Located in sunny central Florida, Rollins College is “small enough to help the individual but is fortunate enough to have a large endowment capable of providing each student with necessary academic means.” The generous academic merit scholarships bring in a smart crowd, and the small class sizes, dedicated faculty, and numerous “student leadership opportunities, internships, academic presentations, [and] conference opportunities” sweeten the pot.
Rollins is “all about individual growth personally and educationally,” but it also stresses “responsible community leadership both on and off campus.” Students have a great deal of freedom to study what they choose, and many large projects are individualized toward the student, meaning a student “can tailor my topic to my interests.” In addition to the autonomy this approach grants students, it “reinforces the idea of a holistic education,” which helps to “make [students] competitive in an ever-changing job market.” Working at this speed, students are able to “discover purpose and identify goals.” Many services are also available to students, such as free tutoring and counseling.
Professors “perform very well” and create an “open and invigorating classroom environment” that is “open to diverse ideas and perspectives.” Teachers “know every student’s name, and they will remember you throughout your college experience.” “My first year, one called my cell phone when I missed class,” says a student. “The interactions that I have with the professors are second to none,” says another. The small class sizes (even introductory courses are tiny) make it “very easy to learn and share your opinion,” and since professors are “very engaging and willing to hear all points of view,” “no one is left feeling like they don’t matter.”
Rollins is such a small school that “everyone knows everyone.” It’s a true split at Rollins between in-staters and out-of-staters (and the international contingent) and among socioeconomic classes. “There are extremely wealthy spoiled kids driving Mercedes and smoking, [and] then there are true nerds who busted their butts to get in,” says a student. Since the two groups mix constantly, “it is often hard to differentiate between the students who are set to inherit their parent’s company after they graduate and those here on scholarship.” Luckily, the “family environment and the closeness of all of the campus bring all the students together as scholars.” Everyone may have small groups to which they belong, but “there is intermingling going on all the time.”
The “very beautiful and relaxing” campus can often feel sort of like a “country club” in both appearance and attitude. With “so many attractions in the Orlando area, the accessibility of the lake and the beach it is hard not to bring your books outside.” Some people like “to go out to nearby downtown Orlando” (which is fifteen minutes away from school), some “live for Disney World,” and some just stay in and hang out. A favorite activity among students is “walking up Park Avenue and exploring the delicious culinary endeavors there,” and Lake Virginia is a great spot for perching, wakeboarding, or sailing. Students here tend “to travel a lot and explore other towns in Florida during the school year.”
There are “always events on campus that are fun,” like “a student who is a DJ [who] had a concert on the lawn one night,” and almost one-third of the school is involved in Greek life. Community service is also “a pretty big part of the campus,” and there is “always something service-related going on either from student groups or from the community engagement office.”