I have a daughter at UF and would describe the school as work hard, play hard. Like most selective schools, the majority of students were top 10% of their high school, team captains, newspaper editors, club presidents, etc. They are motivated and used to being in leadership roles. Some UF clubs are competitive, but there are so many opportunities that everyone can find somewhere to shine. My daughter has found a great group of friends who have a lot of fun going out, but also help each other with studying, finding internships and networking.

It can be very competitive depending on major. Most kids are from Florida and were at the top of their classes. UF is seen like the holy grail for Florida families. Kids who are not from Florida are often very solid kids as well. While they say that admissions is holistic, the numbers are competitive. This year may be more difficult to get in because last year's class has a over enrollment issue. Normally, each entering class is around 6500, but for some reason around 7300 kids accepted their offers this year. The school is getting popular for many reasons. The school definitely needs a new football coach though.

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Anonymous wrote:Your kid is going to be one of 35,000. Of course it’s going to be competitive, survival of the fittest for clubs, office hours, classes, etc. . .

True, but even big schools can have collaborative environments. From what I hear from people who actually attend, the experience is very positive. So it seems that any kind of competitiveness is outweighed by many positives.

Sure, kids like to party and Florida is a party school.

Florida isn’t any more of a party school than any college is. FSU has a bigger reputation for being a party school.

Well sure but they are both party schools.

I have kids at both (Florida resident) and FSU definitely wins at partying. Both have strong Greek cultures, but UF is harder to get into and seems to have more focused students (yes, I know that’s a big generalization).

I graduated from UF and the best is yet to come with the firing of our football coach Billy Napier. It will have the best football team soon this time after hiring the right coach who has the experience in coaching SEC teams. It is going to be lot of fun in the Swamp. Go Gators

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Anonymous wrote:Your kid is going to be one of 35,000. Of course it’s going to be competitive, survival of the fittest for clubs, office hours, classes, etc. . .

True, but even big schools can have collaborative environments. From what I hear from people who actually attend, the experience is very positive. So it seems that any kind of competitiveness is outweighed by many positives.

Sure, kids like to party and Florida is a party school.

Florida isn’t any more of a party school than any college is. FSU has a bigger reputation for being a party school.

Well sure but they are both party schools.

I have kids at both (Florida resident) and FSU definitely wins at partying. Both have strong Greek cultures, but UF is harder to get into and seems to have more focused students (yes, I know that’s a big generalization).

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Anonymous wrote:Your kid is going to be one of 35,000. Of course it’s going to be competitive, survival of the fittest for clubs, office hours, classes, etc. . .

True, but even big schools can have collaborative environments. From what I hear from people who actually attend, the experience is very positive. So it seems that any kind of competitiveness is outweighed by many positives.

Sure, kids like to party and Florida is a party school.

Florida isn’t any more of a party school than any college is. FSU has a bigger reputation for being a party school.

Well sure but they are both party schools.

Well the OP is worried about it being a toxic competitive environment. It’s maybe a work hard, play hard type of environment but it’s definitely not a bunch of kids who just went to college to party.

I agree - especially, since the standards of getting in are so competitive compared to what it was like even just 15 years ago. So many of the kids that attend are those that were at the top of their class. I sort of got the feeling that these kids are fairly well balanced.

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Anonymous wrote:Your kid is going to be one of 35,000. Of course it’s going to be competitive, survival of the fittest for clubs, office hours, classes, etc. . .

True, but even big schools can have collaborative environments. From what I hear from people who actually attend, the experience is very positive. So it seems that any kind of competitiveness is outweighed by many positives.

Sure, kids like to party and Florida is a party school.

Florida isn’t any more of a party school than any college is. FSU has a bigger reputation for being a party school.

Well sure but they are both party schools.

I heard that UF has a true party hard and work hard reputation. The kids are studying all the time - but come game day, they know how to party. In the old days- it was probably more partying than studying.

It was a major party school back in the day. I can't get that out of my head...and all the 'gators' I know from that time period.

My doctor (who had many friends who went to UF) warned me of the same thing when I told him that my kid was considering UF. However, his experience was from the 80s.

