I find your cons about USF interesting. I’ve never really spent much of any time on the campus, but I don’t know if I’d characterize the area around campus as “dangerous”, unless you mean that there’s a busy road with cars whipping by at high rates of speed (or unless the area has gone dramatically downhill in the last five years). Also, yes, Tampa is a hot-weather place, but Tallahassee isn’t much less so, and Winter Park/Orlando (being a bit inland and all) actually has slightly hotter summers and slightly cooler winters than the coasts at the same latitude do.
Ive asked around and ive been told tampa isnt dangeros but the reviews online differ. and im from new york so im not aware of how bad the temperatures can get any advice regarding which school is the best option?
They’re really quite different schools. Rollins is a liberal arts college, USF is a large public of the perennially up-and-coming sort (essentially, aspiring to be what the University of Pittsburgh has become), and FSU isn’t the state flagship but has a lot of local respect as a near-flagship.
I don’t know if you’ve visited them, but just visually, IMO Rollins is absolutely gorgeous, FSU is pretty but not quite as stunning, and USF…Well, I’ll just say that it shows that it was initially built up in the heyday of brutalism. (Rollins is actually one of a number of Florida colleges that started out as a resort that didn’t make it as a resort.) USF has a bit more of a “commuter school” feel than the other two, though efforts have been underway the past several years to make it less so.
As for which is best for you, it really depends on (a) what you’re interested in studying and (b) whether you like larger or smaller schools.
Also, FSU and USF are both public institutions, and public institutions in Florida suffer from a legislature that’s openly hostile to public higher education. You said that Rollins would cost more than the others, though, and so you need to balance such things against cost.
D is a freshman at Rollins. We live in Michigan and after an adjustment period first semester, D loves Rollins. Hasn’t mentioned the “snobby” student body once. Classes are as advertised… small with interested professors. Lots to do in the immediate area. Food she finds just OK and is looking forward to being off the meal plan next year. Just a gorgeous campus.
any advice regarding which school is the best option?