Details from the Florida Fiesta Tour: 6 colleges in 3 days

Florida Atlantic University: 15,000 students, traditional college experience with school spirit in beautiful Boca Raton. Most competitive major: direct-entry nursing. Unique offering within FAU: Wilkes Honors College: app 800 students, small seminar-style courses, live on campus in Jupiter for the first 2 years. Affiliation with Scripps College. Research in medical science/BS/MD program. New 35 million dollar Brain Institute.

Lynn University: Also in Boca Raton, small but full of opportunities. Block scheduling means one or two classes, 2.5 hrs per day, 4 days a week for a month. Top aviation program with private airfield; student-run PR agency; terrific internship options. IAI Learning Support program helps students learn strategies and skills while integrating to college life, then apply them to real-world challenges.

Florida Institute of Technology: Great option to add to list of STEM majors who want a Florida college. Located on the Space Coast 45 minutes from Cape Canaveral, FIT was founded by a NASA scientist/engineer; buildings funded by top local companies. 3500 students; most engineering majors, with aeronautical most popular; aviation management and meteorology. Top psychology program with the largest autism research program in FL. All programs have 5-year masters except for psychology. Impressive campus with new buildings and lush tropical walkways.

Beacon College: What a surprise…highly selective (45%), small college for LD students in beautiful Leesburg, FL. Exceptional staff of professionals implements a unique method to teach and guide students to academic, social, and career success. Each student is assigned a learning specialist and has a dedicated team of support. Some students find genuine success here for the first time in their lives.

Rollins College: The alma mater of Mr. Rogers and oldest college in FL (1885) boasts a breathtaking campus in upscale Winter Park suburb of Orlando. Known for business programs (esp. Masters), Rollins offers a mix of FL, international and OOS students a liberal arts education, school spirit, and ⅓ Greek life on its small lakeside campus. The luxurious campus must be seen to be believed.

University of Central Florida: One of the largest US universities feels less so on its main campus, which is set in 3 concentric circles around a reflecting pool. Engineering is the largest major and the Knights have an Honors program of 1700. Within UCF, the Rosen School of Hospitality has a beautiful nearby campus full of future theme park, hotel, and senior living hospitality majors. 3 internships required to earn 250 of the 1000 required hours may include trips to Switzerland and France. 97% have jobs at graduation.