How is University of Florida Perceived out of state?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Florida
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<p>I have copied this post from a thread of a comparison between Miami vs. Florida that I felt all should read.</p>

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<p>Florida is probably a bit harder to get into than Miami from an admission's perspective. However,if you leave Florida, you wouldn't know this. University of Miami is generally better respected and better known than University of Florida. Although both have similiar college rankings in US News and World Reports, It hasn't helped Florida to have a HORRIBLE academic reputation on Princeton Review. Here are the Princeton review rankings of Florida:</p>

<h1>1 in the country as a Jock School</h1>

<h1>6 in the country as having teaching assistants teaching too many courses</h1>

<h1>9 in the country for "lots of beer"</h1>

<h1>11 in the country for "party school"</h1>

<h1>15 in the country for "students rarely study"</h1>

<h1>16 in the country for "lots of hard liquor"</h1>

<p>The Princeton Review rankings may not be fair, but this is the perception of Florida around the country. Sorry, but Miami has a MUCH better academic reputation in some ways. Thus, before you run to Florida for price or otherwise, keep these rankings/perceptions in mind.</p>

<p>Also, Miami has a lot of duel programs and good BS/MD programs. They do make it easier to get into their graduate/professiosnal schools if you were an undergraduate there.</p>

<p>Miami also attracts more geographically diverse kids than Florida. Princeton Review rates Miami as among the top 4 most diverse schools in the country. Florida attracts mostly Floridians.</p>

<p>Florida is a state school, which is subject to the vageries of state funding, which is not the case for Miami. In addition, I have found that most state schools tend to be much less caring about their administration than that of private schools. It is usually easier to get things done, contact advisors, register, get transcripts etc., with private schools than with state schools, although this does vary from school to school.</p>

<p>Finally, having lived in South Florida, I can tell you that Miami has a much strong alumni based and base of connections than Florida. Thus, if you want to live in or near South Florida, the Miami connections will be more helpful than that of Univ. of Florida.</p>

<p>The bottom line is that each school has a different culture and different strengths. You really need to check out each school.</p>

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<p>perception is misconceived imo. its a superior school to UM in many ways and I'm a miamian. If i told you students at...say...stanford are all nerds with no life MANY would prove me wrong</p>

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<p>Ruo, I am not arguing whether the perception is right or wrong; however, this is the perception. When considering Florida, kids have to deal with this reality.</p>

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<p>Can I ask you honestly why you would post something like this on the UF threads? Do you have some agenda, such as boosting interest in the school that you like better? Are you a Miami grad or current student there? This just seems really smarmy, but whatever. It's like you are trying to be middle of the road, but your bias is clearly obvious. </p>

<p>Also, in reading the Princeton Review section of UF vs. Miami, the academics are ranked equally, but the selectivity and and freshman profile of UF are higher. Then in further reading, quotes from the Miami section pretty much sum up what the attitude is concerning UM from where I live (oos, suburban competitive school, high level students attending colleges all over the country) "Over the years, Miami has gotten far more national attention for the escapades of the 'Canes on and off the football field than it has for academic excellence." and, "They are also fiercely competitve and there is a noticeable contingent of "arrogant, self-centered, spoiled rich kids" here." and, "Life can be a "constant fashion contest" though, and many students choose to spend their free time getting buff and "working on their appearance."..... Yep, pretty much sums up what we think about Miami. We have our own Miami, it's called SMU. They could be sister schools.</p>

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<p>UF's peer assesment score 3.6</p>

<p>UM's peer assesment score 3.2</p>

<p><a href="http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k226/calidan87/?action=view&current=70-120.jpg%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k226/calidan87/?action=view&current=70-120.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>ag54, I was just responding to another thread. I have no agenda one way or the other. Notice, I didn't comment on Florida's academics from personal experience,because I have no experience with Florida. I am simply showing what others think about Florida from an out of state perspective.</p>

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<p>I am a Floridian, and I think that asking what the perception of Uof F is out of state is a fair question. Perhaps is should have been asked on another forum to be less "inflamatory."</p>

<p>I have lived in Florida for 36 of my 50 years. Basically here from age ten till now except for 4 years at a medical residency at UVA. And I will be honest. Until I had high school kids and started looking into the whole college app process, I still thought about Uof F as a party/athlete school. That is NOT to say that I did not think VERY HIGHLY of its med school and SHANDS. I knew that the medical programs were top notch. But I did not really know just how competitive Uof F had become as far as undergrad academics went until just recently. </p>

<p>So, unfortunately, perception can be a problem. I DO NOT think that CC posters have that perception. I think that as you do your "homework" and research, you find out what is true and what is perception. But if you are asking someone who is not in the college "loop" about U of F, you may get a reaction that is about "perception." </p>

<p>I am not sure why my "perception" about U of M was better. Back in the day, it had its own reputation for parties, and problem athletes. But somehow, at least within the state, there was quite a bit of press about U of M trying hard to change that perception. U of M most likely spent more public relations money, and they ultimately changes more people's perceptions by doing so.</p>

