Florida Southern College (need info)
- Thread starter GatorTAG
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- Jun 13, 2014
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I had a memorable evening with a girl from Florida Southern one evening while she was visiting her friend at UF. I don't think that's going to be much help for your son though......................or perhaps it just might.
- Jun 11, 2014
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- Oct 21, 2014
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- Jun 12, 2014
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I've never heard of it. I looked it up to do some research on a joke about it.... But I'm pretty impressed actually. Seems like a really nice school. Good luck.
- Jun 11, 2014
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Grew up in Winter Haven and lived in Lakeland for 4 years after college. Not a bad school, cool campus with the Frank Lloyd Wright history, nice setting on Lake Hollingsworth and near downtown. Some pretty nice places to go downtown but not a huge nightlife. But Lakeland is close enough to Tampa and Orlando if he needs an infusion of city. Not a bad school at all.
- Jun 13, 2014
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If divits can get laid there, your son should have a chance.No, that's not much help.
Unless you have pictures...
- Oct 21, 2014
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We've made 3 trips there and they are offering my son a pretty good scholarship package. Accepted students were invited down for what they call "Scholars Weekend". They have lots of activities, tours, meetings with professors, admission and financial aid set up. They also pair the kids with a student and they spend the night on campus. Its supposed to be an opportunity for the kids to get a feel of what its like to be a student at Florida Southern.
Florida Southern presents itself very well. A smaller (2,500) private school with a long history, great architecture, beautiful campus, top 5% business school, guaranteed graduation in 4 years, guaranteed study abroad and guaranteed internships.
We were really liking it right up til the point my son called and asked to be picked up because his FSC chaperone decided to take him to a frat party and stuck a rum and coke in my son's 17 year old hand.
Now most of you are thinking "cool". But fortunately my son has his head on straighter than me. And most of you. This is not only a complete turn off for him and its just not his scene. He was also not able to get back into the dorm he was supposed to sleep in. Which also had 3 other college kids in it and he was supposed to be sleeping on the vinyl floor. That he said smelled like a combination of booze, sweat and puke.
So needless to say I reluctantly went back to campus around midnight and picked him up and took him back to the hotel that me and Mrs. Tag were at. After all he did exactly what I've taught him to do and call someone if you're stuck somewhere with a bunch of drunks and need a ride. And then I took him back to campus the next morning for their breakfast they were to be at and let him continue his visit.
So I'm thinking, no big deal, this goes on at every college in America and my son just had a chaperone that jumped the gun a little. But he did tell me there were a number if other high school kids at the party. So he wasn't the only one.
Later in the day FSC had a final meeting with the parents before we were to pick up our kids and leave. After the meeting I pulled the Director if Admissions aside and just wanted to let her know what my son's experience was like at her college the night before. I figured at least they would want to be aware that the student they appointed to my son didn't exactly show him the side of the school they touted. To my surprise she seemed very dismissive of my story as though the partying and drinking was actually part of the planned festivities. I got an obligatory apology and that was about it.
I don't mind if a school is a "party school". What one isn't? But I have to be concerned if a college administration willingly pushes drinking and partying on 17 year old high school kids right?
Florida Southern presents itself very well. A smaller (2,500) private school with a long history, great architecture, beautiful campus, top 5% business school, guaranteed graduation in 4 years, guaranteed study abroad and guaranteed internships.
We were really liking it right up til the point my son called and asked to be picked up because his FSC chaperone decided to take him to a frat party and stuck a rum and coke in my son's 17 year old hand.
Now most of you are thinking "cool". But fortunately my son has his head on straighter than me. And most of you. This is not only a complete turn off for him and its just not his scene. He was also not able to get back into the dorm he was supposed to sleep in. Which also had 3 other college kids in it and he was supposed to be sleeping on the vinyl floor. That he said smelled like a combination of booze, sweat and puke.
So needless to say I reluctantly went back to campus around midnight and picked him up and took him back to the hotel that me and Mrs. Tag were at. After all he did exactly what I've taught him to do and call someone if you're stuck somewhere with a bunch of drunks and need a ride. And then I took him back to campus the next morning for their breakfast they were to be at and let him continue his visit.
So I'm thinking, no big deal, this goes on at every college in America and my son just had a chaperone that jumped the gun a little. But he did tell me there were a number if other high school kids at the party. So he wasn't the only one.
Later in the day FSC had a final meeting with the parents before we were to pick up our kids and leave. After the meeting I pulled the Director if Admissions aside and just wanted to let her know what my son's experience was like at her college the night before. I figured at least they would want to be aware that the student they appointed to my son didn't exactly show him the side of the school they touted. To my surprise she seemed very dismissive of my story as though the partying and drinking was actually part of the planned festivities. I got an obligatory apology and that was about it.
I don't mind if a school is a "party school". What one isn't? But I have to be concerned if a college administration willingly pushes drinking and partying on 17 year old high school kids right?
- Oct 21, 2014
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- Jun 12, 2014
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That's very interesting. I am in no way disputing your story but for most of my years in Lakeland (40+) the school has had a reputation of not tolerating drinking. Now I'm not saying that the students don't go out partying (Kau Kau Koner, anyone?) but I know several administrators and I bet they'd interested in hearing about this.
- Oct 21, 2014
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Thanks Jim, that's the kind of feedback I'm looking for. My son's first choice is the USAFA. We're still waiting to see if he's going to be accepted there. After that he is down to #2 Embry-Riddle and #3 FSC. Both have offered significant merit scholarships. But I found it a little shocking that a college would knowingly put itself in the kind of liability that FSC did by inviting high school kids on campus for a night knowing they would be drinking and partying.
- Jun 12, 2014
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Check out their dorms.....very carefully.
- Jun 12, 2014
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Wow. Imagine how you would feel if that was a daughter. Nice parenting work.
- Oct 21, 2014
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Yeah my son is an only child but its not like he's never been let our of the house. He has friends at school that drink and party. He left his homecoming dance back in the fall because it was "just a bunch of drunk kids acting stupid". I didnt train him that way. It just turns him off and he doesn't want to be around it. So I'm certainly not going to encourage it. He's just more of the go with a couple of friends to a coffee shop kind of guy. So we'll see.
- Oct 21, 2014
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The Academy is a long shot but he has gone thru all the interviews, tests and has his congressional appointment. So were just waiting to hear something. Should know by the end of March. ERAU has offered him a pretty good scolly as well.
He must take after his mom because I was a dumb jock.
- Jun 11, 2014
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Lakeland is a pretty crap town. Have a friend who grew up there and says it gets worse every year. If I couldn't go to UF, I'd check out USF and Florida Gulf Coast. Tampa is a fun town with a lot going on, and depending on what he wants to study, there are some good programs. FGCU is in SWFL and maybe in my favorite part of the state. It's growing and so is the area. UCF has a lot of positives, but Orlando sucks to live in.
- Jun 18, 2014
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Tag- I went to Florida Southern, what do you want to know?
I only went there for baseball, but I had a good time in general. Lakeland isn't the greatest of towns like others have said, but it's not terrible either. The party scene is lame (wasn't my scene anyway), and the bar/club that everyone went to is being shut down - yes, Kaus Jim. So if you are worried about it being a huge party town, fear not.
If you have any specific questions, let me know.
I only went there for baseball, but I had a good time in general. Lakeland isn't the greatest of towns like others have said, but it's not terrible either. The party scene is lame (wasn't my scene anyway), and the bar/club that everyone went to is being shut down - yes, Kaus Jim. So if you are worried about it being a huge party town, fear not.
If you have any specific questions, let me know.
