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<p>UF has the #1 or #2 tax law program in the country. What’s your point?</p>
<p>^ You’re not biased…</p>
<p>The University of Florida, the state’s largest university and one of the biggest research universities in the nation, contributes nearly $6 billion annually to Florida’s economy and is responsible for nearly 75,000 jobs. The Milken Institute named UF one of the top-five U.S. institutions in the transfer of biotechnology research to the marketplace (2006). Some 50 biotechnology companies have resulted from faculty research programs. UF consistently ranks among the top-10 universities in licensing. Royalty and licensing income includes the glaucoma drug Trusopt, the sports drink Gatorade, and the Sentricon termite elimination system. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is part of the Flagship University and the current Vice President is Dr. Larry Arrington. It should also be noted that the UF is currently ranked seventh among all private & public universities for the total number of patents awarded for 2005. </p>
<p>The University of Florida was awarded $583 million in total research expenditures (which is more than all the other Florida universities combined - in sponsored research in 2006-2007). Research includes diverse areas such as health-care and citrus production (the world’s largest citrus research center). In 2002, UF began leading six other universities under a $15 million NASA grant to work on a variety of space-related research during a five-year period. UF has a partnership with Spain that helped to create the world’s largest telescope in the Canary Islands (the total cost was $93 million). Plans are also under way for the University of Florida to construct a new 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m2) research facility in collaboration with the Burnham Institute for Medical Research that will ultimately be located in the center of UCF’s Health Sciences Campus in Orlando, Florida. Research will include the areas of diabetes, aging, genetics and cancer.</p>
<p>The $60 million McKnight Brain Institute, part of the J. Hillis Miller Health Science Center, is the most comprehensive program of its kind in the world. The Institute comprises 300 faculty members from 10 colleges, and 51 departments campus-wide. In addition, UF is also doing some innovative Diabetes Research In a statwide screening program, that has been sponsored by a $10 million grant from the American Diabetes Association. The University of Florida also houses one of the world’s leading lightning research teams. Also UF scientists have started up a biofuels pilot plant that has been specifically designed to test ethanol-producing technology. UF is also host to a nuclear research reactor which is known for its Neutron Activation Analysis Laboratory. In addition, the University of Florida is the first American university to receive a European Union grant to house a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence. In 2009 the University of Florida Cancer Hospital is nearly completed, and this complex will focus on producing basic laboratory findings that will ultimately be used for preventive therapies for cancers.</p>
<p>In January 2008 the University of Florida, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, and Shands at the University of Florida formed a partnership to develop world-class programs in cancer care, research and prevention. The partnership, will extend Moffitt’s innovative model of comprehensive patient care to UF and Shands cancer programs.</p>
<p>The University of Florida has made great strides in the space sciences over the last decade. The Astronomy Department’s focus on the development of image-detection devices has led to increases in funding, telescope time, and significant scholarly achievements. Faculty members in organic chemistry have made notable discoveries in astrobiology, while faculty members in physics have participated actively in the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory project, the largest and most ambitious project ever funded by the NSF. Through the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, the University of Florida is the lead institution on the NASA University Research, Engineering, and Technology Institute (URETI) for Future Space Transport project to develop the next generation space shuttle. The University of Florida is therefore well positioned to become a major center of space science research.</p>
<p>Thanks for sharing UF’s publicity handouts. Now it’s time for you to go home, son, and let people interested in UM share information about UM. UF is a fine school, as is UM. We don’t care that you pant over UF. Each school provides an excellent education.</p>
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<p>Has nothing to with bias. The rankings show this. Even taxguy knows this.</p>
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<p>This is so true. I wonder what they are going to do the next couple of years when the rankings for UF start going down (because IT WILL happen) With so many top faculty leaving and with the inability to recruit because of the millions of dollars in budget cuts, the US News Methodology for rankings is really going to hurt them.</p>
<p>Beyond the rankings (and thats what should be important ), here’s an article that compares both schools</p>
<p>[University</a> of Miami Compared to University of Florida](<a href=“http://www.miamibeach411.com/news/index.php?/news/comments/um-uf/]University”>http://www.miamibeach411.com/news/index.php?/news/comments/um-uf/)</p>
<p>It’s pretty revealing, albeit with a few extremes. A good read.</p>
<p>“I wonder what they are going to do the next couple of years when the rankings for UF start going down”</p>
