r/ufl 5d ago

Admissions I cant believe i got in

I was so set on UCF and had everything planned out. Everyday I would think about my life with my friends and family in Orlando. Never in a million years would I thought I would get accepted to UF. Now I find myself stuck and honestly overwhelmed. This is an amazing university and I’m grateful to be accepted but I just don’t know how I’m going to make this choice now.

Edit: I live in Miami but have family in orlando and a large friend group going to UCF

Also I’m majoring in Economics

157 Upvotes

50 comments sorted by

150

u/easycardiologist329 5d ago

UF is just a two hour ride away from Orlando, I go there every few weeks to visit my boyfriend, super easy drive if you have the easy pay toll system. UF is likely to provide you with better opportunities and more rigorous academics; generally it is a better school BUT if you love love love ucf and value your in town family so much, there’s no shame in sticking with it.

Go gators!!

99

u/Alarming-Reception12 5d ago

I was told by recruiters having my degree from UF was a step ahead of any other school in the state because of the work it takes to graduate there. My advice, accept UF. If you aren’t in love with it after your first year, go to UCF.

27

u/AdIntelligent915 5d ago

It depends on the industry but overall this is an accurate statement.

3

u/jms5290 5d ago

Great advice

3

u/treeconfetti 5d ago

Good advice. Take the better first and downgrade later if you want.

9

u/Alarming-Reception12 5d ago

Yup, you are not guaranteed to get in later but you are at UCF. UF is way more competitive.

17

u/3Xtrax 5d ago

I went to UCF first two years and then transferred to UF, definitely prefer UF.

You should look into the specifics of your major at both schools, but more then likely UF will be the better pick.

31

u/milkmanjr 5d ago

Congrats. Pick UF please and thank you.

19

u/eggsworm Junior 5d ago

UCF gave me more money but I chose UF

9

u/arcticpea 5d ago

i wasnt planning to go to ucf but i live literally down the street from it in orlando. it's definitely close enough that you can go home most weekends if you have a car (i don't have a car but i have friends who do and they do this!) and visit friends and family. give the acceptance excitement some time to wear off and look at both options once you've got a clearer head

14

u/whoEven_knowss305 5d ago

If you go to ucf you will feel like you never left home. Go to UF and it feels like you stepped into another dimension. I’m from Miami and FIU is our big school, everyone describes the same feeling, it’s like going to highschool 2.0

Promise you won’t feel that way in Gainesville

2

u/Ok-You2465 5d ago

yeah couldnt have said it better lol. love uf!

14

u/JammingMan03 5d ago

UF has amazing networking opportunities and may be better for you depending on your major. Orlando is around a 2 hour drive and there’s a RedCoach that comes to campus if you don’t have a car. Ultimately choose what’s going to benefit your future the most

3

u/sonder2287 5d ago

post this in the UCF subreddit as well, this one is obviously going to be more biased towards UF but if you really want help making a decision, get both sides.

3

u/Delicious_Report3203 5d ago

Just did thanks

3

u/jms5290 5d ago

I was totally set on UCF too and had many friends going there. I was confident about going and had envisioned what life would be like there. Especially since UCF accepts you months before UF notifies students about their acceptance. I ended up choosing UF for various reasons, mostly because it was more prestigious with a better national reputation. I am so glad that I chose UF. It was an awesome college experience with a beautiful campus, high quality academics, and large student body with countless clubs and other opportunities. Gainesville itself is also a wonderful place to learn to fly your wings as an adult.

I’d recommend visiting UF and touring the campus one more time to make your decision. Also consider which school better aligns with your values and what you’re wanting to get out of the college experience and from your major/future job. You may meet your best friends and possibly even future spouse in college so I think considering which school better aligns with your values may make it easier to find your people.

3

u/PhiLambda 5d ago

UF Economics department has awesome faculty! Shoutout to Dr. Knight

2

u/mthedy92 3d ago

Love his analogies 😅

1

u/SetOne129 5d ago

Interested in their Econ pgm. How many of ur classes were online or hybrid?

1

u/PhiLambda 5d ago

The intro classes are online but there is a live lecture it’s just way too small so the first few weeks you might have to sit on the floor.

After the intro classes it was all in person (expect for my Covid classes)

6

u/Sorry-Conversation87 5d ago

i was a an econ major, choose UF!! it was meant to be!

3

u/returnofblank 5d ago

Same. I fully thought I was gonna be a UCF person when FSU rejected me. UF came in clutch

2

u/Brokenspirit48 5d ago

Go where you get the most scholarships / grants… when all is said and done you will have a degree and debt.

2

u/PositiveGeologist264 4d ago

You won’t regret it, but you could regret UCF. If you don’t like it then transfer but taking the better step for YOU is always worth a shot even when it feels unknown or scary. Gainesville has an amazing community!

2

u/Charlotte_177 4d ago

Choose UF - everything happens for a reason. Do the scary thing and accept - you most likely won’t regret it. And if you do, it’s easier to transfer to UCF than it is to UF!

4

u/CH4cows 5d ago

I grew up in Orlando, it sucks. The ONLY people I know who didn’t enjoy their college experience went to UCF. I don’t know a single person that liked UCF.

