University of Miami Visit

Parents Forum
1

<p>We returned last night from a few days at UM. It was a fabulous visit and unless S gets an offer he can’t refuse from one of his other schools, it looks like we’ll be putting a Miami decal on our car!</p>

<p>We arrived after taking the red eye from the west coast. The balmy weather – in the 70s – was a lovely change from the Pacific NW. After a quick lunch and stop to check in at the motel, we decided to take the 3PM campus tour. Stopped by first to say hello to the Adcomm we’d met at S’s interview, who welcomed us warmly and connected us with a student whom S could accompany to class later in the visit.</p>

<p>Campus tour was led by a junior and a freshman, both of whom were friendly, knowledgeable and frank in their answers. Freshman was learning the tour guide ropes, but it was nice to have two people who could answer questions and offer opinions. The campus is beautiful – my H was very impressed with the many places to sit outside – tables with umbrellas, benches etc. Saw lots of kids separately and in groups. Saw very few kids with headphones on. As we walked around, a few shouted at us good naturedly, "It’s great – come here!" Some took advantage of the wireless network to use their laptops while outside. We were told that printing is free and there was no need to bring a printer.</p>

<p>Campus is beautifully maintained – we saw many maintenance staff doing various kinds of grounds grooming, and all the buildings were clean. (No graffiti in the library bathrooms, or anywhere else that I recall. Dorms were clean – no litter, no trashed furniture, etc.) With the palm trees, outside seating, pool off the UC and expansive lawns, it definitely has a resort feel. Tour took nearly 2 hours and we not only saw the insides and outsides of many buildings but we also had many questions answered. </p>

<p>Asked both guides what they did not like about the U. The junior said that she was asked that question last week on a tour also, and had a hard time answering it then and it would not be any easier now. She said that it was expensive, but that it was worth it. The freshman agreed it was expensive, and said that sometimes it was hard to park. When I asked about the health service, I learned it was not hard to get an appointment, that you could specify if you needed a nurse, preferred a male/female doc, etc. When I asked if she thought she got good care, she said not always. I did not ask for details and she did not elaborate. </p>

<p>Later in the visit, we chatted at a local farmers market with a fireman. He said that drinking seems down on the campus, that the calls they get seem to be more over-reaction (someone called but call was not necessary). He said they do serve the campus and if need be would take a kid to Doctors Hosp which borders the campus on one side. He told us that underage kids caught drinking are thrown out; S said he wasn’t quite sure that was accurate based on kids he talked to. He was never offered a drink (he stayed with different kids on 3 successive nights, some nights in the dorms and others in off campus housing, both weekends and weekdays). Kids do not drink in the dorms. Frats with houses/suites on campus are dry but students do party at off campus parties as well as in Coconut Grove and South Beach. I am sure kids do drink, but we saw no signs of it and got the definite sense that drinking was down from previous years. I remembered a post about how some dorms at other schools are pretty disgusting come Sunday morning, reflecting the drinking done by residents - on or off campus - the night before. S said that was not at all true when we picked him up Sunday morning at a freshman dorm.</p>

<p>Dorms we saw were coed by floor - male floor with bathroom, female floor with its bathroom. Walked into an empty male bathroom after H checked to be sure it was empty and it was very clean. There are other dorm setups (suites, etc.) but everyone recommended Stanford/Hecht for freshman as they said they were the best place to meet kids. Dorms are in residencial colleges and some of the faculty we talked to were among those who live in the residence halls with their families. S said he also met some of the resident faculty when he was hanging out with kids in the dorm lobby.</p>

<p>To be continued....</p>

2

<p>Back to the tour – when it ended, we set off to grab an early dinner in the dining hall, but on the way S saw some kids playing lacrosse. So we instead went back to the motel (the Gables Inn – its best quality was how close it was – probably wouldn’t go back) which was just across from campus. He grabbed his gear and we dropped him back at the athletic field. He had made plans to work out with the Club team the following day, but it turned out the kids he saw were the ones he had emailed with. He played with them, joined them for dinner at a dining hall, and spent the evening with them. He did not stay over since it was a Wed. night and everyone had work to get done, but he was invited to overnight on Thursday. Got dropped back at the motel, dropped his lacrosse gear and decided to jog over to the wellness center which we had seen on the tour. Did that and also connected with his host for the next day. Managed to talk himself into the wellness center (he’d forgotten the pass we had from admissions) and was delighted with the facilities there.</p>

