College, college, college. It’s all seniors have been hearing this year especially now that it’s college admission season. Typically, it’s a mix of nerves, excitement and nervous waiting; with some being elusive about their college admissions while others document their journey on social media. So far for Florida public schools, FSU early action results have come out along with USF and UCF admissions coming out on a rolling schedule and UF’s early action admissions are soon to drop on Jan. 24.
The lack of acceptances EA [early action] to FSU caused widespread surprise amongst Robinson seniors, as it had been the target school for many applicants causing them to build up their GPA and extracurricular list consequently. As college acceptances get increasingly competitive, sometimes even having an impeccable resume is simply not enough.
“FSU’s acceptance rate sat at 62 percent in 2005 and 35 percent in 2020 and has since dropped to 25 percent following acceptances for the Class of 2028,” according to FSU News. “FSU saw a 49 percent increase in early action applicants, and the middle 50 percent of applicants accepted to the Class of 2029 through early action had GPAs ranging from 4.3 to 4.6 with the average SAT score ranging from 1350 to 1450.”
These incredibly high expectations combined with each college seeking specific traits to improve their student population makes the college application process extremely stressful and filled with uncertainty.
“I only know about 10 people that got into FSU and a lot of them are boys because they want more boys in the programs. But it also can be very major based because I know people who had the same scores and everything but different majors, and some got in and some didn’t,” senior Alayna Hadley said.
Colleges are also increasingly focusing on holistic admissions processes, viewing the whole of the application and not just grades and test scores, allowing participants to shine more in their extracurriculars and essays.
“Extracurriculars just starting to gain more weight [in college applications], which I think is a good thing because test scores don’t really reflect who somebody is as a person. So, I think it’s good that they’re moving away from test scores and more towards leadership roles and extracurricular activities. For me, I have really good grades, and I have few extracurriculars, but I’ve spent like four thousand hours doing football. So, I think they want to see commitment and that’s what made my applications [FSU included] get accepted,” Moiz Aasim (’25) said.
Additionally, the large decrease in acceptance rates and increased selectivity can also be attributed to the substantial influx of out-of-state students. The inclusion of the Grandparent Waiver, a waiver that allows out-of-state students to be eligible for in-state tuition at Florida public schools if their grandparent is a Florida resident, also increases the number of applicants for Florida public schools.
“I mean, they want them to come here even though it makes it more competitive for Florida as well. There’s no doubt about that. But you know, the more the merrier bring them the more opportunity, because think about it, there may be some kids who really are struggling financially and they even their in-state fees are too high,” Principal Dave Brown said.
Due to Florida’s impressive Bright Future’s scholarship making public school tuition significantly lower than the national average, the competition for spots at public schools is fierce and can rival getting in at a better ranked school but having to fork over a hefty amount of money to retain your spot.
“I got accepted into Howard. which is a historically Black college and is located in D.C, so it was my number one choice. I haven’t guaranteed if I’m going to go though, because 50k a year is a lot of money. I’ve already finished my FAFSA, and I’ve been applying for lots of scholarships and probably have applied to like 5-15 for 2024 alone. You just have to look for them, you have to apply yourself and try to look for local ones instead of national ones because it’s easier to get them,” Hadley said. “I just feel like there’s this sweet spot of people who need money for college but like make enough where they don’t need everything covered. I definitely fall in that sweet spot; my parents make enough but they have to support like two kids going to school and all our other expenses.”
As stakes increase for college acceptances year by year, student’s strategies to stand out vary from spending time on personable essays to maximizing your commitment to your extracurriculars and setting aside your weekends for staying on top of your college applications. Nonetheless, it’s always important to remember that each year is different, and opportunities are always out there if you look for them.
“Say what you want about Florida, good, bad, ugly, but I will tell you, as far as you know any student that wants to go to school in Florida, they can pretty much get their undergraduate paid for. They should be able to get their bachelors in Florida without paying a dime, be it through bright futures or just other opportunities that they have through FAFSA and things like that,” Brown said.
