TAMPA, FL: U. of Tampa is a small (1700 full-time students), private university with many majors offered. The classes are small, and the school is truly unique. The campus is built around a main building which was originally the Tampa Bay Hotel. This building, while housing many classrooms, the Rathskeller, function rooms, offices, and a museum, has 13 minarets, carved archways, and even a fountain. Every classroom in this building is decorated in a different style. For example, the 1776 Room has red and blue plaid carpeting with a light fixture shaped like a red drum.

The dorms are average, some have sinks in the rooms, while others are suite-style. All are coed with one all-female dorm. My tour guide suggested which dorm to request. Many of the campus buildings are pink in a Spanish style.

The college is located right on the Hillsborough River so there are many water sports, and there is a new boathouse. Being a small school, there was a friendly atmosphere on campus with the interview being very personal and the tour well-organized. There are a few fraternities and sororities on campus along with the regular clubs. Overnight visits for prospective students are easy to arrange. My mom was pleased to learn that all the buildings are air-conditioned.

Tampa is a nice modern city, and the beach is nearby. There is another college in the city, University of South Florida, which is very large and modern. Having two universities in one city makes Tampa a good place to go to school. The atmosphere on campus made a good impression on me. There was a nice personal feeling on campus. As with all the other Florida schools I visited, casual clothes for both the interview and attending classes are the norm.




Reviewed in 1990