<p>I love the academic prestige and quality of UF. However, their admissions packet was less than impressive and was sent later than I expected. Add to this the scarcity of merit aid, and I'm beginning to get the feeling that UF takes it for granted that all the best students in Florida will go to UF. Now I'm a little more concerned about being treated as just another number at UF. Thoughts?</p>
<p>They probably do. But the fact is, UF is pretty much known as the top (public) school in Florida, and therefore the best value for anyone living in Florida (especially students with Prepaid). That means that UF can do whatever they want and majority of those top students will look the other way, because what can they do and where else can they go? Choose another school because the admissions packet wasn’t impressive enough?</p>
<p>Also considering how big of a school UF is, you can kind of expect the website to crash when 27,000 people log in at once, and for it to take 2 weeks to send out about 12,000 acceptance packets. You are just a number, and if you’re choosing to go a school with almost 50k students you’re basically saying that you’re okay with that. If you want a personalized acceptance packet and experience, choose a small private school.</p>
<p>Just my opinion</p>
<p>I’m just going to be doing a quick copy and paste from a previous forum:
</p>
<p>Merit aid is also something I don’t quite understand. Sure, they has a great number of bright students, but you’re going to tell me that the est you can give to a student with 2200 SAT and 4.5 UF GPA is $2,000…at best!? I know I’m not getting anything from them. Simply because my stats are nowhere near those above. You’d think they’d be a little but more giving right? My main concern about attending UF was that I’d be treated as a number. I’ve heard from the mouth of alumni and current students. It’s a large school. With large classes. It’s hard to be heard. And that just doesn’t sit well with me. I’d rather go to a university to that is willing to listen to what I want to accomplish in those four years. A university that will provide resources for me to accomplish my goals. A university that is at least interested!</p>
<p>
Personally, it’s not that the acceptance packet wasnt impressive. (Just so you know: It wasn’t. It looked like someone threw together two sheets of paper and said, “Send it off.”) I feel that interaction with prospective students is what helps make a university seem welcoming. Various Florida schools and OOS schools frequently sent me flyers, brochures, pamphlets of various programs at their university. You can’t say this isn’t a “top” school thing because even the schools in the top 20 that applied to sent me a great deal of things. I guess with the UF acceptance letter it was very anticlimactic. But UF can afford to do so. They have their reputation and a dumpster load of alumni spreading the word. Nothing wrong with that. I can appreciate the fact that alumi are proud of their school. </p>
<p>(I know I’m writing a lot…) UF could do a heck of a lot better with personalization. UCF does a lot better in the interpersonal relations department. (The University of Miami has the same amount of applicants -if not more- as UF.)</p>
<p>If you’re judging the school by admissions packet then you’re doing it wrong… It’s an acceptance letter and instructions to pay deposit. You’ll get more in the mail AFTER. </p>
<p>Remember that by applying you are showing interest in the university. UF doesn’t need to convince you any more. You chose to apply because you saw something in the school.</p>
<p>Also UCF only sends out a 1 page acceptance letter so by your standards they are an extremely crappy school right?!</p>
<p>Come on guys… Although i can see where you are coming from regarding merit aid.</p>
<p>@AjaxontheTrack I felt the exact same way when I received my stuff yesterday. I mean at least they could’ve sent something that didn’t mention us paying more money than we already should have to pay. I know that UF is a really great school and all. I mean it was my first choice, but when i got accepted to UA at least they sent an actual certificate of acceptance. I expected much more from UF since it took so long in the first place. I just wanted something that I could hang on my wall and cherish. I feel like they’re not appreciating us as much as they should.</p>
<p>@Niquii77 I agree. The hype is definitely starting to wear off.</p>
<p>I guess it is time to realize that you are not “special”.</p>
<p>A gigantic bureaucratic organization is not going to tell you how wonderful it is that you are attending their school.</p>
<p>If you wrote them a letter telling them that you were turning them down to go to Florida State, for example, because of something you don’t like about UF, they probably couldn’t care less.</p>
<p>I am not sure a small LAC would be any different, given that they have 10 applicants for each spot.</p>
<p>My son turned down UCLA, and no one from UCLA called to ask why.</p>
<p>One might think that a college would be interested in knowing why people they accepted turned them down.</p>
<p>I can see where you guys are coming from. I got my package today and I too noticed the lack of “creativity.” I mean it was just thrown together, they could’ve put more effort there. FSU’s package was amazing compared to this, it was an actual certificate, something I could hold on to. Likewise, UM even sent a car decal and some coupons for the amenities at the college. But I also agree with floridadad, it will be like this at any college and the amount of time taken into these details does not coordinate with the quality of the school. You can be a number anywhere, even at a tiny LAC. It takes a different kind of person to stand out, if you can’t do it at a college with 50k people, you can’t do it anywhere. There are many areas where you can show your individualism, but that’s up to the person to seek out.</p>
<p>You all have a choice, if the size of an acceptance package is the determining factor then decline UF’s offer and go to a school that sent you a nicer letter.</p>