<p>Keep telling yourself that pal, I guess it makes that 120k investment at the University of Miami go down alittle easier. Those budget cuts are a drop in the bucket in comparisons to UF’s total budget (which is at 4.3 billion counting everything, and the main campus is at about 2.0 billion). Also remember that UF is cutting 4,000 undergraduates over the next 4 years as a direct result of the budget cuts. In addition the US News Rankings kept us the same as last year even though the cuts have already been implemented. The only way UF could fall is if the Peer Assessment Score went down (which isn’t going to happen because within the last year we have created a new Cancer Hospital, a Proton Theraphy Institute, the new Emerging Pathogens Facility, the Genetics Research Complex, the New Research and Conference Facility at Lake Nona, etc…) We are talking easily over a billion dollars in new construction, and we also signed a deal with some Venture Capitalists as well.</p>
<p>Also forgot to mention: UF just got the green light to jack up tuition to the National Average. The stipulation is the money must be spent on Undergraduate Education.</p>
<p>Ssobick - please get a life and get off the UM thread.</p>
<p>I think that an excellent method of measurement is to look at successful outcomes - in other words what are you doing while you are getting the degree…or better yet with the degree…from a “very high highly ranked institution”</p>
<p>I believe if you are trying to make a choice between UM and UF you should visit both campuses. My daughter was given $24,000 a year scholarship to attend UM (she will hear back regarding her possible Singer Scholarship soon) and she only has bright futures and Florida Prepaid to help with UF. Basically, it is going to come down to FEEL. She attended the Singer Scholarship Weekend and thought the UM campus was very attractive but she is not sure it “FELT” right. She wasn’t sure she would fit it. Very metropolitian like campus with people from all over the world … UF right now feels more familiar to her so she is still struggling to determine which school she will be happier at. It is tough, but I told her that you must FEEL COMFORTABLE to do well at a school. Plus, there are far fewer students at UM … which can be either a plus or a minus depending on what you want.</p>
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<p>PLEASE do not base your decision off of this website. The depiction of UM is completely innaccurate. Although I am a fan of the last line:</p>
<p>But despite the good, the bad, and the often annoying, there is still one great thing about both institutions: Neither one is Florida State.</p>
<p>And FSU alumni are eternally grateful! :D</p>
<p>Go Noles!</p>
<p>Few FSU alums would EVER wear jorts like the gators and not enough would consent to be jailed like the 'canes.</p>
<p>In a nutshell, UM is smaller, more diverse, and has a great surrounding city. In opposition, UF is much larger, diverse as well, but according to a few friends, you can feel “like a number”. And honestly, I’m not really a big fan of Gainesville. It’s a good college town, but that’s the thing, it’s only that. But UF is more affordable by far. UM’s financial aid is stingy.</p>
<p>My daughter was accepted to Honors at both UM and UF. She has bright futures at UF and a significant scholarship at UM. But the scholarship still leaves a considerable amount in the balance to be covered. There is a financial question about the value proposition, as she is likely to go to grad school or med school, so picking up all the debt at undergrad level is a bit questionable unless there is truly going to be a difference in her quality of education or college experience overall. (thats the parent talking… can you tell?) </p>
<p>She seems certain that her studies will be in the sciences, most likely in the medical sciences. But again, when the four years are up, that could mean Bolivian Architecture, right?</p>
<p>Well, lets assume she is right, that she wants to go into medical sciences. Does anyone know about PRISM at UM? (NO, Not PRISON!) for students who are heading towards MD/PhD research programs. ANY INFO? </p>
<p>At UF, in the honors program, they have a similar program for MD/PhD interested students. At UM, the PRISM program is geared to mentor students to become scientists and doctors, to map out a career track, etc. At UF, they have a special pre-med track of prerequisite courses that honors students take if they are interested. The honors program students have courses with a max limit of 25 students per class, and even the Labs must be taught by professors, and professors are required to have office hours for mentoring honors students. At UM, the PRISM program is suppose to provide that same kind of one on one attention from professors. TRUE? </p>
<p>At UM they have the ability to get into a fast track BA/MD program for a 7 yr MD. At UF, they have just a dozen available spots per year for the fast track program, but its not likely that even the most academically inclined students would want to do what is necessary to win one of those coveted 12 spots. /After all, you want to enjoy college too. HOW LIKELY IS IT TO GET INTO THE 7 YEAR BA/MD program at UM after the first year of course work is looked at? </p>
<p>At UM, they have Jackson teaching hospital, but I’m not sure how much the undergrads who are interested in medicine or research, have an opportunity to experience those institutional resources. At UF, they have Shands, as well as 150 separate research centers and institutes (I can’t name them all, its just one of those FACTS that I read somewhere!). </p>
<p>For dorms, the UF honors housing is excellent. They have their own sinks in their dorm room, something I didn’t see in any other dorm at any school we visited. (Geez, I forgot just how spartan my college dorm was, but I didn’t care).</p>
