You have gotten a lot of good feed back
However, I see there is some Bias against the Florida schools
UF and FSU have been making great gains the last decade that some are reluctant to accept
The second tier of Florida Public schools USF and UCF are making great gains as well.
No-one said UF is the best school out there but that it is comparable to Michigan, Wisconsin and Texas. For most kids they are interchangeable based on fit and finances.
Many responses have questioned their #5 Public school rating that uses the same metrics as everyone else, while lauding a rating that shows another school ahead of UF by major in the same US News report.
For example UF / Wisconsin /FSU.
UF # 28 Wisconsin # 42 FSU # 55
I find in curious the argument Wisconsin is a comparable school of UF even though it is 14 spots lower than UF but oh no FSU can’t be considered in the same category as Wisconsin because it is rated 13 spots below them.
These I would consider the same tier.
For my S21 this was his tier, accepted to FSU, PITT, Penn State, Rutgers among others
We considered these schools relatively equal.
Living in Florida in state tuition is about $6,500 a year and we have prepaid this, along with the state Bright Futures scholarships that can pay 75 to 100 % of tuition based on your GPA Test scores and having a minimum number of volunteer hours.
Being full pay It would have taken a lot of merit to go OOS which he did not receive. He ended up at FSU and is currently studying at the FSU Study Center in Florence Italy and in the summer he will be studying at the FSU Study center in Valencia Spain.
Find the school in the “tier” that fits your needs Academically, socially, and financially.
Don’t discount location they will be living there for the next 4 years.