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Visit to Florida Southern College

2/20/2020

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I recently spent an afternoon at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida.  FSC is a small, private college of roughly 2,600 undergraduate students.  The school offers more than seventy areas of study, from traditional liberal arts disciplines such as history and philosophy to pre-professional programs, including business, nursing and education.  Want to study citrus science?  FSC may be the place for you.

Florida Southern was founded in 1883 and is the oldest private college in Florida.  Most college guides rank its campus as one of the most beautiful in the country.  The campus sits adjacent to Lake Hollingsworth and features 13 buildings designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright,   In fact, FSC boasts the largest single-site collection of Wright-designed buildings in the country.  Florida Southern's campus also includes a number of contemporary buildings that are unusually striking.  I've been to hundreds of beautiful colleges over the years, but the FSC campus is in a class by itself.

The small city of Lakeland is halfway between Orlando and Tampa and is just a short ride from campus.  Lakeland has a number of restaurants, from Indian-Pakistani to Creole.  Lakeland's historic Polk Theater shows both current and classic movies.  While I was in town, 2020 Oscar winner Parasite was playing at The Polk.

Reasons to attend Florida Southern College
  • Small classes -- Roughly 60% of FSC classes have fewer than 20 students.  Get to know your professors as they get to know you 
  • Great weather -- Lakeland, Florida enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine a year.  Who could turn that down?
  • Honors Program -- Interested in challenging yourself and working closely with faculty?  The honors program at FSC culminates in a two year capstone project that pairs you with a professor in your field.  Honors students receive priority registration, special housing and the opportunity to take extra classes for free.
  • Internships in Tampa and Orlando and Beyond -- Internships are so important to FSC that many departments have their own individual internship coordinators.  Students in the School of Business and Free Enterprise have special access to all sorts of internship opportunities.
  • A fabulous, historic campus -- At how many colleges can students walk in the steps of Frank Lloyd Wright and study in one of his iconic buildings every single day?  
  • Taco Bus Restaurant -- Are you tough enough to order El Jefe?
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3-2-1 - What’s New at Denison University?

10/17/2017

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Denison is a liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio with about 2,300 undergraduate students. Currently two former Vinik EPS clients are happily attending – one is a freshman studying Political Science and the other is a junior studying Exercise Science.  Today Annie and Laura met with Ryan Motevalli-Oliner, a Senior Assistant Director of Admission, and we learned about several exciting new updates.

THREE new majors
  • Global Commerce – a liberal arts approach to business, with a required internship.
  • Data Analytics – an interdisciplinary blend of Computer Science, Mathematics, and Social Sciences.
  • Health Exercise & Sports Studies – ideal for students interested in careers in physical therapy, sports medicine or public health.
 
TWO new academic concentrations
  • Financial Economics – another great option for students interested in a liberal arts approach to business.
  • Narrative Nonfiction Writing – a unique offering that combines literary storytelling and fact-based research.
 
ONE new performing arts building

The Michael D. Eisner Performing Arts Building is scheduled to open in early 2019 and will provide a new home for the Departments of Music, Dance, and Theatre. Michael Eisner was a member of the Denison University Class of 1964.

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Campus Visit: Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA

7/19/2017

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We enjoyed our visit yesterday to Juniata College in the small town of Huntingdon, PA. Juniata is about 3.5 hours from Washington, DC and is located halfway between Altoona, PA and State College, PA. With about 1,600 undergraduates, Juniata offers a close-knit community at a liberal arts college known as one of the "Colleges that Change Lives" (www.ctcl.org). Here are some pictures from our visit and some interesting facts we learned after a campus tour and a meeting with our local admissions representative, Steven Simons.

