<p>I've gotten a mix of answers.... </p>
<p>People who get into Ivy leagues have not gotten into UF and vice versa</p>
<p>What is going on?</p>
<p>Does the school actually take into account the talent/personality of the student or is it just random? </p>
<p>Is the essay given a considerable amount of weight? </p>
<p>I'm craving to get in, but from what I've heard, it just seems like a lottery...</p>
<p>Since UF uses holistic admissions, it’s hard to ever describe it as a “safety”, since it can seem random. However, we know that 50% of admissions is based on GPA (most important), Class Rigor, Test scores (least important) and the Application Essay. The other 50% (and here is where it seems random) is based on your EC’s, Leadership, volunteer, work, first generation in college, geographical residence in the state (UF likes to spread the offers across the state), and legacy (by far the least important). </p>
<p>A few students do get offers from Ivy league (or more likely Duke, Vanderbilt, Emory, etc.) schools and get declined by UF, but this is a very small number. </p>
<p>The essay is important. Spend some time on it. </p>
<p>Good Luck!</p>