What Is the University of Florida Known For?
What’s Covered:
- Overview of University of Florida Admissions
- Unique Aspects of University of Florida
- What Are Your Chances of Acceptance at the University of Florida?
Would you love to attend a large, public school with a rich history and dynamic sports culture? If so, the University of Florida may be the perfect school for you!
The University of Florida was established in 1853, and the Gainesville campus opened in 1906. Today, the campus sprawls over 2,000 acres and is home to over 35,000 undergraduate students.
In this post, we’ll outline the most important aspects of being a student at the University of Florida, including academics, extracurriculars, traditions, and the admissions process.
Overview of University of Florida Admissions
Location: Gainesville, Florida
Undergrad Enrollment: 36,436
Acceptance Rate: 39%
Middle 50% SAT: 1330-1470
Middle 50% ACT: 30-34
The University of Florida is a public university in Gainesville, Florida. The school places high value on the student’s rigor of secondary school, academic GPA, application essay, extracurricular activities, talents and skills, volunteer work, and character when selecting applicants.
The University of Florida requires students to submit either an SAT or ACT score; however, the essay component on either test is not required. 35% of enrolled freshmen students had a high school GPA above 4.0, and 46% of enrolled freshmen had a GPA between 3.75 and 3.99.
The university does not have an early decision or early action plan. Freshmen applications open in August, and the priority admissions application deadline is November 1. Students who apply after November 16 are accepted on a space-available basis.
Students can apply using The Common Application or the Coalition Application. The University of Florida requires students to submit their self-reported academic record (SSAR) by December 1 and SAT or ACT scores by December 15.
Learn more about The University of Florida and see your chances of acceptance.
Unique Aspects of University of Florida
Academics
The University of Florida offers over 100 undergraduate majors across 16 colleges. The colleges at the University of Florida are:
- College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
- College of the Arts
- Warrington College of Business
- College of Dentistry
- College of Design, Construction, and Planning
- College of Education
- Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
- College of Health and Human Performance
- College of Journalism and Communications
- Levin College of Law
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- College of Medicine
- College of Nursing
- College of Pharmacy
- College of Public Health and Health Professions
- College of Veterinary Medicine
Engineering, business, biomedical sciences, and social sciences are the most popular majors at the university. If you’re planning to attend graduate school, the University of Florida also offers well-regarded graduate programs in the Warrington College of Business, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, Levin College of Law, and College of Medicine.
The University of Florida is ranked sixth in the nation for the number of engineering degrees awarded per year. They also have two times the national average of inventions produced per dollar invested in research.
Notable faculty includes Jack E. Davis, the 2018 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History, and Ted Bridis, the editor of the Associated Press’ Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington investigative team for NYPD intelligence programs.
Extracurriculars
The University of Florida has over 1,000 student-run organizations and clubs, including a Greek community with four councils and 66 chapters. The university also offers 60 intramural and club sports and has a state-of-the-art fitness facility on-campus.
The University of Florida also has an impressive athletics program. The university’s 21 sports teams are called the “ Florida Gators.” They all compete in the NCAA Division I, and 20 teams compete in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
The University of Florida is the only school with more than 100 Academic All-SEC honorees in the past 23 seasons. The fans, called the “Rowdy Reptiles,” were recently voted one of the best fan sections in the NCAA.
The Florida Gators men’s and women’s teams have won 42 national championships. They are the only team in the SEC and one of four teams nationally to have won a national title for men’s football, basketball, and baseball.
Traditions
Students of the University of Florida love to attend Florida Gators football games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. This stadium has a capacity of 88,000, making it the 12th largest stadium in American college football and the 18th largest stadium in the world.
During football games, there are several notable traditions, including:
- Fight Song—Hum along to the fight song, “Orange and Blue.”
- Mr. Two Bits—Chant the famous cheer started by George Edmondson in 1989: “Two-bits, Four-bits, Six-bits, a dollar. All for the Gators, Stand up and holler!”
- We Are the Boys —Between the third and fourth quarter, lock arms with the person next to you and sway along to “We Are the Boys from Old Florida.
- Gator Growl —To kick off football season, students celebrate with fireworks, live music, and more festivities at the football stadium.
Dorms
The University of Florida offers 30 on-campus housing options, including traditional dorms, apartments, and suites.
- Traditional Dorms: Broward Hall, Buckman Hall, East Hall, Fletcher Hall, Graham Hall, Jennings Hall, Mallory Hall, Murphree Hall, North Hall, Rawlings Hall, Reid Hall, Riker Hall, Simpson Hall, Sledd Hall, Thomas Hall, Tolbert Hall, Trusler Hall, Weaver Hall & Yulee Hall
- Apartments: Beaty Towers, Corry Village, Diamond Village, Keys Complex, Lakeside Complex, Tanglewood Village & The Continuum
- Suites: Cypress Hall, Hume Hall, Infinity Hall & Springs Complex
Although the university recommends that freshmen undergraduate students live on-campus, it is not required. The campus has a capacity for roughly 10,000 students, and typically, 75% of students live off-campus.
Financial Aid
To apply for need-based financial aid at the University of Florida, students must complete the FAFSA as early as possible. Students must be accepted for enrollment at the university before applying for UF Student Financial Aid and Scholarships.
The University of Florida also has a scholarship search engine where students can search for scholarships based on factors like major, department, current class standing, financial need, and more.
Resources
The University of Florida spans 2,000 acres of land with over 1,000 buildings on-campus. The university has two lakes on campus, Lake Wauburg, and Lake Alice, used for research and recreation activities, like boating, sailing, swimming, fishing, and more.
The University is also home to a plaza of museums and cultural buildings, including the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, and the Florida Museum of Natural History—one of the ten best university museums in the country, and the largest museum of natural history in the southeast.
Location
The University of Florida is located in Gainesville, a city situated in north-central Florida. Gainesville is considered a college town and is known for its well-preserved buildings and beautiful natural surroundings.
The University of Florida is just a 100-mile drive to coastal cities in Florida, like Daytona Beach, and a 115-mile drive from the theme parks in Orlando, making weekend trips to either of these destinations possible.
What Are Your Chances of Acceptance at the University of Florida?
Even though the University of Florida has a competitive acceptance rate, your chances of acceptance may be higher or lower than other prospective students based on your unique combination of test scores, grades, and extracurriculars.
Since the University of Florida considers volunteer work, extracurriculars, and character to be extremely important, if your grades are slightly below their averages, you may still have a chance at acceptance.
To better understand your chances of acceptance at the University of Florida, we recommend using our free admissions calculator. Using your grades, test scores, extracurriculars, and more, we’ll calculate your odds of acceptance and give you tips on improving your profile.
In addition to the University of Florida, you can also search for other best-fit schools based on your ideal school size, location, majors, and more.
