**SEE END OF BLOG FOR CHANGES EFFECTIVE WITH THE 2020-2021 ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR**

Bright Futures has long been a significant source of financial aid for many Florida Students, and the scholarship program is now shining even brighter. Summer 2018 was the first-year Florida Academic Scholars received 100% tuition and summer 2019, 75% of tuition became available for Florida Medallion Scholars. The $300 college-related expense stipend is still only available for fall and spring semesters.

The requirements for summer are as follows

• Must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours across all summer sessions.
• Students with less than 6 credit hours required for graduation, may receive FAS and FMS by submitting a memo on letterhead from an academic advisor indicating less than 6 hours are required for graduation.
• Graduate-level hours may be approved by the student’s academic advisor.  Students taking graduate-level courses must submit a memo from the academic advisor indicating graduate-level courses meet undergraduate graduation requirements.

NOTE: A maximum of 45 credit hours may be funded in one academic year.

The requirements for Bright Futures are as follows

The top scholarship awards students with a minimum SAT score of 1290 or ACT score of 29 and higher. The Florida Medallion Scholarship awards students with a minimum SAT score of 1170 or ACT score of 26.  In addition, there are weighted GPA minimums of 3.50 for the Florida Academic Scholars Award plus 100 community service hours completed, and a 3.00 GPA for the Florida Medallion Scholars Award with 75 service hours.

For the renewal of Bright Futures, students need a minimum cumulative GPA of a 3.0 for the Florida Academic Scholarship and a minimum of a 2.75 for the Florida Medallion Scholarship (unweighted and unrounded).

A Safety Net for your Bright Future

Students who do not meet the annual minimum renewal GPA requirement in their first year of funding will be allowed a one-time restoration in a subsequent summer or academic year renewal period (end of spring term). Students who do not meet the minimum earned hours requirement or who fail to meet the minimum GPA requirement after their first year of funding will NOT be permitted a restoration opportunity.

Funding from financial aid will not disburse until after the end of the drop/add period for each term. This disbursement typically occurs after the second week of each semester.

Florida Prepaid disburses first for tuition. Bright Futures will then be applied to any institutional charges on the student’s account. Any left-over credit will be funneled into your student’s bank account.

FLORIDA ACADEMIC SCHOLARS AWARD

For high school students graduating in the 2018-2019 and the 2019-2020 academic years, a student must achieve an SAT combined score of 1290 or an ACT composite score of 29.

For high school students graduating in the 2020-2021 academic year and thereafter, a student must achieve the required examination scores published by the department. These are determined as follows:

“The minimum required SAT score for the Florida Academic Scholarship must be set no lower than the 89th national 902 percentile on the SAT. The department may adjust the required SAT score only if the required score drops below the 89th national percentile, and any such adjustment must be applied to the bottom of the SAT score range that is concordant to the ACT.”

FLORIDA MEDALLION SCHOLARS AWARD

For high school students graduating in the 2018-2019 and the 2019-2020 academic years, a student must achieve an SAT combined score of 1170 or an ACT composite score of 26.

For high school students graduating in the 2020-2021 academic year and thereafter, a student must achieve the required examination scores published by the department. These are determined as follows:

“The minimum required SAT score for the Florida Medallion Scholarship must be set no lower than the 75th national percentile on the SAT. The department may adjust the required SAT score only if the required score drops below the 75th national percentile, and any such adjustment must be made to the bottom of the SAT score range that is concordant to the ACT.”

If you have any questions about the number of hours your student needs, the impact of dropping a class, or any other situation, download the interactive tool here  — BFCreditHourTool (8)

For more information on UF Bright Futures scholarship award requirements click here.

For even more information on the Bright Futures scholarship, visit here.

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As a fourth-year college student at the University of Florida, the best semesters were the ones in which I created my schedule and hand-picked each class. The goal for my undergraduate education has been to get the most from each class, choose professors that had the best rating, learn many new things, and meet great people along the way. Each semester, I wanted to craft my schedule to fit my goals while balancing extracurricular activities, work, and academic challenges. For any student that has a goal for their time in college, having an open line of communication with his or her academic advisor for advice is a great start.

