Bloomingdale High School Counseling Department

Attending Eckerd College demands a special sort of willpower. Why? In the words of an international business major: “We are right on the water, and it is like going to college in a resort.” With free canoes, kayaks, boats, coolers, and  tents always available for student use, it’s a wonder anyone finds time to study. But study they do, as administrators continue to lure capable students to Eckerd with small classes, skilled professors, and a thriving social scene. “Few schools are located right on the beach,” says a sophomore. “It’s Eckerd’s paradise-like setting that seals the deal for most prospective students.”

Founded in 1958 as Florida Presbyterian College and renamed 12 years later after a generous benefactor (of drugstore fame), Eckerd considers itself nonsectarian. Still, the school maintains a formal “covenant” with the major Presbyterian denomination, from which it receives some funds. The lush, grassy campus is on the tip of a peninsula bounded by the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay, with plenty of flowering bushes, trees, and small ponds—it’s not unusual to spot dolphins frolicking in the adjacent waters. Campus buildings are modern, and none are taller than three stories. The GO Pavilion takes advantage of Florida’s year-round outdoor living climate and offers nearly 10,000 square feet of open-air space for sports, concerts, and other events. The Center for Molecular and Life Sciences houses the biology, chemistry, and biochemistry programs.

Freshmen arrive three weeks early for orientation and take a one-credit seminar on the skills required for college-level work. First-years also take a yearlong course called Western Heritage in a Global Context, which focuses on influential books, and students must meet composition, foreign language, information technology, oral communication, and quantitative skills requirements. Also required are one course in each of the four academic areas—arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences—plus one course each in environmental and global perspectives. The capstone senior seminar, organized around the theme “Quest for Meaning,” asks students to draw on what they’ve learned during college to find solutions to important issues. Popular majors include marine science, environmental studies, international business, psychology, and communication.

“Although the classes are intellectually stimulating, engaging, and challenging, there is not too much competition among the students,” one junior observes. Wet subjects are especially strong. “Eckerd College is renowned for its marine science program,” says a student. “The close proximity to the ocean gives [students in] this major a great amount of hands-on, close-up experience.” The college was granted a Phi Beta Kappa chapter in 2003, making it the youngest private college ever to receive the honor. Eckerd was a pioneer of the 4–1–4 term schedule, in which students work on a single project for credit each January. Every student has a faculty mentor, and there are no graduate assistants. “The faculty here are amazing,” says a psychology major. “They are here for us and they want us to do well.” A Freeman Foundation grant funds significant coursework in the Chinese and Japanese languages.

While St. Petersburg isn’t exactly a college town (a freshman says it is “more a vacationing spot”), a side benefit to the school’s location is the Academy of Senior Professionals, a group of senior citizens who mentor undergrads. Academy members, who come from all walks of life, take classes with students, work with professors on curriculum development, help students with career choices, and lead workshops in their areas of expertise. Sixty percent of Eckerd’s students study abroad, in countries ranging from Austria and France to Bermuda. The school also maintains study centers in London, Latin America, and China. Marine science programs include a Sea Semester* and the Eckerd College Search and Rescue, which performs more than 500 marine rescues annually and inspires a popular campus T-shirt that tells students to “GET LOST! Support Eckerd Search and Rescue.”

Eckerd’s president once referred to students as “intellectuals in sandals,” says a junior. “I like the quote and it really works.” Another student says Eckerd attracts “friendly, liberal, free-spirited, and intelligent” students who enjoy the great outdoors. Seventy-eight percent of the student body hail from out of state, with a large contingent coming from the Northeast; 3 percent are foreign. Hispanics account for 8 percent of the student body, African Americans comprise 3 percent, and Asian Americans constitute 1 percent. Eleven athletic scholarships are awarded annually in baseball and basketball, and merit scholarships are available to qualified “barefoot and brainy” types. 

“The dorms at Eckerd vary greatly,” reports one student. “The traditional dorms are basic and unsightly, while the newer dorms are fantastic and aesthetically pleasing.” Eighty-one percent of students live in the housing quads, separated from the rest of campus by the imaginatively named Dorm Drive. Rooms are fairly large and air-conditioned, and waterfront views and beach access are a given—and free. Two trendy townhouse- and apartment-style residence halls provide suite living, and other dorms have been renovated to add computer labs and kitchens in lounges. “There is usually no problem getting a room and most students do not live off campus,” says a senior. And how about the food? “Dining is superior,” says one student, “with a variety of food choices ranging from traditional hamburgers and pizza, to a lively and diverse vegetarian and global selection.”

There are no Greek organizations at Eckerd, and a strict alcohol policy—no kegs on campus, no alcohol at university events—means wristbands at campus parties, even for those over 21.  

On campus, students can partake in concerts, lectures, shows, and games arranged by the student activity board. At the Festival of Hope, seniors present their Quest for Meaning social work. “Social life is primarily on campus and it really is what you make it,” a junior states. The Kappa Karnival offers rides and games galore. Off campus, students can take in the nightclubs and bars of Latin-flavored Ybor City about 30 minutes away. Tampa and St. Pete also offer a Salvador Dali museum—which Eckerd students get into for free—and professional baseball, football, hockey, and soccer teams. Tempting road trips include Orlando’s Walt Disney World and Islands of Adventure theme parks, Miami’s South Beach, and that hub of debauchery on the delta, New Orleans.

Varsity teams (the “Tritons”) compete in NCAA Division II, and the men’s basketball and baseball teams are especially competitive. “Men’s basketball is the only sport that attracts lots of fans and spectators,” a senior says, and a night of Midnight Madness helps kick off the season. The co-ed sailing team has claimed several recent divisional and regional championships. Eckerd doesn’t have a football team, but popular intramurals include flag football, soccer, baseball, softball, and the assassin game, in which students try to shoot their peers with dart guns. 

“Eckerd is the place where your dreams can become realities and where new dreams can take flight,” says one enraptured junior. Eckerd is striving to add “experiential, service, and international learning” to the traditional classroom experience and attract a higher caliber of students. That mission, combined with new facilities and the fun to be had in the Florida sun, gives Eckerd its distinctive flavor.

Deadlines & Requirements

Eckerd: Rolling admissions. Early action: Nov. 15. Application fee: $40. Campus and alumni interviews: recommended, evaluative. SATs or ACTs: required. Subject Tests: optional. Accepts the Common Application. Essay question.