<p>The next day he met his host, and went to a Communications class in sports journalism. Loved the class, which was taught by someone who writes for the Miami Herald. In fact her front page story appeared a few days later. The guest speaker that day was someone who writes for ESPN (well known to S but not to me). One of them – I think the ESPN writer – had written an expose on steroid use by some famous athlete. Later that day he met up with his LAX friends and sat in on a history class which he also liked but not quite as much. Guess it is hard to top famous sportswriters.</p>

<p>Tour guides had told us that there are free tutoring services as well as writing labs on campus. Both guides took advantage of them at different points in their UM careers and they said kids do so without any stigma. Asked if they studied a lot, they said it depends on what classes they are taking. Some kids study a lot and some don’t</p>

<p>While S was at class, we spoke to the person who does recruiting for the Business school. She was smart, helpful and very nice and we were quite impressed with both the program and the facilities (newly renovated and very spiffy – later we were told by a student in the sciences that she is jealous of the new digs for the Bus school as her classrooms are not as fancy). We especially liked the efforts made to find kids internships and the separate mentorship program, which pairs upperclassmen with business leaders, many of whom were movers and shakers in the community. She said that on graduations, about 1/3 go on to grad or prof school, about 1/3 have jobs, and the final 1/3 are not quite decided yet or are still looking. The kids start in the Bus school but the program requires students to take a broad course offering in the humanities, social sciences and sciences before they specialize. If they change their plans, those requirements will generally meet the requirements in the other schools. Many kids do double majors or a major/minor in a broad array of areas. S could definitely blend his interests at UM. She spoke to us for a good hour and then took about 20 minutes to meet S and answer more questions the following day</p>

<p>While S was at class, H and I also visited with colleagues in his field. One of them who has been there 20 years said that when he came, UM was about a C+ place. He said it is now a B+ and quickly becoming an A-. He also said that no other school has risen in the USNWR ranking as quickly as UM – did not check that but I think it reflects the fact that UM is becoming better and better academically. Another colleague who taught with H many years ago at an ivy said he really sees the improvement in the last 10 years since he has been there. Students are more serious – you can see it in their attitudes, the books they read, etc. He also said his wife (who lives still in ivy town) notices it even more as she is not there day in and day out. Noted that a pinball room at the UC was converted to study space – things like that. He said that he saw the improvement in academics as proof that if you throw enough money at something, you can make a difference. Also talked to two young faculty who had moved this year from U of Chicago to the new Center for Judaic Studies. They said UM students were active participants in class and were not afraid to say so if they didn’t know something. They also said that compared to their U of Chicago students, UM students were not as strong writers. </p>

<p>We also stopped in the Hillel, which is very active. Spoke to several of the staff members, and were invited for services and dinner the following day. About 60 kids were there for services. They ran two parallel services (Orthodox and Progressive/egalitarian) but everyone ate together. Dinner had been cooked by the kids (and was nothing to write home about but it was ample). But everyone was welcoming and again, everyone told us what a great school it was. Not a one regretted his/her decision to attend. </p>

<p>S also spent one evening with a frat kid. Kid said he never planned to join but when all the kids on his floor did, he decided to and is now rush chair. He said that during rush, time is set aside every night when the pledges must study - at least in his frat - not sure if that is true across the board. Only about 14-15% go Greek so S felt there would be lots of options for him either way. He would consider pledging but didn’t feel he would have to, to have a social life.</p>

<p>We got to meet lots of students – S met even more. Everyone urged him to attend. No one
Regretted his/her decision to attend the UM. We saw a few groups of same ethnic group kids (like 4 or 5 Hispanic kids at a table) but the vast majority of kids in groups were mixed, whether we saw them in the library, dining halls or relaxing on the grass. Very multicultural campus. On Saturday we saw a large group of UM students hosting local special needs kids at a Funday – stopped into the main info area for visitors to get a phone book, and had to make my way through a whole host of UM kids in bright yellow t-shirts, singing songs with their little buddies. It was a service project organized by Student Activities.</p>

