<p>Hi!
I made my college list awhile ago and have switched it so many times in the past year or so. However, I feel like I am finally done and while I have had Miami on my list for a long time, I am torn between UF and UM. I have 12 schools, and don't want to exceed 12 so I must make a decision between UF and UM.
Money is not really an issue, since I know UM is a lot more expensive
I don't mind big schools, most of the schools I'm applying to are big state schools. But i wouldn't mind a smaller environment (such as UM 10,000 undergrads)
I like to party, but I also take academics seriously. I know both are party schools but are also very focused on academics.
I'm a NJ Junior at a top NJ public high school.
-3.9 gpa 1900 SAT
-i took my first AP course this year (junior year) and an honors class
and I'm taking 3 or 4 AP courses and an honors course next year
-4 years of language (one year honors language)
-hosted 2 italian exchange students
- am going to italy next year to stay with one of them
-1 year cross country, tennis
-3 years indoor track (sprints, hurdles and high jump)
-3 years outdoor track (sprints, high jump, hurdles, pole vault)
-VP of italian club
-founder and president of animal rights club (had to write numerous proposals to start the club)
-secretary graphic design club
-amnesty, and environment clubs
-community service</p>
<p>My other colleges are
-UNC Chapel Hill (big reach)
-Clemson University
-University of Miami/Florida
-UT Austin
-UMichigan Ann Arbor
-UWisconsin Madison
-UVA
-UOklahoma
-UColorado Boulder
-College of Charleston
-UIllinois Urbana Champaign
-Northeastern University</p>
<p>I've done so much research on all of these schools and love them all. I'm only torn between Miami and Florida. Also, I don't mind location lol obviously. I'm all over the map! But I don't like the Northeast that much. Northeastern is my only northeastern school.</p>
<p>THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>Oh, I love the Northeast. I didn’t even apply to schools up there, though, lol. Anyway, I’m not going to comment on this specifically (except for saying that I love UM, personally!), but here’s a bunch of relevant threads/links:</p>
<p>Not trying to discourage you, but unless something has changed in the last two years, UF admissions for OOS are pretty brutal…I think you are probably ok for UM if you get your SAT a little higher though (you may even be ok with the 1900)…</p>
<p>Yeah, you are more likely to get into UM than UF. UF is relatively hard to get into as it is, and for OOS its really, really difficult. Can’t tell you which one you’d rather like, I’m completely biased as I’m a hurricane (got accepted and going there next year). The threads posted above should help. I think that UF and UM are very different types of schools.</p>
<p>I’m a little biased as well being a Hurricane. BUT I will say I have already met 3 people who transferred to UM from UF–all 3 said that classes were way too big at UF (they said 500+ kids in some).
They said at UF you really were “just a number” and that it was hard to get close with people.
Plus Miami knocks Gainesville out of the water in terms of stuff to do.</p>
<p>I will say, the biggest complaints I have heard about UF are it’s gigantic size and the lack of activities in Gainesville. Gainesville is really fun to visit if you have friends at UF, but I don’t know if I could spend 4 years there, whereas in Miami there really is a lot of stuff to do. A lot of people resort to only partying in Gainesville because they get bored. But Miami has an abundance of activities, it being a major metropolitan city and what not.</p>
<p>But UF might be a fit for you. I know kids that do like how big it is because you are guaranteed to meet all sorts of people, and there are people that enjoy the frat boy type parties all the time.</p>
<p>And I just read that Miami Beach 411 article - don’t read that haha. Both are basically caricatures/parodies of each university.</p>
<p>I’d HIGHLY recommend not applying to 12 schools, big waste of time and money. Especially since most of your schools are similar, you should try to cut out a couple.</p>
<p>Also, being from NJ, you probably have an image of what Florida is like. Beaches, plam trees, warm weather, etc. Gainesville is not like that, Miami is. So if you want that kind of Florida, go with Miami.</p>
<p>Haha, really. I mean’t for it to lighten the situation, because I know how often these turn into very angry flame wars. But, totally, that’s not a serious article.</p>
<p>rankinr - I know, it’s more of a playful article and I laughed at parts, but I can’t help but think that some people will take it totally seriously haha.</p>
<p>It really depends on what you want out of your college experience. Miami is more of a laid back, relaxing environment whereas UF is more of a serious and exciting environment. Academics at Miami, depending on the school and major, are very good but I feel that they are overrated. Miami has made strides from its’ Suntan-U days, but it still is not all that prestigious as people make it. I’m going to break down each part of it for you.</p>
<p>Academics- The education at Miami is great for students who cannot or do not like larger environments. I do not think I had a class for my major that had more than 35 students; certain introductory courses push over 200+ students. I would have to agree that you’re not just a number at Miami. If you want good relationships with your professors than you can have them, they will take the time to help you and get to know you if you go to their office hours. However, I feel that everything is handed to you at Miami. All of your notes and slideshows are on blackboard which discourages students from attending class, and they can still get A’s in the classes (not true for Biology and Life Science majors). A lot of professors review before each exam and give you a sample layout of each test, which I feel is not necessarily bad if you like an easy “A” but it does not benefit you in the long run. I went to UM for two years and transferred to UNC, the education is a night and day difference. I have to work hard for my B’s where I had to put a minimal effort in every class to get B+'s. You’re forced to learn the material and mastering the material does not necessarily mean getting A’s. </p>