<p>AT UF, they honors program does a lot of advising, the advising office is just beneath the dorms across the walkway, so there is not very far to go. They get early dibs on courses. Etc. They supposedly are given excellent research opportunities to work with professors at UF, not only on the professors projects, but also apparently to have research dollars available every year for them to work on their own research. They said that $3000/student was available each year for undergraduate student research at UF. I’m not sure if that was only for honors students or all students, but that is something they said at the honors tour. HOW IS THE HONORS PROGRAM AT UM? ANYONE IN IT? AT UF? ANYONE IN IT? </p>
<p>At UM, they say that the PRISM program is designed to get students involved in research right away. I did not get as much time to hear about UM’s pre-med track for honor’s students. ANYONE BEEN IN THE PRISM PROGRAM AT UM? IN THE PRE-MED TRACK AT UF? </p>
<p>For my daughter, she wants diversity, she wants cosmopolitan experience, so UM looks better to her. But price is a factor. She has a significant tuition scholarship, but even after the scholarship, the price difference is rather alarming. </p>
<p>The other consideration is that the summer classes AT UM cost per credit hour and are not covered under the scholarship. One mother told me today that her daughter paid $8,000.00 this summer to take two courses she needed to graduate on time. Two courses? $8000.00? Worse part, her scholarship did not cover her summer tuition. What about study abroad in the summer? Its going to cost $8000 tuition plus all the travel expenses too? TELL ME IT AIN’T SO! </p>
<p>What about the costs of going out, such as South Beach, Coconut Grove, Miami, etc. It must be more expensive than that thing they call going out to bars in Gainseville. (are those really bars or are they subway sandwhich shops and pizzarias) 
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<p>Those are not cheap nights out in Miami. How do students afford all of that? AM I RIGHT? </p>
<p>It has been implied that all the students at UM can afford it because they are wealthy. I read in a humorous article at Miami 411, that there are so many students from other countries at UM, who refer to their countries as “in my country” ! , who have no concerns over money, unlimited access to financial means, clothes, travel, expensive nights out, etc. The same article said that students at UF dress in their Target shorts and torn shirts, work out clothes, or PJs for classes, and students at UM put on a fashion show for their 8 am classes. IS THAT TRUE?</p>
<p>My daughter loves foreign culture, foreign language, food, wine, travel, she is not from the sticks. But by the same token, she is also not wealthy by any definition, and she is going to struggle financially to some degree through school. I think she would have a bit of financial dilemma if she had to spend alot of $$$ every weekend night going out. What are students spending on a night out at UM? </p>
<p>And clothes, is it really necessary for the ladies to charge up the card for clothes at UM? </p>
<p>We all think the UM campus is beautiful and the area is incredible. Do the benefits of living in the UM area wear off after a while? Are there some disadvantages to living in the UM area? </p>
<p>ACTIVITIES AND CLUBS. UF has one bazillion activities and clubs you can get involved in. How are the activities at UM? </p>
<p>DIVERSITY
I hear about Black, Latino, Asian, and White, and Foreign STUDENTS, but I have not heard about religious diversity, agnostic, Athiest, Bahaii, Catholic, Christian, Muslim. Jewish, Budist, etc. Is religion a strong component of the student experience at UM? At UF? Are there any groups other than mainly Christian groups? Is there a strong Jewish culture? Bahaii, Muslim? Etc? Sure, I read statistics, but that doesn’t mean much. I’d rather hear someone’s experiences there. More importantly, diversity is useless unless everyone hangs out with everyone of all cultures and backgrounds. I’ve heard of universities where there is diversity in the stats, but in reality everyone sticks to their own “people”, and students have complained about that on this site (regarding a different school). How is the feel between everyone, is culture a separator, are their culture clicks, religious clicks, on campus? </p>
<p>Oh yes, another thing, someone mentioned that there are many commuter students, and many dorm students go home on weekends, so that there are not that many students left on campus on the weekends? Is that true? At UF? At UM? Why would students go home on weekends? Is it that boring on campus? If that is true, what effect does that have on college life on the weekends? </p>
<p>And safety, someone wrote that UF was very safe, and the rankings say it is an “A” in safety. They also wrote that they would not walk around UM campus at night alone no matter what, and the rankings put UM at a B on safety (I think). What is your impression of safety for a female at UM on campus, daytime, weekend, nights? </p>
<p>Thanks everyone for your input. I know its a million questions. There are only days remaining to make a choice. All your assistance is appreciated. I hope these questions have helped someone else also get information that they needed to help in their decision. </p>
<p>Wishing everyone the best in making your college choices too.</p>
<p>Wow…you did your research. We just decided UM Honors over many other programs in and out of state. The class size issue was huge for us, as our DS did not want to be a number and wanted smaller classes and relationships with professors if needed. The private/public issue was huge, as the public will soon be cutting costs where they can.