  • Juniata students don't have typical "majors" -- instead they design a POE, or "program of emphasis." Academic flexibility is a key feature of a Juniata education.
  • Nearby Raystown Lake (the largest lake in Pennsylvania) offers tremendous opportunities for students pursuing environmental studies. Juniata owns a property on the lake where students can actually live for an entire semester - one of the few residential field programs in the country.
  • 60% of Juniata students are from Pennsylvania. Other top states include Maryland, New Jersey, New York, California, Virginia and Massachusetts. Our tour guide's girlfriend was from Maine!
  • Juniata is known for its pre-med program and boasts a 94% medical school admission rate over the past ten years. Pre-med students are assigned a Health Professions Committee advisor early on to help guide them through the process.
  • Integrated Media Arts is just one of Juniata's interesting interdisciplinary programs, combining art, technology and communication. A brand new building is set to open shortly with state-of-the-art facilities.
  • Volleyball is Juniata's biggest sport -- the Men's team has won six Div. III national championships.
  • Juniata is testing optional and does not require any supplemental essays on the Common App. Every applicant is automatically considered for merit scholarships ranging from $16,000-$25,000 per year.Visits and interviews are encouraged!
  • The downtown area has a movie theater, bowling alley, local alumni-owned coffee shop, and even a cupcake shop. For the best food in town, check out Boxer's Cafe!
  • The college owns a 350-acre nature preserve, and also has its own vineyard on campus. You can even take classes on "wine culture."
  • While there is no Greek system, there are over 100 student clubs, plenty of unique traditions and a strong emphasis on study abroad.

If you are looking for a small liberal arts experience and don't mind the rural location, consider adding Juniata to your list!
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Fun and Unique College Campus Tours

9/7/2016

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PictureTouring Univ. of Michigan by Segway
If you've been on at least one college visit, you know the standard drill - go to the school's website and sign up for an information session given by the Admissions office, followed by a student-led tour.  Anyone who has attended more than one campus visit probably knows all about blue-light phones, meal plans and quidditch teams!  (If you get bored on your next trip, spice things up with this college tour bingo game).

But what if you have a special interest or want to know more than just the basics? There are some colleges out there offering unique options to help give prospective students a more in-depth view of what it is like to study at their schools.  Here are a few fun options!

Are you a runner? At the University of Oregon, you can join student ambassadors on a 3.7 mile tour of running trails around campus. The students run at a "comfortable pace" and stop frequently to point out University of Oregon landmarks. Running tours are offered at 8:30 a.m. the first and third Friday of each month. 

Prefer biking? During warmer months at Portland State (PSU), you can take a 3.5 mile bike tour around the main campus with multiple stops at Portland State landmarks. PSU provides the bike!

Beach bum more your style? Eckerd College in Florida invites prospective students to Sunday night cookouts on the beach at its "South Beach Supper Club." Get to know current students while relaxing on Eckerd's waterfront campus.

Play an instrument? At Sewanee (University of the South), you can have dinner with the Sewanee Symphony Orchestra and participate in a dress rehearsal for the last concert of the season. After you register and send them a YouTube video of you playing your instrument, they'll send you electronic copies of music to practice for the dress rehearsal.  Other "Behind the Scenes" tour options at Sewanee include Art, Theatre, and Choir.

Like to make things?  Case Western Reserve University offers tours of its "maker space," the Sears think[box]. This new facility is a hub of innovation and entrepreneurship providing space for students and community members to tinker away. 

Interested in Jewish life? The University of California, Berkeley Hillel offers a student-led tour highlighting Jewish student life at Berkeley.  You can contact them to set up a tour, or download a "Jewish Campus Tour" map.

Good off-campus dining options a must?  Supplement your campus visit at University of Wisconsin with a Madison food tour. Or check out the Taste of New Haven after your tour of Yale University.

Excited about research?  At Allegheny College, you can sit in on weekly research presentations during the summer.  At this interdisciplinary forum, students present short overviews of their summer research projects every Tuesday afternoon.

Always wanted to try a Segway?  During the spring and summer at the University of Michigan College of Engineering, prospective students can tour North Campus via a Segway tour. A brief training and a waiver are required!

Art buff? Landmarks, The Public Art Program of The University of Texas at Austin, offers unique art tours that provide a fun and informative way to learn about works of art in the Landmark collection while enjoying the beauty of UT's main campus. There are nighttime tours, dog tours, and a self-guided interactive option you can download.

