<p>My situation is kind of a weird one so i won't go into much detail but right now i have a choice of either BU or UMiami to go to for the upcoming fall semester and i am really in conflict of where to choose. </p>
<p>Basically with Miami, i love the school spirit, the teams, a few frats, and I would love the lifestyle of the nearby clubs and night life. Plus the education is obviously pretty good. However, I live in New York and since my childhood I have never been good at living away from home especially when i had to live in a place other than a city environment. I would always get extremely homesick in summer camps that were in the woods and in a way i see Miami as a similar experience where the urban city life would be taken away from me and leave me in an uncomfortable environment. At the same time you can never predict, perhaps I will get used to it and settle in quickly but the thing is that i just dont know. I also visited the campus and I can't say i was thrilled, i just didn't feel quite at home or comfortable like many claim to feel when they first visit the college of their choice.</p>
<p>Boston is alot closer to NY and maintains the urban environment but at the same time i heard there is alot of grade deflation and at the same time not alot of the campus experience. Without the campus experience i fear the loss of social life. I have no clue what the party life is like in Boston, and i would like to have a certain degree of fun during my college years, which are supposed to be among the best in my life.</p>
<p>Can someone please enlighten me from personal experience or from their expertise? Orientations are coming up soon and i must make my decision rather quick.</p>
<p>you need to learn to stand on its hard and you will get homesick. just know your parents are only a phone call away. go to UMiami.</p>
<p>If you feel you like UMiami better than BU, then go. You will be nervous, of course, but remember that you will make friends and feel comfortable once you have spent time there. I know someone who went to BU and that person hated it, for certain reasons irrelevant to your situation, but had an excellent social life with friends that have remained like family and they keep in contact all the time!</p>
<p>anymore opinions. I need all the help i can get...</p>
<p>whats grade deflation? lol</p>
<p>I would personally go to BU, since its just a "better" overall state.
That didn't make sense.</p>
<p>Hey! Well I'm a student at UMiami so hopefully I can help you out! First of all, you need to put what you plan on studying into consideration. Which school has stronger programs in whatever you want to go into? Also, you need to remember that UMiami is pretty urban, too (compared to most places). Of course it's not in downtown Miami or anything, but it's definitely not rural either. You can be in the city in ten minutes. But, I'm sure you know this since you visited the campus. Obviously I'm biased here since I'm obsessed with my school and would recommend it for anyone (lol), but it seems to me like you like UMiami for the reasons that one SHOULD like their college. I know you didn't have good experiences at summer camp, but that was probably awhile ago, right? This is different -- it's college! Of course you'll be nervous but you have to remember that everyone is in the exact same situation as you will be. The transition might be tough for the first few days after your parents are gone, but you just have to remember that after that, you'll settle in and adapt to the new environment and everything will be fine.</p>
<p>UM student here as well. </p>
<p>UMiami's location is actually quite urban. Coral Gables (which has lots to do in itself) is only a 10 minute car ride to Downtown Miami and about 20 minutes to South Beach and Key Biscayne.
Moreover UM has its own metro station which can get to to Downtown in about 5 minutes. Ive only been here for a year but let me tell u that u will not be bored.</p>
<p>Miami is filled with ppl who picked between BU and UM (including myself). I know one student who just transferred in from BU because of grade deflation so just be aware it does exist at BU, not to say that UM is easy either but I hear that BU is ridiculously hard. </p>
<p>Why I picked UM over BU:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Sports scene at Miami are a big part of campus from Football to Baseball we pack the stadiums. at BU the highlight of the season is Hockey and once thats over, the sports scene dies down. At Miami Fall is Football, Jan and Feb is Basketball followed by Baseball in the spring. </p></li>
<li><p>Campus Life is much better at Miami than BU. BU has an NYU'ish feel. its basically in the city and thus u walk to ur classes through the streets of Boston, instead of walking through a nice, green campus with lots of trees, a big lake etc.. If u want to explore the city its also quite easy, just hop on the metrorail or take a 10 minute car ride to Downtown Miami or South Beach.</p></li>
<li><p>Weather: this is an undebatable pro of going to Miami. Its Febuary and u walk to classes in shorts. there might be a week or two throughout January where it gets a lil cold but other than that its perfect. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>Much more to do: While I Love Boston over Miami, I feel I can do much more down here than in Boston outdoors such as going to the beach, sailin, golfing, scuba diving, clubbing at night (though u have that in Boston) etc...