He is also on a major scholarship. We are certainly in no position to care what others are wearing, as we couldn’t afford it anyway. Diversity, meaning rich, poor, Jewish, Asian, is prevalent at UM because it draws from all over the world and UF is mainly Florida kids, which it should be. We will set a budget and our DS will make friends with similar values and priorities. He has never been one to follow the crowd and certainly won’t start now to fit in. Many many UM students are there on scholarship and that is how they get the great students, as well as financial aid and bright futures still apply at UM. Safety in Coral Gables on campus is no problem…There are tons of clubs, an active Hillel, frats/sororities if that is what you are into. The beauty of a private school in a beautiful setting with access to Miami and all it has to offer…In our opinion UF, although a great school and not easy to get into, did not stand a chance!</p>
<p>My son is leaning toward UM over UF, FSU honors, and several private schools that have offered him substantial merit scholarships (UM offered him nothing). We are not rich, but we do not qualify for need-based aid. Even though UM will be much more expensive than any other alternative, UM is a better fit for him (smaller size, smaller classes, closer to home, good programs in the areas of his interest). In the end, I think it depends on your kid’s needs, assuming you can afford the best fit. It is really no bargain if your kid bombs out or is unhappy at a cheaper alternative. Of course, there are no guarantees that it will work out at UM either, but you have to make your best judgment and go with it.</p>
<p>UM is very diverse in terms of religious organizations. There are many different christian organizations, three Jewish organizations, a muslim student association, a hindu student association and I’m sure many other religions but those are the ones I know of because I have friends in each. There is also a Jewish and Muslim group where students meet to discuss differences and similarities. There are also programs throughout the year for students of different religions to meet and discuss their different views so I wouldn’t worry about any diversity at UM, it is in abundance. </p>
<p>There are also a multitude of clubs to join at UM. There is never a time when there isn’t anything going on on campus and you can always find a club to fit your interests. During orientation there is something called Canesfest where every student organization gathers and tries to convince you to join their club. It gives new students the opportunity to sign up for the listserve for the organizations and they can then decide what clubs they wish to pursue. </p>
<p>The PRISM program will be in its second year next year and it is a program that integrates the science and math courses students will need for med school. It is not necessary to be in PRISM if you are pre-med, but many students like it because the courses are smaller and the same people are in their courses so it is easier to develop study groups and easy to meet people with similar interests. </p>
<p>Many students who need to take summer courses will take them at local colleges near their homes so expenses are not that great. The stereotype that every student at miami is wealthy is not true. There are certainly wealthy students-- it is a private university-- but many students are here on scholarships. It is not necessary to spend a lot of money, it really depends on who you choose to hang out with. I rarely spend money at UM so I wouldn’t worry about that. Most people understand that we are college students so people don’t generally overspend. </p>
<p>I’ve had no problems with safety on campus. I walk around campus late at night and never have a problem. I wouldn’t suggest wandering outside of campus at 4 in the morning, but the area is safe is you are smart about what you do and aware of your surroundings.
I hope my answers were helpful. Good luck with your decision.</p>
<p>UM is MUCH better!!!</p>
<p>I am an incoming college freshmen who made the same choice between UM Honors and UF Honors. I chose UM Honors and will be studying finance next year. I made this decision based on the small class sizes, the personal attention, and the promise of an unwatered down education (multiple choice classes with 500 students). I will be a commuting student living 15 minutes off campus at home and I will definitely be on campus on the weekends and involved with the Commuting Students Association (almost its own fraternity). I must say that the benefits offered by the UF Honors program with regards to personal attention are offered in UM’s regular classes. I have lived in Miami for 14 of my 18 years and assure you that 1. Coral Gables is safe as can be (God’s gift to micromanagement)and 2. one can find cost-effective solutions in Miami. It may not be as geared to college students as college town Gainesville is, but the alternatives exist. If your daughter wants cultural diversity at a cheap price, she should go to Little Havana, Hialeah or Westchester where the Hispanic culture thrives in a working class environment. The food is amazing and Spanish is the first language spoken. I am not a wealthy individual and have almost a full ride with all the scholarships and grants I have accrued. I have been a Cane all my life because my parents are alumni, but without help I would not have even considered UM. Living in Miami is great and the effect may wear off until about February when you talk to friends and relatives in the snowy northeast and tell them it is sunny and 71 degrees outside. That is why you live in South Florida. Cold for me is below 60 degrees. I love the feel at UM and feel that it is the right place for me. The key is to jdge by the feel you received at both universities and go with your gut instinct. I went with mine and think that I will greatly enjoy myself at UM. UF is a great institution as well, but I did not feel that it was right for me.</p>