<p>This board has been so quiet. As a prospective student, I want to know what's going on...so, please share! How is this year going?
Any big changes?</p>
<p>Hey :)
I love it! I am a transfer "reduced to a freshman" and I absolutely LOVE the U so far.
Some people are a little superficial (actually a lot) but if you learn to overlook it you can have a great time here.</p>
<p>Jeremy-I'm so glad to hear you're off to a great start!</p>
<p>DinDune-My S is a senior this year, so if you have any questions, ask away. He has loved being a Cane.</p>
<p>Any good or bad to say about dorms at UM. Which are the best and is there alot of partying(noise) going on there?Any info appreciated!</p>
<p>Actually I'm starting to get really pulled down by all the people here lol.
They're pretty superficial. The weather makes me really happy, and the palm trees are gorgeous. But the people. Oy vey.</p>
<p>I just came from the open house they had on sunday. UMiami was my first choice...but now it's completely off my radar. It's irritating, seeing as how I already turned in my application a few weeks ago-but early on in the tour It wa easy to feel that Miami wasn't for me. I can't explain why really, it was just one of those feelings where I knew I'd be miserable if I wound up going there.</p>
<p>I actually saw what you meant about the people Jeremy. I could feel that vibe from the tour guides alone.</p>
<p>yeah you know? Everyday I'm like "jesus christ. aren't handbags reserved for established professionals, not college students!" it drives me nutz. nutz nuz nutz nutz.
and i think i'm going to have to transfer anyways b/c of the price of school coupled with the insane economy. blah.
and tuition's only gonna rise next year!</p>
<p>ciiaobella-- we probably saw you on Sunday. My son and I were there for the open house. He had the opposite reaction- he decided he wants to try EA. Maybe we had a better tour guide? Or maybe it was the major? We went to the sciences section. I was impressed with the profs. We also talked with them afterward at the "fair" part. They seemed very accessible.
As you probably heard, the EA deadline was extended until Nov. 15th. My son still hasn't done an essay yet, so I don't know if he'll actually finish everything in time to apply, but he'd like to.
What breakout session did you attend?</p>
<p>are you sure the EA deadline is now november 15th? it still says november 1st on the application/website</p>
<p>At the open house,they told us that they would extend it for anyone who still wanted to apply. I assume that they meant anyone that was at the open house --but you might want to ask.</p>
<p>cpq-We actually wound up leaving near the end of the tour and didn't stick around for the individual sessions. We felt that there was no point since I was already having such a negative reaction.</p>
<p>I applied EA to Miami. It was a contender for my top choice throughout all of last year, but I have to say, I've been pretty turned off from it recently. Like Jeremybeach said, it seems pretty superficial...and that causes some concern. I'm sure there are some very cool people there that don't fit that stereotype, but I don't want to be surrounded by barbies and guys in muscle shirts haha.</p>
<p>Also, I'm a little worried about the academics. I'm interested in languages and environmental science, but I haven't heard much about these programs at Miami. So who knows. </p>
<p>The fact that they take so long for EA turns me off as well. I mean, how long do they really need to make a decision?? They gotta get their act together!</p>
<p>Sail640 --Did you meet the head of the environmental policy department? I was impressed with what he had to say in the breakout session. We also spoke with him during the college fair part at the end. He offered to take my son on a tour of the marine biology school if we visit again. My son is also interested in environmental science and languages, plus marine biology.</p>
<p>i am a freshman at UM. i really wish i had visited before i came here, and will be transferring for spring semester. </p>
<p>as for the dorms, they suck. first of all, unless you're accustomed to sharing a box with another human being, it is totally a shock. i won't go into detail, but it's very hard to adjust. the bathrooms are beyond disgusting. and don't get my started on laundry. let's just say i do mine at 4 am on saturdays. in hecht/stanford (freshman dorms), it's quiet inside the rooms, but you can hear the band play almost every afternoon. mahoney/pearson allow for a little more privacy, but you can hear anything going on in the halls. plus, you HAVE to use the meal plan if you live on-campus, which is honestly something i couldn't wish on my worst enemy. if you have the money and someone to live with, i would def. recommend living off-campus.</p>
<p>i have to disagree with the superficiality comments. i am someone who, in high school, had to wake up early to straighten hair, always look good, etc. to 'keep up.' here, i can roll out of bed 20 minutes before class starts and not feel underdressed or "underdone." people dress very casually...jeans, sweats, tshirts, whatever. no one is really going around in dian von furstenberg dresses and jimmy choos. sure, there are a couple nice handbags around, but what the heck, they're fun to have! and im sure many are fake anyway ;)</p>
