@xxyyzz00 @xpd600090 I don’t think that getting classes should be a problem. Honors students can sign up for 3 semesters at a time (fall, spring, and summer). For freshman year, though, you should definitely have the classes you want pre-selected and in your “shopping cart” when you get to orientation so you can submit your selections quickly. Also, if there ever is a problem in getting classes, honors students can email Rex Roberts to get an override and be put in the class needed.
@xpd600090: I might have expressed myself incorrectly. In my opinion, for premeds, UCF is superior than UTD. I am just being ultra careful for not missing any important details. My wonder is that why there aren’t much more NMFs wanting to attend UCF, for it has an exceptional value.
I haven’t visited any schools. I didn’t have a chance due to personal reasons, but also I don’t want to visit them too early. Feel is certainly important, but once you get in love with a school, you tend to undermine red flags. I am trying to keep an open mind as much as possible, analyzing each and every aspect of each school (good or bad).
As of now, UCF is my front-runner. Of course, this may change as time goes and I learn more things. I felt that I needed to explain myself since I didn’t want to imply anything negative about UCF. Just want to leave no stone unturned.
@xxyyzz00 I hope you try to visit UTD and learn more about their pre-heath track. It’s not my sons’ path so I haven’t followed it cloesly but many of their friends are considering UTD for pre-med.
@sewin2music: Thank your for your explanation. It was helpful.
If we decide to attend UCF at the end, we can help each other in terms of selecting the right courses before the orientation. It seems first-year advising is crucial, especially in premed track.
I read all 523 reviews on Google about UCF. Most were very favorable. Main concerns were parking and registration. Both don’t seem to pose a problem for NMFs, as most would stay in Tower3 and guaranteed registration. I just wanted to make sure if it is indeed “guaranteed registration”. Your comments imply that it is.
I agree with @3scoutsmom . When I visited, I was very impressed with the pre-med program. The neuroscience professor that I met with was amazing at UTD had done duet if partnership with IT Southwestern’s medical school. They have this program, Green fellows I think, and basically you go to UT Southwestern’s medical school to do medical research for a whole semester. This allows you to get familiar with their medical school and make connections.
@sewin2music and @3scoutsmom I agree about UTD pre-med and neuroscience department. My daughter was very impressed with both programs and the relationship offered with Southwestern. Also the Greens Fellow and the Clark Summer Research Fellow positions were very impressive.
I am trying to learn more about UTD premed track. I looked at Green Fellowship online. It says “Most have completed three years of study at UT Dallas before beginning the program.” If so, it won’t be much of a help to premeds. Clark summer research program, on the other hand, seems to target incoming freshman. Anybody knows how easy to get accepted into this program? Its deadline is April 1st.
@xxyyzz00 they have restructured the Clark research program this year and will be accepting many more students this year. I get the feeling they are targeting high stats kids for this program. Many of the student speakers at the National Merit Preview Day participated in this program and spoke very highly of it. UTD is a research school and they encourage students to be get involved with research at all levels.
@xxyyzz00 I can not speak with certainty for UCF but will say with universities that offer priority registration that it is a huge benefit. At Texas Tech where my other daughter attends it is just that. We are going to UCF again on the 23rd of March so will ask the question, but there is no reason why they wouldn’t honor their commitment. The NM students we talked with seemed to feel they get all the classes they requested but again, I will double check !
UCF offers priority registration for both fall and spring in the fall for NMF.
yes, UCF was very clear that they register their Honors students 3 semesters in advance. Honors students get the classes they want and need.
My son is a National Merit Finalist. He’s waiting to hear from several colleges. I have heard that he should update his status with the schools and let them know he’s a finalist. I have heard that, among other things, it helps your schools know that you are still interested. Do you know the best way to do this?
