<p>Going to visit UF for the first time next weekend. D is HS senior and has applied for RD1/Fall. Attending the information session and campus tour. Any suggestions for what else to look for/at while there?</p>
<p>When I visited, I explored the Student Union, and it was very cool. Also, I got to roam around inside the football stadium, and that was also really nice. See if they let you onto the grass of the stadium, I eventually was allowed to for a couple minutes.</p>
<p>seiclan
I would be most interested in your report!S also applied RD1 but we cant visit till his HS Varsity sport season is over as he plays every Fri night and Sunday (rollerhockey).
Is your D an Honors candidate or by any chance NMSF? If so perhaps some in depth time with the Honors College people/tour of their facilities would be in order.I've heard good reports on the Honors housing,perhaps you could see it/location compared to other housing options.
Perhaps setup some time with an advisor in her major area of interest , if she has one.
I'm always interested in the surrounding areas off campus when we do a visit.Are goods/services available?How is the local transport situation for a kid who wouldnt have a car.Is airport transportation available if thats an issue?
I also like to look at the state of the campus...Don't really like to see shabby maintenance,and I like to see construction..especially on a large campus..its like a small city and I think should always be renewing itself.I like to spend some time reading bulletin boards/fliers and of course the student newspaper.
Have a great trip..bask in the sunshine if its a change in geographic venue for you (I remember how wonderful it was to visit Az in Feb with older D for auditions) and please report back here!
Thanks
Cathy</p>
<p>I was at UF for a continuing education course last year. Don't worry, there's plenty of construction ;).</p>
<p>D has a friend who is a freshman living in Broward Hall so hopefully she will give us the "insiders" tour after the official tour. We also hope she will take us to see her friends dorms as well so D can decide which dorms to put on her housing form (assuming she still wants to attend). My D will not be in honors (her SAT and GPA fall short) so Hume is NOT an option for her. My D's friend did not have a car last semester and is currently lobbying her parents to bring her car back to school with her on Sunday. Although parking is supposed to be a nightmare, I hear that having a car is a real plus. My D is going into the business program so we will definitely look into that when we visit. Gainesville does have an airport...with jet service so airport is available but most of the kids from South Florida drive the 4 1/2 hours to school and home. I will report back on our findings after our visit.</p>
<p>We never took the official tour, because my son has been up there many times for games (my husband is an alumnus), and he's already been accepted. I've never gone with them to a game, so this was a first visit for me. We visited a friend in Broward, and I was most impressed with how cozy the campus was. It's not overwhelming at all, because the beautiful, old buildings are built very close to each other. The campus is well-manicured, and picture-perfect. </p>
<p>The doubles in Broward are spacious and bright. We saw a triple, and it was really cramped. The friend we visited had applied for a double, but she got a triple. The only complaint I had about Broward was that there's no furniture at all in the lobby. The large study center next to the lobby had only wooden chairs and folding tables. Not comfortable at all for studying. Very bare and institutional. </p>
<p>He hasn't made up his mind about his first, second and third choices yet, and he has to do that next week. Most of these these kids have always had their own rooms and baths, so this is going to be a huge change for them. Our neighbor was admitted to UF and FIU, and he elected to go to FIU, simply because their dorms are much newer, and he was guaranteed a single room, part of a four-bedroom suite. He's a freshman this year. Good luck to you!
- g8trmom</p>
<p>Just got back from visiting UF and we are very glad that we visited. It is a beautiful campus with lots and lot of green space and an improbable assortment of trees (large, old maples and oaks with spanish moss hanging all over them next to a palm tree). It was very easy to find, just 5 minutes off the highway (I-75). The place was clean and well maintained. Nice buildings...some having gorgeous old architecture (arched entrances, towers, gargoyles) and some circa 1950/1960 ish brick buildings. A very large campus but warm and inviting....although we were there during a cold snap and the temp. during our 1 1/2 hour campus tour was about 46 degrees and windy. The information session consisted of an adorable and funny short movie and a Q and A with an admissions rep.
Our tour did not take us through a dorm but my daughter has a friend on campus who took us into her room in Broward Hall and into a friend's room in Murphee. Big difference. Although I do believe that Broward is better for meeting people and social life in general, the rooms (though large, bright and spacious) seemed decrepit to me compared to other schools that we had visited. I felt that the place was in dire need of some fresh paint and furniture. Murphee is one of those old, beautiful building with cool archway entrances and odd shaped rooms. There are different wings in Murphee that are home to about 6 rooms (about 10 kids) so it is not social at all (a complaint of the girl who's room we viewed). Everyone on campus was extraordinarily friendly and the student union and bookstore were really nice. The student union has food court with a subway, wendy's, and Italian food place and ....something else. There is an Einsteins bagel place and a few Burger Kings on campus too. There is a free bus service available to UF kids that runs east/west or north/south on campus and shuttle buses that take kids into "town" or to the Mall (which I have been told is very nice and has all the major stores). I was very, very impressed by all that I saw and heard (with the exception of the physical attributes of the dorms). Everyone there seemed very, very happy. My D stayed on campus with her friend Saturday night and went "clubbing" which she enjoyed. I think UF is her number one choice at this point but....she still has Boston U. very high on her list and we are going to visit in the next month or two. BTW Cathymee- the honors dorm (Hume ) is absolutely gorgeous and the honors perks are amazing. Too bad that my D did not score 1400 on her SAT! She would have loved that dorm and community!</p>
<p>Also remember that the way Murphree is built, the rooms are all different sizes. This can be really good if you get one with a lot of space, but it definitely doesn't seem fair when you're cramped and paying the same amount as your next-door neighbor who has an enormous room.</p>