For more ways to make college trips fun and tailor campus visits to your interests, check out our new Get U Going campus tour planning service!

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Highlights from an Upstate NY College Tour

4/12/2016

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After a whirlwind tour of six college campuses last week (Cornell University, Ithaca College, Syracuse University, University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Hobart and William Smith Colleges) we wanted to point out some highlights. Engineering labs and student unions are great, but sometimes you just want to know where to get some great local food! With that in mind, here are some of our favorite local institutions:
  • Dinosaur BBQ (Syracuse, NY) 
  • Collegetown Bagels (Ithaca, NY) 
  • Water St. Cafe (Geneva, NY) 
  • The Frog Pond (Rochester, NY) 
  • Moosewood (Ithaca, NY) 
Planning a college visit soon? Check out The 34 Most Beloved Food Joints In College Towns Across America (Dinosaur BBQ and Collegetown Bagels both made the list!). 

For pictures from our campus visits, check out the photo albums on our Facebook page.

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UMBC -A Research University in Suburban Baltimore

2/4/2015

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Today I spent the morning touring the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), an excellent mid-sized public university located about 15 minutes from downtown Baltimore.  UMBC offers Division I Athletics, and prides itself on opportunities for research, community service, and internships.  The Shriver Center exists to help students integrate classroom and applied learning, and community service is even noted on students' UMBC transcripts.  The school is well known for STEM education, but also boasts a brand new Performing Arts and Humanities building. If you have a chance, check out the president's TED talk on UMBC's innovative Meyerhoff Scholars program! 
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Be a Longhorn! Pictures from a visit to UT-Austin

1/5/2015

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Ever think about going to school in Texas?  Here is what it takes to get into the University of Texas - Austin from out-of-state.  UT-Austin has about 40,000 undergraduates - 95% from Texas and 100% Longhorn fans! At a school this large, you can study anything from Geoscience to Information Studies. And the campus is only blocks from downtown Austin, a city known for live music, great food, and eclectic shops!
View of Austin from nearby Mt. Bonnell
Famous Texas Hill Country BBQ
The historic Driskill Hotel in downtown Austin
One of MANY food trucks!
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University of South Carolina - big time sports in the state capital!

8/17/2014

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The University of South Carolina is a state school full of spirit and located in the state capital, Columbia, SC. The campus has about 23,000 undergraduate students, with 65% from in-state, and offers 96 majors in 15 different schools.  Here are some interesting facts I learned on my visit:
  • The top states represented other than South Carolina are North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, New Jersey and Ohio. 
  • New buildings opening soon on campus include new homes for the School of Journalism and Mass Communications and the Darla Moore School of Business. 
  • U.S. News and World Report has ranked USC the #1 Undergraduate International Business Degree for the last 17 consecutive years.
  • Admissions: USC does not accept the Common Application.  They also do not superscore the ACT.  Average SAT scores are 1120-1280 and ACT are 24-29. Admissions are “major-blind.” Applicants are automatically considered for the Capstone Scholars program. 
  • Deadlines: Early Action deadline is October 15.  Regular deadline is December 1, but students must apply by November 15 for consideration for scholarships and honors. 
  • The South Carolina Honors College was ranked the top public honors college in the country and offers 500 exclusive courses.  Applicants are invited to apply based on test scores and must complete a separate application. 
  • The USC campus boasts the state’s only revolving restaurant, the Top of Carolina. 
  • After freshman year, 89% of students live off-campus in nearby areas such as Five Points. 
  • USC is the last public SEC school to include sports tickets in tuition.  You obtain tickets by lottery and get points to improve your chances by attending more games. 
  • Within two hours from Columbia you can be on the beach or strolling the historic town of Charleston. 
  • Since 1988, the University of South Carolina has been home to the National Advocacy Center, a centralized training and education center operated by the U.S. Department of Justice and the National District Attorneys Association.

