<p>*would be an interesting topic to delve into with those who read graduate school applications. Is it better to go to an Ivy League and have a 3.0 average or go to a Bama/Miami and graduate with a 3.9? *</p>
<p>No doubt about it. It’s not even debatable. The 3.9 would get selected. There is a negligible bump for elite schools if GPA is the SAME…but not enough to concern oneself. There would be NO BUMP at all for the ivy leaguer if he had a 3.0. He wouldn’t even make it to the consider pile unless he’s a URM, but then he’d get considered no matter where he went to college.</p>
<p>*Bottom line is that if your kid studies and applies him/herself he/she will get into medical school at Bama or Miami. Now if your child doesn’t have the grades or test scores then it really isn’t going to matter which school he/she graduated from. *</p>
<p>mom2collegekids - If you read further on the Miami University scholarship page you will see that they do guarantee a scholarship within a range for ACT/GPA/Rigorous Course Work. You could debate what “Rigorous Coursework” means but a full IB or heavy AP load should suffice.</p>
<p>D2 was accepted at both UA and Miami. She qualified for and was offered the highest scholarships at both. The out of pocket cost for UA would have been $416 more over the 4 years than Miami so that was a wash. While UA is very open with what certain stats qualify for in terms of scholarships, Miami is more opaque. We really had no idea what D2 would receive until she got her offer letter. </p>
<p>As for as sports go, while UA has football, Miami has big time hockey with a team that makes it to the Frozen Four on a regular basis. And Miami is highly ranked each year for its commitment to undergraduate teaching, this year coming in #3, right behind Dartmouth and Princeton, and just ahead of Brown. </p>
<p>The weather is all relative - for Chicago kids the weather is actually an improvement. It is definitely colder than Tuscaloosa and is four season territory, however, on most winter days Oxford is around 5-10 degrees warmer than Chicago and about 10-15 degrees warmer than Madison, Wisconsin. During the three years DS has been there, they have had a most only a couple of measurable snows per year - since the temps are warmer, they are more likely to have “slush” or rain. Being a couple hundred miles further south seems to keep the “Alberta Clippers” away (sub-zero temps).</p>
<p>I live north of Madison and it can get down to -20 to - 30 so 10 - 15 degrees warmer is still pretty darn cold. :)</p>
<p>I hear what you are saying though, and I’m not putting Miami down. From everything I’ve heard, it’s a fine school and the winters are milder than Chicago/WI.</p>
But hockey was way more appealing to D2 than football.</p>