<p>Like most of you, Im a high school senior making final decisions on where I will be attending school next year. I've narrowed it down to UCF and UF. UCF offered me a $10,000 pegasus scholarship, but so far (and i highly doubt they will) UF hasn't offered me any money.
I have toured and love both schools, but still can't seem to make a decision.
I love the school spirit, prestige, and academic aspects of UF. However, I also love the newness, location, and free money UCF offers. By the way my major is Nursing.</p>
<p>Basically this is how I feel:
Orlando > Gainesville
UFs academic reputation > UCFs
Money> No Money
Gainesvilles nursing program> UCFs</p>
<p>Can someone shed some light on the situation? What are your personal experiences with both schools? Am I better off at a school with more prestige, like UF, or a school with a big city location, like UCF? Is a $10,000 scholarship worth turning down a great school like UF?</p>
<p>if you’re 98% sure you’re going to stay nursing and are truly indifferent between the two, go to UCF for the money. it really doesn’t matter where you go, they all basically have the same starting salary and there are plenty of jobs. or thats what i’m told. i’ve never gone anywhere near nursing myself, so i’d try to verify that before you make a decision.</p>
<p>Hello!
UCF’s medical program, although new, is very promising. There is alot of money coming in from UCF- hence scholarships out the wazoo. UF is a great school, but in a couple of years, UCF will be a force to be reckoned with.
Personally, I am in the same boat. I was offered a scholarship from UCF and was just accepted to UF. Weighing the pros and cons, UCF just may be my choice. Location, location, location. Central Florida is teeming with exceptional hospitals/institutions, etc.</p>
<p>If you applied for Fin. Aid, UF offers a LOT of money through that! </p>
<p>I was a in the same boat as you but ultimately went to UF. I had my doubts, but I love it here! I was almost fooled into making the same mistake. Besides, UF’s nursing program is top notch so I’m told.</p>
<p>Orlando maybe nice, but coming from a big city like myself, I needed a small city to get away from all the mess of a big one. Plus, if you change majors later UF has MANY top notch majors compared to UCF.</p>
<p>Whatever your decision, do not regret making a bad decision because you will lose a LOT of time and money trying to fix it. Pick one and stick too it!</p>
<p>Shelbyyyy-- I’m a UCF prof (since 1985) and know the Nursing program
very well. It is first rate! Take the scholorship. Then, you can consider
options for graduate school with less (or $0) debt. </p>
<p>I’d wait to see what kind of offer (if any) you may get from UF. They haven’t notified anybody of any awards, so just wait and see if anything comes your way. If it does, UF may be worth considering more. It’s more academically promising and as it is, it’s already an amazing value when you compare the quality of education vs. cost. And any money given on top of that is just that more of a plus.</p>
<p>Whats the Greek life at both schools? Ive heard UFs Greek life basically runs the school. Im not 100% opposed to joining a sorority, but my academics are deff the most important thing. </p>
<p>Also, what kind of nightlife is at UF? Obviously Orlando has tons of clubs & stuff, but Gainesville is so much smaller. does it totally suck?</p>
<p>there’s always something to do in gainesville every night of the week. i’d say go with UF. it’s a better school and if you plan on going to grad school, a degree from UF holds much more weight than one from UCF.</p>
<p>no, its a normal town. plenty of places to drink and dance.</p>
<p>greeks run student government. they’re only about 15% of the population. not that big of a deal really. join if you want, most people don’t and no one cares.</p>
<p>" i’d say go with UF. it’s a better school and if you plan on going to grad school, a degree from UF holds much more weight than one from UCF."</p>
<p>For an MBA it would, but not so much for Nursing. However, if you decide a year into it that Nursing isn’t your thing, you’d be better off with an English or Business degree from UF than one from UCF, especially if you plan to live outside of Florida, where UCF is not as well known.</p>
<p>IMO, if you’re unsure, go with UF. It’s probably worth the extra $10,000. And, I say that as an FSU student.</p>
<p>I am a mom of two Gators…My son received the same offer you got from UCF (Pegasus Gold), but chose UF and is SO, SO happy that he did(Engineering)! However, my daughter had a really rough time in the UF Nursing program. She graduated HS with a 4.0 uwgpa—Class rank 15 out of 560…got a 3.8 gpa in applying to Nursing school…and it was so, so hard…you start nursing classes your junior year…and she would have had to study 24/7 to make it thru…if you are so, so dedicated you can make it thru…and the status of a Gator nurse is very, very high…training is so excellent. But, be aware:
only 25% of applicants to UF nursing school are accepted…so you have to have a high gpa, activities, volunteer work etc. to be accepted into the UF nursing program.
My daughter got in, but eventually withdrew due primarily to the rigor of the program.
Maybe UCF will be easier to get into the program and not as hard??? Check out how the nursing program works at UCF…what is their acceptance rate? 25% like UF or higher? I think the FSU program admits everyone who starts in nursing as a freshman and gets a decent gpa…Look at these programs very carefully…I think my daughter would’ve chosen UCF if she did it over again. She graduated in Health Education at UF and just started graduate school at UF in Health Ed. January 2012.</p>
<p>What would you say my chances are to be admitted to the Honors College?
I know I’m applying late, but these are my Stats:</p>
<p>uw GPA: 3.9
w GPA: 4.5
ACT: 28
Extra Curricular Activities:
President of student government
Beta Club
Cheerleading captain
Basketball captain
FCA
24 college credits
Girls state- senator
YLC at UF
250 hours of community service</p>
<p>not gonna get in to honors. honors isn’t really about being a spectacularly well rounded person or leader, its about having a high SAT/ACT score. you need a 33 to get in.</p>
<p>As a parent with a son in your same position I will offer this advice. Go to the better school. My son was offered very nice scholarship packages from UCF, USF, FSU, as well as a few out of state schools. To date he hasn’t received a scholarship offer from UF although I think they are coming out in the next week or so. Even if he is not, we fully support his going to UF even though it will cost us more money. Those that tell you that UCF or USF are “just as good” are incorrect. They’re really not even close. Just recently the state has decided to enter into a two-tier college ranking system. It is here that you can see the vast difference in the quality of the schools. Only two Florida schools will be top tier schools, UF and FSU (see link below). And the Wall Street Journal also sites UF in the top 10 schools in the country that employers like to recruit from. UF is by far the best public school in the state, if you are lucky enough to have a chance to go there, take it.</p>
<p>@aforautumn - my daughter has ALL of the other stats or greater that are needed for Honors except that she had a 32 on her ACT. The honors program encouraged her to petition to get in. Are you saying that because she doesn’t have the 33 she will NOT get in?</p>
<p>I decided to go with UF. No scholarship, but it’s all good. Found the perfect roommate. Everything’s working out perfectly! & with the bill proposed to make UF & FSU Floridas “super universities” I know I’ve made the right decision. Especially since my parents did FL prepaid & the tuition hikes wont effect me. Love all the positive media for my school<3</p>