<p>Let me put to rest some of the comments. I attended law school there and was involved in the alumni association.</p>
<p>First, private schools tend to have a higher percentage of kids from rich parents then that of most state schools. This is true for most LACs and true for the ivys. Thus, get over it! It isn't indiginous to Miami. This does, however, have its advantages in that you can make some very good connections with well- connected families.</p>
<p>Second, Miami actually has a very ecclectic and diverse student body. Yes, there are some superficial types,but you will find these at every school. However, there are also some top notch, hard working, thoughtful kids. To stereotype kids there is doing everyone a disservice.</p>
<p>Third, you can't judge a school by the tour gude. Say that five times. Many times guides are chosen due to financial need and not due to ability. Some guides have good people skills and common sense while others do not. </p>
<p>Fourth: Freshmen dorms in most schools are generally not as good as upperclass dorms. This certainly was true for all of the colleges that my three kids attended. I don't know exactly why this is the case, but I have found it to be generally true.</p>
<p>Fifth: Miami has very strong academics in both graduate and undergraduate programs. Moreover the location is unbeatable! Kids go to Miami for their vacation, while Maimi students can take advantage of the location year round. Many top firms recruit from there as well. </p>
<p>Sixth: In terms of academics, Miami is an interesting school. It seems like a large state school with a plethora of offerings, yet is actually a fairly small place with only 10,000 students. Class sizes are generally small after the first year too. You get mostly professors teaching and not TAs.</p>
<p>Bottom Line: It was a great place to go to school. However, every university has its own culture. Miami, as with all schools, should be visited. Also, don't just see the freshmen dorms. Check out upper class housing and test out the cafeteria,which had great food when I was there.</p>
<p>As a parent of a current student, here are my impressions.....</p>
<p>You will find happy and unhappy students everywhere. While you transfer out, someone else was unhappy elsewhere and transferring in. It's always a gamble. If you make friends and hang out with those kids, you will be happy almost anywhere.</p>
<p>Dorm food? Fresh fruit. Fresh salad. Lots of choices. Starbucks coffee. You should see what we were subjected to- 2 choices.That's it. No other options on campus. You can eat in the cafeterias or eat at many eateries on campus or off. </p>
<p>Sons largest class was 60 kids. Majority are just 15-20.</p>
<p>Dorms- Not the greatest at all but never a reason to leave or negate a school. Laundry? Mom son does his frequently and never complains about it. He also does it during daylight hours. Don't know Molly's issue here.</p>
<p>Beauty of campus. Nice outdoor facilities.</p>
<p>Family friendly school. Seems much smaller than it really is. Caring administration.</p>
<p>Dolphin Stadium? Too far. Too long to get there. Too bad they don't have a stadium on campus.</p>
<p>Kids? All types. All backgrounds. Definitely wealthier than your average state school (in most states).</p>
<p>Ease of getting to campus- ie. Miami and Ft Lauderdale airports.</p>
<p>Many positives. Definitely negatives. Just like every school.</p>
<p>Where ever you look, try to get a feel for the kids and environment. That's really all you have to go by.</p>
<p>Good luck to those coming and going.</p>
<p>Early Action-</p>
<p>This is not rolling admission or one of those schools that rushes applications and will tell you right away if you are accepted.</p>
<p>My HS senior has not heard from any of his EA schools yet, nor do we expect to. Be realistic.</p>
<p>Forgot to add, I had a hell of a time trying to register for classes next semester (what finally made me decide to transfer). Not only was every single class I had listed on my registration form full by the time I got my appointment, I had to do a bunch of running around (getting over rides, new registration forms as I watched the courses I wanted fill up). I am a psych major and wouldn't have even been in A SINGLE 200 level psych class since they were all full! And the 106 English class that is required was full too. </p>
<p>Also, I keep hearing how small classes are, but my religion class has at least 100 kids, psych about 80, and sociology about 65. </p>
<p>I just hope this info helps someone from making the same mistake that I did.</p>
<p>On the tour they talked about it being a dry campus. Is this true, or is there partying that goes on in the dorms?</p>
<p>It is not a dry campus. There is plenty of drinking that goes on in the Freshmen towers as well as Mahoney/ Pearson (the majority of sophomores and few junior/ seniors live here), whether it is allowed or not, LOL. Just be careful not to get caught!</p>