<p>IMO they are very similar schools except for the location (good football, academics, big student body size, all in all a very "american" college experience), but I would like to choose just one to add to my safeties. I am more interested in the liberal arts rather than sciences or technology and would like Miami's location, but Penn State sounds less "douchy". What do you think are the pros and cons of each?</p>
<p>Well, if you like football, Miami is about to not have it any more for a while…</p>
<p>Haha I was just ready to post the same thing.</p>
<p>Haha yeah I read about that… Anyway, academic-wise, which would you say is better? It also appears that Miami has scholarships for International students (which I am), but Penn State, like I said, sounds more laid back… any personal experience/opinion?</p>
<p>I view Penn State better academically than U Miami. The difference here is environment. Penn State is huge but sorta isolated in a rural, idyllic valley. U Miami is located in a wealthy area of a cosmopolitan world city.</p>
<p>Miami is private and Penn State is public, so some associations of this show in the data</p>
<p>-Penn state has more students per faculty member and larger classes
-it also has a higher acceptance rate (probably due to instate student selectivity)
-Miami generally has students with higher SATs and a greater proportion in the top 10% of their class
-Miami is 10k more expensive even for OOS students.</p>
<p>However, Peer Assessment and HS Counselor rankings are higher for Penn State and there was a recent article (WSJ) saying Penn State was the top school for recruiting.</p>
<p>[Job</a> Recruiters Prefer State Universities Over Ivy League Colleges - WSJ.com](<a href=“Job Recruiters Prefer State Universities Over Ivy League Colleges - WSJ”>Job Recruiters Prefer State Universities Over Ivy League Colleges - WSJ)</p>
<p>Okay thanks! Which would you say is better for liberal arts type of studies? and how about the student population? How are students in general at both schools?</p>
<p>The student bodies are vastly different. Penn St is more rah rah, Miami is more cosmopolitan. Being in the Shreyers Honors college at Penn st will overcome some of the issues associated with navigating a large state flagship and offers great advantages.
Wealthier, more sophisticated students in Miami. Penn st football experience is legendary
and is probably more of an american college experience in the way you envision it.<br>
Liberal arts are probably comparable. Better fine arts at Miami, Better engineering at Penn St.</p>
<p>Do you guys think I should give up Penn State for the scholarships they have at Miami? It’s a freakin lot of money that Miami gives, while Penn state gives almost nothing to internationals!!</p>
<p>I don’t understand. Have you received these scholarships? If not, apply to both, see what offers they make (if you get in) and then decide.</p>
<p>“…but Penn State sounds less “douchy””</p>
<p>You may want to read this Prince 93:</p>
<p>[10</a> Douchiest Colleges In America: Pics, Videos, Links, News](<a href=“http://www.buzzfeed.com/jpmoore/10-douchiest-colleges-in-america]10”>10 Douchiest Colleges In America)</p>
<p>As an international, you may not have heard the term “Small-Town Stud.” Trust me on two points:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Small-Town Stud is analogous to ****** Bag</p></li>
<li><p>Penn State has a lot of “Small-Town Studs”</p></li>
</ul>
<p>I would opine that most students in the US desiring a liberal arts education do not pick a large state school unless they have few or no other options. There are exceptions, but most want a smaller campus.</p>
<p>The job recruiters liking state school grads is an interesting story, one you need to talk to HR people about. They will tell you two things:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>A lot of private school grads go on to professional schools/Masters/PhD programs or into specific industries such as Finance. They are not looking for the entry level jobs</p></li>
<li><p>Companies don’t want to pay a lot for entry level personnel with no experience or advanced degrees</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Miami - Penn State is less rigorous academically as far as I know.</p>
<p>Baghdad: Using ‘opine’ instead of ‘say’ is more ‘douchy’ lol and also trying to put down Penn State for having top instate (rural) students is similarly elitist/“douchy”</p>
<p>IMO I would go to whichever school was cheaper. Both have good reputations and you won’t have more trouble finding a job or getting into a graduate program coming from either school</p>
<p>I’m sure that the fact that U Miami is in a cosmopolitan city like Miami will make for a more diverse and cultured student body, but you’re all right, we’ll see how the offers are and then make a decision!</p>
<p>Umiami is one of the large private-competitive universities & fairly highly ranked. Penn state has been considered as one of the big public giants of education. If climate is of concern, miami is going to be quite hot. Miami’s strengths are in science & marine programs. Penn state’s strengths is in earth science programs. You can not really go wrong with either.</p>