Getting an appointment with an academic advisor in large colleges such as the College of Liberal Arts and Science and Heavener College of Business can be difficult at times, however, taking these steps may help to get the most out of your appointment:

• Make a list of questions for your advisor. Once you finally have an appointment, do not waste this opportunity to ask as many questions as you feel necessary. No question is a dumb one, and more likely than not, it will lead to new ideas for your class schedule or a decision in a major or minor.
• Schedule a meeting with the advisor outside of add/drop (if possible-these hours are often cramped and the advisors will not be able to spend more than 15-30 minutes with you).
• Add/drop week is very hectic, and services are often first-come-first-serve so the lines can get long; however, if you have a pressing matter that cannot be resolved through an email, try to get in line at least 15 minutes before the doors open in the morning.
• Bring your planner; purchase one if you do not have one-organization is key!
• Understand what you want from your semester schedule-level of difficulty and the number of credits towards your major or explore picking up a minor.
• Be honest-your advisor is there to help you, but you know your study habits and learning capabilities best.
• Do your research! Know what type of classes you are interested in and what may be available to you. Also, some classes require pre-reqs so being well informed will help you and your advisor to make the best decisions for you.
• Plan to schedule a meeting with your advisor around mid-terms, and plan a follow-up meeting if necessary. This time of the year, you can discuss possible withdrawal from a class or dropping a class before the deadline. It is also a good time to assess your grades and seek help if you need to revamp your study habits/schedule–your advisor is there to help.
• Keep a folder with all your “official” papers in it and bring it to advising appointments. Your folder should include material of importance to you and:
• A copy of important dates (e.g., last day to drop a class without a grade, first date of eligibility for early registration for the upcoming semester).
• Any worksheets or checklists you and your adviser have been working on. It’s helpful to always have on these sheets a space for the date on which they were most recently updated.
• Your current degree audit, if available.
• A current resume that includes classes you’ve taken and extracurricular experiences. You would be amazed at how many of the things students do that would make them attractive to a graduate or professional school or to an employer that is not included on a resume just because the student forgot about them.
• College level exam scores so you understand the University Course equivalents. You may already have earned enough credits to fulfil certain requirements. Check out the equivalency for AICE, AP, CLEP and IB .

Keep an open mind!

Stella Fedele, HaveUHeard Intern

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For Grad School students, finding an apartment entails completely different criteria, especially if they are heading off to a different university. My niece and our interns all recently moved on to universities other than where they spent their undergrad years. As we found, Grad School housing comes with its own set of unique challenges. Facing expensive tuition and long study sessions, the last thing your grad student needs to waste time on is finding an apartment near the University of Florida campus to call home.

Gainesville has a wide range of graduate student apartments. You can go from opting for quiet and cozy to large and luxurious. UF, itself has several halls that accept graduate students.  If your student favors the on-campus lifestyle, they should be looking at Corry Village, Diamond Village, Maguire Village, Tanglewood Village, The Continuum, and University Village South. Just a side note that it is within UF’s future plans to demolish Maguire Village and University Village South, two of the five graduate and family housing complexes, due to the cost of repair. Currently, there are no plans to construct new buildings in their place.

This means that families looking for affordable housing may have to look off-campus.

Off-Campus Apartments

Recommended for students by proximity, here are apartments we suggest for…

Law Students:

• Arbor Lofts – 321 SW 13th street Gainesville; 1 bedroom, studio, and 1BR plus den
• Ashton Lane – 1008 SW 5th Ave, Gainesville; 1 BR, 1 br/1.5 BA townhouse, 2 BR/2 BA, and 3 BR/2 BA
• Center Court Apartments – 1210 NW 11th Ave, Gainesville; 1 and 2-bedroom apartments. Older apartments but some of the least expensive prices.
• Heritage Oaks Apartments – 110 NW 12th Terrace, Gainesville; 1 and 2 BR

Be sure to also check for home rentals. There are many, many homes that are available to rent within walking distance of the law school. You may feel more comfortable with a personal rental agreement instead of a contract with an apartment complex.

