trying to switch out of IA ? anyone else in the same situation

<p>Yes, you and I share the same exact views , I dont want to be in IA , I REALLY REALLY WANT TO GO TO UF , but id rather start in Summer B 2012 , the request for term i asked for ,and i know two other kids who got into IA but will be going to FSU because they feel that IA will rob them of a college experience. I want to go to UF but the IA program as of right now sounds nothing of what i am looking for , besides the obvious admission to UF. They told me the same exact thing as you . Except they do give me the run around and contradict themselves . One lady told me IA kids weren’t allowed to request a term change but the lady i spoke to beforehand had already put me on a list , soo i was like your lying and she transferred me to the lady whom i had spoken to beforehand. Im praying for a miracle and that they will hopefully change my term and likewise i wish you the same luck. Im glad i found someone in the same exact situation who understands exactly how i feel</p>

<p>At least the housing situation has been clarified with Beaty East having 300 spots for IA students in Sp13. Still not sure about the IA program since I am not very firm on major choice and the options get limited. It has put me in the odd position of being in at FSU, USF, UCF, and UAB with UF seeming like the fallback option rather than the reverse.</p>

<p>i totally understand what you mean , i wouldn’t to FSU , i cant consider that a solid option for myself lol, my other option is UM but its way to expensive for me !!, I really do want to be in UF as a traditional student soo my acceptance , although im extremely grateful , it is somewhat bittersweet until i can hopefully get a term change , if i just started in spring like the others from years past i would have been fine with that because i could have done Fall the years to come , and change majors if needed to . BUT IA makes it more inconvenient for alot of students , doesn’t matter how you paint the picture. Im praying for a term change , the promise of beaty east doesnt make me feel any better i wanted to room with my friends in traditional UF and take classes with them. IA really isnt for me and at the same time i do realize i might have been rejected if i didnt click the box , soo im grateful for clicking it but i have mixed views on my next course of action due to the uncertainty of IA and the lack of communication to IA students . I dont like how they want to keep us together and keep us separate from traditional UF. Do not like it one bit !!!</p>

<p>Well if you want to ruin your future (career major etc), then go for UF IA, which barely offers big majors like premed etc… So if you want to pick your undergraduate over your career, you decided. UM is better and is ranked 20 places higher than UF on USNEWS top universities ranking.</p>

<p>UF is a great school, however it’s not the only school out there. If you are not happy with IA and you have been admitted to other schools, certainly explore other options! We are fortunate to live in a country that has amazing schools. :).</p>

<p>I probably will sound like an old fart here, but I’m surprised that so many people are willing to go along with this stuff. It just shows how important prestige has become, in recent years, when people are willing to jump through hoops and not be able to take class in person during certain terms, struggle to get into classes that may or may not be offered during the terms that they <em>can</em> take and in general, have a lesser college experience, and submit to being pawns in the administration’s game to cater the USNWR rankings, when they would be perfectly fine at another, slightly less prestigious school. </p>

<p>There’s no way I would go along with this, unless UF was literally the only decent school I could get into. And you all know very well that if you are good enough to get accepted to UF, you should be able get into almost any other decent school in Florida. </p>

<p>Also, get off my lawn.</p>

<p>I think you guys should do more research about IA…</p>

<p>First off, @College1456, how exactly can IA ruin your future? It has accounting, finance, industrial and systems engineering, and environmental stability majors and those are all in demand. Those are just the top of my head too, the other majors, I think there’s public relations, is also very good. More majors will be added, the main thing IA lacks in majors are medical majors for the most part. </p>

<p>@SweetheartCroc
Struggle to get into classes that may or may not be offered? How? UF may reserve seats for IA students to ensure they get to take a class. Plus there’s the potential for exceptions. IA students can’t physically take classes in the Fall, that’s the only limitation, they can still take online. IA students have the Fall term act as if it was a traditional students Summer term. The only difference is the IA students get the limitation of not physically taking classes during the Fall (which isn’t even a big deal). </p>

<p>And it’s not a lesser experience, it’s “unique.” Just because it’s different doesn’t mean it’s inferior. As a matter of fact it may be better because Spring would be full of college life then Summer is a small college feel and Fall will be open for many internships and co-op opportunities (or extra classes). </p>

<p>I know for sure UF is the best in Florida for engineering while UM is the best for medicine. What’s definite is that UF has a lot of prestige. Getting into UF, IA program or not, is very difficult and an amazing accomplishment. UF even states that picking IA does not make it easier to get in. Let me use an example: I have fruit. I pick the freshest brightest of them all. Now I have to put them in three boxes, each different shapes. So taking the fruit I already want, I put them in the boxes that I feel best fits. </p>

<p>Also IA has advantages. The focus of innovation and entrepreneurship as well as the utilization of Career Resource Center for IA students and colloquias, seminars, and more are all benefits of the IA program. </p>

<p>UF IA is just another program at UF. Like the Honors program. You’re still a UF students and if you do the IA program, you get the same degree and diploma as any other traditional UF student. You still get the same education (actually you get some more with the focus on innovation stuff). </p>

<p>Also, IMO if you selected IA, it should be because you want to be in a unique program at UF. One thing for sure is to make sure IA has your major and that you truly LOVE that major and know that’s what you want to do. You have to be very prospective.</p>

<p>One more thing, IA students do have 4 weeks less each year than traditional students to complete coursework if I am not mistaken. It’s not a big deal TBH. It may seem like a lot but in the grand scale of things, it simply means schedules will be very slightly tighter.</p>