U. of Florida 2010-2011 Applicants!! Forum

[98234872348]

I was going to say.

[Barbie]

So has anyone who's gotten in made the decision about whether they are attending UF or not? I'm about 90% certain I'll be headed here in the fall. Anyone else?

I'm visiting Illinois starting tomorrow. If I hate it for some reason, it'll be between FSU and UF (FSU offered me 20k). So, its pretty high on my list. I'll know probably by Saturday.

You really think the difference between FSU and UF is worth the 20k/year? My goodness.

Not 20k/year! that would be like way more than tuition lol. 20k total.

edit: and they are both cheap as shit IS anyways so it would come down to which one my fiance and I felt more comfortable in.

[FeelTheHeat]

So has anyone who's gotten in made the decision about whether they are attending UF or not? I'm about 90% certain I'll be headed here in the fall. Anyone else?

I'm visiting Illinois starting tomorrow. If I hate it for some reason, it'll be between FSU and UF (FSU offered me 20k). So, its pretty high on my list. I'll know probably by Saturday.

You really think the difference between FSU and UF is worth the 20k/year? My goodness.

Not 20k/year! that would be like way more than tuition lol. 20k total.

edit: and they are both cheap as shit IS anyways so it would come down to which one my fiance and I felt more comfortable in.

Oh, gotcha Congrats on a good problem to have! I myself will be traveling to both schools in the near future to make a decision as well, though there is no scholarship to persuade me. I wish to go into the public sector which is why FSU's proximity to the capital is so enticing, but UF is the clear top dog so we'll see! I'll definitely have a post up with pictures and saying how my trip went.

[Deuce]

So has anyone who's gotten in made the decision about whether they are attending UF or not? I'm about 90% certain I'll be headed here in the fall. Anyone else?

I'm visiting Illinois starting tomorrow. If I hate it for some reason, it'll be between FSU and UF (FSU offered me 20k). So, its pretty high on my list. I'll know probably by Saturday.

You really think the difference between FSU and UF is worth the 20k/year? My goodness.

Edit: For what, four spots in the ranking when a year ago they were back to back?

Because FSU is awful in every way, shape and form.

[gatorlaw2011]

.

[minuit]

I wanted to see if anyone else was in my predicament (no complaints, it's a great predicament to be in.)...I did undergrad at UF (3rd generation Gator) and love everything about UF and Gainesville...My issue is that I got scholarship offers from top 30 schools that make it just as cheap, or cheaper, to attend their schools. I was always planning on attending UF Law, but now I don't know what to do. Do I stick to the school I'm comfortable with, with all the friends I've known for so long? Or try a new place with a possibility for better job prospects? (Side note: I have NO idea where I want to practice law, Florida is all I know but I would love to try a new place.) Thanks for the advice

Frankly, with your numbers, you should be getting scholarship money from UF. If I were you, I would try speaking to UF and starting scholarship negotiations. Tell them your predicament, and that scholarship money would truly persuade you to stay. And if they say no, screw them and go to a better school for the same price

[gatorlaw2011]

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[rman1201]

I asked this before but never really got an answer...
but back in Nov I submitted my app through lsac and got the admit pack like 2 weeks later, but I never actually finished the app stuff on their site or sent my app fee (UF doesnt do waivers...). I'm getting all the admitted student mailing and everything; do I just roll with it or do I still owe them the app fee?

[98234872348]

I wanted to see if anyone else was in my predicament (no complaints, it's a great predicament to be in.)...I did undergrad at UF (3rd generation Gator) and love everything about UF and Gainesville...My issue is that I got scholarship offers from top 30 schools that make it just as cheap, or cheaper, to attend their schools. I was always planning on attending UF Law, but now I don't know what to do. Do I stick to the school I'm comfortable with, with all the friends I've known for so long? Or try a new place with a possibility for better job prospects? (Side note: I have NO idea where I want to practice law, Florida is all I know but I would love to try a new place.) Thanks for the advice

If you want to practice in Florida, it isn't really worth trying to go to other schools (outside of the Vandy, maybe GW/BU), unless you're saving a substantial amount of money. Now is the time to decide where you want to practice. Law schools are regional (i.e. if you're going to UNC, don't expect that brand name to carry as well in Florida as UF does in Florida); this makes determining where you want to practice law an important thing to consider before law school. Doing market research is important because a lot of markets are also regional and firms therein will be less receptive to someone from outside of their community (or without substantial ties to the area). The larger markets like NYC/Chi/DC tend to suffer less from this kind of regionalism. But, if you were to say, take Alabama over Florida, maybe because they offered you a bit more money (which you can likely leverage against UF's offer), you might have difficulties in whatever market Alabama places into (I know nothing about Alabama's placement) and, if you decide to return to Florida, you might get passed over for a student with similar grades because of a prevalence of UF grads at the firm. Of course, firms value diversity and, having grown up in Florida, you'll have a better chance to break into the market from a school outside of Florida than someone without those ties, but taking that risk is up to you.

