<p>We all know that UF's admissions really throws some people off, and sometimes it feels like they actually do draw names out of a hat to decide who gets to go. But supposedly it got better this past year, but I don't know.</p>
<p>Anyway, I'm going to be a senior this coming school year, and I'm applying to UF, FSU, UM, and New College of Florida. My top choice is UF, but it's a total wildcard if I'll get in or not. My high school GPA weighted is 4.3, my SAT is 1180 and my ACT is 25. I'm taking both tests again, I usually manage to bump up my scores. My critical reading was 670, math was 510, and my writing was 620. I took the literature subject test and got a 660. So I realize the standardized testing is a little eh for me, but I am a very bad test taker and I accept this and I am working hard to raise my scores.</p>
<p>I have around 150 hours for community service working at Biscayne National Park, I am in National Honor Society and I am in Model UN. </p>
<p>The main thing that I am hoping helps me a lot is my passion: journalism. I just got back from the Summer Journalism Institute, which is held at UF through their program and it was awesome and I got to meet many advisers and professors. For high school: I started taking Intro to journalism my freshman year, then I got onto the school newspaper as a staff writer, then junior year I was entertainment section editor, and coming into senior year I will be editor-in-chief. I also am in the yearbook class as well as newspaper class. I started a local 'zine about the music scene around my town, and I just started a blog that writes about current events. I attended a journalism conference in NYC at Columbia University this past year. I know I can write a strong essay on journalism and my passion for it and how UF is the best fit for a journo-kid. I'm close to getting a small internship for a local paper in my town, Miami. I went to a difficult college preparatory school and I have 4 APs in total, the rest all honors courses. I took a lot of honors literature courses like Women Writers, Philosophy, Science Fiction, etc.</p>
<p>So what does it look like??</p>
<p>whats your unweighted gpa?</p>
<p>Honestly your chances aren’t that great simply based off your test scores.</p>
<p>I would retake and focus heavily on either the SAT or ACT</p>
<p>Here is the last years freshmen profile to see where you stand.</p>
<p>Don’t expect next year to be any easier.</p>
<p>UF has a great Journalism department though. So if it really is your passion I would try to emphasize and embellish that as much as possible.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.admissions.ufl.edu/ugrad/frprofile.html[/url]”>http://www.admissions.ufl.edu/ugrad/frprofile.html</a></p>
<p>Well of course the test scores could be better but extracurriculars help you out a lot. I had a high UF recalculated GPA but test scores low (around yours). But I feel what really got me in was my many extracurriculars including several clubs, sports, jobs, community service, and a internship. So far it looks like you have a good hold on extracurrics but try to join a few more clubs next year. I think you have good (but prob. not strong) chance. </p>
<p>PS: I also took three different subject tests, that might have helped me…</p>
<p>Good Luck!</p>
<p>Yikes! That chart showing last year’s freshman class is discouraging :(</p>
<p>It really is the stupid standardized testing that gets me. Like I said, I am taking both tests again. I took the SAT the first time and got a very low score, but the second time I took it my score went up more than 100 points, so I want to at least break a 1200 and maybe get around mid 1200s this last time I take it. And I have only taken my ACT once, so if I just bring it up 2 or 3 points I will feel much more in the ballpark. </p>
<p>Hopefully I can get that on track. I have heard over and over that they dig journalism students, maybe because their college is amazing for it, so I’m really going to focus on that. I’ll just hope for the best, but at the same time I’m realistic and I have seen many people more qualified than me get turned down.</p>
<p>the fact that you were involved in UF summer programs for journalism should help you</p>
<p>aforautumn, that’s what what we were told. I’m hoping that if I just get my SAT to the 1200s, I’ll use the journalism niche to really get there. I also talked to some freshmen and they said that in their cases, their essay was make or break. And I may have mentioned this, but I have heard that UF doesn’t want to be a safety school, so they reject a lot of qualified students so I’m hoping that since they saw I participated in a program there and am interested in it, they’ll realize that I really want to go to their school and what not.</p>
<p>For now, I’ll focus on the SATs and ACT.</p>
<p>when you said you have 4 aps, did you mean up until now, or including the upcoming year?</p>
<p>Including upcoming year. 4 APs total.</p>
<p>hey ! i know the situation you are in! i was in the 2009 pool for fall 09 admission this past spring ! my ACT was NOT that great , only getting a 26 after several tries. my standardized tests were not that great, my i had an uw gpa of 4.0 and a 4.4 wgpa. my activites list was very extensive with a lot of community service. make sure you do good on your admissions essay because that is where you get to show some personality. </p>
<p>pick one test to focus on and try to bump your test scores up a bit and work hard your senior year and dont slack off ! keep taking those ap classes !
good luck !</p>