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College of Charleston - an urban campus with Southern charm

8/3/2014

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I enjoyed my visit to the College of Charleston, only a few short blocks from my hotel in the downtown historic district.  College of Charleston is a truly urban campus but with plenty of green space and easy access to the water.  With just over 10,000 undergraduate students, it is a manageable size while still offering the resources of a large university.  Here are some facts I learned about the school:
  • 62% of undergraduates are from South Carolina; 38% from out-of-state. (My tour guide was from Connecticut!)
  • Notable unique or interesting majors include: Historic Preservation, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Computing in the Arts, and Data Science.
  • The college contains six schools: School of the Arts, School of Business, School of Education, Health and Human Performance, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Languages, Cultures and World Affairs, and School of Sciences and Mathematics.  The School of Business is the most popular, and they have a robust International Business program. 
  • The lead guitarist from Hootie and the Blowfish teaches a course in the Arts Management program. 
  • Students in College of Charleston’s well-regarded Marine Biology program have access to the Grice Marine Lab a few minutes from campus.
  • College of Charleston recently joined the Colonial Athletic Association where they are strong competitors in Division I basketball and baseball. 
  • Boeing recently relocated to Charleston and provides numerous scholarship and internship opportunities. 
  • College of Charleston has a sizeable Hillel on campus, with approximately 800 Jewish students enrolled. A new Jewish Studies Center is scheduled to open next year with a vegetarian dining facility. 
  • College of Charleston offers Early Action (November 1) and Regular (February 1) deadlines.  Students should apply by December 1 for scholarship consideration.  Applicants are automatically considered for merit awards (typically given for 1300+ SAT / 30+ ACT, combined with high GPA). 
  • The middle 50% test scores for admitted students are 1060-1220 SAT and 23-27 ACT for in-state applicants and 1140-1280 SAT and 25-29 ACT for out-of-state applicants. College of Charleston does not superscore the ACT. 
  • Roughly 20% of students are part of the Greek system. 
  • College of Charleston has a strong relationship with the nearby Medical University of South Carolina (4 blocks from campus).  Applicants to MUSC get a .5 GPA boost when applying to medical school there! 
  • There are four tiers of dorms, ranging from newly built to “historic” (and differing in price). Laundry and toilet paper are included in your rent! 
  • The undergraduate library opened in 2009 and is currently undergoing an improvement project,  including a brand new Starbucks opened on the first floor with lots of outdoor seating overlooking a courtyard. 
  • The shops of King Street are just one block from campus, and the famous Charleston City Market is a short walk. Charleston is known for fine dining, and there are tons of restaurants within walking distance of campus! I ate at SNOB, Cru Café and Cypress – all delicious (and great for parent visits)! 
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Exciting New Construction at University of Mary Washington

6/26/2014

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This week I also visited University of Mary Washington, a gorgeous campus in Fredericksburg, VA (about an hour south of DC). There is lots of construction going on with exciting new initiatives and facilities scheduled to open soon.  With around 4,000 undergraduate students, UMW is small enough for personalized attention while also large enough to offer a wide variety of academic and social opportunities. Here are some details from my visit:

  • 75% of students are from Virginia.  The other states heavily represented include Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut. 
  • Mary Washington is home to exciting technology programs including one of the first MOOCs and the Domain of One's Own project. The new Convergence Center, scheduled to open in the Fall of 2014, will include a digital knowledge center.
  • The University of Mary Washington women’s rugby team recently won the 2014 USA Rugby Division II National Championship in California.
  • Campus is less than a 10-minute walk from the cute stores and restaurants in historic downtown Fredericksburg.
  • Mary Washington is well-known for its undergraduate major in Historic Preservation.
  • The Anderson Center opened in 2011 and seats over 2,000 spectators for athletic events.  In addition, a new student union is under construction and scheduled to open in the fall of 2015.
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Vinik EPS

Vinik Educational Placement Services, Inc. * 4701 Sangamore Road, Suite S105 * Bethesda, MD 20816 
301-320-9711 * info@vinikeps.com 

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