<p>I am trying to decide between UF and UCF.
I am planning on majoring in Mechanical Engineering but I'm still not certain.
My sister attended UF years ago and my other sister currently attends UCF.
I have been accepted to UCF and have received the $10,000 Pegasus Silver Scholarship.</p>
<p>I have toured both schools and I definitely prefer UCF's campus. I was a dead-set on going to UF until I toured UCF and fell in love. I didn't really like UF's campus and would definitely be living off-campus if I chose UF. I would like to live on-campus at UCF in the nicer cheap apartment style dorms but I'm worried that they will be taken by the time I make my decision.</p>
<p>Which school would have better internship opportunities?
I feel like UF would be a better choice for Engineering and would open more doors for me down the road. This is driving me crazy.
I need biased and unbiased opinions please!
Help?</p>
<p>Hi Chris, I don’t think you can go wrong with either school. They are so close in quality that if one edges out another, it would be so slight as to not matter. I would imagine each forum’s members would think their school is the best! I would imagine the internship opportunities in Orlando are much more available, especially with the ever expanding technology corridor along 417, as well as the ties to the amusement parks. My daughter has an engineering friend who was hired right out of school by a top automaker, and my brother at Lockheed Martin just a few miles from UCF tells me they love to hire UCF students as interns and I know 2 or 3 years ago their summer pay was based on a 50K/yr scale. Not bad for a college kid! Maybe you can search the type of companies you might want to work for and see what opportunities they offer, and/or where their engineers went to college. Definitely consider those internships, as they help you stand out when you are searching for employment! Good luck to you!</p>
<p>UF has a great name but more and more kids are migrating to UCF out of choice. That means that UCF is gaining momentum and I believe that will soon rival UF in quality of student body. My kids come from a private Floda school. Four years ago UF and FSU were the top Florida States schools kids applied to. Today is UF and UCF with many giving preference to UCF due to its modern facilities and central location. You will be spending 4 years(5 in Engineering) in school, so go to a school you love. Engineering is a lot about internship experience and many companies hire interns because they are cheap labor. Nowadays many schools have connections with companies to feed them interns. Career fairs are also a great way to find internships.</p>
<p>UF is a better school and has a better probability of getting you a job because of the connections they have. However, the advantage isn’t too significant. You said you love the UCF campus and didn’t really like UF campus. Add the UCF scholarship into the equation, and I think UCF is a respectable choice for you. If you don’t like the school you’re at, the next 4-5 years will be miserable. Pick where you feel at home.</p>
<p>UF is harder to get into, but I am not sure it is a better than UCF for engineering. I would research this very closely and try to determine what the big employers think these days. I would not be shocked if they are equal for engineering with a strong trend in favor of UCF.</p>
<p>While I’m not an engineering student, many of my friends here at UCF are, so I hear them talk about it all the time (Differential equations…<em>shudder</em>). Anyway, I first think it’s not fair to say UF is a better school then UCF. While that was the case years ago, I think they’re pretty tied right now, despite what rankings may say. Both, academically, will offer a very challenging program and curriculum, so it’s not so much about that-it’s about the internships, job opportunities, and which school will open more doors. I’m trying NOT to be bias, because both schools are amazing (I’m an out of state student, so I considered both) but I really believe UCF has many more opportunities. For one, we’re in Orlando-a thriving city that just trumps Gainsville (No offense to those who love it, it obviously has it’s charm!). Orlando has lockheed martain, nasa, and UCF is RIGHT next to research parkway! There’s so many opportunities, more so for engineers then any other major! One of my friends is doing an internship at Lockheed Martain right now, making $15 and hour, and after college he’s almost guaranteed a job there! That’s fantastic, really. Career services even told one of my friends that Lockheed Martain especially favors UCF students over other graduates in the Orlando area, and they have a partnership with each other, and this is just this ONE company. While UF is a great school, it’s time for people to understand that times change. UCF is no longer some commuter school. It is nationally recognized (Anyone who begs to differ is obviously from Florida, and can’t tell you otherwise, because they are not an out of state student-I am, and where I am-up north-people respect UCF more then UF, and that says something) and is thriving and reaching the top right now. Go where you see yourself, and a place you love-either is great, but I assure you if you pick UCF, it will be a great choice for your future:) </p>
<p>UCF was built primarily to supply NASA with engineers.</p>
<p>UCF established around the 1960’s
UF established in the late 1800’s
Yes UF is better known </p>
<p>Comparisons between UCF vs UF
UCF is known for engineering
UF is known for football
Take away football from UF and you get no “respect”</p>
<p>UCF located in a thriving city </p>
<h2>UF located in gaysville where life literally sucks</h2>
<p>UCF
Has a research complex with many engineering companies like raytheon… that take interns.
Siemens yeah that huge multinational comparable to GE (general electric) is located literally across the street from UCF. Any clues at who they hire the most ? Lockheed martin, raytheon, cisco all located in orlando. Disney, Universal, seaworld all in orlando and guess what they all need engineers.</p>
<p>UF</p>
<h2>Does Football count?</h2>
<p>Campus
UCF
Modern, clean, high tech
Around 63,000</p>
<p>UF
Old, mantained, feels like a museum </p>
<h2>Around 55,000</h2>
<p>Size comparison UCF is bigger than UF but not by much. </p>
<p>Former UF student transferred to UCF
I might also add that UCF and valencia State college work together meaning you can take your first 2 and a half years at Valencia with fewer student and less tuition and all classes are fully transferable for all engineering majors to UCF</p>
I would imagine the internship opportunities in Orlando are much more available, especially with the ever expanding technology corridor along 417, as well as the ties to the amusement parks. My daughter has an engineering friend who was hired right out of school by a top automaker, and my brother at Lockheed Martin just a few miles from UCF tells me they love to hire UCF students as interns and I know 2 or 3 years ago their summer pay was based on a 50K/yr scale. Not bad for a college kid! Maybe you can search the type of companies you might want to work for and see what opportunities they offer, and/or where their engineers went to college. Definitely consider those internships, as they help you stand out when you are searching for employment! Good luck to you!</p>