thank you to everyone who responded!!! i’m really grateful to everyone that did, i took a lot of your suggestions to heart 
@tsbna44 budget isn’t really an issue, but for uf specifically it seemed kind of a waste to not go for bright futures (especially since i plan on going to grad school/getting my phd eventually, so if i have the option to save that money then i will) . with that said though i will run through the price calculators with my parents!!
as for other fl public schools (@DadTwoGirls) unfortunately they don’t have an entomology major or minor which is kind of a deal breaker for me 
if i could apply to more schools in state i would!! bright futures is a great deal but my heart is set on insects… lol
@aquapt i ended up adding rutgers, udel, and uw to my list! i might also look into tamu and k-state, but i don’t want to apply to too many schools?? idk. uw is an exciting option though! i had a friend who got in last year and loved the campus and vibe when she visited, so it’s reassuring that you guys think it’s at least within reach…
thank you all so much for your input!! i think that this is kind of a unique situation to be in (i had a very hard time looking for students with similar profiles in the threads. lol) so i guess we’ll see when decisions come out!! fingers crossed