<p>What are the highs and lows? What are pros and cons? Explain why I should go there or stay far from it. This is my first choice school and so I want to know everything possible in order to keep it there or knock it down a notch. Any current students high school academic profile would be nice too so that I could compare them to mine. Thank you very much!!!</p>
<p>Academically, UF is a top-15 or so public...just outside the so-called "elite" publics like UCB, Michigan, UVa, etc. Almost any program you care to mention...and UF has many potential majors spread across over 10 different colleges...is ranked in the top 50 nationally. Student ethnic diversity is a strong point...with a more diverse student population than peer publics. 75+% of the students were in the top-10% of their HS class, with the remainder offering some other exceptionally ability...athletic, music, etc....so you'll be surrounded by some pretty interesting kids. The top 25% of the class is ivy-caliber...so there are plenty of smart people around. Kiplinger had UF ranked as the 2nd-best value public university...tuition is almost outrageously low. School spirit is off-the-charts....with the recent national championships in football and basketball...the campus environment is positively electric.</p>
<p>Here's a review from The Princeton Review:</p>
<p>University Of Florida</p>
<p>"“It is often joked that we only pay tuition so we can have a football team,” one University of Florida student writes, but in fact UF provides “a quality education from the state’s oldest and most prestigious university” as well as top-flight football to its undergraduates. “The University of Florida is about finding out if you have what it takes to distinguish yourself from 35,000 other intelligent, talented people. It’s a reality check.” It also provides “tremendous” “networking opportunities.” A robust alumni network over 300,000 strong adds to the possibilities, and some undergrads to assert that, in addition to providing a top-notch education, UF delivers “a career in the future.” Stand-out programs include engineering, premed, and journalism. While the school “has its share of boring, unapproachable professors,” the “vast majority” are “available to help students throughout the week.” In fact, both professors and teaching assistants “are easy to access,” as they have “set office hours” that are “made very apparent to students.” UF’s administration “is not too bad, although there is so much red tape to get through that getting anything accomplished is likely to take half the semester.” Students appreciate that most administrative tasks can be accomplished “over the computer.”
"The UF student body conjures to mind the “Greek macho man” and the “Barbie blonde” for many, but with undergrad enrollment around 35,000, “it’s hard to define the typical student” here. While the “large, sprawling campus” is home to “more students than can be observed,” even a perfunctory glance reveals “all kinds—jocks, Greeks, religious, political, nonreligious, out-of-staters, international people, intense athletes, and everything in between.” Some here tell us that “the typical student falls into one of two categories. Either the student is a know-it-all who graduated with an IB diploma and had a 4.0, or [he or she] is a slacker who somehow got into UF and now doesn’t take anything seriously except partying.” Because of UF’s size, “There’s a place for everyone to fit in, whether your thing is knitting, rugby, or video games.”
"“You can tell that students at UF like to have fun,” undergrads here agree, and fortunately for them the opportunities are ample. There is “a lot of stuff to do on campus,” and if partying is your thing, there are “37 fraternity/sorority houses” and “an ample number of clubs to check out” in downtown Gainesville. The Student Union also hosts “a bunch of different activities” and “shows recent movies in [its] theater, long before they come out on DVD.” Then, of course, there’s Gator athletics. “Almost everybody here is crazy about our sports teams, and team spirit is really high,” students tell us. One writes, “Sports, both intramural and intercollegiate, are very important. This is one of the main reasons people are drawn to UF.” Greater Gainesville “offers enough things to do” that “not being Greek does not hamper one’s social life.” Indeed, Gainesville “is a true college town—everything is catered to the UF student.” For outdoor enthusiasts, “There is a recreational lake that is university-owned, [and] students can go swim, boat, fish, or BBQ [for free].” UF is also located “within 2 hours” of the beach and “under 2 hours” from “theme parks in Orlando.” Students here are “always willing to drive the distance” to “away football games within the SEC (Southeastern Conference).”</p>