<p>I have been reading an awful lot about some of the students at the U being very snobby, "beautiful" people types. Of course I know there is a mixed bag at every school but I'm wondering how pervasive this is. After all the class size isn't huge. So if you eliminate 10% for this type and 10% for the Greek type I just want to make sure there will be enough regular kids that my son who is very bright, definitely not nerdy but pretty shy, will be comfortable and make friends. He comes from small high school (150) kids in NY. Any thoughts please?</p>
<p>It’s pervasive in the fact that those who are snobby are very vocal about it; however, in terms of percentage of students who are actually this way, it’s a very low percentage. Nearly all my friends are on scholarship, and would not be attending without said scholarship due to the cost. Yes, you do on occasion run into that person who lives off their parents’ money and acts like it. But they are most certainly not in the majority.</p>
<p>Thanks so much @Marinebio444!! Are you a current student? Can you tell me anything else about how you have found it there socially? As I said my son is on the shy side and has had the same group of friends since 1st grade. Literally. He is a pretty regular kid he likes sports both to play and watch but is definitely not like a dancing/party guy. Would he be ok here?? Thanks. As I’m sure you can tell this is my first child going off to college.</p>
<pre><code> I can back up @Marinebio444 and say that while there are students here who are snobby or self-absorbed, they are certainly not the majority or even a large minority. If your son has the desire too, it is very easy to make friends with students here who are great human beings; caring, loyal, real etc. As for your comment on Greeks, I can also say that many of the Greek students at Miami are not the typical frat bros that you normally associate with Greek life. There are a couple of fraternities on campus filled with genuine nice guys who are looking to get more from their college experience the drinking dancing and partying.
As for your son not wanting to party throughout college, I guarantee that if he can have fun and entertain himself at home without partying, he will be able to do it in college. Miami is such a diverse school that there are people here of every kind and with every interest. It is not hard to find fellow students who share the same interests and principles. I would suggest that if you are able to, have your son visit the school and see how he feels here. Miami has a unique feel that is a good fit for some students and a bad fit for others. However, I wouldn’t let any pervading ideas about Miami being filled with snobs or being only a party school dissuade your son from coming here as those notions are antiquated and inaccurate. Anyone can find a good niche here if they try.
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<p>@njl1022, my son sounds very much like yours and we have had similar concerns. However, reading these CC posts has alleviated most of them. @Oceanchem, what do you mean by “unique feel?” Just curious as to your thoughts on this. We will be down for the Stamps/Singer weekend, so my son will hopefully leave with a better understanding of what UM is all about.</p>
<p>@spidermom03 good luck to your son this weekend! Let me know how it goes. We are going for the Singer weekend in March. If our sons both go there maybe they can be roommates!!LOL.</p>
<p>We have visited the U twice with my senior D and like the OP here, were worried about the reputation of the students. I’m happy to report that my D met up with some freshman who couldn’t have been sweeter or warmer to her on both occasions. She attended a football game and met more of their friends and everyone was very friendly. I have PM’d with several parents of current students and they all tell me how much their kids love the U. It is speedily becoming my D’s first choice, especially after we met with the dept. head in her intended major and heard all about how she can start her major right away, the great internship opportunities available and the flexibility with the new cognates program.</p>
<p>@spidermom03 What i mean by a unique feel is that Miami is not like many other colleges in the Country. Or at least being from the North East, not like any other college I have visited. Miami does not have the feel of an ivy covered federal style college campus such as Princeton or Wash U St. Louis. It has its own progressive vibe about it that is hard to describe in words. The students here get so much more out of college then just an education and I think the campus helps reflect that. It is designed to sooth and calm, to inspire and excite, to both serve a function and excite the mind. I think that when you and your son visit, you will see what I mean. Good Luck with S/S this weekend. </p>
<p>My son is a a freshman at the U and is having a great time - without any parties, Greek life, football or basketball games. He has a good group of friends from his club sport and from his classes. They are from all over the world. He always said he would find his people wherever he went and, of course, he was right. He’s also much happier boating down in Miami than shoveling snow at home. I’m so happy for him.</p>
<p>My son is a freshman. He is a serious student with a Merit Scholarship, but he likes to party when it is appropriate. He has a demanding major(Marine Science) ,but he found time to join a fraternity. He has a very diverse group of friends from serious engineering students to surfer dudes to frat boys. He was accepted at several schools which are higher ranked but says he can’t think of any school he would rather be at. The point is that Miami is such a diverse place that everybody who tries can find a niche.</p>
<p>@Oceanchem, I know exactly what you mean by “unique feel” now. @njl1022, It really was a lovely weekend. Everything was perfectly orchestrated and ran very smoothly. My son thought that the interview went well (and he’s not a big fan of the whole interview process). It was very casual - more of a conversation. The student mentor and student interviewer were both very friendly and made him feel at ease. I thought that all of the presenters from the university were very engaging and they said exactly what parents wanted to hear, and I truly believe that they meant what they said. I was very impressed.</p>
<p>Thanks @spidermom03!! I hope the Singer weekend goes as well for my son. So after the weekend did Miami move up on your son’s list?</p>
<p>@njl1022, Good luck to your son! I hope that you both enjoy the weekend. My son is still a little unsure. He did like the school and the programs, but he’s not quite sold on the city of Miami itself. He didn’t find anything to be wrong with Miami, it’s just very different from what he is used to. The heat in February really through him off! That being said, UM is definitely in the running. One word of caution if you are not from the area: the traffic is terrible. We left the airport in Ft. Lauderdale at 2pm on Friday for what should have been a 45 minute drive to the hotel (just south of UM). We didn’t arrive at the hotel until 3:45pm. I-95 wasn’t terrible, but the 10 miles or so that we spent on route 1 were painfully slow. There might have been a better way to get where we were going, but the GPS wasn’t giving it up if there was! We also had a lot of time to kill between when the program at UM finished at 4pm and our 9:15 flight home on Saturday. We decided to take a swing through South Beach, since it was on the way to the airport. Huge rookie mistake! There was construction/lanes closed everywhere on South Beach/Miami Beach, and I suppose that everybody who spent the gorgeous sunny Saturday on Miami beach may have been heading home at the same time that we decided to visit. It took us 2 hours to drive just over 1 mile and we barely made it to the airport in time. Loved the opportunity to see the aqua blue water as we drove over the bridge toward Miami beach, though!</p>
<p>@spidermom03 boy was I glad you posted ^!! We had the same experience with the awful traffic. But the weekend was great. Very very well run. Have you heard yet if your son got the Singer (or I guess Stamps since you went early I think he was up for that too) If so how long did it take to hear? I’m on pins and needles. And did you/he get an email? Thanks so much!!!</p>
<p>The traffic in many parts of Miami-Dade county has been unbearable for many years and has not improved. I don’t think you will see an improvement there. :(</p>
<p>@njl1022 I’m glad that you had a good weekend! My son did not get the Singer or Stamps. He has a lot of great choices and has decided not to attend Miami. Overall, I think that the location just isn’t a good fit for him and he was looking for more of a traditional-looking college campus (think UNC or anywhere in Boston). I’m still very impressed with Miami and think that it’s a great option for many students. Even without the Stamps or Singer, Miami still gave us the best financial aid package (left us with less than our EFC to pay) of any school - by far. Best of luck to your son!</p>
<p>Oops - forgot to answer an important question . . . it took just under 2 weeks for us to get a response about the Stamps/Singer weekend.</p>