Hey!! I’m an out of state student who recently got into UF! I’m super excited as it is my top (along with UGA) but I haven’t been able to visit! Could anyone please shed some light on the college town, along with entertainment, the bar scene, and greek life? I have family at UGA so I am very familiar with Athens- if anyone could compare Athen and Gainesville for me that would be amazing!!
My daughter wasn’t a fan of UGA at all. We live in GA and she was accepted ED, but she didn’t like the vibe. Too many bars, too much like a mini-wannabe downtown Atlanta. She was accepted to UF today and did the Gator for a day program in the fall. She really loved UF. It’s huge, but laid out better than UGA. It’s easier to get where you want/need to be. The town of Gainesville is more suburban - it has everything you want or need without being downtown city-like. You definitely need to go and see if its a good fit for you. Just as many love UGA but my daughter didn’t, UF may or may not be the right feel for you.
Hi! I’m currently a sophomore here at UF and can tell you a little about how campus life is like. UF is sort of like it’s own area within Gainesville because outside of campus the town itself is a bit rural. Surrounding campus there are a ton of restaurants and bars (especially in Midtown and Downtown) so there’s plenty of places to have fun at. Regarding Greek life, there’s a lot of sororities under the Panhellenic and IFC system as well as ones not under the system (academic and social greek life). Since Gainesville is sort of in the middle of Florida and not surrounded by any beaches, there are a ton of nature preserves, walks, and rivers to enjoy as well!
@GAcollegemom6 Thats interesting! I personally love Athens but, to each their own, and I could love Gainesville even more, who knows! I’m hoping to visit this month, thanks for the response!!
@allthingsamanda Hey!! I’ve seen a ton of things about “downtown” and “midtown,” could you explain the difference?? And is campus separate from these parts of town? 
Thanks for the response!
@ms1316 Midtown is across from Library West, it’s basically adjacent from campus. Midtown has some food areas such as Tijuana Flats, Jimmy Johns, etc. and also some bars (Grog, the Social, etc.). Downtown is a bit of a walk down from Midtown and it has way more bars, restaurants, and dancing clubs as well.
Definitely rush in the fall, it’s a ton of fun and honestly worth it in my opinion
@allthingsamanda Oh okay that makes more sense now!! Thanks
@Sunil494 Hey!! Are you in a sorority at UF or somewhere else?? I’m definitely going to rush wherever I go, and UF is at the top of my list of schools right now!