<p>So in the scenario you picked IA because you thought it would improve your chances, here’s my rant:</p>
<p>Ugh, why is there this mentality that picking IA makes it “easier” to get into uf. Selecting IA has NO bearing on whether you get in or not. The program is meant for prospective students that are genuinely interested in the program AND calendar. </p>
<p>Ill put it like this, if you get accepted, and into IA…you would’ve been accepted if you DIDN’T indicate IA interest and would instead get in via fall/spring. If IA was an easy ticket to uf, (and this remainder of the sentence is with speculation to a degree) the integrity of admissions would be damaged and quality of incoming students (on average) would drop. That’s why admissions wants students of equal eligibility in IA and fall/spring. The people I know that do IA got into schools like UM with a scholarship, the UC schools, Chicago, Northwestern, OSU, and Michigan. Now of course, that’s the people I know, but yeah. UF can’t accept someone under qualified for 1: reasons I already listed and 2: because those students wouldn’t be able to handle uf if they weren’t eligible in the first place. That means they are more likely to fail in college and hurt retention rates and class averages</p>
<p>Talk to any admissions officer, they will tell you picking IA will have ZERO affect on whether you get in or not. That horrible “it’s easier to get into summer” myth is now starting to happen with IA.</p>
<p>Now in the event you want IA and picked it because you DO want it and the opportunities it has then:</p>
<p>Excellent to see you have indicated interest in such a noble program. To chance you for acceptance or rejection to the university, IMO, your academics are pretty weak. NOW I have indeed seen others in the past get in with stats like that…if anything I’ve even seen worse. Good news is, uf is holistic, and what you did outside of academics is amazing. So I think you have an okay shot. Leadership positions, community service, a,l excellent. One thing uf looks for in all applicants is some kind of innovative or leadership aspect/potential. You have plenty of it and the startup charity thing will be HUGE. I can imagine people already saying “you’re not getting in with those stats” but with the holistic system, your non academics are amazing. For your essay, I have no idea if I can predict if its good or bad. With your topic, people would jump to say its a bad topic therefore bad essay, yet, even topics like that can be written in such a way that the essay and essence itself makes it unique. Tone and theme matters. </p>
<p>It looks like you really do want the innovation academy though given that you mentioned an innovation minor and stuff. Nice! I know a good number of people in the program and they love it. The only ones that don’t like it are those who never wanted it in the first place (but applied to it for some reason…) and those who don’t care about the extra opportunities and skills the program has to offer. I’m at uf now, on my third semester. IA is amazing and being a part of it NOW would be super cool…that’s like, writing uf history or something lol</p>