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Anonymous wrote:Your kid is going to be one of 35,000. Of course it’s going to be competitive, survival of the fittest for clubs, office hours, classes, etc. . .

True, but even big schools can have collaborative environments. From what I hear from people who actually attend, the experience is very positive. So it seems that any kind of competitiveness is outweighed by many positives.

Sure, kids like to party and Florida is a party school.

Florida isn’t any more of a party school than any college is. FSU has a bigger reputation for being a party school.

Well sure but they are both party schools.

Well the OP is worried about it being a toxic competitive environment. It’s maybe a work hard, play hard type of environment but it’s definitely not a bunch of kids who just went to college to party.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kid is going to be one of 35,000. Of course it’s going to be competitive, survival of the fittest for clubs, office hours, classes, etc. . .

True, but even big schools can have collaborative environments. From what I hear from people who actually attend, the experience is very positive. So it seems that any kind of competitiveness is outweighed by many positives.

Sure, kids like to party and Florida is a party school.

Florida isn’t any more of a party school than any college is. FSU has a bigger reputation for being a party school.

Well sure but they are both party schools.

I heard that UF has a true party hard and work hard reputation. The kids are studying all the time - but come game day, they know how to party. In the old days- it was probably more partying than studying.

It was a major party school back in the day. I can't get that out of my head...and all the 'gators' I know from that time period.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kid is going to be one of 35,000. Of course it’s going to be competitive, survival of the fittest for clubs, office hours, classes, etc. . .

True, but even big schools can have collaborative environments. From what I hear from people who actually attend, the experience is very positive. So it seems that any kind of competitiveness is outweighed by many positives.

Sure, kids like to party and Florida is a party school.

Florida isn’t any more of a party school than any college is. FSU has a bigger reputation for being a party school.

Well sure but they are both party schools.

I heard that UF has a true party hard and work hard reputation. The kids are studying all the time - but come game day, they know how to party. In the old days- it was probably more partying than studying.

Anonymous wrote:I went to UF a million years ago. It was tough, but it wasn't competitive against other students when I was there. Instead, you were competing in some very difficult classes to master the material and get decent grades. UF is known for its "weed-out" courses.

Friends whose kids go there now say it's similar. The difference is getting in in the first place.

Yep- I have heard that it is extremely difficult to get into now. My 1250 from the 1990s will definitely not get me in today.

Anonymous wrote:I went to UF a million years ago. It was tough, but it wasn't competitive against other students when I was there. Instead, you were competing in some very difficult classes to master the material and get decent grades. UF is known for its "weed-out" courses.

Friends whose kids go there now say it's similar. The difference is getting in in the first place.

I heard financial accounting is the killer for business majors and organic chem (with Portness) for bio/pre-med type majors.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kid is going to be one of 35,000. Of course it’s going to be competitive, survival of the fittest for clubs, office hours, classes, etc. . .

True, but even big schools can have collaborative environments. From what I hear from people who actually attend, the experience is very positive. So it seems that any kind of competitiveness is outweighed by many positives.

Sure, kids like to party and Florida is a party school.

Florida isn’t any more of a party school than any college is. FSU has a bigger reputation for being a party school.

Well sure but they are both party schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your kid is going to be one of 35,000. Of course it’s going to be competitive, survival of the fittest for clubs, office hours, classes, etc. . .

True, but even big schools can have collaborative environments. From what I hear from people who actually attend, the experience is very positive. So it seems that any kind of competitiveness is outweighed by many positives.

Sure, kids like to party and Florida is a party school.

Florida isn’t any more of a party school than any college is. FSU has a bigger reputation for being a party school.

I went to UF a lifetime ago. It really was pretty easy back in the day. High school for me was much harder and I learned what competitive was (in STEM) when I went on to grad school. Pre med kids were crazy, but worry about your grades crazy and not “dang that person is just smarter” crazy. Most kids were interested in having a full college experience with social life and football being the drivers of many. It may be a completely different place now.

You are kidding right?

UF won't be accredited in three years.

Ben Sasse will ruin the school it's already started.