Is anyone else going to the UCF semifinalist visit?

marie190
Sun, 24 Nov 2019 22:30:41 +0000

@tnknes

1. Are you instate or OOS? If OOS, where from?
I am OOS; I am from Maine. It has definitely been challenging being far from home, but the key has been to find other OOS students that get what you are going through. All of my roommates are OOS and it has made such a difference. On the flip side, it’s good to have FL friends for their experience with the area, perhaps visiting their houses (I recently went to my first DiWali party at my friends house).

2. What is your major? What are you planning to do after finishing UG?
I am a biomedical sciences major (pre-med) so am looking to attend med school directly after undergrad. I am in the Burnett Medical Scholars program at UCF which guarantees acceptance to UCF College of Medicine given I meet certain GPA/MCAT requirements. I can talk more about this program if your D is considering med.

3. Did you consider any other school? (U Florida, for instance). Why did you choose UCF
Because I was responsible for paying for my own education and it was not likely that I would get enough financial aid to avoid student loans prior to med school (which I wanted to avoid like the plague), I looked mainly at full ride schools. Because many locations were so foreign to me (TX, NM, etc) and 2 of my cousins went to UCF, I felt more comfortable going to FL. I toured USF and UCF in the same weekend, and I enjoyed the feel of UCF and the surrounding environment more. Another HUGE plus of UCF is that you can take many of your classes through the honors college (small class sizes) and this is hard to find at a large school. I ruled out UF because they do not guarantee the NMS scholarship if the government cuts funding for the program (whereas UCF does guarantee). Although small, it would have been too much of a risk.

4. How is experience so far? Would you recommend it?
I LOVE UCF. I love everything about it. Beware of the “6 week waddle” at the beginning of the semester as your D adjusts to college life, for me these 6 weeks came with a lot of homesickness and uneasiness. But, I just kept putting myself out there and now I am so so happy with my decision. Making friends through the honors college and Tower 3 has been easy. The weather has been (mostly) beautiful. Classes are easier than high school AP for the most part, and professors have been very nice. There are always things to do whether it be clubs, hanging out with friends, sports games, going downtown, or (my personal favorite) going to the theme parks. I go almost every weekend. The national merit program is very generous, and the honors college and national merit advisors truly care about your success. I can talk about specific aspects if I missed any.

5. We are planning to visit UCF next week? Do you have any tips to make the visit fruitful? Any specific question we should ask or check out.
Not sure if I got to this too late but here are some things off the top of my head:
Make sure to take a tour of the Tower 3 dorm rooms and check out the surrounding locations. If you go to the left of the arena, check out the workout studio (has a bunch of awesome yoga classes that I go to) and check out All Knights Study, which is a quiet study lounge (sort of a library without the books), I do a lot of work there. See if you can meet with Dr. Madi Dogariu at the honors college; she is a busy lady but I had a conversation with her that really got me hooked on the culture of the honors college. She is great. Generally, just get a feel for the campus and see if your D would enjoy it. Also, if you are out of state, make sure to explore the area around UCF. Lots of good, fun places to eat (Lazy Moon Pizza and Toasted are two favorites).

Sorry this is so long!! If your D has any questions while you visit, I may be available to meet with her (I leave Wed. for Thanksgiving)