Set foot on the campus of Florida Southern College and step into the imaginative world of America's architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Commissioned by Florida Southern in 1938, Wright designed 18 buildings for the college. Twelve of which were built making the campus the largest single-site collection of buildings designed and built by Wright.
Construction of what would come to be known as the “Child of the Sun” campus commenced with the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel and concluded in 1958 upon completion of the Polk County Science Building.
The admissions office hosts campus tours and visit programs throughout year. The 2010 visitation event officially kicks off on January 15 with the first of the Frank Fridays program. Frank Fridays are structured visit days that include a small group campus tour, admissions and financial aid information sessions, classroom visits, and many opportunities to talk with students and counselors. Meetings with coaches can also be scheduled. The second Frank Friday will be held on March 19, 2010. Click here to learn more or register for either of the Frank Fridays events.
If you can't make it to a Frank Fridays event, a personal tour can be scheduled anytime except during holidays. Click here for more information or register.
Anyone interested in visiting campus just to see the remarkable architecture will also want to take in the “Child of the Sun” Visitors Center, home to the permanent photographs, furniture, and drawings depicting Wright’s relationship with Florida Southern. In addition, the Center hosts visiting exhibits on loan from various other Wright sites. In-depth guided tours with a docent are available for visitors by appointment, and self-guided walking tours are available at all times.
To see more photos of Wright's work for Florida Southern, visit the Smart College Visit Photo Album or Smart College Visit on Facebook.
Florida Southern College
Location: Lakeland, FL 33801
Telephone: 863-680-6234
www.flsouthern.edu
The following list of travel tips was compiled from comments made by various admissions directors and staff from colleges and universities across the U.S.
DO check the weather conditions at your destination before leaving home. Allow extra time or consider changing plans if severe weather is forecast.
DON'T blame the admissions staff if the weather created travel delays or affected your mood. Try to make the best of things.
DO plan ahead. Check the school's web site for dates of tours and information sessions and to find out if reservations are required and when these events are available. Some schools do not offer tours during semester breaks and some admissions offices will close during holiday breaks.
DON'T expect a visit to campus when classes are not in session to provide the same options or experience as visiting during the regular semester schedule for any particular school.
DO allow enough time to get a parking pass, park your vehicle and walk to the admissions office.
Depending on the size of the campus, location of parking lots, and traffic, you may need to allow as much as 30-40 minutes extra to get where you need to be.
DON'T underestimate the amount of time it takes to reach your destination even after you've arrived on campus. Driving on college campuses comes with it's own unique set of challenges that range from waiting at cross walks while large groups of students make their way to and from classes, to unusual traffic patterns, unfamiliar signage and possibly remote locations of parking areas.
DO remember that the logistics of getting to the college have nothing to do with what you will experience once you arrive and begin to explore life on that campus.
DON'T Forget to ask questions and make notes about each school you visit. Take a notebook with you or use our college visit evaluation form to keep track of where you've been and what you thought of each school you visited. It's free--print as many as you need.
Have any "Dos" and "Don'ts" you'd like to share? Comments are welcome! Use the form below to share your tips with other college visit travelers.
Smart See, Smart Do: Cornell University Cornell: A college visit you can taste The streets in
the land of Cornell University, in Ithaca, N.Y., are paved in ice
cream and delight. Imagine Triple Play Chocolate – rich dark chocolate
ice cream with morsels of fudge and a fudge swirl. Or perhaps,
Sticky Bunz, a student-developed vanilla packed with cinnamon, caramel
swirls and roasted pecans.
The university boasts the Cornell Dairy Bar with its many mouth-watering flavors.
Lest we mention Clocktower Pumpkin ice cream, a spiced pumpkin flavored dish with a brown sugar-cinnamon swirl, laden with pecans and almonds.
The Dairy Bar – part of the renown Department of Food Science – is located in the heart of Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. On warm days, the line to the Dairy Bar streams outside the store’s door.
When planning your campus visit, be sure to allow enough time taste the many flavors of Cornell. Campus tours are offered year round.
Location: Ithaca, NY
Smart See, Smart Do: Barnard CollegeA Green Roof Grows in Manhattan--
Atop a campus building, amidst the urban jungle of NYC, an idea is growing on the roof of the new Diana Center at Barnard College. The idea is that the nexus of the campus should be a place in tune with the environment and designed to meet the needs of students and faculty where a community of culture and diversity thrives.
At Barnard, which is one of the original Seven Sisters, students can sink their teeth into outstanding learning opportunities at one of the most sought-after liberal arts college for women in the United States and their toes into the occupiable planted Green Roof of the college's student center on Broadway.
Scheduled to open spring, 2010, the Diana Center has achieved the green certification of LEED Silver. Designed by WEISS/MANFREDI, the Center features an open patio and pavilion with intimate venues for student events as well as an ecologicial learning center for Barnard’s Biology and Environmental Science students.
While on their campus visit, prospective students are invited to visit Barnard’s Green Roof and enjoy the Manhattan views from this unique space.
Location:
New York City, NY
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Planning to visit Barnard Colllege in NYC? Use our Find the Perfect Hotel search to find the right hotel for your college visit.
Smart See, Smart Do: Goucher CollegeAt the intellectual, cultural, and social crossroads of Goucher College’s Baltimore campus is the Athenaeum, a103,000-square-foot building that houses Goucher's high-tech library, a public forum, classrooms, a café, an art gallery, a radio station, a center for community service, as well as places to meet and converse.
The building features two “green” roofs, a rain garden, solar water heating, and light-activated motorized window shades. Expected to be certified “Silver” according to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green-Building Rating System, the Athenaeum, which is open 24/7, is a smart place where visitors can both "see" and "do" while on their campus tour.
See what's happening right now: Athenaeum Web Cam. To see more photos, view our Photo Album.
Location: Baltimore, MD
