I’m from Florida and have friends still there, and I agree with this, plus the Santa Fe to UF pathway. FWIW, my friends who went to USF and UCF mostly all went on to grad/professional school and have done very well in their lives. |
Yes, My mistake. FGCU is coming on strong. |
| University of Michigan |
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The Sante Fe Community College path to UF is strong.
https://www.sfcollege.edu/transfer/uf/ |
DP. Adding that UF is such a big school in such a small town that many kids live off campus. So you’re not missing much of that experience going to Santa Fe the first 2 years. |
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My child is at UCF, and I'd be happy to answer any questions.
I do agree that in general it is UF/FSU/USF/UCF as far as prestige but there are exceptions. Many people like UCF because it is in a big city and has lots of internship opportunities. There are many people on my UCF FB page whose kids chose UCF over UF or FSU because of its location and opportunities. Aerospace engineering is good as is nursing, and hospitality. Great opportunities nearby. Florida schools are 90% in-state by law (that is overall as a system, so UF, for example, might have more OOS while UNF has less). That does make the schools harder to get into. They are also one of the last states to require a test score, so it helps to have a strong one. The community college to 4-year path is popular at UF, FSU, and UCF, and I love that they have that option. Students can still be involved in the 4-year activities while going to school at the community college and living in nearby student apartments. While my child didn't do that, she did take some classes at the local CC because they are cheaper and sometimes easier (math is notoriously hard at UCF). Because UCF charges by the credit hour, that was a nice perk, financialy. I do know others who have done that pathway. All in all, I've been pleased with what UCF offers. Some people complain about a lot of online classes (especially business students) and the bureaucracy of such a large school, but we've had a really good experience, and think my child will be well-prepared for the working world. She is a hospitality management major, and we felt the location of UCF couldn't be beat for that major. |
| Thanks! We established residency at Eglin, and the kids have never lived in Florida, so we're pretty out of touch with the rest of the state. This was all super helpful. |
| Bumping this up, because we have the chance to move to Texas in a few years. Would it better to establish residency there for a better shot at being accepted to UT, A&M, or something similar? |
Start a new thread pp |
Not sure it's worth giving up Bright Futures. |
I'm OP. I don't think it warrants a new thread. |
Would you go there over using bright futures in FL? Only you can answer that question. FL schools and the cost of living are a bargain. Will be hard to beat with bright futures, assuming your kid qualifies for the top tier. |
Np. It may get you more responses. People who know about Texas schools may open it whereas they won’t if they think it’s about FL. |
The last two are private, right? Do they give benefits for bright futures? |
| Go Gators! |