<p>A couple of thing:</p>
<p>Miami is a much more cosmopolitan place than SB, the opportunities you would have to grow through experiences, diversity, opportunity and esposure to new and different things is exponentially higher at Miami than SB. SB is a very insulated place, where while its a nie beach town, its just that, a nice beach town. Plus, Miami gives you esposure to all that (IMHO) college should be, growth academically, socially, life experience, and professionally, the full 4 year experience with the sports, social life, esposure to new and different things and people and cultures. SB misses some of that and you will too. SB is a good school, but won't have the reach professionally that Miami does nationally either. These things should be the selling points to your parents and the ones you should emphasize. Whether your 300 miles or 3000 miles away from home doesn't really matter (other than slightly higher expenses getting home for vacations), you will be wrapped up in school, new friends and experiences, and rightly the other things that college offers. Your parents should also realize that if they subserviate your desire to experience something far away now, they may just chase you away over the long run when its time for you to head out on your own. It seems its more their seperation anxiety than yours, as a parent I can relate but also a a parent I know you have to let go a little. They will still see you.</p>
<p>My son seriously considered MIT and CalTech when looking to apply. I tried to steer him away from them because of the lack of the "full" college experience they would offer, including the sports and social scenes. College should be the best 4 years of your life, part of that being exposed to everything a college can offer. As i told him, you can always go to a school like MIT for Grad work, why pass on the full social and academic opportunity in Undergrad. And part of that is learning new things, new people, new culture, and a new and different place and way of life. Would I have been happier if he had gone to U of Colorado? Probably I would have for myself, but he made his decision on what was best for him, and that is the first lesson and decision he has made and will make iin what is the rest of HIS life, not mine. I figure he had the right to start doing that now. </p>
<p>Knowing what I know about SB (I lived in CA for 28 years and had many friends who went there), I would choose Miami as my S did in a heartbeat. To me, while SB is a good school, it lacks a lot of what a full national University offers, and a lot of that is the sports and social contect that it doesn't offer. SB= nice party school, Miami= the full picture.</p>