Results from the Florida Sunshine Tour

As many of you know, I just returned from a 9-day tour of 16 private colleges and universities located in every corner of the state of Florida. It was exhausting, but very educational. I originally targeted Florida as a result of inquiries concerning specific schools and was pleased to learn that a number had unique programs of interest to several students with whom I have been working. In addition, many of the colleges and universities I visited boast of very competitive tuition rates. In fact, with generous merit scholarships and basic "discounts" given to compete with the large Florida public system, tuitions in some cases are lower than our in-state rates. In any event, some of my favorite schools (in no particular order) were:

Rollins College, Winter Park: http://www.rollins.edu/
Stetson University, Deland: http://www.stetson.edu/home/
Eckerd College, St. Petersburg: http://www.eckerd.edu/
Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne: http://www.fit.edu/
Flagler College, St. Augustine: http://www.flagler.edu/
Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale: http://www.nova.edu/
Jacksonville University, Jacksonville: http://www.ju.edu/
University of Tampa, Tampa: http://www.ut.edu/

For students with a specific interest in computer animation or graphic design, the Ringling College of Art and Design (http://www.ringling.edu/) in Sarasota would be difficult to beat. Ringling sponsors one of the national "Portfolio Days" for art students, and you can combine a visit to the school with the opportunity to have your work professionally reviewed.

As always, I encourage students to go online, explore these schools, and register to receive information if they are even slightly interested. Not only will you receive materials in the mail, but you are also more likely to receive invitations to meetings and presentations as college reps visit your area.

Seniors still interested in applying to warm weather schools located within minutes of beaches will find that many of the private colleges and universities of Florida are still accepting applications. It's worth inquiring!