I certainly wouldn't recommend going to a T30 regional thinking that it is "better" than UF, unless you're certain you want to practice in that school's primary market (and make sure you are familiar enough with that market that you think you can successfully get a job there). If you get into a school with more national-like placement (i.e. GW/BU - and I only say BU because one of the summer associates I met working in Jacksonville at one of the big firms there was out of BU), the prestige factor might be worth it, but again, that is a decision only you can make. In any event, talk to alumni, find out what the primary markets for the school are, if you can get in contact with current students working in the markets you are interested in, etc. That will give you a more accurate picture of what you're dealing with.

I don't know how helpful that was, but good luck deciding.

[clone22]

if you get 12k/year scholly, would it be useful at all to ask for more money in face of rising tuition costs? I know that was full tuition last year, but even next year the tuition will be 15k+ for a resident, and it'll probably top out at 20k by 2014, so would they give more money if they try to negotiate?
a few t14 acceptances (no schollys yet) as bargaining chips.
thanks.

[minuit]

I wanted to see if anyone else was in my predicament (no complaints, it's a great predicament to be in.)...I did undergrad at UF (3rd generation Gator) and love everything about UF and Gainesville...My issue is that I got scholarship offers from top 30 schools that make it just as cheap, or cheaper, to attend their schools. I was always planning on attending UF Law, but now I don't know what to do. Do I stick to the school I'm comfortable with, with all the friends I've known for so long? Or try a new place with a possibility for better job prospects? (Side note: I have NO idea where I want to practice law, Florida is all I know but I would love to try a new place.) Thanks for the advice

Frankly, with your numbers, you should be getting scholarship money from UF. If I were you, I would try speaking to UF and starting scholarship negotiations. Tell them your predicament, and that scholarship money would truly persuade you to stay. And if they say no, screw them and go to a better school for the same price

Do they negotiate and end up giving bigger scholarships? They offered me $8k/year, but with the cost of their tuition increasing by 15% each year, it doesn't at all put them ahead of other schools I applied to.

Ahh I see... well the worst that could happen is you could ask and they could say no! My big question for UF and FSU is when they plan on stopping the 15% increase every year - they can't do it forever! And it makes the scholarship amounts hard to judge because we don't know how much it really comes out to. But like goft said, it really comes down to where you want to practice, too.

[98234872348]

if you get 12k/year scholly, would it be useful at all to ask for more money in face of rising tuition costs? I know that was full tuition last year, but even next year the tuition will be 15k+ for a resident, and it'll probably top out at 20k by 2014, so would they give more money if they try to negotiate?
a few t14 acceptances (no schollys yet) as bargaining chips.
thanks.

Tuition was 16,500 this year and will be close to 19k next year.

[minuit]

if you get 12k/year scholly, would it be useful at all to ask for more money in face of rising tuition costs? I know that was full tuition last year, but even next year the tuition will be 15k+ for a resident, and it'll probably top out at 20k by 2014, so would they give more money if they try to negotiate?
a few t14 acceptances (no schollys yet) as bargaining chips.
thanks.

Tuition was 16,500 this year and will be close to 19k next year.

have they given any indication as to when the madness will end??

[98234872348]

if you get 12k/year scholly, would it be useful at all to ask for more money in face of rising tuition costs? I know that was full tuition last year, but even next year the tuition will be 15k+ for a resident, and it'll probably top out at 20k by 2014, so would they give more money if they try to negotiate?
a few t14 acceptances (no schollys yet) as bargaining chips.
thanks.

Tuition was 16,500 this year and will be close to 19k next year.

have they given any indication as to when the madness will end??

The program was supposed to "bring their in-state tuition cost into alignment with similarly ranked state schools" or something of that nature. The Florida Legislature approved it, so, I guess the only way to stop it would be to reverse the legislation permitting schools to raise their tuition so rapidly. I can only hope it stops soon, and am happy that I will only be here for another year before it breaks 20k. Seems to me they should stop soon, but, there has not been any indication or official announcement even suggesting that they are going to stop raising tuition.

