My son was admitted to the PaCE program though his preferred term was Summer B. Considering PaCE does not begin until Fall, is he able to take courses this summer at a state college and then apply those credits toward the 60 he needs to transition to campus enrollment?
@GatorDad2015 It depends (I know, not the best answer). He should contact his UF advisor who will be able to tell him exactly what he should take as far as courses to track into the major he is interested in. The key is making sure that the courses he may take put him in the best position to obtain his degree (and transition to campus). UF Advisors are amazing and will be able to help.
Good morning @UFOnline… My D spoke with a PaCE admissions representative and he said housing will be guarantee when they transition to campus… That’s not the same info that we have been reading here. Would you please help us to understand how will be the housing transition process
And THANKS so much for your time!!!
@pauroujj No decision on housing for PaCE students after transiting to campus has been made as far as we know. We will keep everyone updated when we know anything on this topic.
It is important to note that private companies who own “dorms” off campus have been advertising that they “take PaCE students”. These are NOT UF dorms and are not affiliated with the University.
In responce to @pauroujj and others, if anyone has seen the “PaCE Dorms” info currently on the web, please pay close attention to FAQ #5 provided by this company. In particular the part about these not being owned by the University of Florida. Please keep in mind that the information at this site is not provided by UF.
How is it possible to guarantee housing when the transition to campus is made after the online requirements are met. There is not enough housing for traditional freshmen on campus.
I curious to know why a Dual Enrolled Student with exactly 46 (1 AP+ 43 Community College credits) cannot transfer to UF the Spring of 2016? The 15 (actually 14) credits shortfall could be completed online in Fall 2015? Are there any exceptions to the minimum of 2 semester wait time?
Is this program an attempt to lock in “good” UF candidates to UF for 1-2 years, while extracting Tuition (~$3,786 a year)? Most of these PaCE would in all likelihood be accepted as UF Transfers Students if they attended a Florida State College (Community College) first, maintain at least a 3.2 - 3.5 GPA. The Tuition at a Florida State College would run about ~$2,538 for one year, which is ~$1,300 per year less than UF Discounted Tuition (without the UF guarantee acceptance of course). If I was going that route, I would rather take my chances at a Florida College, which would save me $2,600 over too years, allow me to have some level of Campus Life at a local Florida College. I fail to see how PaCE is a win-win for Florida High School Graduates who will essentially be a 1 - 2 year Online Student. I guess PaCE Students could potentially have a full time job for the 1- 2 years with the Online option. Doable?
Hi @Psata82. There are currently no exceptions to the two semesters in UF Online rule for PaCE students. Students can transition to campus as soon as summer 2016 (depending on a number of factors that have been previously discussed).
Anyone who has a PaCE offer to attend UF can decline this offer and attend any College of their choice. If a student offered PaCE would like to decline and attend a FL State College, of which there are a number of excellent choices, they have the option of applying as a transfer student to UF at a later date just like any college student can currently do. Please note that there is no “guarantee” that as a transfer, a student will be admitted to UF.
I’m with you @Psata82, I don’t see this PaCE program as a win-win situation for everyone. I see it as a win for UF to make $ off it’s online program. Sounds like most of those responding want a traditional college experience. Can’t see how living in Gainesville and taking classes off a computer will provide that. Lots of bonds are made in the traditional freshman dorm. Not an option here. The majority won’t even be in Gainesville when doing this … Even more isolating. Sadly, the majority of kids will drop out of this program before the 1-2 years of requirements are met. I thought Innovation Academy was shady … This takes the cake! UF isn’t worth it to go through this. I say go to FSU or UCF and have the real college experience. Do well and transfer if it’s your dream. You won’t be as limited as far as majors either. If the libraries and cafeterias get too crowded, they could all of a sudden say that these privileges can no longer be provided. And then you’re SOL! Am I the only one that sees the injustice in all of this?
Injustice? :-??
The fact of the matter is that most kids offered PaCE, were denied for Fall/Summer. Being denied hurts, especially if you grew up being a Gator. This an option, that while not a good fit for many (or even most) students, it may still be a solid option for others.
Would my daughter of picked PaCE if she had been offered it last year? No, we likely would have gone with UCF (solid Industrial Engineering program and Merit $$) or Alabama (crazy Merit $$), while Engineering isn’t a PaCE major. If she had been offered Engineering at Santa Fe, we would have strongly considered it, as it’s similar to PaCE (UF advisors, automatic transition to your major, and can be done in 1 or 2 semesters) and we highly value an UF education.
Anyone offered PaCE, really should carefully weigh the pros and cons before selecting PaCE, but for a subset of students, I think it’s a solid choice. This really is a very personal choice. It’s even harder to evaluate, as its brand new and is still evolving (so new that, based on feedback UF Online is getting in this thread, changes are being made to the program…).
So in paying that optional fee for the Rec center PaCE students would still be eligible to play intermural sports at UF?
@UFOnline Does it matter which AP’s will get credits in order to lower the time I’ll be in PaCE?
For example: If I took AP Biology and AP Art would it count toward my credits if I choose to pursue the Business PaCE major?
@rorochi In regard to credit transfer questions - those you need to discuss with an academic advisor at UF.
For those of you who inquired about the meal plan question - a New FAQ has been posted on this site: http://www.admissions.ufl.edu/ugrad/pacefaq.html
Q: May I purchase a meal plan while a PaCE student?
A: Yes, you may purchase a meal plan to use at dining facilities on campus.
Additional answers to a number of questions will be posted soon (we are not ignoring them! We just need want to get the info correct!)
@UFOnline ok thank you!! Is there a specific email address that I could possibly use to ask an academic advisor? This is just so I can make an informed choice:)
@rorochi Please call (352) 392-1365 (Admissions) and they will point you in the right direction depending on the major you are interested in.
We spoke with an academic adviser today who stated that all of my daughter’s 39 Dual Enrollment credits would transfer; which seems like good news. She made a point to be vigilant regarding tracking courses. I believe UF is missing a great marketing opportunity for this program. The FAQ says “Your a Gator from day one” but online news sources seem to characterize the program as a direct denial and then couch the details begrudgingly. Interestingly UF’s cheer leading coach responding very quickly via email that PaCE students can tryout for the squad. Still contemplating the program.
@Dad12345 Thanks for the info and the gathering of information. You ARE a Gator from day one and thank you for pointing that out. We have tried very hard to get our message out and appreciate you pointing out that a PaCE offer is not a “denial” from UF.
I concede PaCE is not for everyone but as we assessed all our options and spoke with current UF students we began to realize it is not that far removed from the conventional freshman experience. It is not uncommon for campus enrolled freshman to take 40% or more of their classes online. Some told us they had semesters where all their classes were online. I’m not suggesting that’s optimal but its not entirely different from PaCE either. We were also able to secure housing for my son 2 blocks from campus. Frankly, he is closer to the library than he would be in certain on-campus dorms. He can get a meal plan and probably pay a fee for access to the Rec Center as the Innovation Academy students do during fall semester. We already had season tickets to the football games. So, he can study in the library, work out in the gym, attend games, eat with his friends in the food halls, take the same on line classes they are taking and realize his life long dream of being a Gator. And, of course, after accumulating 60 hours (some of which he has already earned) he can transition to campus enrollment. It may not be a perfect arrangement but its good enough and certainly better than an outright denial. He feels blessed to have been accepted to one of the best schools in the country and is eager to start.