The University of Florida

But you have to keep in mind: these are two of the BEST reasons to choose UF. Its okay to be scared. Just don't let that fear stop you from applying to one of the best schools in the country. Big schools teach students much more about how to get things done in the real world than little schools. The University Staff is still there to catch you BEFORE you make a mistake, but they let you test the waters. That's part of what college is about. Life is not like high school. At a big university, you learn to make the gradual transition from being a "big fish in a small pond" to a "small fish in a big pond". And once you are comfortable, you begin to grow.

The fact is: UF is hard to get into because its a good school. UF is rated the #2 public University in the nation in terms of the number of national merit scholars. Its #8 in the freshman retention rate. Its #10 in the nation in graduation rates (nearly twice as high as UCF and FSU). And it costs less than half of the national average for tuition and fees (only $2780: the national average is $5785). There are two ways to get in: be in the top 2% of your high school graudating class, or apply to a community college, keep a 3.0 GPA, and transfer in. The highest number of transfers come from Santa Fe, Central Florida and Brevard Community Colleges. You can go there and transfer. Many community college courses at other universities DO NOT TRANSFER. Be careful when choosing your cc!!

Your degree still says UF: no matter where you go your first two years. In the end, the benefit is the same. And for some students who aren't quite ready for UF, that's the perfect way to spend the first two years (some of the community colleges are even less expensive).

UF is consistently ranked in the top 25 Universities in the country. That means: you'll get a better education, get better internship offers, have more job offers when you graduate, and make more money. I know students who are working in the same field as I am who went to other Florida universities and make $25,000 less than me each year. Where you go to college makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE! 20 years, the total differential in salary could be over $500,000!There are a lot of great reasons to choose UF: the sports teams are great, the city is fun, the weather is beautiful, the people are smart, cost of living in Gainesville is low, the University has a great reputation worldwide, the CLASS WEBSITES are amazing, the advisor support is honest and helpful. UF also costs MUCH less than many other Universities. You get way more bang for your buck.