Miami University in Ohio

Parents Forum
41

<p>It's hard to compare. UC better than OU? Probably in some areas, but not all. The setting and atmosphere at those two schools is very different: very urban versus small college town, lots of commuters at UC versus a residential student body in Athens. Wright State has a medical school due to state politics, which is the way things work w/ state schools.</p>

<p>My oldest graduated from OU last week. I graduated from BG, and have worked at Xavier. My husband graduated from UD, and spent four years associated with U of Cinti, and another year w/ Case Western. Our middle daughter did summer programs at Wright State and UD, youngest is at Miami for the summer. Add in a few family members and we've covered all the state schools here, plus a few private ones!</p>

<p>College of Wooster is well respected locally. Few people, at least here in NE Ohio, are aware of Ohio Wesleyan. Hiram is regarded as so small and so isolated that people wonder why students go there. These are just local opinions, FYI.</p>

42

<p>The local view of private colleges in Ohio (from my standpoint, typical middle of the road state school party boy is this):</p>

<p>Oberlin: Extreme Leftist school with a good music program, with easy (if not smelly/hippie) chicks</p>

<p>Kenyon: Never heard of it.</p>

<p>Wooster: Only an hour away and still never heard of it.</p>

<p>Muskingum: Very hilly, small D-3 school.</p>

<p>John Carrol: The school where all the top kids in Cleveland who don't go out of state go.</p>

<p>Xaiver: Small Jesuit college that used to have Thad Matta as B-Ball coach before he went to OSU.</p>

<p>Ohio Wesleyan: Might have heard of it, but would get it confused with Indiana Wesleyan, the school that advertises online programs.</p>

<p>Wittenberg: My cousin went there.</p>

<p>Hiram: Ex-girlfriend visited campus.</p>

<p>Baldwin Wallace: School on westside where smart kids from Cleveland go if they don't go out of state or to JCU. Right by the Berea Fairgrounds. Browns training camp is by this school.</p>

<p>Any other private schools: never heard of them.</p>

43

<p>Joev, You always crack me up. :)</p>

44

<p>Gotta factor in more than just the programs for Cinti vs. OU.....OU is green, woodsy, VERY remote (Athens pretty much exists to serve the school, much like Oxford does for Miami), has its own golf course right on campus.</p>

<p>Cinti's campus is - sorry - downright UG-LEE....cramped, hilly, about 4 sq. ft. of green, only about a 2-block deep area of shops/restaurants at one side of campus that any sane person would consider safe, a large area adjacent to campus is downright blighted.</p>

<p>I'd pick Cinti over OU for most all engineering, and probably pre-med, but OU's got a fabulous communications/journalism program.</p>

45

<p>My wife graduated from Miami in '93. While she has good feelings about the place, after 4 years she got mighty tired of all of that red brick.</p>

<p>She was in the Western College Program, which is separate from the main campus. It is a living/learning program where students design their own majors and are required to present a senior project requiring a substantial amount of research and a substantial paper. While Miami has been quite accurately referred to as "J.Crew U", this moniker is decidedly not applicable to most Western students. While I have not been back to Western in over a decade, when I was last there the students who gravitated to this program tended to be on the free-spirit side of the equation. It seems from the Western Alumni Magazine that we get from time to time, that characterization still seems applicable.</p>

<p>I always thought that Western offered the best of two worlds -- students developed close working relationships with the faculty (particularly their senior thesis advisors) where the curriculum and experience were really geared toward preparing their students for graduate school, like one would find at a high quality liberal arts college. On the other hand, Western students also took a number of classes in the regular Miami program and could utilize the resources of the main campus in designing and developing their major.</p>

46

<p>I've heard similar comments about the Western program, from current students.</p>

47

<p>The local view of private colleges in Ohio (from my standpoint, typical middle of the road small lac grad):</p>

<p>Oberlin: Excellent school - academically rigorous, Extreme Leftist school with fantastic music conservatory to which you apply separately and do not necessarily get to benefit hugely from if not enrolled in it</p>

<p>Kenyon: Excellent education, small, nuturing, really and truly constitutes essentially the entire town, great creative writing, much more</p>

<p>Wooster: Only an hour away, very good lac, good music conservatory, good sciences.</p>

<p>Muskingum: dont know</p>

<p>John Carroll: The school where all the top kids in Cleveland who don't go out of state go, also Jesuit.</p>

<p>Xaiver: Small Jesuit college, good for business</p>

<p>Ohio Wesleyan: Solid education - part of a 5 school consortium comprised also, of, I think, Denison, Kenyon, Wittenberg and Oberlin (share library and other resources)</p>

<p>Wittenberg: Lovely campus, all the benefits of small, attentive lac, less selective than Denison, Kenyon, Oberlin, probably comparable to Ohio Wesleyan</p>

