University of Florida

UF is currently the #5 public university in the US! It is the oldest public school in Florida, and according to the admissions representative, it’s the most prestigious. The 2000 acre campus is home to 38,000 undergrads (and another 20,000 grad students). They are ranked second in the US in terms of return on investment and are one of the top research institutions (and performed over $1B in research last year). It’s great to hear that they have a 97% freshman retention rate and a 91% six year graduation rate (I believe most schools give their graduation rates within four or five years). The student to faculty ratio is 17 to 1, and most upper level classes have 20 students for each professor. There are 120 majors from which to choose, and students can change majors until the end of their second year. 85% of UF students receive financial aid, and two-thirds of their students graduate debt-free. Freshmen are allowed to live on or off campus, but they should lock in their housing deposits early if they want to live on campus (more about that later). Their career services department is ranked second in the nation. UF does a holistic application review, but they do require test scores (and high ones at that). One thing they consider is the progression of the student’s schedule; it is important to not let up in twelfth grade. As for extracurriculars, they are really looking for a student to have consistent involvement in one activity over time to really show their passion; they are not looking for “one offs.” UF does not require an interview or letter of recommendation, and they do not track demonstrated interest. Last year, they received the most applications they have ever received. It is important to meet the priority deadline of December 1 if you really want a decent chance of getting admitted. The rep did say that you can submit December SAT scores as an update if you already have a score on file with the school. That concluded the official presentation by admissions.

Finally, some facts and figures from the brochures they gave me. The average financial aid package is $18,677, and the total cost of attendance is $21,810 for Florida residents and $44,088 for out-of-state students. 91% of UF freshmen receive scholarships or grants. According to the Princeton Review, the University of Florida is #8 in terms of Best Alumni Network. Remember how I mentioned you need a pretty good SAT score to be admitted? I hope you’re sitting down for the middle 50% of the 2022 freshman class profile: GPA of 4.4-4.6, SAT score of 1350-1490, and ACT score of 30-34. Go, Gators!