<p>Hi everyone :) So I am having difficulty deciding between UMiami and USC because both are my top choices. If I were to get into both of them (with financial issues aside), I would be very conflicted. My older brother goes to USC and I visited him in LA and the campus during the summer and I loved it a lot. The only part that bothered me was the location of the campus and lack of good public transportation. I haven't been to Miami yet but will probably go in March if I get in (fingers crossed). Can anyone help me decide? Any details or anything I should know about? I am pursuing a major in biology and want a career in forensics (i will major in that in grad school). I also am looking for a school with amazing school spirit (i know both have that down), a nice party/social scene on the weekends and academically on school days, the city is easily accessible (good public transportation), is safe, ect. Also, what are the people and environment there like? Thanks :)</p>
<p>Similarities:
-Private
-World-class sports
-Great academics
-Research
-School spirit
-Good social scene
-Good weather
-Small class sizes, good student faculty ratios (UM 11:1 USC 9:1)
-Both have diverse student bodies.</p>
<p>Differences:
-UMiami is more undergraduate-focused. USC has more graduates than undergraduates. (20k vs 17k) UMiami has 5k graduates vs 10k undergraduates.
-UMiami is smaller, 7,000 less undergraduates on a smaller campus
-UMiami is in Coral Gables, a Miami suburb; USC is in downtown LA. USC is actually in a pretty bad area. Both campuses are very safe, just part of the surrounding area of USC is not good.
-USC is more nationally prestigious, harder to get into.</p>
<p>You can’t go wrong with either school tbh.</p>
<p>I want to go to USC because I know I can find a job through the Trojan Network. My mom wants me to go there because my brother is there and can “protect” me lol. UMiami, on the other hand, is just a new terrotory for me and I feel that if I go to this school I would be creating my own story rather than following in my bro’s footsteps. Either way, I like both schools…I guess the visit to Miami and the financial package will determine it haha. </p>
<p>@teenbodybuilder But do you know any more cons of either school?</p>
<p>I doubt UM grads have trouble finding jobs, UM is the clear best school in Florida and people will respect the degree. If you can get into USC you’d probably get good money at UM. You might need protection if you go off campus at USC lol… But I wouldn’t pick a school based on that. It also seems you want to do something different. </p>
<p>If you visit you might fall in love like I did. haha. I don’t know much more than what I’ve listed. I’ve researched both schools a good bit, but still being in HS, I couldn’t tell you what daily life is like or anything.</p>
<p>You really have to visit and figure it out for yourself. You can search around the entire web to find information, both objective and subjective, about either school. All of this information can give you an idea of whether you’d fit or not, but not nearly as good of an idea as when you visit the school yourself. Also keep in mind that every single person is different, and every single person has different qualities that attract them or detract them from a school. My suggestion is to think about what feels right to YOU, what’s important to YOU. Take your mom’s concerns into consideration, but don’t let them guide your decision. If all else fails and you end up choosing the wrong school, you can always transfer.</p>
<p>My son is a freshman at UM. He visited USC and spent a day there. The campus itself is gorgeous and the academics are top notch, but he did not feel comfortable with the surrounding area, which is very sketchy, to say the least. In addition my impression is that UM is more generous with merit aid.</p>
<p>My oldest son graduated from “The U” 3 1/2 years ago (Marine Sciences & Biology double major) and worked for the university in the subsequent 2 years. My youngest son is currently a junior at USC. Teenbodybuilder has done a very good job laying out the facts. Here are my thoughts (Be warned: I suspect I’m going to anger or at least irritate people affiliated with both schools):</p>
<p>First of all, go visit Miami, preferably while it’s in session. Right now you have an image of the school that may be unrealistic, visiting could go a long way to confirming or refuting your expectations.</p>
<p>Academics: In my opinion academics are what the student makes of them. Both my sons were/are able to establish close working relationships and friendships with professors. But that burden falls on you to make happen. Both schools offer good access to professors with plenty of research/internships opportunities. </p>
<p>Statistically USC has higher GPA and test score averages along with a sub 20% admit rate. On the flip-side, Donna Shalala has done a tremendous job improving the reputation of Miami.</p>