<p>I can’t believe all your whining. Last year when my son got his impersonal letter and thin package he ws so proud he put that letter on the refrigerator so everyone could see. He then threw out FSU’s certificate and UCF’s 16,000 scholarship and never looked back.</p>
<p>And that’s why they take us for granted. But it doesn’t really matter, because it’s the best FL university and we are willing to be just another number for its caliber.</p>
<p>bclcjcsc, I’m not “whining” about the size of any acceptance package because I haven’t received one yet. I’m coming to see UF next week with my parents to go on a “prospective student” tour instead of an admitted students open house because UF doesn’t offer one. The only correspondence I have had with UF is in regards to housing that I am feeling pressured to pay a non-refundable deposit for in February(!?) while I am still awaiting decisions from other colleges. Housing or lack thereof appears to be a problem at UF.</p>
<p>For the record, I am a UF Alumni.</p>
<p>Let me simply say that if you are looking for a college that will give you a gold star sticker for everything you accomplish and will feverishly pursue you then UF is NOT the school for you. You are a prospective freshman. You are not a famous accomplished academic who has expressed interest in UF professorship. You WILL be a number and you will face tons of beauracracy and red tape. Your professors will be managing huge classes and expect you to keep up. No one will hold your hand. No one will give you special treatment. There will be competition. Get used to it or don’t go.</p>
<p>These rules might not apply as much to stellar high school athletes but good luck getting recruited for the Gators, it’s kinda tough.</p>
<p>Harley1 – we went on a tour last week and they do separate prospective students from the admitted “prospective” student.</p>
<p>As a freshman, prepare to be treated as the lowest of the low. Chem 1, bio1, gen psych, calc1, physics1, all these classes have failure rates of 40%+ as all the unqualified rural/affirmative action kids realize they are competing with kids who are valedictorians of high schools with 900+ people. Your professors will laugh at you and make disparaging remarks every day about your class. After a while, you either give up and switch majors to sociology or African studies or something and become a drunk/pothead, or you become a ruthless lone wolf who studies all day while watching his peers fall to the 20-30% failure rate of every class. If you are upset about not being sent a lavish welcome package from a school that is in financial crisis, cutting entire departments and barely able to maintain its buildings, I highly recommend steering far clear of UF.</p>
<p>
Their package was pretty neat. The scholarship announcer comes on a fancy paper with a deal and whatnot. When I saw the car decal I yelled to my mom, “This is all that I needed to see. I’m going to UM.” </p>
<p>
It’d be a smart choice to steer clear of said university if its cutting entire departments. Seems like a big risk.</p>
<p>Listen I’m not considering going to another school just because UF’s letter was less than stellar. UF was and will always be my 1st choice and I was stoked when I got accepted. As a matter of fact, I’m still on this all time high although it’s been two weeks since I checked my status. The only thing I, (along with many others if i may say) was a little unenthused about was the fact that we didnt get an actual certificate or official letter that didnt mention a $200 tuiton fee! That’s all. Im still exited to be apart of the gator nation. And all of you who are getting offended by our expressed comments and are mocking us for being dramtic can calm down!</p>
<p>I don’t know where you are getting your numbers from, gatorphysics, as according to MyEDU, 45% got an A in CHM2045, Chem 1, and only 6% failed or withdrew from the course. </p>
<p><a href=“https://www.myedu.com/University-of-Florida/CHM-2045-General-Chemistry/course/889729/[/url]”>https://www.myedu.com/University-of-Florida/CHM-2045-General-Chemistry/course/889729/</a></p>
<p>Also, I don’t know of any departments that were completely eliminated. Some merged with others to eliminate administrative overhead, such as with some of the foreign language departments, but I don’t know of any that downright closed. </p>
<p>Finally, it appears the budget cutting era is over, with Scott pledging more money to UF for faculty and the legislature restoring last years cuts.</p>
<p>Daughter got her packet from UF Thursday and from Clemson Friday. To me, these are similar schools in two different states, each the most competitive school in their own state, each with a national reputation (Clemson accepts more out-of-staters, though, so possibly, they have more of a national reputation even though UF is ranked better in US News). The packets looked very similar except that Clemson’s was in a slightly more “festive” envelope (orange, the school color, with pawprints and, “You are Tigertown bound!”). I didn’t think UF’s looked inadequate, though. It might have been cute if they’d put something like, “Welcome to the Gator Nation” as many schools did something similar (Even FIU put, “Congratulations!” and it is FIU). </p>
<p>That said, UF said they would inform students of admissions decisions on February 8. They did, online, and they then sent the info to those accepted. Clemson, otoh, said they would inform students by February 15. Judging from this board, only a TINY percentage of applicants actually found out by February 15. Clemson doesn’t use the web at all for this. They MAILED out the decisions on February 14, and apparently, they used Pony Express. My daughter’s decision took more than a week, and even most people instate didn’t hear on the 15th (Because of the Monday holiday, many people heard on Tuesday when they were told it would be Friday). Add to this that they did inform everyone who got a scholarship ahead of time, many as early as December, making those who didn’t sit and squirm while friends got ahead-of-deadline acceptances. I was very glad they were not the main school for whom my daughter was waiting.</p>
<p>So, in comparison, UF was FAR more welcoming!</p>