Does Miami feel small with the number of students it has? I’m looking at a lot of large schools (like U of I, Indiana & Wisconsin) and am concerned that Miami may give off a smaller school vibe. Any opinions on this? Is Miami kind of a happy medium between small and large? I’m yet to visit but want other opinions as well! Thank you.
DS has said that it feels not too big and not too small. He spent 2 weeks there this summer, and it’s one of his top 3 choices for schools. (But he hasn’t spent time there when regular classes were in session). It’s a pretty subjective thing though; I’d recommend visiting when you can.
I found Miami’s size ideal for me - always a familiar face while walking around campus, but always plenty of new people to meet. I thought the campus had a comfortable intimacy (never felt like a number). Some think Miami has more of a private school feel. There are about 14,000 undergrads plus several thousand more grad students at Miami. There are fewer than 10,000 more full-time, non-student residents of Oxford, OH; so the total population of the area is no more than about 27,000. I found Oxford to be the perfect college town (emphasis on town). If you’re looking for the buzz of an urban area, Miami is not for you. Although, downtown Cincinnati is less than a 45 minute drive away. Miami U does not have a big college sports game-day atmosphere (except for hockey) like most Big 10 schools do - even though Miami is D1 for sports - so this is also a differentiator. That said, the student body is very athletic and club/intramural sports are very popular. Bottom line - Miami is a school you definitely should visit if seriously considering - as the reaction tends to be either strong positive or strong negative.
Miami does not feel small, it may feel somewhat less crowded than say a U of Wisconsin. It actually has over 2000 acres so it’s a geographically large campus. Nearly all of the students live on campus so it feels pretty vibrant. As has been mentioned earlier it’s a relatively small college town and won’t have the off campus life of either Bloomington or Madison.