 UF Health Students:

• Wildflower – 1210 SW 11th Ave Gainesville; 1, 2, and 3 BR apartments available
• The Retreat at Gainesville – about a mile from campus. A very nice property with a pool, tanning bed, gym, clubhouse, sauna, etc. Townhouse-style apartments and stand-alone apartments (basically 2-story houses) are available.
• Oxford Terrace II – 921 SW Depot Ave Gainesville, FL 32601 (University Realty). Located on SW Depot Avenue, just a block away from sorority row and three blocks from campus. 4/4 furnished apartments. Cable and internet are included, as well as an in-apartment washer/dryer, and one space of covered parking is included with rent on a direct bus route to UF. Most of these apartments come furnished.
• Royal Village – 710 SW Depot Ave Gainesville. If you want to live with several others, these are three and 4-bedroom apartments. Fully furnished.
• Canopy Apartments – 4400 SW 20th Ave. 2, 3, and 4-bedroom apartments near Butler Plaza and Archer Road.
• Oakbrook apartments – 1331-A, SW 13th St, Gainesville. These are 2 BR/2BA fully furnished apartments with a washer/dryer. Also included in the rent are pest control, high-speed internet, basic cable, utility, water, and electricity.
• The Bartram – 2337 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville. 1, 2, and 3-bedroom apartments off of Archer Road. Free high-speed internet, basic cable, washer/dryer, and one covered parking spot per bedroom included. Pets allowed.

Downtown Grad Living

• Arlington Square Apartments – mostly studios, but there are some two and 3-bedroom floor plans. You can’t beat this hub-of-Gainesville, downtown location.
• Union Street Station – condos on the upper stories of the building where Dragonfly is located. One, two, and three-bedroom flats and townhomes in the heart of Downtown Gainesville.
• The Palms Condominium – Downtown Gainesville, FL, on SW 2nd St. and SW 2nd Ave, about 1/2 mile from UF.

Go, Grad Students, Go Gators! It’s time to come home.

Another resource is SwampRentals.com, which is a guide to Gainesville apartments that meet your lifestyle and budget.

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In 2020, the University of Florida continues its rise, being named to the No. 6 spot in the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings of public colleges. UF first reached the top 10 in 2017. This level of excellence is achieved through a balance of many criteria including rigorous academic courses, above-average academic expectations, and highly competitive entrance exam scores. The University of Florida strives to uphold a strong academic standard and, because of that, the GPA scale can be a tough mountain to climb. Here is the official GPA break-down:

Passing Grade Points

A   4.0
A-  3.67
B+ 3.33
B    3.0
B-  2.67
C+ 2.33
C    2.0
C-   1.67
D+ 1.33
D    1.0
D-    .67

This GPA scaling system is undeniably tough. However, it serves to encourage students to continually work as hard as possible for the chance of earning a better grade. For example, it seems unfair for a student that studies consistently to achieve 89% versus a student who skates by at 80% to receive an equivalent 3.0 GPA. This scaled system is designed to prevent that from happening and better reflect the efforts of most students.

For certain majors, getting that minus next to a letter grade can affect your overall GPA in a way that plays a significant role when applying to either Grad School or an extremely competitive program (finance, chemistry, physics, engineering, nursing are examples). For other majors, where perhaps your experience and portfolio weigh heavier when it comes to advancement or employment, the difference between an A and an A- may not be as crucial.

Potential and Pitfalls

My elder daughter graduated from UF and missed qualifying for her honors cord by .2 of a point. It didn’t impact her ability to get a job, but she was disappointed in herself. I didn’t make a big deal about it – she seemed to be taking herself to task enough. Looking back, I think she came to realize if she had given up a night of going out or perhaps had worked .2 percent harder, she could have earned the honors cord. It has honestly had little impact in the overall scheme of things, especially now that she has her first job. But I have noticed that, as a working adult, she consistently gives 100% to her job. Perhaps that was the real lesson learned, after all. A+, kiddo.

On the other hand, a downside to this grading system is the potential for teachers to re-scale the letter grades to make the possibility of getting an A even harder. For example, many difficult classes (physics or organic chemistry, for example) have fixed standards set by the university that mandate a tentative grade distribution as well as passing percentage. In order to do this, exams are designed at a level of difficulty that often results in an average score of 50%. This then allows a customized grading scale, with “grade curving” applied for the desired grade distribution.

