(UF) Applications for the FALL 2015 have opened!

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Florida
1

<p>Yes, you read correctly! It's that time of the year again.. Let the anxiety, hopefulness and satisfaction flourish!
So.. UF has opened the applications for its class of 2019, and here I am, with a full application that I had made a few months in advance, ready to just paste everything into the required spots.
I was doing pretty decently until I got to the essay portion.</p>

<p>I had focused on the essay component for almost 6 months, constantly trimming at it to near perfection to send it on its jolly ol' way, and guess what hits me?
Yeah. New essay topic.</p>

<p>Now why am I surprised? For starters, the essay topic (namely, "please write a concise narrative in which you describe a meaningful event, experience or accomplishment in your life and how it will affect your college experience or your contribution to the UF campus community. You may want to reflect on your ideas about student responsibility, academic integrity, campus citizenship or a call to service.") had been the same for the previous years, and now it's suddenly changed!
Admittedly, I shouldn't be "too" surprised, as it was due time that they had it changed. Nonetheless, it's a royal kick in the crotch since I had put so much burning PASSSSIOOON into that essay and now I will have to start from scratch.</p>

<p>This is becoming more a rant than anything else, right? I apologize. In any case, I wish the best of luck for all other applicants! More threads regarding this subject to come.. And for curiosity's sake, the new essay prompt:</p>

<p>"We often hear the phrase 'the good life'. In fact, the University of Florida's common course required of all undergraduate students is titled "What is the Good Life?". The concept of 'the good life' can be interpreted in many different ways depending upon the experiences, values and aspirations of each individual. </p>

<p>In a concise narrative, describe your notion of 'the good life'. How will your undergarduate experience at the University of Florda prepare you to live 'the good life'?"</p>

2

<p>And how about that word limit? 450-500 words, but with a 3885-character limit. My essay had 654 words before it got to that ammount. Since I love writing, I tend to get carried away sometimes… Do I play it safe and crunch my “novel” into 500 words? Or do I take advantage of the generous word-limit, greatly enhancing my essay but risking some bad looks for not following “the rules”?
If you’re just a passer-by, consider that a rheortic. If you’re not, help me out! :D</p>

3

<p>The change of prompt was also alarming to me! I had already prepared a generic essay for almost all of my apps and then I get hit with this SUPER broad yet SUPER challenging essay prompt. I have no clue what to write because I feel like anything I write will be super generic. For example, my mom told me to write about volunteering and service and how helping other people feel better makes you feel better in return. I’m stuck. Thats the only portion of my application I have left to complete.</p>

<p>If I don’t get in my heart will disintegrate into tiny specks of dust. </p>

4

<p>I completely understand. Well, I just finished my essay today, and looking over it, I think (or hope) it matches the same passion I had in my last essay. Without getting into too much detail, I wrote a somewhat poetic depiction of my teaching experience and how each student left their print on me, and in the end I tied that up with my notion of the good life.
I still chip and polish away at it from time to time (since we have plenty of it before the deadline!) but… I seriously need to kick-ass on the essay and resume portions. Even though I did pretty well on my SAT, my GPA is seriously lacking (mostly due to studying highschool in a foreign country), so I hope to make them overlook that when considering my application as a whole.
Good luck to you, truly! Fingers crossed for everyone.</p>