By Emma Jabbour
Now that we are in the second semester, many students have started thinking about what colleges they would like to apply to. The application process can be very stressful but knowing the requirements to get in gives students a better shot. Some of the top schools that many Ponte Vedra High School students look at are University of Florida, Florida State University, University of North Florida, Yale, Georgia Tech, University of Virginia, and University of California Berkeley.
As of right now, the most difficult school to get into in state is University of Florida. In 2019, 129 students from PVHS applied to UF, 80 were accepted, and 35 of them enrolled in the fall. The average SAT score of someone who was accepted was 1212 and the average GPA was 3.67. In 2018, 144 PVHS students applied, 75 were accepted, and 31 of the students enrolled. A college prep program, test scores, school record, and GPA are all requirements to get into UF. It costs $35 to enroll at the University of Florida and there is about a 46 percent acceptance rate from PVHS.
Florida State University is another top school that many students apply to. In 2019, 145 students from PVHS applied to FSU, 112 were accepted, and 41 enrolled. The majority of students that get accepted into FSU have a GPA from a 3.9-4.7 and an SAT score from a 1210-1570. Unlike some schools in Florida, FSU has no wait list, but strongly encourages all students to meet with an advisor about enrollment. GPA, SAT and/or ACT, school record, TOEFL, test scores and a college prep program are all requirements to be accepted. Some things that are important to FSU are campus visits, curriculum rigor, an essay, interviews, and GPA. Freshman application is $30 and there is a 58 percent acceptance rate from PVHS.
University of North Florida is a school that many students apply to because it is in Jacksonville. In 2019, 132 students applied, 86 were accepted, and 25 enrolled. Students with GPAs of 2.6-4.7 and SAT scores of 780-1520 were accepted. UNF recommends volunteer/work experience, interviews, essays, class rank, campus visits, personal qualities and recommendations. GPA, SAT and/or ACT, school record, test scores, and TOEFL are required to get in. The application fee is $30 and the acceptance rate is 59 percent.
Georgia Tech is a school known mainly for engineering with a 23 percent acceptance rate. In 2019, 27 PVHS students applied and seven of them were accepted. Some requirements to be accepted are the ACT or SAT, a college prep program, school record, test scores, and GPA. A couple things that Georgia Tech finds very important are curriculum rigor and extracurricular activities. Students with GPA’s from 3.8-4.7 and SAT scores from 1210-1590 were accepted. It costs $75 for freshman to apply.
University of Virginia has an acceptance rate of 30 percent and it costs $70 to apply. From 2019, 23 PVHS students applied and five were accepted. Students with SAT scores from 1230-1590 and GPA’s from 4.42-4.66 were accepted. To get into UVA, the ACT and/or SAT, a college prep program, an essay, school record, and test scores are all requirements. Some things that are very important to UVA are personal qualities, class rank, curriculum rigor, recommendations, and extracurriculars.
Yale University has a 6 percent acceptance rate and a $70 application fee. The ACT and/or SAT scores, an essay, recommendations, SAT subjects, school record, test scores, and TOEFL are all requirements at Yale. In 2019, seven PVHS students applied to Yale and two were accepted. The GPA’s of accepted students ranged from 4.48-4.79 and SAT scores from 1440-1600. Class rank, test scores, character, curriculum rigor, school record, extracurriculars, and recommendations are all very important to Yale.
UC Berkeley had 11 PVHS students apply and five were accepted. The acceptance rate is 18 percent and the application fee is $70. Students with GPA’s of 4.51-4.74 and SAT scores from 1210-1590 were accepted. It is required to have an SAT and/or ACT score, a college prep program, essay, school record, and test scores. It is also very important to UC Berkeley to see GPA, curriculum rigor, personal qualities, extracurriculars, test scores, and school record.
UF, FSU, UNF, UVA, UC Berkeley, Yale, and Georgia Tech are all schools that students from PVHS are interested in. Meeting with a guidance counselor and knowing the requirements are all helpful when getting into your dream school. Most schools, not just the ones mentioned, require a SAT and/or ACT, GPA, class records, and some a college prep program. There are many great schools in Florida and out of state, so staying informed about you dream college is very important and a big part of getting accepted. Students can use their Naviance accounts to find this information for many different schools.
