<p>I have been hearing both scenarios below for many private schools, and interest in hearing from current students, recent grads or alums of UM as to what their impression is.</p>
<p>Is UM:</p>
<p>(1) A preppy school where rich kids go to party in fraternities and on South Beach before coming back home to work in the family business</p>
<p>(2) A highly rated liberal arts school, that is very selective and provides an overall great education.</p>
<p>Which is right? A combination of both?</p>
<p>You will probably find both, but UM is not a joke of a school. You need credentials to get in. If you’re just going to lay out in the sun and party, forget it.</p>
<p>I can assure you that my DS is going there for the academics and the career opportunities. Yes, the warm weather was a huge selling point. But he is not going there for the parties.</p>
<p>I am sure you can find many, many types on campus. Depends what you are looking for.</p>
<p>UM attracts a lot of “rich” kids, and many people here care about their physical appearance - hence plenty of tanning, gym-going, and dressing nice. These people are socially outgoing and like to have fun: they know they’re coming to Miami. </p>
<p>Those SAME kids (as well as the others that don’t fit that description) are also bright, motivated, ambitious, very intelligent, and work hard. Nobody is here to go back to their “family business.” UM is selective, you don’t just walk in. The education it offers is amazing, and only getting better. It’s fairly challenging and sound. </p>
<p>Yes there are preppy kids here, yes people here know how to and want to have fun, but also: No, everybody doesn’t fit that stereotype, yes, those people still find their places and love their time, and lastly: Yes, everybody here takes their academics seriously, they aren’t here just to party because when they try doing that, they realize it doesn’t work out, and yes, everybody here is academically driven.</p>
<p>Also, I’d like to stress the difference between “liberal arts school” and “research institution.” Miami falls under the latter category. Liberal arts schools teach, well, a liberal arts curriculum, emphasizing a broader educational range. Examples of schools in Florida would be Eckerd, Flagler, Rollins, and Stetson. They’re usually very small (<5k students), and an emphasis is usually put an BA degrees as opposed to BS degrees. Miami, on the other hand, is a private research institution, stressing undergrad research and preparation for a career in research, medicine, law, etc. Miami, therefore, has more money to give for the purposes of funding research, which can be very helpful for someone interested in doing undergraduate research.</p>