Hi everyone,
We recently moved to FL from Midwest. I am starting to research FL colleges. My son is only in 8th grade so I have time.
I see that UF is ranked #34 in National Universities. It sounds incredible. We never lived in a state where we had an opportunity to send a child to college that ranked that high for almost free (with Bright Futures).
What are the negatives of UF besides being a big school and potential lack of advising?
Would you have send your children there if the money were not an issue?
US news, ranks it #7 in the nation, among public Universities.
Of course, that’s why we’re in this forum! I’m an alumni and I’ve (been lucky enough) to sent two to UF. Even without Bright Futures, Florida’s state universities are a deal with tuition being around $6K to $6.5K a year.
UF is a large comprehensive university, with 12 different colleges, it really has it all.
It does have the disadvantages of any large public university. It’s also getting more selective.
On the other hand, Florida’s other state universities are also improving FSU jumped up to 18, while USF and UCF have also made great progress.
Thank you for your input!
Disclaimer: I have a son at UF (second year) and one applying this year. My wife and I are also UF alums.
Selecting a university/college is a personal decision, there are so many factors in play, and every student is different. My experience is that kids have perceptions of every school and get a feeling/vibe when visiting them that they cannot explain. It is sort of like when you are looking to buy a house, when you drive up to one, you know it is the one, or you know you cannot live there and there is no point in going inside.
You have to consider things like cost, intended major, size, climate, location/distance, future plans like grad/medical/law school, and so on.
So, you just have to go through the process and see what is the best fit for your student.
Some of the negatives I hear about UF: size, (depending on intended major) there may be a lot of online or hybrid classes during the first couple of years, lack of personal touch and guidance (unless you seek it out), and the dorms are not particularly luxurious (though they are improving).
For your last question, I would say that my son that is applying now has a couple of higher ranking (and much more expensive) schools that he is applying to along with UF. If he gets into one of those, he would likely go there. I cannot say that money is not an issue, it is, but we are willing to make some sacrifices to send him there, if he is accepted. Many believe that is stupid because a lot of students end up going to grad school and they say that is where you should spend your $. So, each family has to decide how they want to approach that situation, if it arises.
One piece of advice as your student heads into high school, grades and course rigor are very important to UF. More so than SAT/ACT scores, though those are important as well.
Hope that helps you.
Thank you! I like the comparison with buying a house 
I will remember it!
@yana40241 My daughter is a freshman at UF and absolutely loves it. We are full OOS pay so clearly we think it’s worth it.
Pennsylvania (our home) has very expensive public schools so I’m a little jealous of Florida’s options.
I’ve said this on another thread - at UF’s orientation they commented on the huge percentage of team captains/student leaders that were entering the freshman class. I think it was 80% or more. That’s how the campus feels to me - a lot of energetic “joiners.” My D says it’s a work hard/play hard atmosphere. She says most of her peers are very studious and serious during the week. All bets are off gamedays!
Completely agree with @fl1234, it’s a very personal decision and different kids will be attracted to different things. I don’t think UF is for everyone - between 2 kids, I’ve toured a lot of colleges and every one has their own vibe/personality, not better or worse, just different.
houndmom, thank you very much for your post! We almost moved to PA a couple of years ago but decided against it in a last moment.
Has anyone who is majoring in Psychology toured and met with folks from the Psychology department? We’re planning a tour, but nothing specific to the area my D21 wants to major. Any recommendations? Or is a general tour ok?
Personally, I reeeeeally dislike the city of Gainesville. There’s a massive college and a bunch of chain restaurants and that’s it. It’s the only Florida school really on my son’s list, though he will apply to USF as his safety.