College Visit Review: University of Central Florida (UCF)

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During our recent trip to Florida, we carved out time to visit the University of Central Florida (UCF). My oldest son is interested in the Professional Tennis Management program that’s only offered at UCF and a handful of other schools around the country.

Since the school was not yet offering official guided tours, we printed out a map and did the self-guided tour that is recommended on the school’s website. We took an Uber from our hotel to and from the university, which was still cheaper than renting a car.

Arrival and First Impressions

We arrived shortly before lunch time so that we could eat on campus. The first building on the tour included a Chick-Fil-A and the campus book store. We ate lunch there, and my son purchased a UCF shirt.

Next, we headed to the student union. It was under refurbishment but appeared to have a full food court with lots of options.

Even though summer school was in session, the campus was a ghost town. Someone told me that many classes are still offered online, which is why no one was on campus.

Our first impressions: the campus is HUGE, has a lot of amenities, and is very pretty.

Touring Academic Buildings

We toured the Engineering and Business buildings. The classrooms seemed very modern and updated. UCF has close relationships with Disney and NASA, since both are close by.

Recreation and Wellness Center

This is where we lucked out. It was a super hot day. My younger kids were exhausted and whiny. We made it to the last stop on our tour, the Recreation and Wellness Center. When we asked if we could look around, a student worker volunteered to give us a guided tour. It was wonderful because she answered questions and told us about her experiences at UCF.

The rec center was very nice and had everything, including a rock climbing wall, indoor and outdoor pools, etc. It has an outdoor loan center where students can check out kayaks, tents, surf boards, etc.

And of course, we had to stop by the tennis courts.

Final Thoughts

I really wish we could have had a more formal tour of the school led by a student. However, it was still good to see the campus and get to talk to the student at the rec center. The campus is beautiful.

My son will need to get a scholarship/out-of-state waiver in order to attend, which is possible. After visiting, he said UCF is definitely a contender.

My husband and I agreed that UCF is nicer than the colleges we attended. We wouldn’t mind taking off four years of our lives to attend a school like this. Seriously!