[cr1stina]

Hey...I submitted all my applications Jan. 14th and UF is the only school I have yet to hear from. Do they normally take this long to send the supplement doc and allow you to pay? I'm dying for a status checker!

[FortuneFavorsTheBold]

Hey...I submitted all my applications Jan. 14th and UF is the only school I have yet to hear from. Do they normally take this long to send the supplement doc and allow you to pay? I'm dying for a status checker!

yea, just got all my supplemental email/info yesterday...and i submitted on the 11th

[DrackedaryMaster]

if you get 12k/year scholly, would it be useful at all to ask for more money in face of rising tuition costs? I know that was full tuition last year, but even next year the tuition will be 15k+ for a resident, and it'll probably top out at 20k by 2014, so would they give more money if they try to negotiate?
a few t14 acceptances (no schollys yet) as bargaining chips.
thanks.

Tuition was 16,500 this year and will be close to 19k next year.

have they given any indication as to when the madness will end??

The program was supposed to "bring their in-state tuition cost into alignment with similarly ranked state schools" or something of that nature. The Florida Legislature approved it, so, I guess the only way to stop it would be to reverse the legislation permitting schools to raise their tuition so rapidly. I can only hope it stops soon, and am happy that I will only be here for another year before it breaks 20k. Seems to me they should stop soon, but, there has not been any indication or official announcement even suggesting that they are going to stop raising tuition.

The outgoing Congress aparentally gave me a gift. There was supposedly some changes to the Post 9/11 GI Bill that was passed that eliminated the Yellow Ribbon Program and the Highest Undergrad-In State tuition limit. It now says it will cover the tuition charges of any public university at any level of study, but will cap private colleges at $17.5K. FL has insanely cheap undergrad tutition, so under the current plan, I was looking at the GI Bill covering only $8850 per year for either FSU/UF, and having to fund the rest myself. That appearsto have been eliminated, but I'm still having problems finding out exactly when and whether these changes will indeed take place.

[98234872348]

The outgoing Congress aparentally gave me a gift. There was supposedly some changes to the Post 9/11 GI Bill that was passed that eliminated the Yellow Ribbon Program and the Highest Undergrad-In State tuition limit. It now says it will cover the tuition charges of any public university at any level of study, but will cap private colleges at $17.5K. FL has insanely cheap undergrad tutition, so under the current plan, I was looking at the GI Bill covering only $8850 per year for either FSU/UF, and having to fund the rest myself. That appearsto have been eliminated, but I'm still having problems finding out exactly when and whether these changes will indeed take place.

I know nothing about the GI bill, but, I know there are various TLS regulars that take advantage of it. Try the advanced search function (I know, it's broken) and if you can't come up with anything, google might help. If not, I am sure you could call the financial aid office at either school and ask them if they know anything about it.

[Bless]

My application status changed today from "Initial Review" to "File reviewed, no decision reached".


Should I be worried? Should I be confident? Should I be neither of the two?

[minuit]

My application status changed today from "Initial Review" to "File reviewed, no decision reached".


Should I be worried? Should I be confident? Should I be neither of the two?

you are probably the 63rd person to ask this question.

[FeelTheHeat]

My application status changed today from "Initial Review" to "File reviewed, no decision reached".


Should I be worried? Should I be confident? Should I be neither of the two?

Seems like a LOT of people are in this category. I believe it is like a hold, not a WL. Best of luck, I'm there with you.

[Bless]

At least I now know that it's not a stupid question.


And thank you. Good luck to you as well.

[rockylo88]

UF should just have a tournament where applicants on the bubble (i.e. 'Review Complete. No Decision Reached.') can fight to the death for available spots.

P.S. I'm in this category as well.

[Sandro]

Maybe UF is banking on all the +75%ers they have admitted so far will ALL attend ??? I love UF and its a great school but you click on ppls LSN accounts who have been admitted so far and a ton of them have scholarships @ t14s already....

[alicrimson]

Maybe UF is banking on all the +75%ers they have admitted so far will ALL attend ??? I love UF and its a great school but you click on ppls LSN accounts who have been admitted so far and a ton of them have scholarships @ t14s already....

This is what I believe as well but I think there is going to be a lot of activity come Mid February, though LSN is just a small sample of applicants so it could be skewed. I remember friends last year took forever to hear from schools too so I don't think this is a new occurence. A decision will come eventually and we're currently in a better situation waiting-wise than when we first began waiting in December...and November/October for some of us [ME!!!] here.