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<p>"I can tell you that Miami has a much strong alumni based and base of connections than Florida."</p>

<p>If your alumni base is so much stronger than UF's, then why is your athletic department in so much debt? </p>

<p>Why aren't your boosters supporting their university?</p>

<p>Why do you only have 8 thousand people show up to watch your Spring football game (whereas UF has over 58 thousand)?</p>

<p>Does UM even own it's own stadium?</p>

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<p>Actually my impression from the other side of the country is "man, those are some ugly uniforms." :) </p>

<p>Actually I think UF UM and FSU are known more for football than anything else by the general public. I would think they are viewed as average big colleges no better or worse than our state public universities. </p>

<p>I guess UF should be glad they're not the U of Oregon.</p>

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<p>Ssobick, taxguy is saying that it is only a perception that the University of Florida is a jock school with a lot of partying, drinking and little studying.</p>

<p>If you go to the average person or someone not involved in the college admissions process with litle knowledge on the subject of colleges, unfortunately many people do think that University of Florida is just another huge state school with a lot of drinking, partying, football and litle studying.</p>

<p>I don't believe that perception is correct, but I'm also informed on the subject of colleges and the admissions process.</p>

<p>It is not a negative statement towards U of F, instead it should be viewed as an opportunity for the school to help its out of state or national reputation and make its national reputation an accurate representation of what many college insiders and admissions counselors know about University of Florida.</p>

<p>I believe University of Miami already addressed some of those issues and made it a point to publicize its efforts to really improve the academics. It also boasts about its increase from a rank of just 66 four years ago to 54 currently in the U.S. News rankings.</p>

<p>I think both University of Miami and University of Florida are great schools, for certain types of people. I think University of Florida's perception nationally or to the average person is not a good perception, nor is it accurate. </p>

<p>Furthermore, this thread should be viewed as a good opportunity to make University of Florida known as a quality academic institution nationally, as it is seen by many college insiders, but unfortunately not by many regular people who have little knowledge on the subject of colleges and/or the college admissions process.</p>

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<p>Opie, your not kidding, those Oregan uniforms are AWFUL! They must have been running a special because the only reason I can think that they would choose that ugly black and green with those white things on the sleeves is because they got them damn cheap!</p>

<p>Florida's foray into ugly uniforms happened last year with those wierd one sleeve blue, the other orange ones. They haven't been busted out this season yet, but it's still early. </p>

<p>Give me traditional burnt orange and white any day!</p>

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<p>Phil Knight pres of Nike is an alum. U of O looks like a Nike market test. I think they have 300 plus combinations of uniforms. Haven't seen one yet, I like but I'm sure they'll get one sooner or later. U of O probably considers the uniforms as a small price to pay for the atheletic buildings Phil's donations have built for them.</p>

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<p>I was raised in the northeast to believe that any university in a warm sunny climate couldn't possibly be very good. My folks said "the finest colleges are in cold, gray places...where there is nothing to do but study." Though I now know better, I know lots of people northeasterners agree with my parents. UF, UM, University of Hawaii, and most California schools are fighting an uphill battle with those folks. BTW, I have one of my kids goes to school in New England and one attends Florida. Both work hard and each is receiving a fine education. So there Mom and Dad ; )</p>

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<p>Yeah, I guess being in embarrassingly ugly uniforms on Saturday is definitely worth having shiny new athletic facilities!</p>

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<p>One of my job functions is as a hiring manager for a very large aerospace company. We have no regional bias in recruitment, and we maintain a list of "preferred schools" from which we hire new college graduates at a national level. There is only one school in the state of Florida on that list. Hint: it's not U Miami.</p>

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<p>coming from up North (Ney York) theirperception is that ALL FLORIDA schools, colleges, or universities are bascially weak academically. Even my teachers back home are almost appaled that I would give up the opportunity to study up there to stay here. although I looove florida now(lol) I remeber when I first came here how disgusted I was by the educational system especially in high school.</p>

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<p>To be honest UM is precieved better out of state. I have been at UF for 2.5 yrs now and still trying to convince my family that UF is better than UM.</p>

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<p>I don't think the out of state perception of UF matters very much, at least from an employment standpoint. An out of state employer is unlikely to make huge distinctions between UF, UM, FSU, etc. Rather, the hiring manager is likely to focus on the individual's accomplishments as a student, both in the classroom and elsewhere. A typical employer will assume that at any college, particularly large state schools but also at privates like UM, there is a wide range of student performance; determining if an applicant is well-qualified academically will require looking at things like GPA, courses taken, honors achieved, etc.</p>

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<p>I 100% agree with Roger_Dooley. Unless you go to Harvard, the perception of UF will not matter. UF offers a lot of opportunities for its students, but it the student responsiabilty to find them and take advantage of them. World class research, 600+ student organization, and SG with a 12.5 million dollar budget.</p>

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<p>asmaj, I have lived in the midwest or east coast for my entire life and UFdefinitely receives a much better perception from people in all of the places I have lived.</p>

<p>and to the OP, princeton review's rankings are a joke.</p>