Decision between FSU and UF

<p>hey, I am a local floridian who lives on the Florida Pannhandle I need to quickly choose between the two. For about 14 years, i have passionatley been a fan of Florida State athletics, and I know it will be hard to switch to their biggest rivals, the gators. I am almost positive that I will major in Media Production (off of communications). I can balance my work and partying pretty well: I'm not going to completley stress out and cancel events because of my classes but I'm going to get the job done and hopefully not slack off.</p>

<p>I need to make my choice very soon and I will appreciate any help and advice.</p>

<p>this might help you out a bit</p>

<p>USNews.com:</a> America's Best Colleges 2008: National Universities: Top Schools</p>

<p>UF hands down is a better school academic and althletic wise. FSU isnt a bad school, but its a bit off of UF standards.</p>

<p>Overall UF solidly trumps FSU, but media studies is one of the areas where I believe FSU is a good bit stronger.</p>

<p><em>edit</em> I misunderstood what you wanted to major in. The UF equivalent to the FSU major you named would be Telecommunications, in the journalism school, with an emphasis on production. In this case UF is definitely the much stronger and prestigious institution.</p>

<p>Visit both schools, look at their studios, talk to the people there. You'll know. Son had been a 'Noles fan all his life. These days he bleeds orange and blue. He's majoring in telecommunications (journalism/news/broadcasting) at UF and when he visited both schools (right before May 1, I REALLY understand...), for him it was a no-brainer.</p>

<p>Mom2three is right, you have to visit. Did a UM to UF visit last year, back to back with S. Tiring? Yes, but comparing them that way really highlighted the contrasts between them. I have visited FSU also, it's almost a halfway between the two (smaller campus like UM, architecture somewhat like UF)</p>

<p>Look, 2 1/2 hours to T'hasee from Destin (I was stationed at Hurlburt), then get back on 10, take a right turn at Lake City on to 75 and your in G'ville. Do it next week and be an informed college consumer.</p>

<p>"I can balance my work and partying pretty well: I'm not going to completley stress out and cancel events because of my classes but I'm going to get the job done and hopefully not slack off."</p>

<p>Not trying to pontificate here, but as a parent, that statement does give me pause. "Hopefully?" This is a great opportunity, be committed. Yes, a student doesn't live by studying alone, but "events" have a way of distracting even the best. I'm reminded of a star QB from FWB HS. Despite winning the Heisman and being the big man on campus at UF, Danny Wuerfel still kept himself focused on his studies and faith; he is doing charity work, last I heard. You can party until your 50 and slumped over the bar. You only get one shot at being 18 and starting college at a great university (no matter which one you pick). Please, use your time wisely and best of luck!</p>

<p>I'm in the same situation, but I'm not sure what class sizes are like for undergrads at UF...</p>

<p>"this might help you out a bit</p>

<p>USNews.com: America's Best Colleges 2008: National Universities: Top Schools</p>

<p>UF hands down is a better school academic and althletic wise. FSU isnt a bad school, but its a bit off of UF standards."</p>

<p><a href="http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/rank/2007/ARWU2007_Top100.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/rank/2007/ARWU2007_Top100.htm&lt;/a> Academic Ranking of World Universities agrees. UF is ranked 51st in the world and 38th in the United States. FSU doesn't even make it the top 100. It is ranked at 151st to 202nd in the world and 77th to 98th in the United States.</p>

<p>I'm sure that the OP is aware of those. Spouting the rankings (and lots of people debate the methodology) doesn't help, and may perpetuate the reputation that UF has of being, well, arrogant. There is more (I hope) to choosing the best college fit than picking the lowest number in the rankings that accepted you and sending in the money.</p>

<p>I think that if the OP visits the departments that he/she is interested in at both schools, the choice (whichever it may be) will become clear. When my son was making the same decision, he ended up choosing UF. Not because of the rankings, but because of what he found when he investigated the programs at both schools.</p>

<p>With regard to class size, some more numbers for your review:</p>

<p>Faculty to student ratio:
FSU 21.3 to 1 (See: <a href="http://www.ir.fsu.edu/Common_Data_Set/2007-08/I.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.ir.fsu.edu/Common_Data_Set/2007-08/I.html&lt;/a&gt;)
UF 21.7 to 1 (See: Office</a> of Institutional Planning and Research - Common Data Set: Instructional Faculty & Class Size)</p>