<p>There was a definite feeling that Donna Shalala has been very good for the campus. Seniors told us that they really feel that they are getting a degree that will be more and more valuable as the reputation of the school continues to improve. All felt they had gotten a good education and were pleased they had come to UM.</p>

<p>More later, I am sure – but this is enough for now!</p>

3

<p>From the first few moments on campus, it felt right to us and to S. It almost seemed like the rest of the time we were finding rational reasons why it was right. Kind of like walking into a home you might buy and knowing it was right before seeing all the rooms.</p>

<p>The kids looked like our kid - fit, casual, more preppy than artsy. I'd expected many to look like "rich kids" but they really didn't. Girls had little if no makeup/fancy jewelry. They were a little more dressed up (according to S) on the weekends, but still pretty casual. During the school day, most wore t-shirts, jeans or jogging pants, or shorts. Lots of flip flops, some backwards baseball hats. Girls seemed to trade their flip flops for fancier shoes on Saturday night. Very few bikes; a few were on long boards; most kids walked from place to place. They did not really saunter - they seemed to have a purposeful stride; to be heading somewhere they wanted to go. </p>

<p>Hard to explain but it just felt that S would fit right in - which, as the visit progressed, he did.</p>

4

<p>Glad to hear your visit went so well. Anyone I know who had anything to do with UM was very pleased. I have one friend whose twin daughters went there and then both went on to Medical School. She felt the education they received was excellent. Good Luck to your S in making his decision.</p>

5

<p>wish<em>it</em>was_april, thanks for the great report.
You were very thorough, but I have a couple of questions, how are intramural and club sports at the school? Easy to join? Lots of participation?
Do most kids go to the football and basketball games?
Which national companies actually recruit on campus?
I know you might not know these answers, but what the he**?</p>

6

<p>Your review was great! A true indepth review. I am a student, so hearing it from a students perspective may have been a little more insightful, but still, a wonderful review. </p>

<p>I'm heading down soon and will be sure to post my views when I get back!</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

7

<p>My daughter applied to the University of Miami Early Action without knowing anything much about it. It fit some of her criteria including medium size, located in a city and having a variety of majors with good programs in science and engineering. It also has "football" which for some reason rates high on her list of important items. </p>

<p>She was accepted and offered a 3/4 scholarship which makes the cost roughly the same as going to our state university. We visited in January on a Saturday just to get an idea of what it was like. While the dorms seemed to be in need of a bit of updating, the rest of the campus was well maintained, the people friendly and encouraging and the mix of students, both that we saw on campus and in the group of potential applicants, were probably more broad based than we had seen anywhere else we had visited.</p>

<p>It is not her first choice, but still a very good possibility. </p>

<p>One of the men where I work attended there and had nothing but good things to say about it, even though it was in 1992 and he lived through hurricane Andrew while there.</p>

<p>One funny thing happened during our visit. We were walking along when there was a loud thump behind us. We turned around to see a lizard, about 15 inches long lying on its back. It fell from a tree and was just laying there stunned. Had that happened a few seconds earlier, it would have landed on our heads. So if you visit, beware of lizards dropping from the sky!</p>

8

<p>Nearly all the tall trees in Miami have these large green iguanas living in them. You seldom see them, since they mostly stay way up in the trees. But when there is a cold snap (cold for Miami, not cold for Buffalo), the lizards get sluggish. And if it gets a little colder they get so torpid they lose their grip and start falling out of the trees.</p>

<p>Word of Warning: These raining lizards are not dead. Do not pick one up and take it into your house, because once it is in the house it will quickly start to warm up and will soon regain consciousness. You can imagine how it will go from there....</p>

9

<p>wish,</p>

<p>I am so glad that you and your family had such a wonderful visit at U.of Miami and that your son felt like he fit in so perfectly! As I think I told you, I graduated from the University of Miami many years ago. At the time, I didn't feel like it was the best fit for me, but I think it would be much more so now. My son did end up applying there, and we are hoping that with his ACT score (34) and his class standing (top 1%) that he may get a significant merit aid offer from them come April.</p>

