I just graduated from Florida Tech last May. I loved it, the campus is beautiful, it's in Florida, and Melbourne's not a bad place. Lots of fishing and lots of kayaking, if you're into that (it's a nice way to get the marine bio girls to spend some time with you). The number of students in the aviation department is relatively small, so you never need to worry about finding planes, and you can get really close to your profs. We'd go out on the weekends and go to the bars with them, or they'd come and hang out at our house parties. Lots of top-notch profs there, and the education you'll receive is excellent. I finished all my actualy flight training (up to Commercial AMEL), if I recall correctly, at the end of my Sophomore year. After that, I took a bunch of electives, such as Air Taxi, which is about 12 - 15 hours in a Seminole... basically a way to get some additional multi-time (and also to fill a slot for one of my electives). I used that time to fly a girl I knew up to her home in NC, and we spent the weekend. I also took an aerobatics course, which was awesome, and an International Ops. course, where you spend an entire day flying around the bahamas. I don't think I took any flight courses my Senior year, I used that time to concentrate on the more difficult upper-level classes during the first half. The second half of my Senior year, I only had 9 "required" credits left, but I had to take an elective to keep my "full-time student" status. I had class 2 days a week.
Three things convinced me to go to Florida Tech:
- The reputation. People do say good things about Florida Tech.
- The campus. ERAU was too urban for me. Too many buildings, not enough trees. Florida Tech has that botanical garden which, as cheesy as it sounds, is pretty cool to walk around. Go in there and have some lunch, or do a little studying... it's nice there. Overall, I really liked the campus.
- The student body. At ERAU, you're surrounded by aviation, and aviation only. Florida Tech has everything; aviation, engineering, marine bio... It's nice to have people around to have non-aviation conversations with.
We've got plenty of internships available. You said you visited Florida Tech, so I assume you met with Paul Davis? He's in charge of internships, and he does a good job. The wall outside his office is COVERED with possibilities. He's willing to help you out with anything, and will tell you whatever you need to know.
There are PLENTY of scholarships that are available to you. If you want the name of the contact there, just send me a PM.
I applied to both Dowling and Florida Tech; I didn't apply to ERAU, but when I visited, they told me right there that they'd accept me. I visited ERAU and Florida Tech, and fell in love with the latter. I didn't need to visit Dowling, bc I did my private training in the same building as they do. You're not from NY, but you're close, so maybe you know about BOCES. My high school paid for my PPL, and I got it at the Suffolk Aviation Academy, which used to be in the same building as Dowling.
Florida Tech and Dowling both accepted me, but Dowling didn't offer me enough of a scholarship to justify winters in NY.
Don't let the high price tag of Florida Tech fool you. I'm only about $10 or $14,000 in debt (before interest) after four years. Not bad at all if you ask me. That's much less than what I would've paid at Dowling, and DEFINATELY less than ERAU. Scholarships and grants help out A LOT, you just need to find them.
I can't push Florida Tech enough. You don't get that "big-school" feeling that you'd get at Auburn, but you won't get that at ERAU either.
As far as location, climate, education, and cost are concerned, Florida Tech (IMO) is the way to go. I don't regret going there one bit.
If you've got any questions AT ALL about Florida Tech, just send me a PM.
EDIT: Not sure if you're able to PM, so if not, then you can send an email to
[email protected]