<p>My older daughter who is just now graduating with a degree in biochemistry (Phi Beta Kappa) selected FSU over UF because of the opportunity to perform undergraduate research, scholarships and other intangibles. She was accepted to both schools. She has never regretted her selection.</p>

<p>You also might want to consider the trajectory FSU is on - they just dropped 20% of their incoming freshman class. Enrolled SAT scores at FSU have rising (See: <a href="http://www.ir.fsu.edu/Performance_Indicators/Major/Mj05.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.ir.fsu.edu/Performance_Indicators/Major/Mj05.pdf&lt;/a&gt;) even without the lower 20% being dropped, no one knows how much they will increase now.</p>

<p>Are you implying that the opportunity for undergraduate research is somehow not there at UF, or that somehow in the next four years FSU will have surpassed UF in anything other than the liberal arts because the incoming class is smaller?</p>

<p>I also find it comical that you'd have us believe that you had nothing to do with your daughter's decision (yeah, she has grandparents who went to UF, etc. etc.)</p>

<p>I am stating that FSU emphasizes support for undergraduates who undertake independent research. The degree they allow talented students to work at near graduate levels (with funding and mentoring) is unusual. I don't know if UF does this or not. I doubt it, in select areas of biochemistry at least, as my daughter presented her work at a national scientific conference and there were no UF students present. From this the original poster can form their own conclusions about this aspect.</p>

<p>It is distinctly possible that FSU will close the relatively recent gap in FTIC stats that has appeared in UF's favor. Surpass UF? Not until FSU's engineering program improves at the undergraduate level and FSU's med school and law school mature. In law, FSU law is already more selective than UF law.</p>

<p>Please write back when you find time to raise your own children. :)</p>

<p>This is what's available for UF students who wish to pursue their own independent research.
"The University Scholars Program introduces undergraduate students at the University of Florida to the exciting world of academic research. In the Program, students work one-on-one with UF faculty on selected research projects. Through this initiative, students will take away an understanding of and appreciation for the scholarly method. The University Scholars Program serves as an exceptional capstone to the academic careers of UF students." </p>

<p>LINK: University</a> Scholars Program</p>

<p>IF you want to do research within the UF labs the opportunities are endless and can be found at: <a href="http://www.honors.ufl.edu/webapps/researchdb/Default.aspx%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.honors.ufl.edu/webapps/researchdb/Default.aspx&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>There are absolutelly no research opportunities found at FSU that can't be found at UF in greater quantities.</p>

<p>Class sizes really depend on what class you are taking. I took Physical Geology and had maybe 20 kids in the class. Mac 1140, you are in a lecture hall and then a TA has about 30 students when you take quizzes. They both have office hours and I have never had a problem getting a hold of a teacher when I have needed too.</p>

<p>Its really easy to make the campus smaller but like everyone said, you need to visit the campus, etc.</p>

<p>Here's FSU's undergraduate research page: fsu.edu</a> | Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors</p>

<p>Please let me know how UF has greater research opportunities than FSU in Meteorology, for example: FSU</a> Meteorology Home Page - Florida State University Meteorology Department Or perhaps more than FSU at the Magnet Lab National</a> High Magnetic Field Laboratory - Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Maybe political science is your interest? The commute from Gainesville will be killer.</p>

<p>This is not to suggest UF does not have some great opportunities. It does. It is to say that UF is limited and that to overlook FSU is an error. Both universities have specialties that get glossed over when the only thing you look at are US News overall ratings. You think one school is so much better simply because it is rated higher (which can be quite temporary) but that rating does not figure in the nuanced nature of a large university.</p>

<p>So you can come up with three examples, one of which is a major program not offered at UF (does anyone go to UF to be a meteorologist?), the other two have everything to do with geographic location and nothing to do with quality of institution. Is that really it?</p>

<p>You're the one who not so subtly implied that the research opportunities at FSU are better than those at UF, and you have yet to back that up:</p>

<p>
[quote]
...selected FSU over UF because of the opportunity to perform undergraduate research...

