<p>So, UM has always been my dream school and I may transfer for Spring semester of my Freshmen year (already been accepted). I'm currently at American University in Washington DC. </p>
<p>I do like it here in DC but I still am infatuated with UM, which has been my first choice for a long time. </p>
<p>My only concern is that it would be hard to make friends and fit in coming for Spring Semester. Also is it true that a lot of the student body are shallow and snobby kids who flaunt their wealth? I realize this is kind of a stereotype for UM but I wasn't sure to what extent it is true.</p>
<p>Are there all types of students at UM-Athletes, Nerds, Hipsters, Ect... Or is it simply the athletic party crowd?</p>
<p>I know UM is a solid school academically, I am more concerned with the social aspects.</p>
<p>All thoughts appreciated!</p>
<p>PS: Is there transport from campus to City of Miami/Miami Beach?</p>
<p>I’m freshman here in UM and I would say stereotypes are somewhat true. Party is very common here (was #1 party school in 2008), but I would say majority here isn’t really dedicated to drinking and partying. Many students care about grades, courses, exams, and UM is the number one for student diversity in the US… which means, you have a lot of chances to see a lot of new people and get along with them.</p>
<p>I’m also a freshman here and I’d have to disagree. It really depends on what you’re looking for in a school. The party atmosphere is in my opinion overwhelming. Any stereotypes about snobbish people isn’t as true as I expected. Most people here are nice to you as long as you are nice to them. However, if you’re looking for a truly intellectually curious environment, this might not be the place for you. Students here are driven, yes, driven towards a GPA or a med school acceptance. Very few members of the student population seem to want to learn things for the sake of bettering themselves. What you are studying also makes a huge difference. If you have any interest in music or business, I would say the opposite and highly recommend it, because of the rigor of the programs and (in the case of music especially) the true dedication of students to their work. The students here are certainly intelligent…I’d best describe it with an analogy. Miami students are smart enough to find ways around the rules, to find all sorts of ways to party and get things they shouldn’t have. The problem is that they get so wasted or high that they can’t find their way out of the trouble they create.</p>
<p>That whole paragraph was contradictory and didn’t seem to make sense… From what I’ve seen during my visit and what I’ve heard from other members on here, the whole “work hard, party hard” mentality isn’t as big as people make it out to be. Parties are usually house parties or clubbing, and if you are looking for them you’ll find them; however, if you aren’t looking for them, they won’t bother you. Also, the people are nice, not stuck-up or snobbish (most of them), and generally very intelligent (what would you expect from a school rated 38th in the country?) Overall, from what I’ve seen and heard, the stereotypes are just not true. Or if they are, it’s on a very limited scale.</p>
<p>My DS is a freshman and is very happy at UM. He is not shallow, snobby or wealthy-not sure why this stereotype persists?? From my observations from move-in and what he has shared with me UM students are driven, confident, intelligent students. Many are scholarship recipients who work hard to maintain a strong gpa. Most guys on his floor are Frost students and amazingly talented and very dedicated to practicing their instruments. He plays intramural volleyball, helped out with filming a UMTV show, attended a lecture by a leading movie producer, as well as several football games and on campus musical concerts. He is using the Wellness Center as do most students-the majority of whom appear very fit. He has added 125 new FB friends in 8 short weeks so you can see there are friendly students around. Most parties are at off campus houses and frats-not on campus. He has been to Crandon Beach once and does not know anyone who has been to South Beach yet so the club scene clearly is not overwhelming. There is a metro across the street from campus which takes you downtown and I think you can get a bus from there to SoBe.</p>
<p>Make sure you get an assessment for both genders…UM is a school with " two very distinct personalities" according to the student I know that have been there over the last four years</p>
<p>I’m a freshman (engineering major) as well here. I think the stereotypes are extremely accurate. All the girls you see are flaunting their Louis Vuitton purses and Gucci sunglasses and are incredibly snobby and hard to talk to. Lots of wealth here, like tacky flaunting it wealth. The party atmosphere is very apparent and it seems like everyone goes out Thursday, Friday, Saturday and it’s not rare for people to go out Wednesday - Saturday. Also, there is hardly anything to do on campus during the weekends, it seems like everything to do is either in the Grove or South Beach if you have lots of money to spend. I’m from Texas, and the atmosphere here is pretty much opposite of what I’ve grown up with. People are not ‘southern hospitality’ friendly and it seems like almost everyone is from East Coast (NY, NJ, MA) or from Florida. Most of my friends back in TX fit the Hipster mold, and there is definitely not that environment here. Very superficial, very wild, and IMO not very academically focused. However, the faculty is outstanding. I’d say, it definitely fits the mold of athletic party crowd.</p>
<p>I have been thinking about why this stereotype persists, specifically the part about flaunting wealth. What I’m going to suggest is based on generalizations not specifics. Although my family situation fits. About 50 % of the freshman class is on academic scholarship. A large portion of the incoming class is from Florida and the northeast. These areas have in general, good state colleges. My theory is that UM is grabbing many students whose families are solidly middle class, would not be eligible for any need based aid and were probably destined for the state university. Many of these students were accepted into higher ranked schools but would be full pay. So. As we say in my house " we took the money". So, I guess what I’m saying is that you have a large portion of students that are used to having certain material things whose families are not having to make huge financial sacrifices. As far as the party thing goes, I think that occurs at every school in one form or another. Too keep the scholarships, a certain gpa is required so moderation will have to prevail.</p>
<p>I never quite understand these types of questions. It seems like every school I read about has the same “snobby rich kid” stereotype attached to some of the students who attend. What I don’t get is why the amount of money or luxury a person possesses should matter to someone who is looking at a certain school. What you should be focused on is how friendly and intelligent the students are. Your not going to find a school full of middle-class students. Some will have more money while others will not.</p>
<p>I am currently a junior at UM and I have to say that the majority of the stereotypes are very much true. If you’re the type of kid who enjoys the group mentality, wants to become a part of a frat, and doesn’t really mind not doing nething unique with you colllege experience, UM is for you. That’s the overall mentality here. People are afraid to break out of their comfort zones and think differently about things. It’s very much about attending class, partying on the weekends and that is all. You never really feel like your a part of a family at UM even though there is so much Hurricane spirit. Everyone is pretty much doing their own thing. The one positive i have to say about this school is that the amenities are amazing (gym, business school facilities, etc) and the connections you can make down here are endlesss. I just want to warn you that the student population down here may be smarter academically than it used to be, but when it comes to having alternative interests and being unique, it’s not the case.</p>
<p>Is this really the truth? Or is this just your perception? I can’t honestly believe that your interpretation is the truth of what the University is like. I think it is what you make of it: if you stay in your own little world instead of joining clubs, meeting new people, etc, you’re going to have a crappy experience. That can be said about any college…</p>
<p>You are exactly right Marinebio444. It is what you make of it.</p>
<p>As for you, RSMAS has the greatest group of kids ever! They are extremely laid back and as my daughter says “chill”. There are so many opportunities and unique experiences that will be open to you. It is a fantastic school!</p>
<p>(As for the stupid Playboy poll, they used days of sunshine and brains as major factors in their calculations. They also gave Miami a lot of points for being “close” to South Beach, which as anyone can tell you is not exactly close or easy to get to from campus. :p)</p>
<p>Aamato was right on with his response I think. There’s really no sense of community here, it’s just people doing their own thing because they really don’t care about anything besides themselves. I have a friend at American, and she seems to really like it. At least there, there is a sense of patriotism and historic culture. It’s very much party culture down here, and not too much focus on much else.</p>