Beyond its beaches and warm weather, Florida is also home to an excellent public university, the University of Florida (UF). Located in North-Central Florida, UF is the most competitive university in the state of Florida with plenty of selective undergraduate major options, such as engineering, business, psychology, and pre-health. If you are ready to “chomp” your way into UF, then read on to learn more about University of Florida’s admissions requirements and how to be Gator-ready.
UF emphasizes a comprehensive and holistic application review process, which takes into consideration both academic and non-academic factors. With “no one single factor” that determines the admissions outcome, UF admissions take interest in a student’s academic performance, standardized test scores, passions, and personal background and experiences.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(click to skip ahead)- How hard is it to get into University of Florida?
- University of Florida Acceptance Rate
- University of Florida GPA Requirements
- University of Florida SAT Requirements
- University of Florida ACT Requirements
- What does University of Florida look for in students?
- University of Florida Application Deadlines
- University of Florida Supplemental Essay Prompts
- University of Florida Essay Tips
How hard is it to get into University of Florida?
It is moderately difficult to get accepted to UF. The grade point average of people who get accepted to UF are in the top quarter of their class. People who successfully get into UF also tend to have impressive extracurricular activities and rigorous secondary school classes.
University of Florida Acceptance Rate
On average, the University of Florida admits 32% of its applicants, making it a moderately competitive school. Acceptance rate is an indication of how competitive a school is, but it is also an indication of how popular a school is. To get into a school like UF, you will need to excel in your rigorous secondary classes, demonstrate consistent involvement and passion, and convey positive personal qualities.
University of Florida Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision, and Transfer Acceptance Rate
University of Florida does not have any Early Action or Early Decision options. However, applications submitted before November 1 are considered Priority Applications while anything after the date are considered on a space-availability basis. The latest data shows that UF received 48,193 applications and accepted 15,002 students (32%) during the 2020-21 admissions cycle, making it a rather popular school to apply to, especially within the state of Florida.
University of Florida GPA Requirements
Admitted applicants to UF typically have a GPA of 3.7 and above, which may also vary depending on the competitiveness of your intended major. You will need a very high GPA and will likely be graduating at the top-half of your class in order to get into UF. If your GPA is lower than suggested at the time you apply, you may have to perform above average on your standardized tests. If your grades aren’t as high as they could have been due to life experiences or hardship, you should consider writing about it in your additional information section.
University of Florida Unweighted GPA Requirements
| Unweighted GPA Distribution | Percent Accepted |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 39% |
| 3.75-3.99 | 45% |
| 3.50-3.74 | 15% |
| 3.25-3.49 | 1% |
| 3.00-3.24 | 0% |
| 2.5-2.99 | 0% |
| 2.0-2.49 | 0% |
| 1.0-1.99 | 0% |
| Below 1.0 | 0% |
What GPA is required for University of Florida?
Applicants’ GPA when applying to UF should be between 3.75 and 4.0 to be strong candidates. Having less than this will require compensating by having outstanding extracurricular activities and personal essays. Although candidates may try to submit a competitive SAT/ACT score to supplement a lower GPA, do keep in mind that UF weighs GPA (“most important”) more heavily in the evaluation process than standardized test scores (“important”).
University of Florida Weighted GPA Requirements
UF considers weighted GPA as one of its admissions factors, with its middle 50 percentile ranging from 4.4 to 4.6, indicating that you will likely have to take higher level classes like AP and IB classes in order to be a competitive candidate for UF. On the university’s website, UF describes how it calculates weighted GPA.
University of Florida SAT Requirements
The SAT requirement for University of Florida is a composite score that ranges between 1310 to 1450, combining the reading and writing, and math sections together. You will need a moderately high SAT score in order to get into UF. If your SAT is lower than suggested at the time you apply, you may have to perform above average on your other standardized tests or have spectacular extracurricular activities to compensate. If your grades aren’t as high as they could have been due to life experiences or hardship, you should consider writing about it in your additional information section.
University of Florida Average SAT Composite Score: 1380
| SAT Score Distribution | Reading % | Math % |
|---|---|---|
| 700-800 | 44.1% | 46.6% |
| 600-699 | 49.4% | 44.0% |
| 500-599 | 6.0% | 8.9% |
| 400-499 | <1% | <1% |
| 300-399 | <1% | <1% |
| 200-299 | 0% | 0% |
What SAT score is required for the University of Florida?
Applicants should score between 1310 to 1450 on their SAT to be strong candidates for admission to the University of Florida. Having less than this will require compensating by using a substitute ACT score or having an above-average GPA. Either an SAT or ACT score is required for application to this school.
