DD was accepted at University of Miami. Originally it was DD's "safety" but she is now giving it serious thought (who knows, was it this past winter that gave her the 2nd thoughts?) School does offer her interests (e.g., good international studies program which can lead to international law).
Does anyone have thoughts or experiences? Admissions told us they had 33,000 applicants for 2,000 spots. We were stunned! TIA |
Dumb rich kids; academics far below many state schools |
I'm from Miami. It's a nice campus. I was accepted but went to University of Florida instead as it had stronger academics. |
good looking student body |
Hate to reference any "rankings' but it shows up in the Top 50 universities. |
DD is in her 3rd year at UM. DCUM loves to say this is a school for not-smart rich kids. Yes, there is a lot of money there, but I have no idea where the not smart comment comes from. DD has been very very happy there and says everyone she knows is super smart (all over her freshman year suite mates, for example, had over 4.0 GPAs in high school and over 1400 SAT scores--UM doesn't compute the writing score). Yes, the weather plays an important and positive role. But she feels like she's happy and surrounded by happy people (and happier than most of her high school friends at other colleges). We've been very satisfied with courses, course selection, counseling, class sizes, one-on-one teacher interaction etc etc. She also gets very positive reaction and feedback from school alum. I'll answer any questions you have.
Here are some stats: University of Miami located in Coral Gables, Florida (8 miles from Miami) Private, just over 10,000 undergrads about $57,000 (tuition, room, board) Diversity: about 50% white M/F ration: about 50/50 39% acceptance rate Freshman class stats for 2014: Ranked Top 10% in High School Class:73% Ranked Top 5% in High School Class: 54% Average weighted GPA A- Admitted student mid-range SAT (M/CR) scores 75th Percentile:1420 25th Percentile: 1270 Admitted student mid-range ACT scores 75th Percentile 33; 25th Percentile 29 USNWR rank: 48 |
The few people I've know like a certain....lifestyle. One has gone to be very successful (law school, etc.). The rest are all comfortable. They all have a "beachy" lifestyle. Beachy isn't exactly the right word, but they all now live in sunny areas, have flashy cars and/or boats, know the "right" people, have wives who wear skimpy clothes, etc.
That is just a small sample, of course, but that is my experience. They all graduated 15-20 years ago. The guy from my HS (who ended up very successful) was reasonably bright - approx top 25% - but not an academic superstar. |
Funny how things change after 20 years and after the tenure of a Cabinent-level as president of the U whose stated purpose was to ensure the university's status as a top university. It's not Princeton but it doesn't pretend to be. |
Party school. Not respected on resumes. |
WHAT SCHOOL TODAY ISN'T A PARTY SCHOOL! |
BYU? Liberty? That's about it. Besides, what would college be without a party? |
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DD will graduate from UM next month. She has had an awesome 4 years with great internships and multiple job offers. I'd be happy to answer any real questions. BTW, there is ample opportunity for clubbing and pool parties and such. DD definitely had a very good time but has said that on Sundays the libraries are full with studying students (not just the Sunday before finals). |
DH has an engineering degree from the school and his 3 brothers and 1 sister graduated from UM. All are doing well in their chosen professions.
I've also heard that they have a great law school. |
We are giving it serious thought too! My kid was accepted at a bunch of places, including some highly ranked SLAC's but after two visits and the past brutal winter, the U is the leading candidate. Plus, the health sciences program is great. Beautiful campus, diverse student body, and best of all, Pres. Shalala has really done a lot to advance the school's academic profile. My kid is pretty responsible and not a big party animal, so I don't worry too much about the party scene there. |