UF, FSU, and the University of Miami: A Guide for Florida Families

For many Florida families, the college list starts with the same three names: the University of Florida, Florida State University, and the University of Miami. They're often compared as if they were interchangeable. They aren't. For fall 2027, each has its own early plans, testing rules, and application requirements, and Bright Futures is worth very different amounts at the two public universities than at the private one.

The Three at a Glance (Fall 2027)

Materials deadlines and decision dates differ too. UF's Early Decision applicants hear by December 11, its Early Action applicants by January 22, and its Regular Decision applicants by March 19. FSU releases Early Action decisions on December 17 and Regular Decision on February 18. UM notifies Early Decision I in mid-December, Early Action in late January, Early Decision II in late February, and Regular Decision by April 1.

The University of Florida

UF offers a binding Early Decision round alongside Early Action and Regular Decision. According to UF, its Early Decision option "is binding" and requires "an agreement signed by the student, parent and high school guidance counselor." Deferred Early Decision applicants are released from the agreement; denied applicants receive no further review in that cycle.

For a Florida resident whose first choice is UF, Early Decision can make more financial sense than binding plans at private colleges, because in-state tuition and Bright Futures make the cost predictable. But it still ends the search, so it should be reserved for a clear first choice. UF recommends running its net price calculator first. Our guide to Early Decision and Early Action covers the trade-offs.

Other UF specifics: it accepts first-year applications only through the Common App, asks U.S. high school students to list courses and grades in STARS "exactly as they appear" on the transcript, requires the personal essay, and says it "has no test preference" among the SAT, ACT, and CLT, which it superscores.

Not every UF admission starts on campus in the fall. UF also makes pathway offers, including the online-first PaCE program and the spring-and-summer Innovation Academy, which our guide to UF's PaCE and Innovation Academy offers explains. Students hoping for UF's Honors Program must apply by the Early Action deadline to be considered for its top scholarships; our guide to Florida's honors colleges compares UF's program with FSU's and four others.

Florida State University

FSU accepts the Common App or its own FSU Application and says it has no preference between them. Its Early Action round, due October 15, is open only to Florida residents; everyone else applies by the December 1 Regular Decision deadline.

Two FSU details catch families off guard. First, FSU requires at least one test score and doesn't accept self-reported scores from the Common App; students self-report on FSU's Admissions Portal instead. Second, FSU requires STARS, the self-reported academic record, and asks applicants to upload an essay and a resume or activities list to its portal.

The University of Miami

UM is the private option of the three, with the most application plans. Two points matter most:

• Scholarship timing. Only Early Decision I and Early Action applicants are considered for UM's Premier Scholarships, which include the Stamps Scholarship; all applicants are considered for merit scholarships automatically.
• A lighter writing load. UM requires the Common App personal essay and one recommendation but no supplemental essay, and it requires test scores except for certain arts and architecture programs and students graduating from schools outside the U.S.

Our guide for Miami-Dade private school students covers UM's plans in more detail.

What Bright Futures Is Worth at Each

This is where the three differ most for Florida families. At public universities like UF and FSU, Florida Academic Scholars receive an award equal to 100% of tuition and applicable fees, and Florida Medallion Scholars 75%, as UCF's financial aid office summarizes the program.

At private colleges, the award is a flat amount per credit hour set by the Florida Department of Education. For 2026–27 at four-year, semester-based private institutions, that's $212 per credit hour for Florida Academic Scholars and $159 for Florida Medallion Scholars. At a private university's tuition, that covers a much smaller share of the cost.

So a Bright Futures scholar comparing UF or FSU with UM is really comparing a nearly tuition-free public option with a private one where merit aid, not Bright Futures, will do most of the work. Our guides to Bright Futures and merit aid cover both sides of that math. Outside Florida, Bright Futures doesn't apply at all; our guide to leaving Florida for college covers what happens to the award, and to Florida Prepaid, out of state.

Testing and Self-Reported Grades

All three require test scores for most applicants: UF and FSU because of a Florida Board of Governors regulation that applies to every state university, and UM by its own policy. Students applying only to test-optional colleges elsewhere still need a score for these three.

Both public universities use STARS, the self-reported academic record, so students should keep an official transcript at hand and enter every course and grade exactly. Our guide to the application platforms explains how self-reported records work across colleges.

A Fall Calendar for Applying to All Three

• October 15: UF Early Decision and FSU Early Action (Florida residents).
• October 22: UF Early Decision materials.
• November 1: UF Early Action and UM Early Decision I and Early Action.
• November 8: UF Early Action materials.
• December 1: FSU Regular Decision.
• January 5: UM Early Decision II and Regular Decision.
• January 15: UF Regular Decision, with materials by January 22.

Because the early deadlines cluster in mid-October and November 1, the most important step is finishing the personal essay and STARS entries in September.

Final Thought

UF, FSU, and UM each reward planning in different ways: UF and FSU through early rounds and predictable in-state costs, UM through early consideration for its largest scholarships. Families who map all three calendars in the summer before senior year avoid the October crunch. For regional context, see our guides for Palm Beach County and Miami-Dade families. Our college admissions advising helps families weigh all three alongside colleges outside Florida.