<p>Hiram: very small school in a lovely, but very small town, just over an hour from Cleveland but fairly isolated. Again the benefits of a small lac, good foreign languages studies</p>

<p>Baldwin Wallace: School on westside where smart kids from Cleveland go if they don't go out of state or to JCU. Right by the Berea Fairgrounds. Browns training camp is by this school. Also good for music.</p>

<p>Any other private schools- Heard of some :</p>

<p>Denison: as described above, ranks very high in Ohio, has cracked the top 50 lacs in US News, generous merit aid, good internship programs, surprising number of honors (Rhodes, Goldwater) for its small size, great education, reputation for attracting a component of preppy-type, society conscious students but working to attract a broader spectrum</p>

<p>Case - excellent education, especially strong in certain sciences, technical fields, great merit aid, committed to and is becoming increasingly top-notch</p>

<p>Otterbein, Heidelberg - Heard of them, don't have a feel</p>

48

<p>This is interesting to see what locals (in-state folks) think of various schools. I think I'll start a thread like this for all of the states. :)</p>

49

<p>The parents that are sending kids to Ohio schools in my office are tending to avoid Miami: it seems to be 'the' party school of the moment, having displaced OU/OSU for this honor. As others have mentioned, it is preppy, and clothing and other material trappings are important - although as with any college, there will be all types and interests.</p>

50

<p>I've always felt that Ohio has one of the worst public education flagships in the country. They have two tier 2 publics, which if combined, for a populated state like Ohio, could easily be a top tier school. What is Columbus missing that politicans in Cali, VA, NC, MI, WI, and TX have created?</p>

51

<p>A true understanding of the value of education. </p>

<p>Actually, the funding cuts are concentrating on the less name-brand schools. CSU, my undergrad alma mater, is really taking it on the chin. CSU addresses some real needs, especially with non-traditional students.</p>

52

<p>Article on line from the Oxford Press

[quote]
Friday, July 01, 2005</p>

<p>After experiencing a record number of applicants this year, Miami University will enroll about 200 fewer than the originally anticipated 3,450 first-year students.</p>

<p>Of 16,000 applicants, Miami admitted 10,500 students. Those accepted represent the most highly qualified group of students in history.</p>

<p>Mike Mills, director of admissions, said the problem isn’t the size of the applicant pool, but the yield.

[/quote]

Link to article <a href="http://www.oxfordpress.com/news/content/news/stories/2005/07/01/OP0701admissions.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.oxfordpress.com/news/content/news/stories/2005/07/01/OP0701admissions.html&lt;/a>
The article goes on to state that this will adversely affect finances.

[quote]
According to Garland’s memo, the shortfall in freshman enrollment will reduce university revenues by $4 million. This comes in addition to a decline in state subsidy and a proposed cap on tuition for Ohio residents. Academic and administrative departments will be asked to reduce operating budgets — the total amount around $3.1 million.

[/quote]

Link to Cincinnati Enquirer Article on the same topic :Fewer freshmen choosing Miami U.
<a href="http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050623/NEWS0102/506230340%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050623/NEWS0102/506230340&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

53

<p>"A true understanding of the value of education. "</p>

<p>So true, so true! Our state gov't feels that the answer to all woes is cutting spending. (Unless it's on rare coins!)</p>

<p>For those considering Ohio state schools, you may want to keep an eye on the Kent State faculty union negotiations. It's a faint possibility they may go on strike.</p>

54

<p>They have been saying that for the past two years in the Daily Kent Stater. I would personally be shocked if they went on strike.</p>

55

<p>My D goes to Hiram because she is a hard fit type of student . She is very reserved , very bookish and did she find her niche at HIRAM . She is only a Freshmen and yes, it is small but the depts. know their students , the teachers know their students and the students are very freindly . All her freinds that graduated - every single one - are going to Graduate schools and some impressive ones so that vouches HIRAM enough for me . </p>

<p>Her brother ( we are New York Staters ) is considering HIRAM as well but he is such an " easy" fit for most schools and wants challenges - therefore , maybe look at Oberlin and Kenyon for music education . Any suggestions? He plays the Double Bass.</p>

56

<p>easydoesitmom,
I am glad to hear your report on Hiram - it is one of the schools that I will be recommending to a friend's daughter. Her GPA is not the best, but she is a talented debator and photographer, and I am hoping that they will look beyond the transcript.</p>

57

<p>


For Music Ed programs in Ohio, look at Oberlin, Case Western, Cincinnati, Ball State, Ohio State, Ohio U. and maybe Wooster.</p>

58

<p>Also Bowling Green. They have a nice music ed program and are very generous with merit aid.</p>

59

<p>deb922 - yes I meant Bowling Green, not Ball State. :o</p>

60

<p>Muskingum -
a friend teaches there. In addition to a nice learning environment, Muskingum offers mucho LD services. Some of these are at additional cost, but would be invaluable for kids with middling-serious issues.</p>