@goldenbuddy – I just logged on with similar question! My specific question is whether highly selective colleges really want/need you to notify that you’ve moved from SF to Finalist? I read online from one admissions counselor that they just assume you be a NMF because they see your high grades on transcripts and they don’t really want to be bothered. Is it annoying to them to have applicants reach out with the update? My daughter has 9 colleges outstanding – I think 3 of them have NMF-based scholarships (small – like $2k per year). The others either don’t have any merit aid at all or none that is NMF based. Should my daughter reach out to 1) none, 2) only the ones with NMF linked scholarships, or 3) all of them in hopes of increasing chances of acceptance. Thanks in advance for any advice!
Tell me it’s normal to get to this point and suddenly wonder if you’ve got all the right colleges on the narrowed-down list! Maybe it’s a bit of buyer’s remorse, but I’ve got this knot in the pit of my stomach as we near the end here and I worry my daughter has ended up with the wrong colleges to choose from. Yikes! I’m sure it’s just cold feet and it’ll pass once a final decision is made. At least, I hope that’s what happens. [-O<
I know we’ve made the right decision, that S has made the right decision, but I still have some knee-jerk, freak out moments every now and then.
It will all work out in the end. (Or so I hope!)
SB 4 in Florida • “Referred to Calendar” today.
@FSUdad93 Good news $$$ getting closer for all you OOS NMFs interested in FSU, UF, and UCF!
@g8torlaw We received the offer from UCF and it covered full cost of attendance. Is it your impression that this might increase offers?
@FSUdad93 , some interesting tidbits buried in the House’s HB 423 bill analysis from the committee hearing yesterday. This is an analysis of the changes to the Benacquisto scholarship, applying it to OOS National Merit Scholars. What I find interesting is the budgetary assumption that the number of OOS NMSs will remain constant at 54, at a cost of $1.2 million. While that may be true next year as this program gets going, I suspect OOS NMS’s are going to explode at UF, FSU, and others as NMS’s in CA, TX etc… realize they can go to FLA schools for free! Also interesting to see the number for highest State University System cost of attendance in 2016-17 was $23,463. So the amount of the scholarship applicable to U of Miami will likely be close to this amount.
Benacquisto Scholarship Program
The bill modifies eligibility requirements for the Benacquisto Scholarship Program to attract qualified students from out-of-state and assist these students in paying for higher education in Florida, graduate on time, and incur less education-related debt. Specifically, this section:
Establishes student eligibility criteria, which apply only to students who are not residents of the state and who initially enroll in a baccalaureate degree program in the 2018-2019 academic year or thereafter, requiring such students to:
o Physically reside in Florida on or near the campus of the postsecondary education institution in which they enroll;
o Earn a high school diploma or equivalent or complete a home education program, comparable to Florida; and
o Be accepted by and enroll full-time in a baccalaureate degree program at an eligible regionally accredited public or private postsecondary education institution.
Provides that for an eligible student who is not a resident of the state and who attends:
o A public postsecondary education institution, the award amount must be equal to the institutional cost of attendance113 for a resident of the state less the student’s National Merit Scholarship. Such student is exempt from out-of-state fees.
o A private postsecondary education institution, the award amount must be equal to the highest cost of attendance114 for a resident of the state enrolled at a state university, less the student’s National Merit Scholarship.
Of the 320 National Merit Scholars (NMS) and National Achievement Scholars (NAS) who initially enrolled in a Florida college or university in the 2015-16 academic year,115 266 received an initial award as a Benacquisto Scholar.116 The other 54 NMS who enrolled in a Florida university during the 2015-16 academic year most likely graduated from out-of-state high schools, and thus were not eligible for the Benacquisto Scholarship. Assuming this number of students remains constant for the 2018-19 academic year, and these out-of-state students otherwise meet the eligibility requirements, the cost to fund the additional out-of-state students is estimated to be $1.2 million.
113 The 2016-17 cost of attendance on campus for full time undergraduate Florida resident students includes tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, transportation, and other expenses; the average annual cost of attendance for the State University System is $21,534.98. Board of Governors, Fall/Spring Cost of Attendance On-Campus for Full-Time Undergraduate Florida Residents 2016-17, .
114 The highest State University System cost of attendance in 2016-17 is $23,463 at Florida International University.
Can’t wait !