FAQ

• How do I apply?

  The Have You HERD application is due by August 16, 2024. This application is for both fall 2024 and spring 2025. 

  A major part of the application is a 2-3 minute video of yourself. Within this video, answer the following questions:

  1. Tell us about yourself. What activities or events have you been involved in through high school (4-H, FFA, Junior Breed Association, etc.) What animal-related activities?
  2. What are your career interests?
  3. Why would you like to be chosen for the Have You HERD program? What would you be the most interested in seeing on a day in the life of an Animal Sciences student?

  Tips for Your Video

  • Have someone film your video for you. Go outside or with a background that helps us get to know you better. For example: Out in a pasture, in your backyard. Have animals in your video as long as they are not too distracting. 
  • Dress business casual. A nice pair of jeans and blouse, polo shirt. 
  • Make sure we can hear you clearly in your video. Do a test run of your video and play it back to make sure the sound is good and you are understood. 
  • Focus the most on WHY you would like to spend a day in the Animal Sciences department. Research our classes, programs, and faculty, and let us know what about our department is the most interesting for you.
• How do I nominate a student?

  4-H Leaders or FFA Advisors are permitted to nominate a student. You will submit the Have You HERD application on their behalf. However, the video will still need to be of the student. 

  We suggest that you work with the student and create the video application together. If you have further questions, contact Alexis Strickland-Tilton or Savannah Linzmaier.

• Who is eligible to apply?

  Applicants must be a current high school student, or a student who graduated from high school within the past year. 

  All applicants must have an interest or career goals in the livestock industry, and will preferably have a strong interest in UF Animal Sciences.

  An additional resource for all College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) prospective students, including those students interested in animal sciences, is NaviGATORing CALS. 

• What does a typical Have You HERD day look like?

  The student and their chaperone(s) will typically arrive between 8-9 AM and stay until 4-5 PM. Each student's day is individually customized to their interest. This means that no two students will have the same schedule! But, they all will have the following incorporated into their day:

  • A one-on-one meeting with an academic advisor to discuss our academic program and how it fits with the student's potential career options. 
  • A campus tour (typically the Swamp football stadium, Reitz Union, and McCarty Hall). Requests can be made!
  • Lunch on campus. Lunch is provided to the student and their chaperon. Students choose where they'd like to eat!
  • Attend Animal Sciences classes. Labs and lecture courses are selected based on the student's interests. To sit in on multiple labs and/or lectures, it is likely that HYH participants will not attend an entire class period, but we try to ensure that they are attending the highlight of the period that day. Chaperons will not be permitted to attend classes.
  • Meet-ups with ANS students, ANS club representatives, and/or judging team coach(es) and members.