<p>hey guys, so here’s the problem. I was accepted into University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL Pre-med and offered full tuition plus financial aid, which covered everything. I was just accepted into Boston College’s arts & sciences today. Both schools are competitive since they are private and have a freshmen class size of 2000. Boston has yet to give me my financial aid information, but my efc is like also nothing and BC is a 100% demonstrated need met school. </p>
<p>Soo I’m pretty torn between the two schools. The mains points are obviously academics (pre-medicine), and having fun at the same time. I am a guy who just can’t do without weekend parties haha. I like the girls to be intelligent and also very outgoing. I mean I dunno, I guess that’s just my preference but I heard BC has a bunch of beautiful women. What do you think?</p>
<p>My S is at UM and my D will probably be going to BC. He loves UM and says there are many parties, but most are off campus a cab ride away. The girls are some of the most beautiful I have seen and the academics are quite hard. Most of his teachers take attendance, so missing class is not an option and of course the weather is lovely. If money is a consideration, think also about air fare each time you have a break.<br>
My D is a beautiful girl and I think she will enjoy BC if she gets rejected by Harvard.</p>
<p>I went to BC and my son recently graduated from Miami. The popular misperception of Miami is that it is one massive party school. Students do party but from the stories my son has told me, it frankly sounds much tamer than the parties in “The Mods” back in the day at BC. Contrary to popular belief (hope?), students don’t Conga line to class with Pina Colada filled hands. </p>
<p>Having had experience with both schools I will tell you that BC and Miami are quite similar in many ways and different in others. Both are medium-sized (10,000+/-), with beautiful campuses located near-in to very vibrant cities. BC has a strong Jesuit tradition, Miami is secular with with a rapidly growing academic tradition thanks in large part to the efforts of President Donna Shalala, (Politics aside, she is improving the profile of Miami much in the same way she did at Wisconsin. She has recently hired a former Wharton dean to oversee the business school, a Duke dean for the Marine Sciences program and a senior Univ. of Michigan administrator to take over the medical school). Miami is a much more culturally and ethnically diverse campus. BC has a more traditional feel; little things like the fact that the football games are played on campus at BC add to the overall collegiate “experience” at the school. BC is located in probably the greatest college city in the world. Miami is located in a subtropical city 10 miles from South Beach. At BC you will need a parka and gloves; at Miami you’ll be complaining about the cold when the temperature hits 58.</p>
<p>In short the places are quite similar but also just different enough that you’re going to need to decide which is the place that gives you the best chance to succeed. Two final points; first, med school is about GPA and MCAT scores, not the party “reputation” of your undergraduate college. Second, and in many ways the most important point, the last time I checked, medical school was very expensive. Leaving undergraduate either debt free or with most all of your financial resources intact is a huge advantage going forward, an advantage I would not dismiss lightly.</p>
<p>I love BC. My oldest son considered going there, but wanting to pursue a career in Marine Sciences (where he now has a job) made Miami a no brainer. My second son has BC in his top 3, (with Miami listed around 6th), so maybe one of my two kids will go there. Miami is an excellent school and the financial repercussions to you attending there cannot and should not be ignored. If BC comes up with some money, then I might alter my advice.</p>
<p>Congratulations on you “problem”, you’ve obviously done very well in order to have these options. Good luck with your decision.</p>
<p>thank you very much guys, but vinceh, I still have about 14k left to pay for Miami. I know that I have to take out loans, but as you said then there is Med school. If you could offer me some advice on this dilemma then it would very much appreciated!</p>
<p>I’m a little confused. In your opening post you say that Miami offered full tuition and fin-aid to cover the rest; is the $14k loans part of the fin-aid package? Is that $14K per year? Do you have BC’s fin-aid package yet?</p>
<p>In short, given that you want to go onto med school I’d suggest going to the cheaper of your two options.</p>
<p>I live in Miami and I got accepted into both BC and University of Miami. </p>
<p>I visited BC and loved it. Nonetheless, I have to say that UM is an amazing, beautiful school. The campus is lovely. Although this is true, it is DEFINITELY a party school…most people party and drink all day :o i have some friends that attend. Also, the area is great…South Beach/Miami Beach= you’ll always have something to do. </p>
<p>I’m most likely going to go to BC though because I want to live in a new, different area.(: </p>
<p>vinceh yes they covered the rest of the package in loans and workstudy. I received their full tuition scholarship, but still had to pay for room and board, and books and supplies. So since they thought they had already given me the scholarship, it was included in the financial package as a form of grant and so i was not given much else. I am sorry for the confusion, I hope making it easier for you to understand will let you think on this clearer.</p>
<p>And I do not have my BC financial aid yet, it should be here within a week.</p>
<p>Again thanks, you are wonderful with your advice.</p>
<p>brojas30, also thank you for your input, and what made you fall in love with BC? any comparison between the two schools in terms of academic rigor, social life, campus, and financial aid?</p>
<p>Well, BC gave me a better financial aid package than UM. Also, once I visited BC on “Admitted Eagle Day” I got a great vibe from the school. I took several mock classes and the professors really blew me away. I did the same in UM but I found the professors in BC to be more “scholarly” (but that’s just me b/c UM has amazing professors as well). The people in BC are really nice and friendly…overall I loved Boston and it would be a change for me. Nonetheless, Miami is a great, beautiful city…it just really depends where you fit in the most.</p>