Can someone comment on Preview for this year. My daughter has received an error message when trying to register and has tried to contact them bu phone and email.
Same thing for me. I also didn’t receive an email to sign up for preview either, which was sent out earlier this week. I emailed UF, so I’m in the same boat as you. I was accepted March 5th and my oneUF and Gatorlink accounts are set up, so I should be good to go for Preview.
I reached out to Preview and registration seems to start April 1st.
DSO put out a tweet saying that there was registration emails sent out to transfer students and incoming freshmen, though. There’s also a register button on the preview website. From what I gather, it seems like I should’ve gotten an e-mail, at least.
My son registered for Preview on Saturday. Paid the $35 and received confirmation of his date.
Does anyone know what is covered by the virtual Preview fee of $35? I understand it is the maximum they can charge for orientation at a Florida public university, so does it offset the cost of the advising session and the informational packet? If so, when are the information packets sent and what is included in the packet?
Will there be an upcharge for “additional advising” as has been the policy in years past?
Also, has anyone experienced Preview and can speak to the challenges of registering for desired classes as a freshman? Do Honors students receive any class registration advantage during Preview?
@Anisqoyo I imagine that the $35 covers all of the costs associated with putting something like this together. There is a team that works on this throughout the year. There are some materials that are provided as well. It is quite a big undertaking.
I attended 2 years ago and can speak to some of your questions.
I don’t recall any ‘additional advising’ being provided, even at a cost. But, not certain on this one. Every student at Preview has a scheduled time to sit with the advisor to review incoming credits, plan for the first couple of semesters and then ultimately register for Fall.
There are always challenges with registering at UF, even when they are 2nd and 3rd year students. It is part of the charm of UF. 
You can expect that you will not be able to get all of the classes you want at Preview and will have to make some compromises. Once registration is open to all, the student can keep checking for open seats in the classes and sections they want and they may come available. There is also the Drop/Add period where seats may become available. Plan to be frustrated with this process throughout your years at UF, then you will not be surprised when it happens.
I am not sure whether Honors students get any priority at Preview, but they do during the other registration cycles. Students are assigned a day/time to register based on a few factors including the number of credit hours accumulated and honors status.
The other thing to keep in mind is that they open a certain number of seats for each class during each Preview session. So, there is no advantage to attend an earlier session and you are not penalized for attending a later session.
@fl1234 Thank you for the thorough answer. At the end, you remembered one of the questions I’d forgotten to ask. Even though there is no advantage to attending an earlier session, I signed mine up for the first session available. Can’t help it; it’s in the DNA.
I was hoping there would be some additional swag included in the $35 fee. Last year, UF caught some grief for charging up to $200 in fees for Preview when the state has a statute limiting the fee to $35. Last summer, UF offered additional advising, an overnight stay and some merchandise for a fee of $150.00. I think that has since been shut down, but we may never know now that all things are virtual.
The additional advising caught my eye because I’m fairly certain the advising will be limited in time to 20-30 minutes like I see being done at the other schools under considered. Given the size of UF and the breadth of classes offered, that just doesn’t seem like enough time to sort out all of the questions and concerns that exist. The class of 2020 is getting the short end of the stick in so many ways that I hate to see it carry through in this process as well, but whaddyagonnado? I also would like to know if they will work to ensure an adviser is assigned who can speak knowingly about the major(s) being considered by that particular student. The “ask a student” sessions we’ve attended so far have been helpful for better understanding the social scene and the mechanics of getting from A to B, but they have been woefully lacking in academic advice since he hasn’t been paired up with a STEM student yet. If he’d make a decision on which school he’s attending , that would make things easier, but all this stuff is supposed to be a part of a deliberate and thoughtful process.
That was, until, the virus.
He hasn’t decided on a school yet and your are registered for Preview? Preview is not part of the decision making process.
My experience was that the Preview advisor was not necessarily specific to majors or colleges within the university. Meaning, the advisor for my son was not specifically assigned to the college that he intended to pursue. But, I don’t think that is necessary either for the first semester. Also, your son should do research ahead of time to understand what he will have credits for APs/IBs, look at the General Education requirements to see what he will have completed already, and also the courses required for his major. Most majors have a semester-by-semester plan on their websites that he can use as a guideline.
Another thought on the timing or Preview, we scheduled our for the end of the summer so that we would have AP results back prior to preview. That eliminates some variables in the course selection if you know exactly what you will have credits for.
Preview doesn’t begin until the end of May so school choice will be made long before then. Barring some unforeseeable good luck, like winning Lotto or the Dow hitting 30K again, he will be a gator this fall. We were advised to register sooner rather than later because available space will fill quickly, especially if you have summer plans that might limit availability, which we do. Would rather not deal with it during vacation if at all possible.
With Florida Days cancelled, there is no face time with those who would normally be there to provide these kids with valuable information they need to help make their decisions - no Engagement Fairs or break out sessions for direct questions. Missing out on that opportunity is a big deal. I am unaware of anything being offered that realistically fills that gap. So, to your point, he will need to be prepared to register for classes based on not knowing AP outcomes or having spoken with an advisor familiar with a specific major. We’ll do what we can via email, but I’m sure it will all work out in the end. Sucks having to add this to the list of things to manage in an impersonal and less effective manner when everything they looked forward to for four years has been crushed - no prom, no senior party, no special senior events and, possibly, no graduation ceremony. That’s a lot of character building disappointment in a short time frame.
We may decide to change timing of Preview until later so that AP and DE results are known. I don’t know that this is so important given the number of electives still required as well as classes related directly to major. The first semester should be easy to fill. I see UF allows for two changes to scheduled Preview. My guess is there will be a lot of that going on.
I received an email a couple of hours ago about Admitted Student Info Sessions. Throughout April on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. He could attend some of those and get some questions answered.
It will all work out and it is a good opportunity for your son to take the lead and figure these things out.
@lacanyounot yesterday out of the blue she was able to register for Preview after been trying each day. So hopefully those who have received the similar error message should be able to do so soon.
DD 2024 (Engineering, Honors) tried to register at her preview session today, and three of her core classes were full (Chem Lab, Physics I and Biology for Engineers). How is that possible when all classes are online? Whom should I contact?
Online classes does not mean an unlimited amount of space in classes. Your daughter should start with 1st year engineering advising as a contact.