I am currently a student at a cc in South Florida and am going to transfer to a 4-year Florida University next fall. I am looking for opinions on whether UF is worth going into debt for. If I were to attend UF I would need to take out loans that could be around $20,000. I could also attend FAU or FIU without the need for any loans since I receive the highest level of Bright Futures and a pell grant. I know the three schools are completely different. I am quite worried about the financial aspect. So is the better ranking, reputation, and academics worth the debt?
TLDR: UF with a lot of loans or FIU/FAU debt free?
Thank you for any input!
What will your major be?
If you do well for the rest of undergrad, it is possible that you might want to consider graduate school?
My major would be either Accounting or Finance. I know the accounting school is extremely difficult to get into, on the application there is only one option for major, does that mean if I’m not accepted into this major I can’t get in at all? It is possible that I would consider graduate school since CPAs are required to have more college credits though I am not sure about that career yet it is just a possibility.
Accounting and Finance are both quite difficult to get into. If you apply and are not admitted to your major, then you would not be admitted to UF.
Thank you for your responses. I am still looking for opinions on whether UF is worth it. I also have a few other questions.
- Is it bad if I have excess credits? I have a lot of credits from AP classes and several from dual enrollment courses. When I get my AA I will have over 80 credits. Would this negatively impact my application?
- Several of my preprofessional courses are from AP credits so I don't have a grade for them and didn't take them in college. Would this be considered bad?
- A computer class is a requirement and my cc allows us to take a test in place of a course, a computer competency exam. If I passed the test and didn't take a computer class would the test be okay for UF or would they want me to have taken the actual class?
- I've read on other threads that UF asks about extra curriculars on the transfer application. I don't really have any extra curriculars since I take online classes but I have a good gpa. Would the lack of extra-curricular cause me to have no chance at all?
Thank you for any input!!
May I ask how, exactly, UF is far more expensive than the other state schools? They have similar COAs, and Bright Futures applies to all schools in Florida, public or private.
UF is more expensive because of room & board since I live in the area of FIU/FAU so I would stay home and not in a dorm.
UF gives out fewer scholarships, too. Flacollegekid, UF’s accounting major is EXTREMELY rigorous. The first two accounting classes, ACG 2021 (financial) and ACG 2071 (managerial) have to be taken by ALL business majors, and it is usually very tough to get a good grade in them. Just something to keep in mind.
“Is it bad if I have excess credits? I have a lot of credits from AP classes and several from dual enrollment courses.”
Since no one answered this I thought I would do my best, although I very definitely have never worked for admissions and my daughters did not run into this issue.
I am pretty sure that the worst that can happen if you have too many AP or community college credits is that you might not get credit for all of them. If finances are a potential issue, then you might want to check with universities that you are applying to regarding how many credits they are likely to give you, since this could make a different with regard to how long it takes to graduate. I have consistently found admissions staff to be very helpful at a wide range of schools.
By the way, I am pretty sure that you will want to apply to all of the three schools that you mentioned in your original post, and see what sort of offers you get. As one example, you might get a better deal than you are expecting.
Also, if you do go on to graduate school, then the ranking and reputation of your undergraduate school does not matter as much. I am aware of many cases of students who did very well in their undergraduate studies and went on to a significantly higher ranked graduate school.
Thank you both for your input. @Trisherella I would not take ACG2021 and 2071 at UF since I am taking them at my cc. I’ll definitely apply to all 3 schools and see what happens, now I just need to decide between finance and accounting…
@flacollegekid Hello!
- Is it bad if I have excess credits? I have a lot of credits from AP classes and several from dual enrollment courses. When I get my AA I will have over 80 credits. Would this negatively impact my application?
@DadTwoGirls is right… The worse that happens is you are only able to transfer in 60 credits.
- Several of my preprofessional courses are from AP credits so I don't have a grade for them and didn't take them in college. Would this be considered bad?
I’m in the exact same situation (I’m trying to transfer in as well), and when I e-mailed CLAS, they said it wasn’t a problem.
- A computer class is a requirement and my cc allows us to take a test in place of a course, a computer competency exam. If I passed the test and didn't take a computer class would the test be okay for UF or would they want me to have taken the actual class?
I’m not sure, you’re going to have to email or call them for this one!
- I've read on other threads that UF asks about extra curriculars on the transfer application. I don't really have any extra curriculars since I take online classes but I have a good gpa. Would the lack of extra-curricular cause me to have no chance at all?
I doubt it would if you have a high GPA.
What term are you applying for?
@stressed4lifee Thank you for your help! I am applying for Fall 2018, what about you?
@flacollegekid I was thinking of applying Summer B to get a head start 