Former Alum just curious...

<p>Hey there all you HS Seniors!</p>

<p>Just curious how many of you are accepted and have made your decision to attend Miami-Ohio?</p>

<p>Please post where you are from and what you are planning to major in.</p>

<p>This is just for fun, as I miss my old [and I mean OLD] college days in Oxford. It is exciting to think you all are on the edge of what could be one of the best periods in your life. Despite the fact that I am a happy healthy & productive "grown-up" now, I would still re-live my Miami days any time. It was a blast and gave me an outstanding foundation for a very successful life.</p>

<p>Congrats & welcome from one who has gone before...</p>

<p>My D has narrowed her choices down to Miami and one other, with Miami at the top, though very expensive for out of state. She did an overnight there and that pretty much sealed the deal. Loved everyone and everything.</p>

<p>I've narrowed my search down to Miami and Lafayette. I'm gonna go visit both of them in a few weeks so ill know then. My dad's especially exciting about Miami because apparently his fraternity was founded there, thought that was kinda cool.</p>

<p>Oh, and I'm from Austin Texas and plan on majoring in economics.</p>

<p>How exciting! I am smiling with fond memories...</p>

<p>Kayjo-Try not to let the tuition thing scare you. This year they changed the tuition structure to make in-state=out-of-state, so everyone is in the same boat, however...I once attended a function with the Dean of Financial Aid as keynote speaker and he said, "I am very proud and happy to say that in all my years I have never had a student leave after freshman year for financial reasons. This is because we have a huge variety of different financial resources and aid programs, to uphold the university philosophy that no freshman should have to leave after their first year due to lack of funds." In other words, tough it out for freshman year and head straight to financial aid and let them know she needs help to stay. MU, as most universities are very interested in their retention/graduation rates.</p>

<p>tcolgate-If you are like many students, you will, like Kayjo's D, have the deal sealed by campus visit. When I first visited MU many moons ago, I was dead set on attending a university in another state, I was just visiting campus to see a friend who was a freshman there for a fun weekend. By the end of my weekend, I was so enthralled that I only applied to Miami stating that if I couldn't go to Miami, I wasn't going to college. [Freaked my parents out but it turned out fine as I was accepted :o) ]. Have fun and keep us posted.</p>

<p>I'll let you know what I think. Good to know that alums speak so highly of a school, that was one of the most important things in picking colleges to apply to</p>

<p>How can you be a former alum? You mean former * student. * Once you graduate, you are always an alum.</p>

<p>My dad is an alum, and I'm considering applying next year, though I doubt I would go if I didn't get into the Harrison scholars program, or at least one of the other honors programs, since I could go to other places in ohio for cheaper. gosh darn it why can't they be cheaper</p>

<p>believersmom-- yeah, they changed the tuition rate so out-of-state = instate but...instate students qualify for nearly $10,000 more in scholarships than out-of-state. I got into the honors program which gives a $1,000 or so scholarship per year then I got a $5,000 scholarship as well. That gave me $6,000 in scholarships plus a very small grant. The rest of my financial aid package included loans and a small bit of work-study. This added up to only $15,000 a year. The total estimated cost of attendance according to the Fin Aid report they gave me is close to $35,000 a year. So that's $20,000 they expect my family to pay plus take out nearly $5,000 a year in loans. There is no way that that could work for my family. Same story for two of my friends last year, who chose out-of-state tuition at UNC-Chapel Hill and a private school like Vanderbilt because they were more feasible options. Both of these students were would-be honors students as well. Miami was my top choice but I will most likely be attending Sewanee or Kenyon because of better financial aid packages.</p>

<p>Same for us- my D only got the $1000 per year merit scholarship and that applied to the almost $35,000 total cost is nothing and is making Miami pretty out of reach. I am sorry I took her there to visit before the financial aid package came- she fell in love with it and is going to be disappointed, but with two in college next year and better offers elsewhere it is hard to justify.</p>

<p>joev-</p>

<p>You are correct I am still an alum...maybe it was a freudian slip that in my mind I am always going to be a student; something like the definition of "old" is whatever is my age is plus 30. :o</p>

<p>To all-
A good friend and mentor of mine says, "There's always a way." I also believe what Robert Kiyosaki [author and success guru] believes, that the successful person does not say "we can't afford it," the successful person says, "how can we afford it" and thereby sets their mind and physical nature in a forward/possibility thinking mode.</p>

