With the 2023-2024 school year quickly coming to an end, it is soon time to say goodbye and good luck to Newsome’s class of 2024. These seniors have worked hard over the last year through the college application process.
The big rivalry taking over the senior class during the season of college decisions is the Seminoles vs. the Gators. Florida State University and the University of Florida are two of the most sought after universities students in the class of 2024 hope to attend.
Florida State University (FSU) is located in the center of Florida’s capitol, Tallahassee, with the school mascot of the Seminoles.
The University of Florida (UF) is located in the city of Gainesville about two hours from Tampa, Florida, with the school mascot of the Gators.
The college team rivalry has gone on for years and years and has now taken over Newsome as the seniors decide which top-ranking Florida university they want to attend.
To figure out which school ranks superior to Newsome seniors, a survey was sent out for students apart of Newsome’s class of 2024 to complete and the data collected is as follows:
60 percent of students surveyed applied to both FSU and UF and 40 percent applied to only FSU.
40 percent of students surveyed got accepted to both FSU and UF, 40 percent of students got accepted to FSU but not UF, and 20 percent of students got accepted to UF but not FSU.
After receiving acceptances, 60 percent of students surveyed committed to attending FSU while 40 percent committed to attending UF.
During Senior Mia Olivares’ application process, she decided to apply to both universities. Olivares applied to FSU because “It is a great Florida school with a great Pre-Law program. Their study abroad opportunities are amazing and they have unique aspects to the campus itself.”
Despite applying to FSU, UF has always been her dream and where she has chosen to reside for the upcoming four years of her life. Mia Olivares said, “It has been my top choice since elementary school. It has a great STEM program and is great for what I am going to pursue, Pre-Med. The campus had an amazing ‘homey’ feeling when I toured. I love how many research opportunities the school provides. I also love the school spirit the campus has.”
Another member of the class of 2024 is Habibeh Kazbour, who committed to attending Florida State University.
Kazbour applied to become a Seminole as “FSU is my dream University! My whole entire family went there and it only seemed fitting for me. I love the campus, people, and the history behind the school. I also have some family that lives in Tallahassee.” She ultimately chose to attend because of “My best friends! As you know, UF was super selective this year. FSU was as well but my friends and I were able to all decide on going to FSU. Starting the ‘adult’ years of my life couldn’t possibly go wrong when you start it off with the people you love. Choosing FSU was a simple decision to make.”
Both FSU and UF are top-ranking schools in the nation. Both schools are fortunately located within driving distance for students at Newsome, allowing those attending to have amazing options on where to further their education.
Based on the data collected from the survey, the Seminoles beat the Gators by 20%, but this by no means puts the long standing rivalry to an end, as it will continue on for years to come for the members of Newsome’s senior class of 2024.