<p>Both schools are in the top 5. Guess we are splitting hairs here. With UF raising tuition at a much faster rate, these values may change.</p>
<p>We have visited UF and will be visiting New College soon.</p>
<p>Make sure you visit while the students are in session. This is especially true for this school.</p>
<p>NC does offer less in the variety of majors, but because of the liberal arts curriculum there, your major can be applied to just about anything related. I looked at it closely, applied, was accepted, but decided not to go in the end. (Opted for UCF Honors College instead.) I just felt like I wanted to attend a more traditional school.</p>
<p>If that's how your daughter may feel, I'd strongly encourage a look at the UCF honors college too, even if you don't apply in the end. Almost everyone here that's in-state actually turned down offers from UF, including all three of my roommates.</p>
<p>I am a student at UF. When it comes to education quality, I would say it is comparable to some elite private schools (maybe ivy caliber) but in no way does UF compare to the real ivy league.. it just compromises its own parallel league where it joins UGA, UWisconsin, UColorado, and all those other public schools that are quite good flagships (except UCLA, Berkeley, Michigan, UVA, UNC, and William and Mary which I believe are the 'True' Public Ivies). These schools provide solid opportunities and prestige in their respective states but dont really go further. Education and Prestige are entirely seperate and the argument that one institution's quality of education is better or equal than another's doesnt mean it will offer better or equal opportunities. One of the biggest reasons for going to an Ivy League school are the networking and connections that you will make and the alumni base which compromise the nation's elite employers in the most competitive job markets. UF's alumni network is strong but still Florida based, which makes it a regional school. The Ivy League and even the 'True' Public Ivy League attract greater ratios of students from all over the nation and globe than UF does and it is for these very reasons. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that there are reasons that the Ivy League schools have humongous tuition tags and acceptance rates (for smaller classes) that are half or less of UF's, and its because people KNOW that they are better schools.. for soo many reasons.. they just are. They are older, more prestigious, and offer connections for life that are better than UF's. Dont take me wrong, I love UF, but I am realistic and realize what kind of school it is and what it has to offer. I hate when it is called a public ivy because that is a term that is trying to generalize and distort what the real Ivy League is. The Ivy League is made up of 8 schools and is not getting bigger or smaller anytime soon.. regardless of what the education quality is... ivy is ivy and prestige is more than 80 percent of that. The closest rivals to the Ivy League are all private and the closest public is arguably berkeley. UF is distant from all of this and really will not be rubbing shoulders with the top 20 or so schools in the nation anytime soon.</p>
<p>I think that is definitely an exaggeration...</p>
<p>
[quote]
Almost everyone here that's in-state actually turned down offers from UF
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Almost everyone at UCF turned down UF??? Comical.</p>
<p>
[quote]
The Ivy League and even the 'True' Public Ivy League attract greater ratios of students from all over the nation and globe than UF does and it is for these very reasons.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Not because OOS students don't want to come to UF. The State of Florida is forcing the 11 schools to take atleast 90% of its students from in-state. If UF is allowed to accept more OOS students then UF can further expand its reach across the nation.</p>
<p>Public Ivy is just a term coined by some guy, it means nothing. Is UF one of the best public schools in the country? Yes.</p>
<p>Hey I would be perfectly happy to group UF in with University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Illinois-UC, and Penn State University (we weren't even close to them in the early 90's). Maybe in the future we can catch up with University of North Carolina & William and Mary. With our population projected to reach 28 million within 20 years anything is possible. </p>
<p>We have also raised almost $800 million in our latest capital campaign alone. I think we are like 2 years ahead of schedule (which is freaking awesome). Let's hope the sagging economy doesn't slow us down.</p>
<p>I would also argue that UF is making significant progress in developing an alumni network in the entire South-East & Mid-Atlantic regions of the USA. Less and less UF graduates are staying in Florida and they are seeking economic opportunites in other states, and abroad. If you look at the famous alumni list UF has a tremendously strong presence is shaping the state of Florida, however these alumni are also doing great things Nationally & Internationally as well. We shouldn't be penelized for doing so well in our own state.</p>
<p>Goufgators is right! You will also notice Berkeley and UCLA are teaming with California residents as well. Also this pattern is true with University of Texas-Austin and Texas A & M University. California, Texas, and Florida - Notice a pattern???</p>
<p>UF only takes so many in-state because the short seighted Legislature forces this flagship university to do so. Things however are changing on the horizon because Florida State is going to be allowed to raise their out-of-state undergraduates substantially. This is good news for the University of Florida because they will in turn be allowed to follow suit. The remainder of students who would normally attend UF & FSU will trickle down to UCF, USF, FIU, and FAU. The students who would normally go to these growing Urban Universities will then trickle down to UNF, UWF, and FGCU. The students who would normally go to these institutions will then trickle down to the Community Colleges that are now being turned into full fledged bacheloreate colleges.</p>
<p>I was saying that almost everyone in the honors college at UCF turned down UF goufgators. Not the university as a whole.</p>
<p>^ I find that hard to believe. UCF isn't even the 2nd best public university in the state of Florida. Florida State has a way better incoming class this year as well. When you all beat them out then we can talk.</p>
<p>I think most studens attending UCF honors would have been admitted to UF. With better living facilities and much better scholarship money I can see many UCF honors students turning down UF.</p>
<p>Very true navarre1, but these are Gators and they do believe that the world revolves around Gainesville. </p>
<p>(how sad would that be if it truly did?)</p>
<p>"With better living facilities and much better scholarship money I can see many UCF honors students turning down UF."</p>
<p>UCF has newer dorms but not necessarily better ones then UF. I am of the opinion that UF's dorms possess historic charm which makes some of them highly appealing. Alot of them are listed under the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. In essence UF's dorms & campus does not seem like a giant strip-mall.</p>
<p>University</a> of Florida Campus Historic District - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</p>
<p>In addition: unlike UCF this flagship university cut down the National Merit Scholarship Aid to a reasonible level. Word has spread around the higher education community that institutions are using this particular scholarship to artifically pad their student bodies. I applaud UF's administrators for offering around the national average for National Merit Scholarships.</p>
<p>I've never heard a young person say UF's dorms are nicer than UCF's. That's just silly.</p>
<p>UF is a great school. Very good schools that offer merit aid may take away highly qualifed students from Florida. Alabama and Auburn are two such schools. Free tuition, room and board, study abroad, cash for books and a free lap top computer are hard to pass up.</p>
<p>"Very good schools that offer merit aid may take away highly qualifed students from Florida. Alabama and Auburn are two such schools. Free tuition, room and board, study abroad, cash for books and a free lap top computer are hard to pass up."</p>
<p>I have been reading about how the University of Alabama and University of Delaware have been recruiting hard in Florida's highschools. Their message was: if you don't get into UF or FSU, then come to a big name university. I really think UCF, USF, and FIU should be concerned about this pattern.</p>
<p>You are missing the point. If accepted to FSU, UF and Alabama but Alabamas free it's very tempting to go there. </p>
<p>If kids with 1400 SATs and 32 ACTs go to Alabama, Florida is losing out on great students. My own daughter scored a 31 on the ACT after her sophomore year and needs 1 more point on the ACT or all this is a moot point. If she does better on the ACT she may just go to Alabama.</p>
<p>navarre, it would be free for her to go to any of the 11 schools in Florida. I don't get your point. If UF and FSU are free then why go to Bama?</p>