<p>I have a question about the dorms. You said that they were coed by floor. Is that true for all of the dorms? When I attended there, our floors were coed: boys were down one side, girls down the other, I believe. Also, the dorm I was in had one bathroom per two rooms. Do they have any dorms like that still, with suites? </p>

<p>I think U.of Miami has come a long way in the past 20 years toward becoming a more substantially academic institution. I am proud of its progress and I hope that it continues into the future. I hope that should your son choose this fine school, he enjoys his tenure there tremendously.</p>

<p>Thanks for the fantastic review!</p>

<p>~berurah</p>

10

<p>Wow, April, from the Pacific NW to Miami! How long is the flight? I enjoyed your description and am printing out a copy as I do for posts I want to keep for future reference. Thanks for all of this information.</p>

11

<p>This is another 'hot' school. I've heard little merit aid , as it's hot and has plenty of applicants. Is this true?</p>

12

<p>And it's also, well . . . hot. I've heard good things about UM and mentioned it to my S, but he has experienced south Florida in the warmer months several times and wanted no part of it!</p>

13

<p>Can you tell me what the surrounding neighborhood is like? I know Coral Gables is a nice area, but I've only seen the old UM stadium, which was in a less-than-desirable neighborhood.</p>

14

<p>Thanks, everyone, for your feedback.</p>

<p>Dstark, From what I heard from S and students we met, the football games do draw everyone. The tickets are either free or $25 for the whole season - they pretty much come with your student fees I believe. Not sure about B-ball but I'd venture to say it is pretty popular too.</p>

<p>As for recruiting, while we were on our tour we saw the end of a career fair that drew lots of companies in who were recruiting for interns and summer employees. The Bus person said that lots of kids take jobs in NY, which is logical given that their two strong areas are finance and marketing, and that a lot of kids come from NY and NJ. The Bus viewbook has a long list of Fortune 500 and smaller firms that recruit and that participate in the mentorship programs. I just scanned in again and see companies like:</p>

<p>AMEX, Bell South, Merrill Lynch, Ernst & Young, Delta, IBM, various other top name accounting firms and credit card companies, several computer companies, several drug companies, more airlines, cruise lines, Disney, sports teams, more top investment companies. The partial list goes on for 2 pages. We were told they are often national and international companies (they are also strong in internat'l bus) with branches in FL.</p>

<p>As for club sports, S emailed someone we found on the website re: LAX and then got in touch with the captain. Team is new - started by captain and his friend two years ago. It is getting bigger each year and once they get established UM will help support them - probably next year. Team seems to be easy going which suits me fine - S wants to play but not have it take over his life. I asked S if they played at about his level (he is a starter on his HS team which won the state championship but he is not the best player among them) and he said they play at about his level. They invited S to not only practice with them but to play with them on a road trip, which he decided not to do. There are lots of other club sports; we saw flyers encouraging kids to join them at the wellness center. Check the website for more info.</p>

<p>Re the dorms, there are also suites (2 rooms that share a bathroom) which seem to be more for upperclassmen and we were told the kids clean the bathrooms. I don't know about all the dorms but Stanford / Hecht are arranged by floor as I described above and a UM staff person keeps the bathroom clean. </p>

<p>S is way too busy to write a review like mine but would probably be willing to email with others considering UM.</p>

<p>They do give lots of $$ but a senior said she got a 1/2 scholarship and if she applied today she knows she'd get less. I asked her if people negogiate for more and she said she knew people who tried but did not know anyone who succeeded.</p>

<p>We were told it was quite hot in Aug. Sept and Oct. I asked about heat in the dorms and was told they don't need heat..... Silly me. We also heard about a prof's kid who opted to go up north because he didn't like the heat. S is the opposite - he said he is all the more confirmed after visiting about wanting to avoid a school where he'll have to bundle up with hats, scarves, etc. just to go from class to class. At UM they pop in the pool between classes!</p>

