vocal minority of conservative Christian students who “are into furthering their religious views within the school bounds” (one such student complained that the school had “a bias toward science and evolutionary thinking”). At the other end of the spectrum, “There are also a lot of vegetarian activists and recycling activists on campus.” Lots of folks here "are in some sort of organization, probably multiple organizations. If they’re not in a fraternity or sorority, they’re probably in a religious group or something else.</p>
<p>Campus Life:
FSU is “known for our house parties, kegs, and bonfires,” and students readily admit that there’s “a lot of drinking and partying” both on campus and throughout the city of Tallahassee. They also insist that “people are able to stay out of that scene and still have a lot of fun.” Just about everyone loves football, telling us that “There’s nothing better than Tallahassee in the fall on game day! A stadium full of fans doing the chop will give you chills every time.” The Greek scene “is big here,” but “there are lots of different scenes, from Greek to Black Student Union to Catholic Student Union to the film school kids. There are all sorts of clubs and groups to get involved with, especially if you’re interested in getting out there and doing community service.” There’s even “a surprisingly big arts community, so there are always concerts, art exhibits, and independent coffee shops to check out if you don’t mind digging a little to find them.” And students can also enjoy “hookah lounges, a great cinema” and “a Chili’s on campus (always busy, but delicious!).” In short, “The amount of student activities, sports clubs, and organizations are endless due to FSU’s size.” And for an added bonus: "The beach is only an hour away.</p>
<p>University Of South Florida
Academics:
The University of South Florida is “an enormous and comprehensive research university.” A huge range of majors" is available. The “amazing” honors college “is definitely something students should try to get into if possible.” There’s “a great nursing program,.” but pre-med, business, education, engineering, and environmental science are notable as well. “Everything seems to run fairly smoothly and is well organized” at USF, but the “distant” administration is “blissfully unaware of student opinions” and “hard to track down.” Don’t try calling anyone, “You end up in a permanent prompt loop.” Lectures can be “very large,” especially in introductory courses. Students report a “mix of good and bad professors.” “It all comes down to the luck of the draw.” Many professors are “very friendly, down to earth, and easily accessible.” Other faculty members “are there mainly for research” and “just have no business teaching” or “struggle with the English language.” “There are some professors who blow me away with how great they teach and explain material,” observes an environmental science major, "but then there are others who blow me away because I hate them so much.</p>
<p>Student Body:
This campus is “full of Floridians,” and “flip flops are a mandatory staple in any USF student’s wardrobe.” That’s about all that unites the undergraduate population. “The thing about the University of South Florida is that there is no typical student.” This is “a very diverse population of students by any standard.” “We come from very different backgrounds and are headed in very different directions,” says a senior. “Interests, talents, study habits, and hobbies vary greatly.” “You’ve got the preps, the boozers, the druggies, the philosophers, the theater kids, etc.” There are the “overachievers who like sit in circles and pat each other on the back.” Other students “always wait until the last minute to complete assignments.” “There is a large population of nontraditional and commuter students.” A strong contingent works “at least part time.” Many students “appear to be on a mission” and “just want to finish their school work and get out of here.” There are “a lot of African Americans and significant Muslim, Hispanic, and international student minorities.” “It is a beautiful thing to walk across campus and see so many different types of people,” beams a sophomore. There is a lot of ethnic self-segregation, though. “It’s awkward to see the group of black people hanging out in one corner while the Hispanics stand over there and the white kids sit at that table over there,” observes a sophomore.</p>
<p>Campus Life:
USF has a handful of regional campuses, but the main one is in Tampa. It’s very spread out and full of “open green spaces.” The Tampa campus “could stand to be a little more aesthetically pleasing,” though, and it “isn’t located in the best neighborhood.” “Campus security is a big issue.” Also, USF is “a heavy commuter school,” and “trying to park every day is hell.” Socially, “it’s not easy to just walk out and meet people” due to the mammoth size of this institution. However, “there are hundreds of campus activities to get involved in.” “The school paper is awesome.” Movies on the lawn are “tons of fun.” “There is always something going on” at the student union. Busch Gardens-a theme park-is located just down the street from campus. Students here are “diehard Bulls football fans” in the fall and they “have a lot of school pride and spirit.” There’s also a decent smattering of Greek life. “USF students enjoy a party” and “large, loud, long” gatherings are abundant on Thursday nights and throughout the weekend. Many students also opt for the “world famous” club scene in Ybor City, a historic-district-turned-night-clubbing-district in Tampa’s Latin Quarter. However, the overall caliber of the festivities here doesn’t approach the scene at some other Florida schools. “I don’t think we’re a major party school,” opines a senior</p>