University of Florida ACT Requirements
The ACT requirement for the University of Florida is a composite score that ranges from 30 to 34 combining all English, mathematics, reading, and science sections. You will need a very high ACT score in order to get into UF. If your ACT score is not what you’d hoped by the time you apply, you may have to make it up by getting above-average scores on the SAT and having an above-average grade point average. If your ACT wasn’t as high as you’d like because of difficulties or hardship, you should consider writing about it in your additional information section.
University of Florida Average ACT: 28
| ACT Score Range | Composite Score % |
|---|---|
| 30-36 | 39.92% |
| 24-29 | 42.68% |
| 18-23 | 15.49% |
| 12-17 | 1.92% |
| 6-11 | 0% |
| Below 6 | 0% |
What ACT score is required for University of Florida?
Applicants should score between 30 and 34 on their ACT to be strong candidates for admission to this school. Having less than this will require compensating by using a substitute SAT score or having an above-average GPA. Either an SAT or ACT score is required for application to this school.
What does University of Florida look for in students?
While there seem to be moderate GPA and standardized test score ranges among UF’s admitted applicants, UF has continued to emphasize its holistic approach in reviewing students’ applications beyond their academic records.
To stand out, UF wants to see how a student has continued to pursue their interests outside of their classrooms and contributed to their communities. Afterall, UF’s mission is to seek intellectuals who’d “lead and influence the next generation and beyond for economic, cultural and societal benefit.”
What’s a good way to demonstrate your involvement and passions? On top of your application’s activity form, student essays are also a compelling way to talk about your activities and something UF heavily evaluates in their admissions process. UF admissions officers also value a student’s personal experiences, background, and circumstances, all of which you can also elaborate on using the student essays or the additional information section.
University of Florida Application Deadlines
The University of Florida’s application deadline for Priority Application is November 1, and any application submitted after November 1 will be considered based on space availability with a March 1 application deadline.
| Notification Plan | Application Material | Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Priority Deadline | Submit Test Scores | December 1 |
| Submit Application and Financial Aid Application | November 1, 11:59pm EST | |
| Submit Student Self-Reported Academic Record (SSAR) | November 15 | |
| Admissions Decisions Released | February 24 | |
| Space-Available Basis | Submit Test Scores | May 1 |
| Submit Application | March 1 11:59pm EST | |
| Submit Financial Aid Application (if still pending) | Apply prior to admission | |
| Admissions Decisions Released | End of March |
University of Florida Supplemental Essay Prompts
To complete UF’s supplemental essay requirements, applicants must complete a 250-word essay to expand on their most meaningful activity outside of the classroom.
PROMPT #1
“Please provide more details on your most meaningful commitment outside of the classroom while in high school and explain why it was meaningful. This could be related to an extracurricular activity, work, volunteering, an academic activity, family responsibility, or any other non-classroom activity.” (250 words max)
— — —
PROMPT #2
Additionally, if you would like to be considered for UF’s Honors Program, there’s also a 400-word response required to expand on why you want to be considered. Here’s the prompt:
“Why is applying for the UF Honors Program important to you? Which aspects of the program's three pillars of opportunity, community, and challenge pique your interests? How would you engage with the program to exemplify these pillars yourself? How does the program factor into your long-term goals?
— — —
University of Florida Essay Tips
Tip #1 for University of Florida Supplemental Prompt #1
Demonstrate you have compelling reasons to choose UF. Using the main activity or interest you talk about in your essay, browse and reference UF’s student clubs and organizations where you could apply your experiences and further your interests. If your activity is academic, check out the respective academic department’s website, course catalog, and other opportunities.
Tip #2 for University of Florida Supplemental Prompt #2
Show that you’ve done your homework! Check out the Honors Program’s page and learn about all of the resources, courses, and opportunities that students have access to. Make specific references to the opportunities and even people (professors, mentors) that could help you maximize your learning experience in your academic area. And to some degree, work backwards: think about how the values of “opportunity, community, and challenge” have appeared in your life, and show how/why you connect to those values because of your experiences.
Special thanks to Ameer for writing this blog post.
Ameer Drane
Ameer is a freelance writer who specializes in writing about college admissions and career development. Prior to freelancing, Ameer worked for three years as a college admissions consultant at a Hong Kong-based education center, helping local high school students prepare and apply for top colleges and universities in the US. He has a B.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Chicago and an M.A. in Spanish Linguistics from UCLA. When he’s not working, Ameer loves traveling, weight lifting, writing, reading, and learning foreign languages. He currently lives in Bangkok, Thailand.
Top values: Growth / Diversity / Empathy
