<p>I'm a Miami alum, and I'm very plugged into what's going on in Oxford. (No, I'm not with the admissions department and I don't work for the University.) I get asked lots of questions from prospective students, so here are some common answer - no BS here.</p>
<p>What are Miami's best known programs?</p>
<p>Farmer business school is generally considered one of the top 25 undergrad business schools nationwide (private or public). Business Week recently ranked it #17 nationwide. Our zoology/pre-med program is very well regarded and one of the largest nationwide - med school acceptance rates well above national average. Manufacturing engineering, paper science engineering, and education programs are also very highly regarded. Poly sci is also popular, since a lot of students go on to law school. Miami requires ALL students to take a well rounded curriculum including math/sciences, humanities, etc. Acceptance rates to most grad programs are wll above the national average. Miami has its own campus in Luxembourg open to all majors, and about 40% of students study there at some point (the University wants to increase this to at least 50%). Miami offers a broad selection of majors/minors, but not as many as your really large state universities. Most classes have less than 20 people, but there are some large lectures for 100 level classes. Academic advisors are genuinely interested in your success, and tutoring is readily available. Good honors program, if you can get in. Very good job placement office.</p>
<p>Is Miami public or private?</p>
<p>Many people are surprised to learn that Miami University is a public university. The state of Ohio caps the percentage of out-of-state students at 37%. Miami typically has a lot of students coming from IL, GA, IN, KY, MI, MD, and NY; all but a few states are typically represented. </p>
<p>Where else do students applying to Miami typically apply?</p>
<p>The most common are Ohio State, Ohio U, Indiana U, U of Michigan, Vanderbilt, U of Illinois, U of Georgia, Case Western Reserve, and Denison U.</p>
<p>What is the campus/town like?</p>
<p>Beautiful, wooded campus with georgian-red-brick buildings. Feels like a small college out of the Northeast. You can easily walk or bike through campus, although there is bus service. Facilities are great, and the dorms are nice. Food is very good. Oxford is a rural, small town of 5,000 people (outside of the student population). Oxford is surrounded by corn fields and located between Dayton and Cincinnati on the Indiana border. The campus/town is safe overall. If you're looking for shopping malls (30 minutes away) and big-city excitement, Miami is not for you. That said, there are plenty of restaurants, bars, local and chain stores.</p>
<p>I've heard that Miami has a preppy, 'J Crew' reputation?</p>
<p>This is somewhat overblown. Yes, most students are white, suburban kids (if you're looking for a really diverse student body, this is not the place for you); but you won't see that many people get dressed up just to go to class. Jeans and sweats are common. While a number of fraternities, plus one sorority, were founded at Miami, only 1/3 of the students are greek. Fraternities have houses, sororities have suites attached to dorms. The average greek GPA is higher than the all-campus average. I was in a fraternity, and it was a great experience - most fraternity houses are very open to both non-member guys and women coming over to hang out or party. That said, many of my friends are not greek and have very full social lives. Political leanings are more conservative, but the college Democrats are alive and well on campus. </p>
<p>Does Miami have a heavy work load?</p>
<p>Miami has a work-hard, play-hard mentality. The students are ambitious and take their classes seriously - but they're not bookworms. The work load can be heavy, so you will need to study - but Miami is not cut-throat. Students are definitely social and like to have fun/party. </p>
<p>What do students do when not studying?</p>
<p>Hockey is the most popular sports team, and we're usually ranked top 10 in the country. Intramurals are very popular. Uptown restaurants, bars, and fraternity houses are common places to hang out. Lots of good guest speakers come to campus. Drinking is very common, but not forced on anyone. More clubs than I could possibly name - both academic and special interest. Miami students have developed a very good reputation for volunteerism. Habitat for Humanity and tutoring at the local schools is very popular.</p>
<p>How hard is it to get accepted at Miami?</p>
<p>Miami will likely accept 68-70% of applicants this year. I don't know of final numbers, but I believe there were about 16,200 applicants for 3,450 spots. 49% of applicants are from Ohio, 51% from other states. The acceptance rate will likely be about the same regardless of whether you are in-state or OOS. Over the past three years, the average stats of incoming students were a GPA of about 3.7 and an ACT of 26/27. A GPA or test score significantly below these figures won't kill your chances, but your extracurriculars better be good. Miami particularly likes proof of leadership experience and public service/volunteering. It's important to note that Miami keeps track of how many/what type of interactions applicants have had with the University. If you are on the bubble, this will likely decide your fate. You can significantly increase your odds of being accepted by scheduling an on-campus interview and repeatedly contacting the admissions department with specific questions that prove you have done your research and that Miami is not just one of eight schools on your application list.</p>
<p>Why did I choose Miami?</p>
<p>I wanted to go to a medium-size school with a strong academic reputation, but where I would not feel like a number (aka - Ohio State). The reputation of the business school and beauty of the campus sold me. I also liked the fact that there were a lot of students from other states who could offer different viewpoints.</p>
<p>I hope this helps! Good luck to all!</p>