<p>Towards the end of my junior year and throughout the beginning of my senior year, my heart was completely set on the University of Miami. Having applied ED there I knew it was the only school I wanted. Unfortunately I received the dreadful deferral and to make matters worse was waitlisted on top of that. My dreams felt crushed as I scrambled to find another suitable school that could fill in miami's place. </p>
<p>To my surprise, I received an acceptance from Emory University, and, after having stayed there at a program for the weekend, committed. </p>
<p>My question to you all is this: if I am taken off the waitlist at Miami and offered a spot there, should I take it? I realize that Emory is by far greater for academics and although it came by surprise I really enjoyed my time there. </p>
<p>Some of the things I looked at in a school were location, academics, and school spirit. I also did not receive any financial aid from either of these schools. I am also from Florida. </p>
<p>Wonder why you were accepted to Emory and not Miami( even though they are coming up in their stats)… Regardless, you have to deposit by May 1st to the school you are accepted to, Emory…if you are pulled off the waitlist at Miami, you can make that decision…</p>
<p>Academically, Emory is ranked higher; not sure the academics are necessarily far and away superior but that would depend on department…</p>
<p>School spirit…NO contest as I’m sure you know</p>
<p>You’re not the first person who has told me that… And it’s not that I didn’t invest any interest into UM either. Interviews with rep, tours, college recommendations you name it! Perhaps I am not the student they’re looking for…
But either way if I am taken off the waitlist I don’t know what I am going to do…</p>
<p>GPA: 3.7 unweighted, go to a competitive prep school where getting high gpa’s are rare
SAT: 1730, 590 reading, 540 math, 600 writing and yes I realize this is a bad score to have
ACT: 24</p>
<p>Extra Curricular’s:
Captain of varsity swim team
RA of dorm
Captain of Culinary Academy
VP of Spanish honors society
60+ community service hours
And there’s probably more I just don’t remember </p>
<p>I am also Hispanic and first generation college student.</p>
<p>Thanks I was pretty surprised myself. Yes I have visited both schools, focusing more on Miami throughout the year and just recently looking more into Emory. What about Miami do you like the most?</p>
<p>If Emory really is “by far, greater in academics” as you believe it is, then (and forgive me for putting it into this perspective, but even you yourself said you’re surprised you got in), do you think you’ll be able to stay afloat and handle such superior academics? It is kinda surprising you got in based on your stats (although you obviously have something they want, since you did get in lol), but a lot of times people get into these top schools and don’t realize what the demand is like to be able to survive in them. Not trying to down you, just offer a different perspective. </p>
<p>Either way, congrats on Emory, good luck with UM and the waitlist, and best wishes in making your decision if it comes to it!</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s a question of whether or not I can handle the work load, being that I go to a college prepatory school and am accustomed to greater workloads, but more of whether I’d rather go to school at Emory vs. Miami. And I probably should rephrase that. What I meant about the academics being superior were more on the ranking side than anything else as I’m sure miami’s academics are top notch as well.</p>
<p>I’m going to chime in here and get a little defensive for the OP. Firstly, I would like to congratulate you on getting into Emory, that is a major accomplishment and I think everyone who has shared their opinion has expressed a bit of envy towards you. Secondly, obviously the admission counselors saw something unique about him, it’s not all about grades and SATs , so stop being jealous that you didn’t get into Emory and realize that Emory saw him as an asset when compared to you. Lastly, he went to a very competitive, preparatory school where it was a rare occurrence for people to get 4.0s. I think you’re all underestimating the rigor of his course work and policy of grade deflation as well. </p>
<p>Honestly, Miami is an up and coming university. With that being said, it still attracts a lot of mediocre students. And while you’re all surprised of his grades/ SAT, I know far more students at Miami who got in with way less credentials because of the name of their academy or some other external factor (person in my class from Haverford Academy got in with a 3.2 GPA and 1200 SATs). Though that all aside, Emory is a much more recognized university. Depending on your course of study, Goizueta is a top ranked undergraduate business program while Miami falls in the top 50 (if that anymore). Emory has a much better career placement than Miami and alumni base. Miami has come a long way from it’s Suntan U beginning, but it’s no Emory or Washington University. </p>
<p>If you get a scholarship to Miami and not one to Emory, then you may want to reconsider. But if you have to pay the same tuition, go to Emory.</p>
<p>First of all, no one is “jealous” about not getting into Emory, and I doubt the people who have posted in this thread were rejected by Emory, if they even applied at all. Stop making assumptions about posters on here, because it just makes you seem arrogant. Secondly, based on your location (UNC Chapel Hill), what basis do you have in comparing Miami and Emory outside of rank? I know that you went to Miami and then transferred, but how long ago was that? Things have changed considerably even in the past year, let alone the past 2 or 3 years. You say that Miami is an up-and-coming university that attracts a lot of mediocre students. Do you have anything to back that up besides the one person in your high school class?
