<p>In the 2009 Freshman Profile, would anyone know if "academic courses" under Strength of Schedule include electives like drafting and technology (honors) courses, or even business classes? Without counting certain electives as academic courses, it would seem as if you're being penalized for not taking a social studies, english, language, math or science class. </p>
<p>You ARE penalized for not taking one of those classes. Virtually no electives are counted unless they are AP, was the way I read it.</p>
<p>They probably look at it as if you want to take a lot of vocational-style courses, then go to a vocational school, not UF. A more traditional curriculum is probably more important to them.</p>
<p>This is probably a different experience than others, but I had 26 academic courses and the two courses I took dealing with technology and vocational type stuff were relatively easy, so maybe that’s what admission sees or something.</p>
<p>They do count electives, i asked and the lady in the call center told me that classes like art count. I mean who here has 32 academic courses? thats what i though. lol :). Also they take of alot out of your application by skipping courses in math, science, etc.</p>
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<p>Its possible the top 4 of my graduating class had over 32 academic courses. In Broward, you can take online classes (a bunch of APs and honors classes), and the school board pays for it.</p>
<p>Hillsborough had until this year block schedules, 8 classes per year. It was pretty easy to get 31 plus academic classes. With 3 in 8th grade, (spanish, alg I, earth science) then 32 slots. My daughter’s school offered high PSAT scores, free prep coures in summer(another academic). Some districts made it real easy.</p>
<p>yes, my high school had 8 classes a year…some students even took courses at cc as well.
tack on online courses and your BEYOND that “range”, But…i think that statistic of 89% of students with 32 courses or more is kind of skewed since not many students do this…</p>
<p>if everyone at my old high school with 32+ courses applied, NOWHERE NEAR 89% would not be admitted ^^</p>
<p>Joker, lady in call center…at UF admissions, by any chance? My son sent an email to the local Admissions person to clarify. But if you take business or journalism or drafting or tech (as in information technology) classes, some honors, and these aren’t included as academic classes, you are being penalized by the time you get to the UF application. I understand certain kinds of classes – weight lifting and health come to mind – as not worthy, but I’d think you should get credit for profession-directed classes.</p>
<p>afar…that brings up another issue. Not a level playing field if certain districts offers more classes during the course of the day. Others not in those Districts would be forced to do duo enrollment or online courses just to be competitive within UF’s Strength of Schedule category, which they seem to highly value or wouldn’t call it out on the Freshman Profile page…</p>
<p>@gatoralum</p>
<p>it does seem odd though that they report ONLY 200+ students as 31+ courses</p>
<p>There must be restrictions placed onto which courses are being counted</p>
<p>How does dual enrollment look compared to AP classes?</p>
<p>I have heard some say DE looks better, worse, and pretty much everything in between. </p>
<p>Anybody have a source that gives a definite answer?</p>
<p>OK let me explain myself, how many people have 32 ACADEMIC courses, like english, math,etc? what i was saying is that they use all courses on the graph in the link above. Now in the GPA that UF uses they DONT use any electives, UNLESS they are ACADEMIC, like spanish, human geo ap, economics, etc.</p>
<p>Correlation doesn’t mean causation people. Just because you load up on courses don’t mean UF admissions has any more of an inclination to accept you if you pull a mediocre GPA in said courses.</p>
<p>I would be more concerned with the GPA/SAT statistics. It looks like if applicants don’t have a 4.0 UF GPA or above they are screwed.</p>
<p>not true, it is true that GPA and SAT are important, but they also care alot about the scheduel, thats the only way they can see how hard you really tried. Since GPA is not the same everywhere.</p>
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<p>At least from my original statement, I meant 32 and up academic course.</p>
<p>wait a minute, wait a minute…each class is a semester right? So assuming you took 8 classes per year, that would be 16 academic classes if they were all academic courses right?</p>
<p>For example, here is my course load for freshman year, using only the classes I took that UF would count as an academic course</p>
<p>Honors Bio: 2 semesters
Honors Comp: 2 semesters
Honors Algebra 1/2: 2 semesters
Spanish 3/4: 2 semesters
World Cultures: 2 semesters</p>
<p>So this would be 10 classes for freshman year, right?</p>
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<p>It was the same classes for the year at my HS. You alternate between certain classes each day. For the average person it was 7/year *4= 28 courses. You minus the gym/health/ and such classes (~2-4 credits). But then you have people come into HS with credit from alg 1 (maybe geo) & span 1 (maybe 2) and then you take 3-6 honors to AP classes online (or dual enrollment) and it adds up.</p>
<p>For me, I count 7. Bio, Eng, Alg 1, Alg 2, Span 3, Span 4, and W. Cultures.</p>
<p>Andre10, your example would be five credits that year.</p>