UF vs MiamiU vs BU, USC, UNC, etc for Biology/Music performance

College Search & Selection
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Hi! I would greatly appreciate any input on where I should go.

My top choices are UF (Gainesville, FL) and Miami University (Oxford, OH). I don’t qualify for any financial aid so am relying solely on merit.
Major: Biology (maybe bioengineering) and Music Performance
Cost constraints: Both choices are affordable for me.
I plan on going to either grad or medical school after graduating.
I would love to live in an urban setting.

UF > MiamiU

  • Better school reputation
  • Stronger music program
  • Weather
  • Honors + USRP
  • Gainesville is a larger city than Oxford
  • More diverse
  • Feels less “secluded” than MiamiU

MiamiU > UF

  • Full ride + $5000 stipend (COA at UF is ~24k/year even with Sunshine scholarship and other awards)
  • 1 hour from Cincinnati
  • Closer to a large airport

My other choices are:
UA Tuscaloosa (full ride - NMF)
FSU (coa ~20k)
UW - Madison (~47k)
Minnesota Twin Cities (~27k)
UIUC (~62k)
Boston University (~51k)
USC (~58k/year)
UNC (~53k)
Fordham (~28k)

I would love your input on what choice I should make. Please feel free to comment or pm!

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Congrats on your offers.

So if we address the final 2 and you’re studying bio/music. And grad or medical school.

UF > Miami

A few things.

  1. Why is it better? Because US News ranks it higher?

  2. You are going to grad school - there is no better except grades and test score

So I call bunk to that.

Honors at UF - great get.

So Miami is better - because you save $24K + get a $5K stipend.

And that’s huge - especially if you’re going to grad school. Can your family afford the $24K?

Now let me tell you why your Miami is better than UF is wrong - airport.

Gainesville has an airport you can fly to- and Jax is 1 hr 20 vs. 50 minutes - I mean, this is splitting hairs.

So it’s clear you prefer UF - but the Miami offer is wonderful.

I guess I’d say - is the $24K within budget?

What was your budget before? If it was higher than $24K, the go to UF.

But - if you want to save for grad school - or you can work a deal with your folks to use the savings at Miami to pay for grad school - go there.

You win either way…but it does seem you prefer UF.

Good luck.

But you should really go to Bama - and see if you can get in the Mccullough Medical Scholars. But I stuck with your two.

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User is welcome to repost under their original account. Since Terms of Service prohibits multiple accounts, I am closing this thread.

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