To everyone reading, I wanted some advice and hopefully experiences that would help me out. First off, i have been in the ib programme and have worked my ass off, (4.7 gpa, 29 act, tons of community service, etc). I have been with my boyfriend for 4 years, and we have an amazing relationship. We are both high school sweethearts, and he is going to ucf on a football scholarship. Recently (this school year) my parents separated and he really helped me heal and we have grown even closer. I am between two schools: fsu and ucf. I am looking to go into pre-med, and i like both campuses but they have pros and cons. I have always liked fsu better, but i am emotionally scared that I will not be able to handle the distance between my boyfriend and I (4 hours) and i know if i went to ucf, i would still not see him that much since he has a TIGHT schedule but just the thought of him being there would help me. However, FSU had been a college I was excited to get into. Here are my pro’s and cons for each. Fsu pro’s: love campus, rooming with a friend from childhood, feels like college to me, has the school spirit element that ucf lacks (big rivalry that is a nationwide known school), feels out of state and i wish i could go out of state Cons: i have heard there is not as good med program as ucf, away from my boyfriend, not much to do in tally. UCF pro’s: good med program, recieving slightly more financial aid, good location (ucf so near many different things and disney, universal, etc), rooming with a good friend if went, very nice campus, my boyfriend attending, and i am also applying for the honors program. cons: seems as less school spirit, easier to get into which makes ib seem less worth it, and it doesn’t feel like a traditional college like fsu. I just am scared about how i will do, and i am scared that i will be miserable at fsu and always be wanting to see him instead of focusing on myself. However, i know i do like fsu slightly more for it’s prestige but is it worth it?
Are you a senior, and this is a decision you need to make by the end of the week?
You can be successful for pre-med at either school. I know someone doing pre-med at FSU right now, very smart, got involved in some research there right away. He also had the option of UF, but FSU was a little more pro-active in terms of making opportunities available to him. He says while there is some “friendly competition” among pre-meds at FSU, he feels the atmosphere in general is more collaborative. They help each other succeed. The impression at UF is somewhat the opposite, a little more cutthroat.
UCF I’m not really sure how their general atmosphere is with pre-meds. I know they’re getting ready to build another nice medical facility over there, though.
For your personal situation, I disagree that there’s “not much to do in Tally.” It seems like there’s a ton of stuff for students to do (although not of the “theme park” variety). As a pre-med, is this really a huge concern? I would think you wouldn’t have that much free time to fill other than normal student activities. I agree with your assessment of the two schools vis a vis the culture. In fact when we visited UCF on an accepted students day (a Saturday), I was surprised at how empty the campus felt, even when it got to be late morning/early afternoon! I don’t know if the students sleep in, go home, or are out doing the many things Orlando has to offer, but it seemed like there were WAY more high school seniors on campus than the few college students I saw.
In general though I liked the campus. And it does seem busy during the week.
You can’t beat FSU’s campus for atmosphere, though. It’s almost like being on a movie set!
Anyway, what’s going to matter most to you is where you can be successful. Where will you get the better GPA? Where will you be able to focus on your studies? If you’re going to spend your weekends driving to UCF to see your boyfriend, that might not be a good use of your time, so maybe UCF is the better choice.
Only you can make that decision. Lots to think about.