<p>I hope that those of you that believe Miami is the right place for yourself or your child and would pick it first if it weren't for the money situation will find the way. Blessings and good luck.</p>

<p>believersmom-- ok then, "How can we afford it?" Let's get our minds in the positive thinking direction. You find a way for a single parent middle-class home with another kid getting ready for college in a couple of years to come up with $20,000 a year to go to a public school in Ohio. Miami is an awesome school but not so awesome that I would go so deeply into debt to attend when there are many more great, probably even better options out there. If you can afford to shell out $35,000 a year for a PUBLIC school, then that's awesome, but my family cannot. I think you think a little too highly of Miami, which is expected considering you are an alum. As for hoping those of us, "find the way," well I have, and the way is to Sewanee, TN at The University of the South, where I will be paying about 10% of the Miami cost.</p>

<p>I live in Ohio. Why would I pay private school cost for a public school? I would rather go to a better private school or a less expensive public school, and I think many ohioans agree with me</p>

<p>"Why would I pay private school cost for a public school?"</p>

<p>As I said...IF you "believe Miami is THE right place for yourself or your child and would pick it first if it weren't for the money situation", that's why. By all means, if there is a another school that is your first choice and it is less costly and you believe it gives a better education, choose that school.</p>

<p>I am a little confused by the hostile turn in tone. I started this thread to connect with people who WANTED to attend Miami and were at that exciting time when they are finding out that they are going. I neither set the tuition criteria, nor have anything to do with financial aid. But I am a successful business owner who believes I owe a great deal about who I am as business person to MU. The comments and thoughts I shared were merely meant to ENCOURAGE those who were wanting Miami as their first choice to not be discouraged, to get creative:find a job or another job, start a business, keep looking for awards and scholarships, or get started at Miami and go back to the Fin Aid office again; all this ONLY IF YOU REALLY WANT TO ATTEND MIAMI. [BTW-my personal belief, not one that ANYONE has to share, is that A college education, to ANY college, is one of only two things worth going into debt for.] The bottomline in this world, as I am sure you all know, is not the school on your diploma, but what the person holding the diploma takes away from the experience.</p>

<p>Again, blessings on all of your decisions and try to enjoy the application, acceptance & admission process. I am sure everyone will end up where they belong for college.</p>

<p>I still would like to hear from hs grads who will be attending Miami in the Fall for the first time.</p>

<p>I wasn't being hostile towards Mimai, but rather towards the money issue.</p>

<p>Don't in-state students get an automatic $10,000 scholarship? I'm out-of-state so I don't know the specifics, but I know there is an Ohio resident scholarship of some amount.</p>

<p>I will definitely be attending Miami next year. At first, Miami wasn't even on my top 5 list; as of December, Dartmouth, Wellesley, and Brown were my top 3 schools. However, I managed to become a Harrison, which I admit was rather surprising. When I attended their overnight, I absolutely loved the campus and the people I met. (Plus, my original top 3 schools don't offer merit scholarships!) Miami has so many opportunities, plus the campus itself is amazing. The dorms are abnormally nice, as well.</p>

<p>Celebrian-- definitely apply for Harrison! This year, everyone got full tuition and room and board, but I'm not sure if they're keeping it that way. The competition is really tough, though... average SAT was about 1480, ACT was 34.</p>

<p>Wow Aussie---congrats!!! and outstanding!!!</p>

<p>What course of study are you planning to pursue? And are you really just 16? Have the time of your life.</p>

<p>Thank you! It was definitely a shock, LOL. I'm planning to major in Zoology and do the pre-med track and minor in German, but I'm also interested in Russian and psychology.. decisions, decisions. Yes, I really am 16, but my birthday is next month. I'm really looking forward to Miami; I think it was the best decision I could have made.</p>

<p>:o
Obviously I agree.</p>

<p>i got into Miami and yes.. us Ohioans do get an automatic $10,000.. but even with that scholarship it's still expensive.. tuition ends up being around $9,500. i love love love Miami.. it's such a beautiful campus with beautiful people and i love how they are constantly trying to improve. however, i chose to attend florida state university because i get in-state tuition which is about $2,800 and the weather is much much better. it was a hard choice though... because Miami is such a wonderful school.</p>

<p>I visited Miami, had a good time, enjoyed the campus, but i've decided to attend Lafayette. Miami was still cool though, and in my opinion one of the best public schools in the country</p>