I understand you’re trying to help out the OP, but if you aren’t knowledgeable about a certain subject, it’s best not to give advice on it.</p>
<p>I went to University of Miami for two years, I don’t need much more evidence that that, do I? I saw first hand the caliber of students that Miami attracts and the level of intellect that surrounds the campus. As someone who had similar SATs to the OP and who did not feel challenged at UMiami in my program, competing against a lot people who took the easiest way out, I think that my opinion holds a lot more weight than some prospective Miami student, such as yourself.</p>
<p>Considering that I had to chose between UNC-Chapel Hill, Emory, WUSTL and a few others for transfer, I think I know a few more things than you. </p>
<p>Miami is an up and coming school, I’m sorry if you hate to hear the truth but that’s the reality of the situation. The reason it has managed to climb to where it is today is because of it’s large endowments that allows for such an expansive scholarship program. While it is getting harder and harder to get in, the student body is still no where comparable to that of Emory, Vanderbilt, Duke, UVA, UNC and many other top schools. I know plenty of kids who go to Miami as a ladder school in order to get a high GPA and transfer into their top choices (Columbia, Cornell, Vanderbilt, UNC, UVA, Duke, Notre Dame, NYU and the list goes on). </p>
<p>If you want a challenge, go to Emory. The faculty at Emory is a lot more prestigious than that of Miami too.</p>
<p>Again, this was how many years ago? You may not realize it, but those large endowments serve a double purpose: 1) They attract a higher caliber student body with scholarships, and 2) They attract a higher caliber faculty. At the Singer/Stamps weekend, we were told that Miami specifically looks for research professors. This means they are fresh in their specialty subjects, and are willing to make the commitment to teach and further their field at the same time. When it comes to prestige, how do you rate faculty prestige? You can’t possibly take every single professor from each university, rank them on a non-arbitrary scale, and compose a ranking of faculty prestige. People may have gone to Miami as a “ladder school” a few years ago, but the fact that they’ve become one of the nation’s top research schools says that those days, if not yet over, are quickly coming to an end.<br>
PS: I may be a prospective student, but I’ve been doing research on this school since my sophomore year of high school. I’ve been following it as it has climbed in rankings and prestige, and after hearing Donna Shalala talk, experiencing her no-nonsense, student-focused attitude toward her school, I have the utmost confidence that Miami will become one of the nation’s elite colleges within the next few years.</p>
<p>Before you run your mouth, I went to Miami from 2007-2009 (Spring). Heh, I was in the School of Business, and my professors were not even tenured nor did they hold a Ph. D. I look at the graduate and doctorate schools, publications, and awards received when grading my professors. </p>
<p>Miami has climbed, but personal experience is more important to me than some outsider’s ranking criteria. I hate to break it to you, Miami is still a ladder school for many. I have friends, younger than me, who are always trying to transfer out of Miami and into top colleges, including my alma mater. </p>
<p>Though the point of my responses were meant to help the OP realize that he deserves his acceptances and he shouldn’t feel guilty because of jealous people who are shocked and are questioning his credentials. 1) You’re all eighteen year olds, what do you know about the college admission process? Who are you to judge someone? and 2) If you haven’t had the Miami experience yet, than you really shouldn’t trust what the media and President Shalala tells you. It’s not like she’s going to be like “Oh we are a top 50 school”. You got a lot of skills to learn.</p>
<p>I’m sure you’re highly intelligent and all, but I’m just being honest and telling you what Miami is like for the most part. From your name, I’m guessing you’re doing the Marine Bio program which is one of the top programs in the country (I had extremely bright friends who majored in that and one’s at OSU Vet School… while he turned down PENN). For certain programs, Miami does attract a high caliber student body… definitely all of those who STAY PREMED all four years (which is like 1/4 of initial premed majors). </p>
<p>I’m not trying to put Miami down, I’m just trying to give an honest opinion and tell the OP how I feel so he could take my knowledge and utilize it when making his decision (or choose not to).</p>
<p>Not that I don’t enjoy these passionate opinions about each school but I feel like this is getting a bit off track from my original question. </p>
<p>First off, the opinions regarding my acceptances are really irrelevant being that I have already been accepted to Emory no matter how surprised people may be. </p>
<p>Secondly, I really want to know what about Miami stands out to you guys. I want a solid education but also dont want it to consume my entire college experience. Are internships widely accessible to students in Miami? Are students eager to learn and serious about their education? These are the type of responses I am interested in.
Thanks!</p>
<p>Check your PM box, prepschoolboy. I tried to give you solid answers and kept my biases to myself. I hope they help! Respond through the PMs if you have any questions.</p>