<p>Alumni Network: In our experience to date, USC is markedly stronger on this front. USC makes an effort to involve alumni experiences as part of the teaching. For my younger son it’s easier to count the number of classes he’s taken where an alum didn’t return as a guest speaker than the other way around (this includes science, business and cinematic arts classes). At Miami this wasn’t the case, though that experience is more similar to most other schools.</p>
<p>Extending this to finding a job, I would ask you where you want to work after you graduate? The reality is that Alumni networks are strongest closest to the ‘mothership’. If you’re looking for job in Miami the Trojan Family will be pretty weak compared to Miami’s. Conversely, if you’re moving to California, USC wins there. </p>
<p>Student Body: Let’s face it, both schools have a reputation for a wealthy, privileged even spoiled student body. Walking through student parking at Miami is like walking through the inventory lot at a BMW/Audi dealership with a few Ferraris thrown in. USC is very similar. For some people that’s going to be an issue, especially if you don’t have that kind of money (like my kids don’t). </p>
<p>Crime: Here’s the controversial part. I see no difference in safety between the two schools. Miami ‘looks’ safer but my oldest son had far more brushes with and stories about crime than my youngest has had so far. In '08 a former floor-mate on my son’s was murdered during a home invasion a few blocks from campus. His off campus home was broken into his senior year with all the electronics stolen. While it looks nice enough, cross under the rail transit line and over Route 1 and you can be in some very dicey neighborhoods very quickly. Even heading a couple of blocks too far south in the Grove can get you into trouble.</p>
<p>USC is urban in a working class neighborhood. There were two graduate students killed during a car-jacking 18 months ago and an on-campus incident (organized and attended by non-USC personnel and students) within the last year. That said, both lived/live started living off-campus as sophomores. y son’s Miami experiences show a lot more crime. </p>
<p>I’m not not saying Miami is unsafe or that USC is peaceful. I’m suggesting that appearances can be deceiving and that the best strategy for safety is to always be aware of your surroundings and to understand the type of neighborhood you’re going to be walking through.</p>
<p>This has turned into a very long post. I’ll close by saying that both schools have been the absolutely perfect place for each of them. If you ask them, neither would alter their decisions in any way. So research and then decide for yourself what’s going to be best for you.</p>
<p>@teenbodybuilder thank you for the info!! </p>
<p>@marine444 yea my mom and dad are more biased towards USC because my bro (their favorite child) goes there, but i like both while leaning slightly towards UMiami. I think I will visit Miami and get a feel for the school, but will keep in mind that the choice is mine. </p>
<p>@vinceh thank you so much! what is the one thing either of your sons disliked the most about his school?</p>
<p>At Miami there’s a decent portion of the student body that is obsessed with showing off how much cash they (their parents) have. The “I’ve got lots of money let’s party til we p*ke” crowd gets old after a while. Then again, he was there obsessed with Marine Sciences, and quickly found his own circle of friends.</p>
<p>At USC my son complains about how big an impact the Greek community (fraternity/sorority) has on the social scene. He’s not a member and has enough friends who get him into the parties, but it’s a pretty big part of campus.</p>
<p>@vinceh so both schools are pretty big on partying, but is it to the point where it affects the academic atmosphere during school days?</p>
<p>I’m not saying that Miami and USC are “big on partying”; I live in Ann Arbor (UMichigan) and have been around many other college campuses for extend periods and I see virtually no differences among any schools when it comes to the amount of partying. All schools party, state universities look worse because of the sheer size of their populations, but Miami and USC are no better or worse.</p>
<p>Second, ask your brother if the partying at SC seeps into the classroom. He’ll have nothing to compare it to but should be able to give you an impression.</p>
<p>Third, my comment wasn’t really about partying. It was about how some kids handle and flaunt their wealth around campus (Miami) and the impact that the Greek community has on social aspects of school (USC). In neither case would my sons say that those groups are the majority of the population, but they are significant portions of the student body. Regardless, you asked for what they disliked the most about their respective experiences, your mileage may vary and what you don’t care for will be entirely different.</p>
<p>@vinceh, would you say a student should have a car at UMiami to get around? Is there public transportation available, say, for internships/jobs off-campus or social activities?</p>
<p>The Trojan network is hard to beat, dude.</p>
<p>UM seems to be good with providing transportation. They have free buses for students. You can always rent a zipcar or get a cab.</p>
<p>Having a car is nice but I know freshman can’t have one.</p>