<p>I read dozens of "Chance Me" threads on the main chance boards, and on many of them that have UF in it, Gators (or at least Gators hopefuls) complain about the irregularity of UF's admissions office. In one of those threads, I chanced a 3.8/32 in-stater with NHS, 4 years of band and 70 hours of community service as his ECs, and he said that he saw UF applicants with better credentials (ECs included) get rejected, and people with lower stats get in, saying that UF was very irregular.</p>
<p>Does anyone have an explanation for UF's irregularity?</p>
<p>UF Admissions is Holistic - it not just about grades and test scores - it is also how well did you convey your extracurricular activities and essay - not just that you had them. This also includes the extras - did both of your parents attend UF - are you the first person in your family to go to college etc.</p>
<p>It’s all about affirmative action.
In order to circumvent federal laws involving reverse discrimination, UFL uses a ”holistic” approach to their admission process which is essentially a ‘back-door’ in granting admission to those applicants normally net eligible to gain admission solely based on their academic record.
In my opinion, UFL picks a few students from each school throughout Florida to ensure diversity and to ensure that their freshman class is not primarily filled with wealthy white kids from parochial schools.
Thus a very high achieving applicant from a very academically competitive private school may be turned away as an applicant from a disadvantaged school with lower academic stats mays is accepted. In general, applicants are screened based on the quality of applicants from each school.</p>
<p>ilovethe47 is full of speculation, I advise you ignore the post. </p>
<p>Now the short answer to your question: admissions are holistic. The long answer: you may have to call admissions. Thing is, admissions is far too complex to simplify or explain in a few sentences or so.</p>
<p>ilovethe47 has an interesting viewpoint, but it’s not really based on fact. Realistically, the “Big Name” high schools have about 30-40 kids accepted every year, while my high school (low-income area) had only two in my graduating class. So no, I don’t think they try and “back-door” affirmative action kids in, that seems ridiculous. Also, I hear UF is getting in trouble for not having ENOUGH diversity, not for forcing those kids in.</p>
<p>But I digress.</p>
<p>Nobody really understands UF’s application process. My best friend and I had literally the EXACT same application into UF - same GPA, same SAT, both National Merit, same clubs/extracurriculars (we did everything together). Even our essays were pretty comparable, since we were both newspaper editors and decent writers. The ONLY difference was that I had worked 25+ hours a week all through high school, because I am financially independent and responsible for my own bills (car, insurance, cell phone, etc.). I was accepted, and my best friend was not.
I think that says a lot about UF - they look specifically for hard workers. My best friend, while she was involved and successful in high school, didn’t do anything really after school other than little clubs that she held no leadership positions in. I worked a job and paid bills. I also know people who were not as academically successful but who were accepted on the basis of their amazing involvement; another friend of mine had only a 3.5 GPA (which was low, for the year she was admitted) and a moderate SAT score, but she volunteered all through high school at her brother’s daycare for children with disabilities. UF denied an AP scholar who’d never done anything special in his life to take her, because she was unique and dedicated.</p>
<p>So yeah…UF’s admissions is a toss-up. My brother is applying this year and I am very worried about his admissions status, but I pray he gets in! I hear that “legacies” to UF are given preferential treatment, but I have no evidence to back that up other than most of my friends’ parents having also attended UF. </p>
<p>I always did wonder, though. I am also a first-generation college student…is that a “plus” or a “minus” on an application, you think?</p>