I got into both UCF and UF. I got into UF through PaCE but I’d only have to do one year online due to the number of credits I have. I applied to both as an English major. My plans for the future are to become a screenwriter or some job in the entertainment industry. I know UF offers a Film and Media Studies concentration in their English program which is something that really grabbed my attention. If I went to UCF I would do their English major with a concentration in Creative Writing and minor in Film Studies. My boyfriend is going to UCF and really wants me to go but I don’t want that to be a factor in the decision I make. I also plan on applying to pretty hard grad schools, my top choice being NYU. I’m afraid I’d be turning down the better school if I go to UCF. Money isn’t a factor as I have full Bright Futures and Florida Prepaid. Academics are most important to me. I’m also an extremely shy person and I feel UCF might just be a little too big for me but I also know no one going to UF. Plus, I feel Orlando is a much more fun area than Gainesville. But I also want that college feel. I’m very torn and I don’t know what to do.
I"m sure you’ll do fine at either school! Choose the one that you think will be the best fit for you.
Due to COVID-19, we still don’t know if either school will open up campus in the fall. UF will not decide until the middle of July. If you do PaCE your first year, you can avoid any possible issues that could pop up in the Fall. For an English major, it’s not a bad option.
Good luck!
Personally, I would pick UF as it is the better school and has better options for what you really want to study (Film). FSU also has a nationally recognized film school.
If “academics are most important” to you then going to UF is a “no-brainer”. You can have “fun” in Orlando on weekends and during breaks, or your UCF boyfriend can drive the 115 miles from Orlando to Gainesville to visit you.
The amount of people (who post on CC alone) who WISHED they could get into UF (but can’t) could fill Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. If your desire is to go to grad school in New York or anywhere in the northeast, your UF degree will carry you further than any degree you would receive from UCF.
Try to focus on your long-term goals instead of your short-term comfort zone.