Recently, there has been an outpouring of students getting rejected from their top colleges in Florida. Florida State University and the University of Florida have released their acceptance letters to incoming freshmen and students are not happy with the results. 

Suncoast is ranked No. 2 by U.S. News in the School District of Palm Beach County and has a reputation that most universities and colleges dream of. Our students usually have higher SAT scores and GPAs compared to other schools in South Florida and that is looked upon by many universities and colleges.

FSU News stated that, “Despite the number of applications, FSU’s acceptance number dropped from upwards of 23,000 students in 2021 to 16,000 students in 2022, with only 5,000 being deferred.”

UF is ranked No. 1 by the U.S. News as the top school in Florida and No. 28 nationally. UF had an acceptance rate of 31 percent in 2021 and provides a suburban setting and is located four hours from Suncoast. UF is considered “Suncoast 2.0” by many due to its prestigious selectivity of students and acceptance of “the best of the best” in Florida. 

According to news out of the University of Florida, “60,000 students applied to the fall 2022 entering class, more than double the nearly 29,000 students who applied for fall of 2014.”

FSU is ranked No. 2 right after UF and is known for its chaotic and memorable parties. They are also ranked No. 2 for Top Party Schools in America according to Niche. For many students at Suncoast, a party school is just what they need to take a break and celebrate all the hard work they completed in high school. Although they are known for being a party school, they are still also known for their academics, which is why many people out of state apply.

Nearly, the entire class of 2022 applied to FSU and UF with the hopes of being accepted, but with the growing number of applicants from across the country applying, the chances get lower and lower every year. According to Hege Ferguson, director of admissions for Florida State University, “As of January 7, 2022, they have received 67,291 first-year applications for summer and fall semesters. That is a 21.2 percent increase compared to January 7, 2021, when they had received 55,500 applications.”

An average of 55,942 students applied to both FSU and UF. An average of 17,835 students were admitted to both FSU and UF. With 20,668 being admitted to FSU and 15,002 being admitted to UF. 

There should not be any worry though as there are more colleges and universities in Florida that do not get as much recognition and are much easier to get in with lots of the same benefits and opportunities. Schools like Florida Atlantic University, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Florida Gulf Coast University, University of Central Florida, and the University of South Florida are other options for Florida natives who would like to pay for in-state tuition and want some of the same incentives as FSU and UF. The stigma of Universities is getting to students’ heads because their future is not ruined because of a rejection letter.