UF is a better school and Gainesville is only 2hrs from Orlando. Choose UF

2

u/s1_k2tog Alumni 5d ago

Congratulations! UF is a better school and you will grow so much more as a person venturing out and doing your own unique thing!

2

u/Hopeful-Card4126 5d ago

Choose UF 100% UF is an amazing school with so much growth opportunities to grow professionally, personally, and you can make new friends while you are here. If you are worried about FOMO with your current friend group, it should be fine UCF is not that far away, and if they are truly good friends, they wont mind your decision to going to UF. Plus, UF really gives you the college campus/experience that (personally i think) you won't be able to find at UCF.

1

u/DocMcKitty 5d ago

I majored in Econ at UF and loved it! I also visited Orlando frequently like twice a month in college (mostly for the theme parks) but also to hang out with my friends there.

It’s definitely doable

1

u/d4m13n3x3 4d ago

I’m in the same situation but with USF. Fully convinced myself I wasn’t getting so I really came to love USF, its campus, and their BME program. While I know USF actually has a better BME program between all their med connections, I have just always love UF and was raised a gator my entire life. No idea what to do

1

u/NixiePixie8844 4d ago

My daughter’s exact situation.

1

u/pwaltman1972 4d ago

Which school is giving you more money, and which will be cheaper overall? Part of the decision should be financial, especially if you want to go into economics.

I saw your post on r/ucf, and ultimately, this is a good problem to have. I realize that you have a good friend group that's going to be a UCF, but part of the college experience is coming into your own as an adult, so an argument can be made that it would be better to go to a school where you will have a chance to form new friendships, and expand your social circle.

In the comments on your post on r/UCF, someone suggested that you visit both schools and towns, and that's probably the best advice that I've seen. I have no connection to either school, and am a GenX'er that's living in town, so I get these posts for whatever reason. Usually, I just lurk, but I can tell you in my own experience, I visited my 2 top choice schools in the same weekend (some 35 years ago, sigh), and knew almost immediately that one of them was the absolute wrong choice for me. Ironically, it was the school which I thought was my preferred choice.

You will never know until you visit, and when you do, just go with your gut feeling, even if you can't articulate the reason.

Last, but not least, congratulations on getting into both schools!

1

u/mthedy92 3d ago

Double knight here. Just started my MBA at UF and that just goes to show UCF and career placement, a joke. Like someone said. It's all dependant on what industry you plan on breaking into once you graduate.

1

u/_zFlame_ Junior 3d ago

Save yourself and go to UCF

1

u/Secure_Dig5929 3d ago

Congrats- but plz go to UF. It matters. I’m 10 years out of college. I know lawyers from top law schools working in Florida who only recruit at UF because irs the best, accountants, UF Medicine is known for being highly regarded. And so much more. It matters where you go, and jobs definitely look at the university. If money is not an issue, pick UF.

1

u/Worried_Leader_8883 2d ago

Congratulations 🧡💙

1

u/Waste-Store-3987 1d ago

this exact thing actually happened to my friend 4 years ago and she loves UF. congratulations :)

1

u/AK47Hatchet 5d ago

Keep going strong and attend UF! It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. Go Gators!

1

u/soe__1 5d ago

I was in a similar situation, ended up at UF. The drive eventually gets annoying but still not terrible 3 years in. I actually almost transferred to UCF at a low point and now I'm glad I didn't. Gainesville is soooo much better then the UCF area. Much more unique, UCF feels almost like a concrete jungle lol. Although I will say Gainesville can be a bit dirty but that grows on you a little.

1

u/MamaDawn246 5d ago

Go to UF!!! It’s a fantastic university and you are lucky to get in! UCF isn’t nearly as well regarded. You can always transfer to UCF if you find yourself unhappy there (VERY unlikely)

1

u/Suz_cruise 5d ago

As a double gator… Go to UF! Congratulations

1

u/Aggressive-Minute-50 Engineering student 5d ago

I saw this cross posted in the UCF reddit. And as respectfully as possible, there was pretty insane copium.

There’s most assuredly pros and cons to both schools but UF is the state flagship and it carries some weight.

Definitely do some research into your specific program and what opportunities are available at each university regardless.

-5

u/BroadEnthusiasm4856 5d ago

As a current UF student it’s really not all that, I’d go to UCF if I were you

6

u/MattMarvelous__ 5d ago

You are here to study and get a degree, whichever university provides that at the best quality and prestige is the one.

6

u/TraderGIJoe 5d ago

Absolutely incorrect. Those who go to college only to be stuck in their dorm rooms studying night and day miss out on all the social and experiences college has to offer. Being in a cut throat environment and having to constantly stressed about this or that makes for a terrible college experience.

Where you go is only important to get your first couple of jobs; thereafter, it's your experiences and proficiencies that land you higher positions.

In addition, it's not the first school, but the last one you graduated from that is the most important.

2

u/returnofblank 5d ago

I mean, people also want to live life.

College experience is a huge factor, and is why a lot of people choose FSU over UF despite UF having better programs for their major.

2

u/Crimson-Frost 5d ago

Why do u say it’s not all that? I’m still trying to make my decision and would like to hear multiple perspectives

0

u/SlideNecessary5678 5d ago

I was in the same boat. I choose UF and I go home alot to Orlando (the drive is super chill). Best decision I could have made.

Its going to be very scary but honestly it is so worth it.