Florida State University (FSU) is a Florida public
university with about 33K undergraduate students in the state capital Tallahassee,
a small city in the northern part of the state.
Academics – Top majors at FSU are biology, business,
engineering, psychology and clinical professions. The university has a 94%
retention rate and a 90% six-year graduation rate.
The engineering program is a
joint institution serving both FSU and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical
University (FAMU).
Studying abroad – Over 2000 students study abroad each year in
one of 20 countries. See “Financial” for a special deal for out-of-state students
who study abroad for their freshman year.
Extracurricular Activities – FSU is a NCAA Division 1 school
with a football team. There are no fraternities or sororities. One unusual
extracurricular activity is the FSU Flying High Circus.
Housing – First year students live in a suite or an
apartment style building. There are Living and Learning Communities for shared
interests (e.g., social justice), shared majors (e.g., music), and shared
career paths (e.g., health professions).
Financial – The in-state cost for tuition and fees, housing,
meal plan, and books and supplies is about $18.3K per year, while the out-of-state
cost for the same items is about $33.5K per year.
One unusual draw to FSU is that out-of-state students are
eligible for in-state tuition for the remainder of their undergraduate degree if
they spend their first year abroad in an FSU study center in London, England;
Florence, Italy; Panama City, Panama; or Valencia, Spain, typically saving
about $36K.
Applying – Students who apply by November 1 have a decision
by January 31 and priority consideration for merit aid.
The student admitted profile for the Fall mid-50% is a core
academic GPA of 4.1-4.5, and an SAT of 1290 – 1400 or an ACT of 28 – 32.
The student admitted profile for the Summer
mid-50% is a little lower: core academic GPA of 3.8 – 4.3, SAT of 1210 – 1310
or an ACT of 25 – 29.
