<p>I got accepted for the Summer B Term at UF. I also got accepted to FIU in the Fall. UF has always been my first choice but now i'm wondering whether it matters where I do my undergrad if I plan on going to graduate school. I've heard from some that employers focus more on graduate school than undergraduate school (and sometimes don't consider undergraduate school at all). To what extent is this true? I love the idea of UF, the experience, the Independence (because I live in Miami) but FIU is a lot more cheaper; I can save money by not having to live on campus, I'll have more accessible support from my parents, and I'll save a lot of money just by not having to buy so much things in order to move like I have to for UF.
I would be geared more towards FIU if the suggested theory that it doesn't matter where you do your undergrad happens to be true because then I would rather save money and invest it in graduate school. </p>
<p>What do you think? Any Gators out there with an opinion on this?</p>
<p>I’m in the same position (but UF for fall), although I highly doubt I’ll end up at FIU. Depending on if I get any merit aid from UF, though, I may consider FSU. I just don’t think the academics at FIU are comparable. I know many people who end up at Miami-Dade once they enroll at FIU because of the two schools’ agreement (and if it all transfers in the end with only a 5 mile and $3000 difference or so, I see the point) – so in the end it may be MDC vs. UF. There is no comparison; I’m at MDC as a dual enrollee and I strongly dislike (“hate” is too strong a word) it. I could give you a novel as to why but I’m already a little off topic. And in the end I see FIU as an extension of MDC – it’s where most people from there go, anyway, and quite frankly I want to be away from most of Dade’s students.</p>
<p>So, in the end it may not matter where you went to undergrad, but as a fellow HS senior I think that UF beats FIU overall.</p>
<p>I feel that going to FIU may not be the best choice. Sure, going to USF, UCF, FSU over UF is common, but you also need to think about the opportunities that your undergrad school will provide you. If you feel the FIU will provide you a solid education, internships, etc that will make you a competitive grad school applicant, FIU it is.</p>
<p>I understand where you are coming from. I’ve been to MDC for dual enrollment and I wasn’t fond of it either. I’m only towards FIU because of the money. I’ve heard that getting merit scholarships at UF is hard because everyone that goes to UF has merit. </p>
<p>By the way, have you paid your rooming deposit for UF? Is it too late?</p>
<p>undecid3d, we’re in Miami and a LOT of very smart people go to FIU for the exact reasons you’ve mentioned. Because of the large number of students whose parents won’t let them go out-of-town, there are plenty of really smart people at FIU. The college has come up since I was in undergrad (at UM) and it will come up more. My daughter would be considering it there, but they don’t have her major, which is agriculture. I really don’t think you need to worry about the quality of education, but I think you should apply for the Honors College. Also, did you get a scholarship to FIU? A lot of people go there because, if you get a scholarship to FIU and get Bright Futures, you actually get money back. That could really help pay for grad school. Also, yes, I agree that if you are going to grad school, where you went to undergrad isn’t as important. I have a friend who went to Gonzaga for undergrad and Harvard for grad school. Guess which one she brings up in conversation and which one got her the professorial position she now holds.</p>