Stetson University

Date: Oct 07 2009
Major: History/Histories (art history/etc.) (This Major's Salary over time)
I went to one of the largest public school in Florida, so I wanted to go to a small private school where I would be more than just a number. That being said, I did have hope of going to an Ivy or similar school, seeing as how I was valedictorian, best test scores in my part of the county, etc. When I was rejected or waitlisted to the Ivies I applied to, I was a little disappointed that I had to go to a states school… I was afraid everyone would be an idoiot rich kid whose parents were paying for them to go to a little private school close to home. I found the exact opposite. Maybe I have a different experience, because I am in the Honors program, and entered as a sophomore because of AP/DE credits, but all of my friends are incredibly intelligent, and were waitlisted to the Ivies. Almost everyone is middle-class (which didnt help admissions at the Ivies), so nobody is snooty or elitist. Like everywhere, there are some really dumb people, and really snooty people, but you practically have to go looking for them (I only met some once… at a frat party). I was kind of nerdy in high school, but I quickly found a whole group of people who I shared interests with. My professors are amazing… they have no other goal than to teach, it seems. That being said, the work is much more difficult than I expected. Once again, my first semester over half of my classes were junior-level. I coasted through high school on intelligence, which does not cut it here- you have to do the reading and the work. But I feel as if I am learning lots. Most of the people here come from cities or suburbia, so the change to a small town is culture shock. But I come from a rural area, so I havent had any problems. There are tons of things to do in DeLand, on and off campus, all the time, such as concerts and plays (and parties if you are into that). If you want a little more, Daytona and Orlando are less than an hour away. Also, there are so many clubs and organizations that I had to pick and choose my favorites… most are very active. Because we need "cultural credits" to graduate, there are film screenings, poetry readings, and concerts several times a week.

If you want a crazy party school where you can do the bare minimum and graduate, go to a state school. But if you want to learn more than you ever thought possible, got to Stetson.

Also, be vary… most of the people who bother to post to these websites do so because of a strong negative opinion. Its a particular phenomenon… people with neutral or positive opinions tend not to go out of their way to voice opinions. I am writing on this website because I remember looking for opinions of the schools I was applying to, and I don't want somebody getting a bad idea based on a few opinions.