[/quote]
</p>

<p>A more in context quote would be:</p>

<p>My older daughter who is just now graduating with a degree in biochemistry (Phi Beta Kappa) selected FSU over UF because of the opportunity to perform undergraduate research, scholarships and other intangibles. She was accepted to both schools. She has never regretted her selection.</p>

<p>As you wish. The context changes nothing - so now the opportunity for research is one of the reasons she chose "FSU over UF". </p>

<p>explain yourself..</p>

<p>Not to mention that the magnetic lab is a joint venture by FSU, Los Alamos & UF! With research occurring at UF also.
Also Metereology Dept only has 200 Undergraduates.
Poor examples.</p>

<p>My examples are fine as meteorology aptly shows the nuanced nature of these two schools and illustrates that many UF-interested students who figure UF is the answer for all majors plainly is false, as stated in post #3 Overall UF solidly trumps FSU and post #7* UF hands down is a better school academic and althletic wise. FSU isnt a bad school, but its a bit off of UF standards* in this thread alone.</p>

<p>The Mag Lab is located in Tallahassee with only a small part at UF in Gainesville. It is located nearby the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering in Innovation Park.</p>

<p>My daughter's choice is hers to explain. I've come as close as I can without putting words in her mouth. UF did not have what she wanted, and research was one of the areas she wanted. What UF has done in this area of undergraduate research since 2004 is not surprising, as FSU and UF copy each other frequently.</p>

<p>Since you ask me to explain why I think FSU is as viable an option as UF for a multitude of reasons let me start by saying my opinion will come off to non-FSU/UF interested kids as a bit snobbish, but there is a reason why I think this way.</p>

<p>I am a fairly old guy (and parent) who grew up in Florida and visited both schools (FSU and UF) regularly growing up. I watched both universities for decades and wound up attending and graduating from FSU in the 1970s. Other family members attended and graduated from UF, some from both schools.</p>

<p>These two schools have achieved what I call critical mass in terms of public residential universities - the only two to do so in Florida in this class. They have achieved excellence (such as it is in the current fiscal environment) in multiple areas, almost always in areas of long term emphasis. Many times this excellence is not addressed by simplified magazine ratings. FSU still has more liberal arts areas and UF more vocational areas. </p>

<p>Many from Florida do not think about schools in this way as they tend to be relative newcomers to Florida and only know what they have perceived for the past few years. I take the longer view. For example, when I attended FSU, UF was not seen as it is today by some. Other schools that are commuter schools in Florida want to have the characteristics of these two, but don't for many structural and political reasons. They are spending millions and millions to compete with what I will call the two flagship schools.</p>

<p>The fairly recent acceptance of the public of surveys like US News have affected universities and selection of same in probably more negative than positive ways. This may be illustrated by general ignorant comments that one school is better than another. Large public universities like UF and FSU are very nuanced places that are quite different in significant ways and similar in others. It is very hard to make sweeping general statements accurately. Most often the statements can be proved false or successfully attacked and discounted. Opinion abounds, most unreliable. </p>

<p>The consuming public (generally high school age children) finds comparison difficult between nuanced offerings so they latch onto simplistic ratings and proclaim their choice wise. Peer pressure and other herd dynamics play into decisions and thus some schools become more popular, especially if they are closer to population centers and thus parents. School "A" becomes "superior" to school "B" even if it makes no sense in reality. Add in sports attraction and you have a near-complete feedback loop of ignorance.</p>

<p>For any typical undergraduate able to achieve admission to either school in the main they will be fine unless they elect a particular strength the school does not have, but the other does (I'll be happy to list some of those if you want, meteorology is an example). Generally this only matters at the graduate level, but does matter at the undergraduate level in some areas. Both will provide a well-rounded liberal education in a traditional residential setting. Honors programs enhance the experience, but is not necessary. Students may enter Honors programs later, even if they don't qualify at admission - at least at FSU. </p>

<p>Most of what makes a university education at these two schools is based entirely on the individual's drive and persistence. Professors do actually get to know students and will eventually see individual performance, though large public schools, such as these, tend to be meritocracies rather than more political environments that can be found in private schools. You will quickly find this out if you attend either. Embarrassing examples can be found to the contrary, but generally this is correct.</p>

<p>usf is also a very underrated school</p>

<p>it is a tier 3 right now, but hey, the school accepted its first students in 1960</p>

<p>within a decade, at its pace, it will be up there with uf</p>

<p>and plus, it is 63 in the country in research and 2nd in the state behind uf</p>

<p>you should consider it</p>