Eckerd College in St. Petersburg?

[DVCLiz]

Do you have any first hand knowledge about this school? It's on DD17's list of small colleges with environmental studies majors, which is what she is interested in. It looks like it has some great programs for that and marine biology, another one of her interests. Just curious if anyone has any info other than what I can read online. Seems like a nice little school...

 

[Traveliz]

Do you have any first hand knowledge about this school? It's on DD17's list of small colleges with environmental studies majors, which is what she is interested in. It looks like it has some great programs for that and marine biology, another one of her interests. Just curious if anyone has any info other than what I can read online. Seems like a nice little school...

My MIL has a condo in the area and we pass it when we go over there. I know she has taken adult writing classes there for years. She always speaks highly of the college and I do believe it is highly regarded in the area of environmental and marine biology. The area is nice.

I don't know know anything more specific but I do know I have never heard anything bad about the school...and the area is beautiful.

Edit - after seeing your location - the area is also located convenient to the St Petersburg airport (small but has some good carriers through there) and the Tampa airport. AND a mere hour and fifteen minutes or so to Disney!

Liz

 

[piglet too]

I have heard from family in the area that it, as well as University of Tampa, are both great schools. They are both high on my son's list and we will be visiting them this April. He is interested in Marine Biology.

 

[DVCLiz]

My MIL has a condo in the area and we pass it when we go over there. I know she has taken adult writing classes there for years. She always speaks highly of the college and I do believe it is highly regarded in the area of environmental and marine biology. The area is nice.

I don't know know anything more specific but I do know I have never heard anything bad about the school...and the area is beautiful.

Liz

Thanks for replying! I think we will plan a visit this summer - and it's pretty close to WDW too!

 

[NCRedding]

I have a friend who lives in NC who attended Eckerd (but this was back in the late 70s/early 80s). He loved it. I think he may still have some connections there, so let me know if I can help any.

 

[DVCLiz]

Thanks, everyone. It's nice to hear it might be a good choice for her. A little far away - my other daughter attended Wofford in SC which is about three hours away, but Florida is a nice plane ride away, so Eckerd will definitely go on the list!

 

[piglet too]

Like I said, Eckerd is on my son's list too. He also LOVED University of Rhode Island. We live in the Chicago area, so not a one of these is close to home. He is looking at Carroll University up in Wisconsin, but only because they have a program where he would transfer to Hawaii Pacific after two years.

 

[collegejunkie]

university of miami is great for marine bio. for environmental studies, i would look at SUNY ESF, which is a public NY school but the students get to live in private school (syracuse university) housing and take classes there, too.

 

[Art 1]

It's was not on the list of schools for the students that graduated HS in the Orlando area with mine. The academics to them was not considered all that strong and it has a very high percentage of out of state students, not that that is a bad thing. For the money they charge there a many other options with stronger academics. I am paying for my two in college now but would not have paid for them to attend Eckerd.

 

[piglet too]

It's was not on the list of schools for the students that graduated HS in the Orlando area with mine. The academics to them was not considered all that strong and it has a very high percentage of out of state students, not that that is a bad thing. For the money they charge there a many other options with stronger academics. I am paying for my two in college now but would not have paid for them to attend Eckerd.

Could you provide more details on why it is not a school considered by your children and their classmates? Does it being a "local" school have anything to do with it? Also, why would you not pay for them to go there?

I had only heard good things about Eckerd (and U of Tampa) so I am very interested in your views.

 

[MinnieFan4ever]

A good friend of mine went to college there in the early 90's and she loved it. We both grew up in Illinios. I know that her experience there was a possitive one and her major was Marine Biology as well.

 

[DVCLiz]

It's was not on the list of schools for the students that graduated HS in the Orlando area with mine. The academics to them was not considered all that strong and it has a very high percentage of out of state students, not that that is a bad thing. For the money they charge there a many other options with stronger academics. I am paying for my two in college now but would not have paid for them to attend Eckerd.

Could you provide more details on why it is not a school considered by your children and their classmates? Does it being a "local" school have anything to do with it? Also, why would you not pay for them to go there?

I had only heard good things about Eckerd (and U of Tampa) so I am very interested in your views.

I expect Art's children and their classmates were able to be competitive at stronger schools, so an expensive private school that wasn't up to their academic standards wouldn't have been a good choice for them.

Eckerd's numbers seemed to be a good fit with DD17 - she is on the higher end of some of their requirements (which might mean some merit money) but she is not strong enough to be competitive at the next tier of colleges.

I'm trying to match her expressed interests with a geographic location and a school that provides some of the things she is also interested in - primarily a mid-semester term and a travel abroad program.

 

[horseshowmom]

Like I said, Eckerd is on my son's list too. He also LOVED University of Rhode Island. We live in the Chicago area, so not a one of these is close to home. He is looking at Carroll University up in Wisconsin, but only because they have a program where he would transfer to Hawaii Pacific after two years.

You have obviously raised a very intelligent son! Who says kids don't think ahead?

This ranks right up there with a friend of mine whose son-in-law was transferred to Hawaii just before the birth of their first child. Her daughter wanted her to come stay a month to help out. My friend forced herself!