University of Florida innovation Academy versus Florida State versus you UCF

College Search & Selection
1

There really isn’t much information from actual students who are currently enrolled in the innovation Academy and I’m curious if any innovation Academy students can give their insights into what would be the best choice for a four-year university experience. Also was this program harder or easier than the regular University of Florida program and why?

2

Read the article and comments from Innovation Academy students here:

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20121014/articles/121019731

and here:

http://www.alligator.org/news/campus/article_e41232e0-8716-11e3-ba77-001a4bcf887a.html

UF’s Innovation Academy website tells you that IA students are a select group of forward-looking thinkers: in reality, the Innovation Academy is a way for UF to boost enrollment numbers and state funding over the low-enrollment summer term. The problem for IA students is that IA students are prohibited from living on-campus or taking on-campus courses in any fall semesters. Summer classes are far fewer in number and different than fall classes. If you can’t get your prerequisite courses in Spring, it will set you back a whole year of college.

3

Thanks for your insights. Florida IA changed that living situation to include living on campus during Fall semester but limiting you to only online classes. I did read everything online and spoke to AI administrators but was looking to get insights from an actual student. Any thoughts on how to do that?

4

Ask the AI administrators, they may be able to have a student (one of the IA Ambassadors) reach out and answer some of your questions.

http://innovationacademy.ufl.edu/clp/ia-ambassadors/

Also, have you been able to go to one of the info sessions and visit Gainesville? They have three more scheduled, on the 9th, 17th and 24th.

http://innovationacademy.ufl.edu/events/discover-ia/

Good Luck!

5

Good idea, thanks.

6

I would not do Innovation Academy unless I really wanted to go only to UF and that was my only way in.

7

IMHO…

I would only choose IA if I was confident I would only want pursue one of the limited number of IA majors. I would also need to be excited about the chance to do internships and travel abroad during the fall semesters (some of the best internships/Travel Abroad opportunities occur during the longer fall/spring semesters).

Otherwise, I would think IA is a horrible fit.