Top College Questions from Social Media, Answered

Students don’t just wait around for emails or info sessions anymore. They go straight to social media for answers. From Reddit threads to Instagram comments, prospective students are asking real, unfiltered questions about college life, admissions, and what attending the University of South Florida is actually like.

We’ve been paying attention. (Yes, even to the comment sections.)

Sometimes they’re the big questions that everyone seems to have, year after year, like how you can know whether your stats are good enough for a school like USF. And sometimes it gets a little too real, like how to deal with outside pressure when your college list and someone else’s expectations don’t exactly match.

We also see plenty of myths and misconceptions making the rounds (looking at you, “there’s only one path to getting in”), plus the occasional question that makes even our admissions team pause and go, “Okay, that’s a good one.”

Instead of gatekeeping answers, we’re bringing them to you — clear, honest, and straight from a reliable source: our director of undergraduate recruitment, Derek Nettingham.

Do extracurriculars matter for your college application? What if I have great academics but not many extracurriculars?

The short answer here: Yes and no.

If you’re applying to USF, then extracurriculars are not something we look at per se, Nettingham clarified. They are not required for your USF application, which solely factors in your test scores and your GPA.

“I say [extracurriculars] are always good to have and factor into your profile, but for our preliminary evaluation, we don’t look at it,” Nettingham said. “I say ‘per se’ because if you would like to appeal an unfavorable [admissions] decision, we can and absolutely do look at things like extracurriculars.”

If you’re filing an appeal, you’ll need a written statement, and the committee can factor in your extracurriculars. But it’s not a guarantee by any means.

If you choose to appeal your admissions decision, our faculty admissions committee will review your application holistically, meaning they consider additional information beyond your academic record, including extracurricular involvement, personal experiences, and your individual story.

As part of the appeal process, you will be asked to submit a written statement, which provides an excellent opportunity to share this information with the committee for their consideration.

However, if you’re looking at other schools, like maybe a smaller, private school, they may require extracurriculars or an essay.

“What I tell the students is to look at what’s required and asked for by that institution, because they’ll be very specific about what they need,” Nettingham said.

How do I know if my academic stats are good enough for a school?

First of all, don’t tell yourself you’re not good enough. Instead, you need to look at how competitive you are within the applicant pool and look at the ways you can get into a school.

Nettingham recommends that applicants compare their stats to our middle 50 — the stats from our latest incoming freshman class, which you can see here. That can indicate how strong your application will be, but remember, every student’s situation is unique to them.

“Your recruiter’s job is to make sure you’re putting forth the strongest profile possible. And that’s what we can help you do,” Nettingham said. “Maybe it will help you to retest — that is you improving your profile.” Taking AP, IB, or dual enrollment classes might also strengthen your profile. Ultimately, though, how you choose to do it must be individualized to you.

But Nettingham said he doesn’t want students to only look at the middle 50 when they’re considering USF. There are other ways to get admitted, like our FUSE program, where you’re guaranteed admission after completing an AA degree with one of our partner institutions.

“To me, it’s more of a reframe in language, because we don’t want students to just not apply. Sometimes they’ll say, ‘Well, I wouldn’t even get in.’ And I say, ‘Well, you didn’t even try! You could have had extenuating circumstances that would give you an opportunity for an appeal.’

“Instead of looking at our middle 50, look at how you can strengthen your chances. We have academic rigor as a foundation of what we’re looking for, but we’re also encouraging students to check out the multiple pathways we have to get here, too.”

When schools ask for your average GPA, are they talking about weighted or unweighted?

USF looks at your weighted GPA, Nettingham said. We review your grades, including AP, IB, and dual enrollment classes.

Some universities may specify that they’re not looking at a weighted GPA, but that’s not the case here at USF. So let your hard work shine through, because you put in the effort and you deserve recognition for it.

How can I deal with parents who are so out of touch they think I can easily get accepted into Harvard, even though I definitely can’t?

We get it — this one’s tough. It’s your journey, but it’s also your family’s journey. They helped raise you and want the best for you. Maybe they had a great time at their alma mater and think that you should go there because of that. However, at the same time, you’re becoming an adult and growing into your own person. It’s a big deal to try and balance expectations when they may not be realistic.

Ultimately, your parents want what is best for you and, as a result, may not always realize the pressure you feel to make them happy. It is important for your family to have open and honest conversations, and for you as the student to clearly communicate what matters most to you when selecting a college or university, even if that choice is not their alma mater or perhaps even their alma mater’s biggest rival.

Believe it or not, that happens quite often. No matter where you choose to attend, your mom and dad will proudly wear the “Proud Parent” t-shirts of the institution you select… just perhaps not on football Saturdays.

Do you notice certain myths or misconceptions about USF (or college in general) that keep resurfacing?

One misconception Nettingham sees is that students sometimes feel like it’s just one person looking at their profile and deciding whether they’re in or out.

“It’s actually not as singular as you think. Multiple people have eyes on your application,” Nettingham said. “And we’re looking at yours, along with literally thousands more. I don’t think people understand the volume of applications we get. When we come to a conclusion or a decision about a campus choice, whether they’ve been deferred or wait-listed, it was not personal at all, and we absolutely do care.”

Another common misconception about the University of South Florida is that we are the same institution we were 20 years ago. In reality, USF has evolved significantly in many ways, not only in the size of our student body, which has grown from approximately 42,000 students to nearly 50,000 today.

The size of our freshman class and the competitiveness of our admissions process have also changed dramatically. Twenty years ago, USF admitted approximately 60–70% of applicants and enrolled freshman classes ranging from 4,200 to 4,500 students. Today, we admit 40% or fewer of applicants while enrolling an incoming class of more than 6,800 new freshmen students. During that same period, annual applications have increased from fewer than 30,000 to more than 71,000.

In addition, the University of South Florida is now a member of the Association of American Universities and one of Florida’s four Preeminent public research universities.

Has a student ever asked a question that really stood out or made you rethink how you explain things?

As a college admissions expert, it’s easy to get into the weeds of higher education and forget that not everyone knows the terminology we use on a daily basis. Sometimes, our team has to slow down and re-evaluate how they’re speaking.

For example, Nettingham spoke about an information session where he and his team were answering student questions and used the term “living allowance.”

(We’ll define it here for you: A living allowance is part of your overall cost of attendance. It covers things like clothing, healthcare, laundry, supplies you’ll need, and more.)

A student in the session raised his hand to ask if the university pays students an allowance, because he thought that’s what they meant.

“That hit me for sure, like I could have just reframed that or done a bit better not using all of our terminology that we’re used to,” Nettingham said. “His friends laughed, and I had to, of course, calm the room down. It was a valid question, because that’s what his understanding of an allowance is, but that’s not what we’re referring to when we say the living allowance for a student.”

That moment signaled to Nettingham that there could be a gap: Some students have that background knowledge, while others don’t. He realized that it’s important to appeal to all types of students.

“Am I actually doing the work of recruitment, which means opening the door for all students and making sure they understand exactly what’s happening?” Nettingham wondered.

Have any other questions? We’re here to help.

We get that the world of college admissions can be confusing and honestly, sometimes terrifying. But the USF Office of Admissions is ready to help you answer any questions you might have before you apply, after you apply, once you’re admitted, and everywhere in between.

Send an email to admissions@usf.edu and someone from our team will get back to you. If you’re ready to apply, then hit that apply button below!