<p>2noles, I do have a lot of experience with other boards and feel I have a pretty good idea on what is a personnel attack is and what moderators wont tolerate. That being said, if you feel it was a personnel attack, my apologies, nothing more than a lively debate and a little innocent fun was intended. </p>
<p>No MBA, I hold no bitterness to FSU due to a non-acceptance. I would have loved to have gone to FSU, however the death of my Dad in HS and the need to support my widowed mother forced me to join the military, not go out of town for school. As for attacking FSU as 2noles suggests, please check one of my first replies to 2noles:</p>
<p>Hey, your kids are getting a great education at FSU, just don't try and denigrate the education our children are getting at other Florida universities that happen to be ranked higher or are more selective than FSU.</p>
<p>OK, if thats an attack (great education), some people have stayed in a comfort zone too long. Comparing schools on certain factors is healthy competition, not attacking, unless PC has run amok (on second thought
) </p>
<p>So if I am perhaps guilty of perhaps a little too vigorous a defense of UF/UM by bringing up a bunch of stats, you FSU posters are just as guilty of the same offense. It is said there are Lies, $&#*Lies, and Statistics. We all use them to make our point, but we all know we wont change each others mind. 2noles thinks UM cant compete with FSU, yet USNWR has them in the same category and ranks UM 50+ spots higher. No matter, 2noles will believe what they want to believe and THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. 2noles finds one stat at the web site and I find another. The FSU web site says on one page they admitted 4000+ freshmen and in another (T.K.s budget cut announcement) says over 6,000. Is FSU hiding something? No, just the same as the Miamis CDS issue isnt a ploy. I could play the paradox of on one hand the FSU boosters want to point out how their big state university has all these resources, yet then make budget cuts seem like a synergistic hook up with UF. Nah, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.</p>
<p>My purpose was to balance things out and stick up for UM/UF; schools I believe have many advantages over FSU. Did I ever say FSU cant compete with or was an odd duck (really an odd Ibis!)? Compared to UM? No. Full Disclosure: I have an out of state child going to UM in the fall, who was also accepted to UF. FSU? Lets just say Tallahassee lost that one, not FSU. Full Disclosure #2: Their cousin, another top student, IS going to FSU and I was one of the biggest boosters of the school to them, even helping to persuade their family it was the right move even it was out-of-state. So, no MBA, my child is not going to a Baghdad university, but you did hear right, the schools are improving over there and now large numbers of women, not just the select few can get an education. If you get a chance, you need to see it first hand, Katie Couric wont tell you. Many other FSU grads have served with distinction and my child may get the chance also. Seriously, people with you qualifications are needed desperately.</p>
<p>Full disclosure #3: I am not affiliated in any way with UM. I am flattered 2noles would think that, I am only a fan and soon to be parent. I couldnt fill the shoes of the UM people, they are top-notch. Also, my comment posted concerning UM admissions was MY impression, not UM policy. In fact, UMs in-state recruiters do an awesome job and if I implied otherwise, I am sorry. UM shouldnt be derided for recruiting nationally. I believe a private school in St. Louis started doing this a number of years back, along with direct mailings and substantial merit money. UM is now doing this same thing. Trust me, the U out of state presence is big and growing larger. Oh, the university in St. Louis? You see it listed next to the top schools in the country now, Washington University in St. Louis. People probably didnt think it could compete either.</p>
<p>Finally, T.K. Sorry, he used his getting out on point briefing as a political event as much as an informational briefing (nice somethings got to give banner how much did that cost?). UCF President Hitt did no such grandstanding when he announced UCFs cuts. T.K. is shopping his democratic governor candidacy as much as anything else. I hope he runs, Crist will kick his tail. Widowed mothers cant pay for T.K.s extravagancies.</p>