Why is it so difficult for freshman to gain acceptance to the University of Florida?

I am one of the many people who attended UF when mere mortals were commonly accepted to the school.  When I see fellow mortals who also graduated from UF, they often ask why their children and their friends have such a hard time gaining acceptance to their alma mater.  The newest freshman class at UF averaged a 4.4 grade point average, a 1360 SAT, and a 30 ACT. 

Reason 1 – As UF grows in prestige, more people apply to the school.  As the number of applications increases, the percentage of students accepted decreases.  Simply put, UF will say “no” to incoming freshman more often this year than they did last year.  In their words, “Each year’s freshman applicant pool becomes increasingly more competitive, but this year’s applicant pool was by far one of the most competitive we have reviewed. We received about 40,000 applications for 6,400 seats in the 2018 freshman class.

Reason 2 – The Inn is full.  There are only so many people who can fit (and park) on the UF campus.  UF may focus on accepting more international students or graduate students from time to time, but they aren’t likely to accept 1,000 additional freshman any year soon.

Reason 3 – The State University System is working well.  Tuition in Florida is second best in the nation.  As college costs increase, all Florida schools become more attractive.  Therefore, it is increasingly difficult to get into FSU, UCF, USF, and the other SUS schools each year too. 

Reason 4 – We are all great parents.  Many of us invested in the Florida Pre-Paid program.  Many of our children are smarter than we were and they are earning Bright Futures.  If you have Florida Pre-Paid and Bright Futures, going to college in Florida becomes much more affordable.

Reason 5 – Did I mention how great we are as parents?  Our children are taking lots of classes that we never considered taking during the Stone Age – Advanced Placement, Dual Enrollment, IB, AICE, etc.  There are an impressive number of impressive transcripts throughout our state. 

When we add all of this up, UF attracts a large number of impressive applicants each year.  This is not likely to change soon.

As a parent, what can you do to help your child? Well, you could contact Student First Educational Consulting to help you make a plan for applying to Florida and other schools that might be a great fit for your child.