<p>Hello!</p>
<p>I've been accepted to Oxy, but can't decide where to go- either Occidental college or University of Miami. I am thinking more of UMiami, because I think Oxy is too small, and I think the social life is not that active in such a small school. But maybe someone can tell more about Oxy? I really don't know much, I am international, so I haven't been visiting universities before my decision. I would very much appreciate some advice!</p>
<p>Thanks so much in advance!!</p>
<p>annemarijaa: I see that you’ve posted this question elsewhere with not a lot of replies so I will take a shot an answering it. First off, the two schools are pretty different, and it would be good to know why you chose these two. What are your academic interests? UMiami is pretty heavily focused on business, marketing, some biomedical (it touts its undergraduate research opportunities) and it has a very well respected performing arts department. Oxy is much more roundly liberal arts, with strong programs in international studies, engineering, communications, social sciences, economics.</p>
<p>Social life is one aspect to consider for size, but size has a huge impact on learning as well. Occidental is about 1/5 the size of UMiami with 2,000 students vs. 10,000 and the fact that Oxy is near L.A. pushes up the social factor, at least in my opinion. Oxy will be much more diverse in the sense of the kinds of kids you’ll meet (all shapes, colors and sizes!) Coral Gables, Florida is not Southern California. It’s a totally different culture and without visiting either you’re going to have a hard time seeing if the fit is right. </p>
<p>Both have pretty much the same price tag. Is money a factor in the decision? And are there any other schools in the running?</p>
<p>@pidseattle thank you very much for your answer. Are you going to one of these schools, or, how do you know these aspects so well? Oh yes. I chose these schools, and some others (also accepted to Pepperdine, LMU, Chapman, USanDiego), I always wanted to go to study to California, but also considered some other schools- got turned down by NYU and USC (which is in LA though). So, I now have to decide between Occidental and UMIami- the best ones among my chosen schools. This is really a game of luck for me, as I have no practical idea about these schools, only my opinion that has somehow formed about them. I didn’t know what I want to study, that is why I was going to the liberal arts program- UMiami has it too. You can transfer to another school if you like too, for example, in UMiami, if you choose you want something else.
I just really want to go and explore the world- meet new people, to grow as a personality, and find my goals and passions in life, and also have fun. I would say- these are my main goals for going to study in the US. I come from a small country, only 2 million people, so I have no idea- maybe Occidental would seem big and diverse for me anyways. But I have travelled a lot and I am quite independent, so I don’t really need a very intimate community, where everyone knows each other. About the living costs and everything- it doesn’t matter that much. Yes, this will be a though decision. I guess I will have to figure it out myself- what I really want. If you can still give me any advice, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!</p>
<p>Why did you eliminate Pepperdine?</p>
<p>I figured Oxy and UM are better!? When i asked ppl about these schools, people always said- NOT Pepperdine</p>
<p>annemarijaa: My daughter has been accepted at Occidental and is seriously considering it; and a very good friend of hers knows UMiami (she’s in musical theater). I think it comes down to the culture; as I said, they are both very different, and that’s a really hard aspect to to advise anyone else on—it really depends on <em>you</em>. Is there any chance you can visit either or both of them in the next two weeks? But if push came to shove, I’d have to pick California over Florida.</p>
<p>Do you want to be in a smaller setting? Oxy offers an excellent education and the campus is quiet and serene, especially on the weekends. It doesn’t feel like part of Los Angeles. But if you have a car (or know someone with a car) it’s easy access into everything LA offers. Oxy is an intellectually vibrant place and when I went there some years ago we had a lot of late-night discussions on contemporary issues, philosophy, politics, etc. The faculty was very committed to undergraduate education and interacting with students.</p>