<p>University Of Central Florida
Academics
The University of Central Florida is “a growing school with a solid academic image.” “Its reputation needs to catch up with how it actually is,” urges a junior. The engineering and science programs are renowned, and students laud the hospitality, management, and business programs. UCF undergrads also benefit from “awesome technology” all over campus. The Internet is everywhere. Much like the surrounding city of Orlando, UCF has experienced explosive growth in recent decades. Today, UCF is really quite gargantuan. “It’s one of the largest schools in the nation.” “The massive size of UCF can be intimidating for students who need a personal approach to higher education.” “It is easy to feel a bit lost,” admits a freshman. Classes are large, and most note that professors can be “hit-or-miss.” “Some professors are amazing” and “willing to go out of their way to make sure you understand the lectures.” Others “just stand in front of the class and read off PowerPoint slides.” The foreign professors, while “highly-specialized,” can “be hard to understand.” On the bright side, upper-level courses are “fun and taught by professors who are good and know what they’re doing.” “The administration seems to genuinely care but, because there are so many students, it is hard for them to really do anything about your concerns.” Registration is pretty awful. “When you get to the end of your degree, you better plan out your schedule carefully because there are a lot of important classes that are only offered every three semesters,” advises one student. In terms of initials, students used to say that “UCF” stood for “U Can’t Finish.” Now, it stands for “Under Construction Forever,” but most don’t mind "because the newer facilities are beautiful!</p>
<p>Student Body:
The only real thing that many students share in common is sandals, observes a business major. “At a given time, 75 percent of the campus is probably wearing sandals.” “The typical student also applied to the University of Florida but didn’t get in,” claims a UCF Spanish major, “and also to South Florida, but had a grain of sense and avoided Tampa like the plague.” UCF students hail overwhelmingly from in-state, too. And “the girls are insanely pretty.” Otherwise, “it is difficult to generalize” about some 42,000 undergrads. “There is no possible way to describe a typical student.” Students tend to have “their own set of friends, activities, and experiences at UCF.” There are vast differences among students in the different schools (business, health and public affairs, communication, hospitality, engineering, etc.) and also within the schools themselves. “This is a melting pot of culture,” says one student. “Walking around campus you see a little bit of every culture, every race, and every ethnicity.” “There are strong subcultures for the minorities” and ages, ranging from students “right out of high school” and those "older in years [who] are looking to further their careers.</p>
<p>Campus Life:
UCF boasts a “very scenic,” “comfortable” campus. “Everything is relatively close together,” which is great when it comes to getting to your next class, but not so much when parking your car. “No matter how many garages UCF builds, somehow parking still sucks.” Socially, if you’re bored here, you just aren’t trying very hard. “The campus organizes a wide variety of social events.” “We have a ridiculous number of clubs and organizations,” boasts a sophomore. “There are about a million events going on at any given time.” There is almost every imaginable intramural sport. There is “a huge three-story gym” that features “every kind of workout machine.” “Football game days are amazing” as students root for the perennially “up-and-coming” team. Fraternities and sororities are here too, but they “constitute a minority of the culture.” UCF’s location is a big hit with students. Hot, sunny Orlando is “a large, thriving city,” but the area around UCF has “the feel of a college town.” “If you live in the dorms your first year, you will definitely get the typical college experience.” The “many bars with dance floors around campus” are “a breeding ground for drunken debauchery.” They “get packed every night.” "Downtown Orlando is a different story, which "provides a nice refuge for upperclassmen trying to break away.</p>
<p>Placeholder,</p>
<p>You returning to Florida from OOS or are you going to Florida as an OOS?</p>
<p>I got accepted to FSU!</p>
<p>BaghDAD,
I’m not considered OOS in either place because I have one parent living in Virginia and one in Florida, so for tuition purposes I am considered in-state in both places.</p>
<p>I know 2 young women who thrived at FSU-- one conservative Christian, one a progressive democrat. Both graduated 5 years ago, English majors, and have done very well since. A young man I know started there, was repulsed by the atmosphere and party scene, and dropped out. He’s done well too, starting his own successful business.</p>