‘It’s like a dream come true': UF welcomes class of 2023

Cristian Cifers put down his $200 deposit less than an hour after he was accepted into UF.

The 18-year-old beamed upon learning he didn’t have to throw away a third of his closet.

“I couldn’t see myself wearing other schools’ colors,” he said. “You know, I bleed orange and blue.”

On Friday evening, Cifers became one of about 14,800 to be admitted into the university’s class of 2023.

More than 41,253 applicants applied, breaking last year’s record, said UF spokesperson Steve Orlando. The university expects about 6,400 freshmen to accept.

UF class of 2023’s student demographic data will not be publicly available until today, Orlando said.

Cifers, who will graduate from Lake Mary Preparatory School in central Florida, applied as a business administration-management major and will start at UF in the Fall, he said. His backup school was the University of South Florida because his sister graduated from there but knew UF is where he belongs.

Cifers remembers watching the 2008 National Championship game with his parents, he said. His mom graduated from UF, and his dad briefly taught as a guest lecturer for the College of Journalism and Communications.

“It’s like a dream come true,” Cifers said. “I grew up being a Gator, and it’s just something that I’ve always wanted to be a part of one day.”

The number of UF applicants has increased throughout the years, but there was a spike in 2017 when UF started accepting from the Coalition for College Access application, in which applicants can enter their information and documents to send to multiple schools, Orlando said. In that year, applications grew from about 34,000 to 40,000.

Other factors leading to the high number of applicants include UF’s rising national profile and ranking, which the U.S. News and World Reports ranks eighth in the nation for public universities, Orlando said.

The admission results are released on a Friday to give the applicants time over the weekend to process the information, Orlando said.

“It is a big achievement to get into UF,” he said. “It’s a really exciting time for us too.”

Jenna Dunakey, 18, received the news of her acceptance at 5:30 p.m. Dunakey, who applied as a psychology major, will graduate from Lemon Bay High School in Englewood, Florida.

However, Dunakey is unsure yet of where she will attend college, and she’s waiting on her decision from her first choice, New York University, she said. If she gets into NYU, her choice will come down to the financials.

“UF is the best school in Florida, and I know I’m definitely going to college now,” she said.

Gabrielle Russo, 17, was accepted into UF’s class of 2023. Russo, who’s a third generation Gator, applied as undecided but is interested in biomedical engineering.