Thus, in spite of the very specific numbers outlined above, an A is not always an A. Depending on the chosen major and the rigor of the classes, some classes curve and some do not.

Don’t ask me…I’m not the math major in my family!

Stella Fedele, HaveUHeard Intern

Janice W., HaveUHeard UF Mom

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More exams, the fun keeps going!

It may seem like you just finished studying for the ACTs and SATs and left for college. Time sure does fly when homework deadlines loom weekly! But before you know it, graduation will be on your radar and many students will be preparing for graduate school exams. (Yes, more exams. GAAAAHHHH…)

Before you get to the exams, the first step towards graduate school is getting familiar with the vast amount of degrees and programs out there. If you are considering graduate school at The University of Florida, check to see if there is an open house. Consider visiting other colleges as well. These visits will give you the opportunity to meet professors and ask questions about the various programs. Start talking to your advisor early to be sure you have all the correct prerequisites, exams, and shadowing or research hours you will need.

Whether you are preparing for Medical School, Law School, or any other graduate program, researching the post-graduate continuation of your education may feel overwhelming. Finding the right concentration for you is important, and absolutely worth the investment of your time and investigation. Consider all of your options, including the location of schools, degrees offered, length of time to complete the degree, cost and funding, prerequisite classes, testing, and any other requirements needed for entrance. HaveUHeard that we can get your search started by linking you to The University of Florida Graduate School options here?

Some Pointers

Most graduate schools require that test scores accompany the application. The University of Florida helps students prepare for the GMAT, GRE, and LSAT exams. They will also provide information on tests, application questions, personal statement reviews, and mock interviews. Students can make an appointment by calling (352) 392-6622 or walking into the offices located at 106 Grinter Hall. Some students who are majoring in finance or business will also take the Level 1 CFA exam. The Princeton Review now offers test-prep courses starting at $499. Students who enroll will qualify for their money-back guarantee.

Taking a course is optional and you may not need to spend hundreds of dollars to do so. Taking a practice test a few months before the actual exam will help you see where to start studying, as well as help you gauge how much studying you’ll need to do. By this point in college, you should have a good idea about how you learn best. If online studying is not the best choice for you, then a local class or private tutor may be a better idea.

Some of the popular test prep programs are Kaplan, Magoosh, BenchPrep, The Princeton Review, Next Step Test Prep, Khan Academy, and Manhattan Test Prep. Many are offered as self-paced online classes which allow students to study at their convenience. Some also offer private tutoring in person or online, as well as regular local classes.

To prepare for the MCAT while in Gainesville, check out the local Kaplan or Varsity Tutors.

A few more pointers…

GRE – Get the ‘GRE Word of the Day’ app to help vocabulary. And sign up for the Question of the Day from Kaplan. It’s free! And while you’re doing that, be sure you have the Grammarly app downloaded to your phone. Grammarly’s mobile keyboard is the personal editor you can take with you wherever you go. Not only is it the best plagiarism checker and proofreader, it elevates your spelling and grammar as you are acquiring an expanded, GRE-level vocabulary.
MCAT – Next Step Test Prep offers live webinars to answer questions that may come up as you study.
LSAT – Testmasters’ LSAT prep class is offered right on the UF campus.

Prepare a timeline or checklist for each school you apply to. The list might include GPA, test scores, letters of recommendation (LOR), personal essays, resume, interview, etc. Standardized tests are only one part of the application process. In addition, it’s not too soon to look into scholarships and just exactly how you will finance your continuing education.

Many accounting major students take the CPA exam while in school. Some of the more popular CPA review courses include Surgent, Becker, and Wiley.

Applications also require an essay or personal statement. To be sure you are sending in your best work, we recommend working with Essential Essays, which assists students with brainstorming, planning, and writing college, law, and grad school essays that will reveal their personality and give their applications a positive edge.

And perhaps a gap.

Finally, it has become common for students to choose to take a year off before starting grad school. College is stressful in its own right. The pressure to start grad school immediately is unnecessary. You might be one for whom a year spent gaining experience will add to focus and intention, while also bolstering your application and giving you more time to prepare. Remember, this shouldn’t be a sprint; life’s journeys are really more like a marathon. Give some serious thought to taking a gap year.

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