<p>I have been accepted for undergraduate admission to both USC and University of Miami. I am coming in undecided, but with a focus on Biology, Psychology, and possibly Neuroscience. At USC was invited to apply for the Thematic Option but have not yet been notified of acceptance or not. I received the Dickenson Scholarship at UM for 20,000 a year and was chosen to go into the PRISM program which is an honors program for science and math students. </p>
<p>Luckily, I am in a situation where I can afford full tuition at USC, though the $20,000 discount is clearly a huge draw. I am from the Northeast, so both locations are far away. I am just looking for some opinions on the subject. Any help is greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Hi Something. I too am from the northeast and I was in the exact same situation as you last spring. I took Miami and its 20k over USC. I was accepted to the PRISM program and originally thought I would study marine science at Miami. And I could afford USC as well.</p>
<p>While the 20k is certainly nice, you need to decide what’s the best fit. Looking back I’m not sure I’d choose Miami again and I may not be staying at UM. However, I will say this school is great for certain people (I’m just not sure if it’s me). </p>
<p>UM and USC are quite different. USC has bigger greek scene, bigger student body, bigger sports, and higher ranked (if you care about that). UM has the beach, Miami is much different than Los Angeles. The schools have kinda different feels (Cali vs South Florida) Miami has a much bigger northeast population and more hispanic/black I believe.</p>
<p>Tell us what you’re looking for in a school…</p>
<p>Well what is important to me is quality of education (i.e. how a degree from Miami compares with a degree from USC), location (I give the edge to Miami because, even though I live in the Northeast, my father lives just 30 minutes from the campus), and athletics/school spirit/community feel (USC probably has more school spirit, but I do not know if that should be a deciding factor).</p>
<p>Ultimately, I feel like it comes down to the location and cost of Miami versus the academic and Trojan community of USC. I have yet to see the USC campus so it is hard for me to make a decision. I am going to visit Miami again next week and I am seeing USC for the first time in mid-april.</p>
<p>@Wneckid99, how has your freshman year been? Why do you say you may not return? What do you think of the PRISM program? </p>
<p>I decided not to go premed so I didn’t do the PRISM program. Some ppl like it some ppl kinda hate it. I may not return because I want a more “academic” atmosphere and have not totally loved the social life here (I like more hang out, laid back parties) and I just haven’t found a good group of ppl that I connect with. That’s me personally but it may be very different from you.</p>
<p>I know its a tough choice but its one you have to make. Ask some more specific questions if u want tho</p>
<p>Thanks I appreciate it. What do you mean it is not the social scene for you? I feel like Miami is the type of place that would have something for every one. I understand that it is a party school, but is that really all they do?</p>
<p>I think once you visit both schools you will have a much easier time making a decision.</p>
<p>I’m more laid-back also and like Wneckid said, it is a more high-class get dressed up and spend a ton of money type social scene (SO not my thing), but there are also plenty of laid-back people and parties, you just have to search harder for them. I’m finishing up my time at UM and I have found a great bunch of friends here and I love going to the bars in the Grove and just hanging out and drinking with friends. Haven’t been to South Beach since Sept 06 and it hasn’t affected my social life at all. Not saying that what Wneckid said is incorrect, but there is something for everyone, some people just have to look harder. It took me til my sophomore and maybe even my junior year to find my niche here but I’m definitely glad I was able to find it.</p>
<p>I just visited Miami a couple days ago and loved it. I found it very personal and it seems like that is the way the professors run their classes. Also, the campus is absolutely gorgeous. I will have to wait until i visit USC, but this visit definitely heightened my interest in UM.</p>
<p>I was unable to eat at the dining hall, only at the food court, on my visit. What are these dining halls like and how do they work? Is it a swipe your card and then all you can eat thing? How is the food?</p>
<p>One think I am concerned about is the social scene. I would not consider myself a partier, but it is not as if I do not party at all. Either way, I have heard that the majority of the social life revolves around clubbing and that coke is widely used among the student body. Any opinions on this? Thank you!</p>
<p>There are plenty of things to do aside from the club scene. Students definitely take advantage of having South Beach so close by but others enjoy more laid-back bars, house parties, or fraternity parties. It really depends on what scene you prefer but you can find where you fit in. I don’t really go clubbing and still have a great time and have awesome friends.</p>
<p>My sis goes here, so this is what you need to know. I go to Emory but almost transferred to Brown, however Miami is my second home. I pretty much know UM like the back of my hand and did research here a few summers and took classes here in HS. </p>
