Greetings from a 2011 USF to UF transfer! 

I too did the summer A program (which is honestly the only way to go considering it makes up for one lost year). I had a 3.0 GPA at the time I applied. I'm going to be frank, while your connections might help (I didn't know a soul when I applied) you have a very high chance of getting in. They are not choosy for the summer program because it will be the most intense summer of your life and there is a very high drop rate. It's sort of a method of weeding out who is serious about the program and who just transferred for the UF name sake. Also, once you transfer, it is becoming increasingly difficult to change majors so make sure you are committed. 

After the summer + one regular fall year here you will apply for upper division (pin up) so save all of your work and keep in mind that you will be depending on it to continue after 2 years. I would recommend making an appointment to speak with John Whele or John Maze (they're both extremely helpful and friendly). You also should scope out the facilities for yourself. Don't be intimidated, It's their job to talk up the credentials of the school but everyone that applied from USF to Summer A in 2011 got in. It's during the summer program where they really test your skills.  

Good luck to you! I can honestly say transferring from USF to UF was the best academic decision of my life. I personally feel like I learned a ton more from Alfonso Perez in Design one than I did from Bothos and Hicks in Intro 1 & 2 combined. 

Hope this helps. 

JDan,

Thanks for taking the time to give me a thorough response regarding the transfer process. I really appreciate it. I actually got admitted to UF for the Summer A term. I have been on hiatus from architecture as a student for well over a year and now I'm trying to get back on track and continue to finish my degree. The thing that makes me nervous is that I haven't been consistent. That is why I applied to UF, in hopes of committing myself to a strong architecture program and finishing my undergrad. The weeding out process does sound intimidating. Can you give me more insight on the summer design academy (that is what I got accepted to) and how they fit four courses, including two studio design courses into such a short term? I would think summer C would be more suitable for the amount of courses that we would have to take during summer A.

I would not mind continuing my education at USF either, the only problem is that the faculty staff is very small but the students here especially from graduate school have been producing quality work over the years. In general, I think it just depends on my work ethic and my commitment as a student in this field. You definitely seem to vouch for the UF program which makes me believe that transferring there would be a better decision. Either way, I plan to take studio courses during the summer whether I stay at USF or go to UF. I just plan on making a decision real soon.

Once again, thanks for your response.