<p>This is actually a post from the "football fight=bad school," but b/c it's all the way at the bottom, I don't think anyone will read it:</p>
<p>man this sucks...
just when I apply EA to this school, I start hearing bad things about it like U of Miami is for kids that don't have the grades to get into U of Florida. Now, I'm from Chicago so the distance doesn't allow me to get a good feel for the school. I have to trust rankings, movies, and seminars.
A substitute in my AP Chem class spent the first 10 minutes of our class talking directly to me about how I shouldn't go to Miami because my grades are very good. Now, I'm not a bookworm (I'm Secretary of NHS, captain of my varsity wrestling team)...so I seek balance in everything I do.</p>
<p>I thought that is what Miami is all about...balance. If anybody has less biased input about Miami, please, please respond. Man...good thing I applied EA and not ED.</p>
<p>The same reasons you put UM on your list originally are all still there, one football game didn't change that. UM is a high quality academic institution.</p>
<p>My S, like you, is a high achieving, academically focused kid who was also very community service minded and captain of his Varsity Ice Hockey team in hs. He has found UM to be the perfect academic/athletic/social balance he was looking for in his college experience. He is a biochem/premed major and works very hard, especially in his science classes. He and we are very proud that he is a member of the UMIAMI class of 2009.</p>
<p>What is your intended major and where else are you applying?</p>
<p>nvk89: Even though the choice is up to you, I have to say Miami does give good money. Half the kids here are on scholarships. I'm on a 3/4 scholarship (for those with above 1400 SATs and Top5% of highschool) as well as many of my friends. Just on my floor, we have a valedictorian from HS and a salutatorian. Although sometimes I have heard people complaining about the 'intellectual and academic' abilities of the students here, there are plenty of smart kids here. I do have to admit, people do a lot of 'dumb' things (and so have I) that I thought were pretty immature. But, combined with a nice scholarship, I don't think of this as a bad choice.</p>
<p>I have heard many people who are complaining and want to transfer. I'm still debating whether or not I should too (I'm a GT for Cornell), the scholarship is pretty attractive (I cannot get much financial aid). </p>
<p>Yes, a lot of the people here are probably not what you'd expect at, say, Harvard. But this isn't Harvard. It all depends on who you decide to hang with, who you decide to be friends with. If you keep away from those people, you'll have a good time.</p>
<p>nvk89 - why not go and visit UM. I think it will help you with your decision. It is so hard to get a feeling for a school without visiting. Talk to current students during your visit or arrange an overnight stay. I think you will come away with a very postitve feeling as we did from our visit. My son now attends UM. He is meeting all types of people and, for the most part, having a good time. He finds his classes academically challenging. There is a lot to do in and around the school, which gives a student the option to make choices about how they want to spend their time. The weather is a nice plus and while I'm freezing here in NY, my kid is usually at the beach or pool on the weekends, a nice perk (even tho I'm jealous).</p>
<p>So, before you rush to judgement, find out for yourself if UM is the right school for you. Good luck and let us know how things work out.</p>
<p>well, I still have a long way to go...and visiting U of Miami won't be a possibility until I'm accepted there
I'm planning to major in biological sciences/premed which is a major reason why I first wanted to go to Miami
Thanks for all your input!</p>
<p>nvk,
I too am the parent of a UM student, originally from Illinois, who will graduate in Dec with a BS in the biological science. He is currently applying to Phd programs in BioMedical research, at some of this country's best universities. Yes...his GRE scores were that good. The academic's, social, and research opportunities that he has received at UM have been top notch, in our book. </p>
<p>I too recommend that you make up your own mind, do as much research as you can before hand, and do not let any comments made here or on the web, whether they are good or bad, make your decision for you. I still stand behind what I've told many before you, that only YOU can make yourself happy, and that fit, fit, fit, is the most important thing when making your college decision.</p>
<p>my son is a freshman at UM and just today he was telling me how challenging some of his classes are. He was a decent student in HS and all of his friends at UM were really sterling HS students and still are. Although my son is majoring in communications, he has made friends with many kids who are majoring in biology and other science fields. He tells me these kids are extremely bright and most of the people he meets are bright. He is challenged, and academcally he says it is a top notch school. He says the profs are really good. He does have a few complaints, but NONE are about his classes or his profsp; they are mostly about the rich spoiled kids. But, life is full of rich spoiled kids, and you just need to find your fit and niche and I think the school really offers a great diversity of kids. My son, has friends of all nationalities there. My son stays very physically active as the weather permits for tennis year round, and he takes advantage of the incredible gym. My son is not into the football scene, and went to the first game and none thereafter, and there is no pressure to be a jock there--you can find your niche there, after all there are 10,000 undergraduates.</p>
<p>I am from Florida, and its true, sometimes kids go to UM instead of Gainesville, because they get accepted in the former, not the latter. But they are happy in Coral Gables because of the student population( 10,000 instead of 50,000), and the academic quality, the student services and much more.</p>
<p>Though it is easy to get carried away in Miami, do not let the opinions of a few let you down.</p>
<p>I would say that sports and academics are totally separate animals. The coaches recruit for sports and admission recruits for everyone else. The coaches look for tough, yet talented kids who can play the sport well. Many times they are aware that these kids had some behavior problems in high school. The hope is that by strong training and guidance, they can channel this behavior to being star players and control the bad behavior. Many times this probably is accomplished,but not always.</p>
<p>Be advised that thug-like players do get recruited into many sports and many schools. We have seen problems at not just FIU and Miami but Duke and the Ivys. These types of actions come with big sports in colleges. If you don't like it, don't attend a college with any varsity sports. A good, small LAC would be perfect for you.</p>
<p>Also, I watched the game. I can honestly say that FIU players started the whole mess. Maimi players may have gone along with the bait,but the first hit was started by FIU players.</p>
<p>Finally, I should note that at most schools with varsity sports, and I am familiar with several schools such as Stanford, these athletes are treated as prima-donnas (sp). When you have young kids, treated like they are gods, performing in front of thousands of people and TV, they sometimes let this go to their head. It isn't always nice or fair,but it happens a lot. Again, if you don't like this, you should transfer to a school without any varsity sports. </p>
<p>Frankly, I like having varsity sports in colleges. It adds a lot to the school spirit, provides a ground for a marching band, which is nice for kids who like music but don't want to be professionals and provides a nice change of pace from the study grind.</p>