<p>A few more thoughts - a mom on the tour asked many questions about security. The tour leaders - both women - seemed surprised. They said they go anywhere on campus they want, alone and at night, and feel quite safe, but that security will escort you if you call them. She pointed out blue emergency phones and said you can see the next one from the one you are at - you should always be within sight of one. After 10 (I think) dorms only open with a Cane card and you need to use it more than once to get upstairs. We also saw barriers (like at a RR) when we drove by late at night, although the one night we were dropping S off at 10PM we were just waved through.... I think the Cane card only lets in kids that live in that dorm and visitors call their friends to be let in. However we noticed that the second door where they had to swipe a card - the one going from the inner lobby to the elevators - had been taped so that it did not latch and a kid passing through said they (kids) do that sometimes.</p>

<p>S was warned not to walk back from Coconut Grove as there is a dangerous area on Grand (?) where UM kids have gotten mugged. Appparently some kids without cars don't want to pay the $7/8 for a cab and have walked. We drove through and did see a few people loitering in the area S mentioned. But Coconut Grove itself seemed quite safe and busy, filled with lots of people that Saturday night. We dined outside which was delightful. S said that he was told you don't need a car but it helps to have a friend who has one! Parking was not easy and we thought there were probably lots of fender benders in the lots as kids in a hurry tried to find spots. S won't have a car there.</p>

15

<p>Just saw that last question - Coral Gables is a fancy little suburb. Route 1 borders the campus - very busy. I thought two down sides were busy route 1 and the busy airport. Both need a little extra time to negogiate. But a student living on campus will not have to deal with it that often. H did not think either was a real problem. One of the kids S stayed with lived behind the Holiday Inn and walked back and forth. Overflow kids apparently stay at the HI from Aug to Dec., according to the desk staff there, until housing shakes out mid year.</p>

16

<p>wish_it-was-april, your reviews on UM are among the most elaborate I have ever seen on this board about any school. Thank you very much. These reviews are definitely savable and should be put in the individual school section of CC by the mods. Very helpful.</p>

17

<p>Wish it was - how did the sandals go? Was it hard to get on the plane to go back? It wouldn't have been difficult in Aug/Sept ;).
What % of students stay on campus? Do a lot of upper classmen move out? U of M is one of those places that I think may be too selective for my son by the time he's old enough to apply, but would be a good fit :(.</p>

18

<p>Went to high school in S.Miami and mom still lives there.....Grand Ave needs to be avoided. Like any big city there are places to keep out of. Miami has a lot of those areas but in general you have to go out of your way to get to the bad spots.</p>

19

<p>Wish---</p>

<p>Great, great review. Knew that it would be. You certainly did it right in planning an truly interactive trip for your son rather than the traditional dog-and-pony show. Also good to hear that from your point of view the myth about Miami coeds with high heels and Coach purses has been debunked!</p>

<p>D's waiting to hear from two more schools but it's certainly nice to know that a good-hoping-to-be-great institution like UM is in the pocket already.</p>

20

<p>Hi again,</p>

<p>I sure needed those sandals! Did have one cool evening when I switched back to my clogs and jeans but generally wore capris and sandals. It really was hard to come back here (but in fairness to those considering Oregon, today is sunny and gorgeous and I don't really need a jacket....) I really loved the tropical feel of the place.</p>

<p>We did spend a good chunk of Saturday exploring Miami Beach, South Beach and Coconut Grove. S swam after we took a long walk up the beach. I was amazed at how warm the water was. He also tried out the UM pool. </p>

<p>Had a fabulous meal at Versailles, in Little Havana. </p>

<p>Forgot to mention that the girls also wore little short skirts. But you just didn't get the feeling that what they wore was all that important. Lots of UM clothes too, which I took as a sign that kids like and support their school. One kid told S that the first 2 weeks of freshman year were the most fun he'd ever had in his life. (Orientation is just 4 days....and it is hot in August - so I guess things must start off very well.)</p>

<p>The tour guides said that about 60-70% stay on campus, and all freshman except those who live close by must live on campus that first year.</p>

<p>I kept asking about cellphones and it seemed that they all work fine.</p>

<p>Didn't see any falling lizards but will warn S!</p>

<p>When we talked about safety, the tour guides said that few people lock their doors, and that lots of people leave laptops and backpacks on tables in the library. </p>

<p>When we asked about how many kids smoke, the tour guide said "Enough to annoy me." S thought fewer people smoked at UM than he'd seen at the other SE school he visited.</p>

<p>Wish</p>