<p>PRISM program sucks, badly. Imagine taking a 5 credit physics class on top of orgo and computer science in the same semster. If you want to be pre-med, now imagine trying to do research, volunteer, and have a semi-fulfilling life. It won’t happen. With the prism program you will spend too much time in the classroom and have no time whatsoever to do anything else. It really is a dumb program and if you do decide on miami don’t do it. You don’t need the calculus based physics or computer science that is associated with the program. There is not the generous curve that is abound in regular honors classes or even the regular dumb classes.</p>
<p>Social scene: if you like clubbing and dressing up while pretending that you have lots of money choose miami. If not look elsewhere. Actually college is about studying and if you want to go to a top grad program and compete with ivy leaguers get ready to have no life whatsoever. Therefore social life should not matter.</p>
<p>Pre-med is decent…not going to garauntee what a PSYH degree would, but if you excel you can get in. There are never any Rhodes, Truman, Goldwater scholars here so you can tell there isn’t much competition too. Its quite easy with a little ambition to make yourself stand out (prominently) if you so choose.</p>
<p>Ask anything and if I’m bored I can provide so good answers, best luck</p>
<p>Don’t be concerned with the social scene. I’ve said on here before, I haven’t been to a club since September of 2006, my freshman year, (and I’ve definitely never done coke) and have had absolutely no problem making friends and having a social life. Coconut Grove is much closer than South Beach and that’s where all of the bars are, so that’s where I usually go out.</p>
<p>The dining all is all you can eat. You get a certain number of meals per week (I’d recommend the 14 meal plan) and they swipe your card when you enter. The food isn’t bad, it’s not great, but it’s college and compared to some other schools I’ve eaten at, it’s pretty decent.</p>
<p>something37, please post your impressions of USC after your visit. As I mentioned to you on the USC board, I found 'SC and Miami to be amazingly similar, (the biggest difference seems to be that the beaches are on different sides of the street). </p>
<p>As for the social scene, I would like everyone to repeat after me: All college kids party! Here is my tried-and-true-has-never-failed-yet strategy for avoiding a party you don’t want to attend: If there is a party you don’t want or feel like going to, Don’t Go. Do something else!</p>
<p>Ta Da! Operators are standing by to accept your financial donations. ;)</p>
<p>I’ll be a freshman next year but I spend a lot of time at UM (I live down the street) and I have a lot of friends that go there and they are all in different social circles. I have a friend that loves to go out every weekend, usually to South Beach, and thats fine, and then I have a friend that likes to hang in the Grove, and then I have some friends that stay near campus and go to house parties or just hang out in the dorms. They all seem to be happy. My brother attends UM and he is a total redneck, he appreciates the other side of south Florida (Everglades, fishing tournaments, etc) and he even fits in fine at UM, he hangs out with his friends in the Grove most of the time. I think if you have an open mind you’ll meet a bunch of people that you’ll fit in with. Also, being a Miami native, I love South Beach for the food and the culture and the events. I’ve never once gone to a club, but the beach is great for other chill stuff as well. </p>
<p>And I’ve always found Miami and L.A. to be pretty similar.</p>
<p>I just got back from USC and I liked it a lot, but I didnt quite love it. The campus is very nice, all red brick and seems almost rustic. Personally, I prefer the campus of Miami. Anyways, the biggest plus I could find at USC was just the student body and people in general. Everybody was very friendly and seemed like very down to earth people (something that as I have heard is hard to find at UM). Basically, I still do not know where I am going!</p>
<p>@something
we share the same dilemma. Right now i am trying to choose between 20k at miami and a spring admit at USC. I visited miami last weekend and it was really tight. the campus is awesome and it seems to host a vibrant community of students and teachers. on the plane ride back i was pretty sold on miami, but USC really knows how to lure in their prospective students. they gave me that god damn YOUSC book and that thing is really nice haha… and also my brother is at USC and he loves it so he wants me to go there. i visit USC next week and hopefully i’ll know after that if it is worth the extra $$ and spring start</p>
<p>after talking to him several times about his experience thus far at USC i would say the three biggest things he loves about USC would be (in no order):
the USC mystique… the “trojan family.” USC students and alum have this swagger and it shows.
the academics. he is a business major and has already traveled to hong kong with only being at USC for around a month or so. USC is a top notch business school with connections out the ass
the people, sports and LA. he found a really good group of friends and joined a frat. he says the party scene is awesome. and USC football is more than stellar. and he can’t complain about what LA has to offer</p>
<p>Yeah, before my visit to UM i thought there was no question I was going to USC but my visit to UM was awesome. My visit to USC wasnt quite as good but it was good enough. I think I am leaning towards Miami at the moment but I still have like 7 days to decide. </p>
<p>@Cash
What are you planning on majoring in? Let me know how you find your visit to USC.</p>