<p>Environment/ Town- The University of Miami is located in an upper class Spanish neighborhood called Coral Gables. The campus is mostly only walkable, lack of roads and is built around Lake Osceola. It is much like a country club. There is a lack of school spirit on campus as athletic facilities are located about 30 minutes away. Weekends on campus are dead, everything occurs off campus. The town is not college like at all, everything closes pretty early except the Shops at Sunset and you’re forced to The Grove or South Beach. </p>
<p>Student Body- Very diverse. Many students from all over Florida and the Northeast (NY, PA, MA, NJ, CT) and Midatlantic (VA, MD, DC) as well as South America/ Central America. All types of individuals, every stereotype exists. The caliber of students is moderately strong, but the majority is not academically influenced, lot of students who want to put little time in their work, only enough to pass which is not F’s but mainly solid B’s (huge inflation at Miami). </p>
<p>Hmm… I think that the majority of your post doesn’t apply to the biology department (have no clue about the other departments). I know that most of the biology professors grade on a bell curve, and in the class I had last semester (which didn’t have a bell curve), the average was around a 65.</p>
<p>Coral Gables is the one of the oldest neighborhoods in Miami and it is gorgeous. Different ethnicities live there. BruinsJEW I don’t know if you mean the architecture and look of Coral Gables is Spanish or if a bunch of people from Spain live there…</p>
<p>And I mean, saying there isn’t much to do in Miami is just weird. It’s Miami. Even if the campus is quiet on weekends there is a variety of shenanigans to get into.</p>
<p>rankinr- Reread my post as I said that academics in the Biology and Life Sciences department are not easy "A"s. I know all of my friends who were Pre-Med did have to put time in else they would’ve failed out of their major. </p>
<p>November1991-I mean Spanish by the majority of the population. I do not find it fun to go to Dadeland Mall and to feel like a minority with all the non-English speaking people, it is especially a nuisance when all the waiters and waitresses understand very little English at restaurants such as Cheesecake Factory. Coral Gables is a town that is not catered to the students of UMiami, but operates as any suburb. As for Miami being boring, I did not say that, I said the campus is boring. And if you do not have transportation or wads of cash to spend on taxis, then you’re left in a pretty bad social situation. Many other universities have activities to do on campus or very close to it, however Gables is not anything of a college town.</p>
<p>If you want to feel like you’re on vacation 24/7, go to Miami, if you want to feel like you’re at a real exciting college with top notch athletics, Greek life, and college atmosphere/ town, then Gainesville and the University of Florida is for you. I hope that helps.</p>
<p>I thought you were talking about that specific paragraph and was focusing more on your “Student Body” section But this also applies to the math department, which I guess is kind of a science. And the campus isn’t boring if you are looking for stuff to do. I’m always busy with some sort of club activity and what not… And anywhere you want to go (unless you are the south beach type, in which case you probably don’t mind spending the money) you can get to via the metro, $2 each way, + a few minutes walking.</p>
<p>Also, you keep saying things along the line of “I feel that everything is handed to you at Miami,” but when you say it that way it sounds like a bad thing. What I think you mean to say is that your professors aren’t just telling you to go home and read your book… they’re actually teaching in the classroom. I’ve only been around for one semester, but none of my teachers have provided me with their notes, power points, or anything like that. I hear that the business school does, but I’ve not taken a business class, so I don’t know.</p>
<p>Yeah it’s probably only the business school. The teachers prepare you well for the exam but I feel a little “too well” as they review before each exam and most of them give out review guides or dictate to you what exactly will be on the test. The statistic courses for B-School (MAS) allow you to have cheat sheets and open note exams, which is not necessarily bad, but it is sort of detrimental to one’s studying habits. At UNC, my friends who had to take business related Stat. courses could not use cheat sheets, which made it ten times harder on exams as they had to memorize all the formulas.</p>
<p>Environment/ Town- The University of Miami is located in Coral Gables, one of the wealthiest Miami neighborhoods with outstanding Spanish and Mediterranean architecture. The city is named the City Beautiful because it was created under strict code restrictions to preserve that european feeling. The population is primarily “old money”, dating back to some families from Henry Flagler’s times. It is probably the most anglo neighborhood in Miami, population wise.The beauty of the campus, the green areas, etc make it very walkable, which is a plus. I do not personally think that it resembles a “country club” and if did, I do not think that is a bad thing anyway. There is plenty of school spirit on campus as far as sports. (Personally, I find the concept of Gator Nation rather obnoxious).</p>
<p>Not everyone likes to leave in a college town that is dead whenever students are on break, which is what happens in Gainesville (aka Cow Town) anyway. So your comments on that respect are rather baseless for comparison.</p>
<p>Student Body- Very diverse, very well represented with students from all over the country and internationally as well. The caliber of students is very strong and they are very academically influenced. UF is a state school with mostly Florida students because is very cheap and it is the least diverse. Also, U Florida is the one that gets ranked year after year as the Number One Party School and the School Where Students Study The Least (Princeton Review), so I do not know why you are challenging Miami student body from an academic stand point.</p>
<p>Let’s have the facts right and not make an ass of ourselves.</p>
But, totally, that’s not a serious article.</p>