In Boston most of the outdoor activities mentioned are much harder to do given the weather.</p>
<p>Thank you guys, that was very helpful. I think the distance from home is the most unnerving thing. I know a few kids that go there actually but they are now going to be sophmore and juniors. I will try not to rely on them too much though and make my own friends for my own benefit if i go.</p>
<p>Yeah, and if you're into it, definitely consider joining a fraternity in the spring. You'll meet so many people (both girls and boys).</p>
<p>Boston University is essentially NYU but with less prestige and name recognition. </p>
<p>Miami has some good academic programs (especially in the sciences), but is seen essentially as an overpriced private university with academics that aren't really better (and arguably worse) than your typical state university.</p>
<p>University of Florida is seen to have a better academic reputation than Miami.</p>
<p>Miami is a solid school and being an X new yorker who went to college at Oswego on Lake Ontario (grad school at USF in Tampa and MBA at U-Florida in Gainesville), you will LOVE the weather down here. XMAS break on the beach?, Bikinis in March? whoa! You won't regret it. I recently bought the Florida college pre-paid tuition for my daughter and am getting ready to move to NY. I FULLY expect her to be a "gator" in 13 years even if I'm still in the north! Florida is a great state to live-forget the stereotypes. Everything equal, go to UM- especially if you like college sports!</p>
<p>I would chose UM, personally. But, I understand your dillema: you don't want to be too far from home. I, too, am a UM student (and proud!). Initially I only came because it is under a half hour from my home (accepted to: Emory, UF, and UNC-CH) and didn't want to go away. But, it isn't as if BU is right around the corner from your house either, and I have come to LOVE UM. It is still a labor to go from NY to Boston, and get-togethers will require plan-ahead time for the most part. UM is just wonderful. BU's campus is nothing special, and technically, by a smidge, UM is ranked higher anyways. I think in a few SHORT years, however, that UM will have a prestige far exceeding BU's.
I am so glad I made the choice I did. Good luck with making yours, whatever you choose! And either school will be excellent.</p>
<p>"Miami has some good academic programs (especially in the sciences), but is seen essentially as an overpriced private university with academics that aren't really better (and arguably worse) than your typical state university."</p>
<p>Miami is def not considered as a lesser quality in education than any state school in FLorida, even UF for that matter. Well at least not in Florida as I am also a Floridian. F is def cheaper and which is why more Floridians go there over UM, however as to quality everyone knows u get an equal if not better quality education than UF and def any other state school in Florida. </p>
<p>UM has small classes all taught by highly talented nd knowledgable professors as opposed to the classes you take at UF ur first two years which are mostly taught by grad students and TA's. </p>
<p>Moreover UM now has higher SAT scores and GPA's than UF and a 38% acceptance rate (UF is at 40% I believe). </p>
<p>Outside of Florida, UF is not as highly recognized as it is in FLorida. Princeton Review ranks it as one of the bigges party schools in the nation along with having the biggest alcohol precense in the nation.</p>
<p>Yeah, gocanes, I totally agree. I don't really know why that person posted that garbage on here anyways because it was completely irrelevant to this entire thread. But, outside of Florida, UF is nothing. Everyone in Florida knows that the kids that go to UF are the ones who couldn't afford/get accepted at UM.</p>
<p>UM > UF Miami > Gainesville</p>
<p>you will definetly not feel a lack of social life at BU. while my brain is trained to hate the it, i can appreciate its an awesome college experience for kids who want to be in the city. boston is the biggest college town in the world, which presents so many opprotunites, and BU has frats too if thats your scene. theyre really into their hockey so you get the traditional atmosphere like that.</p>
<p>i would personally choose miami cuase i acutally would like to be somewhat removed from a city. but for you because of that and the distance, BU is the best choice. believe me, you would have A LOT of fun</p>
<p>thanks guys just wanna see a few more opinions.</p>