University of Miami with Merit money vs. UVA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really now? I've got no horse in this race as a UMD grad, but in terms of general quality and perceived quality, there is no comparison between the 2 schools. Since OP already said she can afford either. I say let the kid follow his dream and attend UVA.

The issue is value. Is the additional perceived quality worth the $85,000 higher price tag?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ a UMD poster I’m guessing.

PP, here. I wouldn't pay $65K (or $42K) for UMD, either.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. OOS for UVA is about $65,000. Going to Miami will cost us about $42,000 a year so over the difference is about 85,000 total over 4 years. This would pay for at least one year of professional graduate school. At this time law school or business school are possibilities but no one can ever predict what career tracks kids take and whether they end up at grad school or not. Undergrad major would not be in any STEM related subjects. More like English or Economics.

And DS is very grateful for the 529. We are the ones that told him he needed to make the decision based on what he finds to be the best fit and not only base it on an overall lower cost for us.
For all the snarky commentators, we're happy that he is looking at academic rigor and rankings of both schools to make his decision because otherwise no one would turn down the campus and lifestyle at Miami.

Easy one OP. Miami all the way. Save you $ for later.

I haven't read the entire thread, so forgive me if I missed something, but...

Going to Miami for $42K, per year, is hardly a bargain. All the Canes have done is jack up the sticker price of their tuition to make it look like they are giving you a "huge" scholarship. It's odd how otherwise intelligent people don't see through this blatant gimmick. Miami is notorious for being the place for rich kids who didn't get into an elite school but are too proud to go to XYZ State University, in-state, for a fraction of the cost.

If you are OOS, why is 65K *per year* for UVA even a consideration? Why not just go to a local decent state school for peanuts? It's astonishing to me that US News rankings so enthrall otherwise intelligent people that they are willing to spend $200,000+ when they could go to a good, but less prestigious, school for free.

No State school, not even community college is "free"

[Anonymous]

I’d rather live in Miami anyway.

What a fun college experience!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. OOS for UVA is about $65,000. Going to Miami will cost us about $42,000 a year so over the difference is about 85,000 total over 4 years. This would pay for at least one year of professional graduate school. At this time law school or business school are possibilities but no one can ever predict what career tracks kids take and whether they end up at grad school or not. Undergrad major would not be in any STEM related subjects. More like English or Economics.

And DS is very grateful for the 529. We are the ones that told him he needed to make the decision based on what he finds to be the best fit and not only base it on an overall lower cost for us.
For all the snarky commentators, we're happy that he is looking at academic rigor and rankings of both schools to make his decision because otherwise no one would turn down the campus and lifestyle at Miami.

Easy one OP. Miami all the way. Save you $ for later.

I haven't read the entire thread, so forgive me if I missed something, but...

Going to Miami for $42K, per year, is hardly a bargain. All the Canes have done is jack up the sticker price of their tuition to make it look like they are giving you a "huge" scholarship. It's odd how otherwise intelligent people don't see through this blatant gimmick. Miami is notorious for being the place for rich kids who didn't get into an elite school but are too proud to go to XYZ State University, in-state, for a fraction of the cost.

If you are OOS, why is 65K *per year* for UVA even a consideration? Why not just go to a local decent state school for peanuts? It's astonishing to me that US News rankings so enthrall otherwise intelligent people that they are willing to spend $200,000+ when they could go to a good, but less prestigious, school for free.

No State school, not even community college is "free"

Any school can be free if you get a full-ride. Some students combine their school scholarships with their state scholarships (like Bright Futures and the HOPE scholarship) and pay for both tuition and room & board. The trade-off is that they go to Alabama or Georgia, or even an up-and-coming "directional" school, like Central Florida, where their stats are well above average, instead of Vandy or Emory, where they are nothing special (relatively speaking).

It's really just a matter of how much extra do you want to pay for prestige? It may surprise you but I can confidently say that within the state of Florida, no one in their right mind would pay $200K more to attend Miami over Central Florida (or UF, or FSU, etc.), unless they are rich. Though, I understand that OP is probably from a walk of life where attending a "no-name" state school is regarded as an embarrassment, so you have to factor this in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. OOS for UVA is about $65,000. Going to Miami will cost us about $42,000 a year so over the difference is about 85,000 total over 4 years. This would pay for at least one year of professional graduate school. At this time law school or business school are possibilities but no one can ever predict what career tracks kids take and whether they end up at grad school or not. Undergrad major would not be in any STEM related subjects. More like English or Economics.

And DS is very grateful for the 529. We are the ones that told him he needed to make the decision based on what he finds to be the best fit and not only base it on an overall lower cost for us.
For all the snarky commentators, we're happy that he is looking at academic rigor and rankings of both schools to make his decision because otherwise no one would turn down the campus and lifestyle at Miami.

Easy one OP. Miami all the way. Save you $ for later.

I haven't read the entire thread, so forgive me if I missed something, but...

Going to Miami for $42K, per year, is hardly a bargain. All the Canes have done is jack up the sticker price of their tuition to make it look like they are giving you a "huge" scholarship. It's odd how otherwise intelligent people don't see through this blatant gimmick. Miami is notorious for being the place for rich kids who didn't get into an elite school but are too proud to go to XYZ State University, in-state, for a fraction of the cost.

If you are OOS, why is 65K *per year* for UVA even a consideration? Why not just go to a local decent state school for peanuts? It's astonishing to me that US News rankings so enthrall otherwise intelligent people that they are willing to spend $200,000+ when they could go to a good, but less prestigious, school for free.

Agree. Gluttony for prestige. The fact that someone could throw away 85K as well. Just sickening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d rather live in Miami anyway.

What a fun college experience!

The U of Miami is in Coral Gables, which is fine, but not exactly a convenient stroll from either the city of Miami or the beach. Going into the city is inconvenient and expensive. That's why their stadium is famously half-empty during most football games, despite being one of the most storied brands in football.

Sure, it still beats UVA in this respect, but don't go there without a realistic understanding of the geography.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d rather live in Miami anyway.

What a fun college experience!

The U of Miami is in Coral Gables, which is fine, but not exactly a convenient stroll from either the city of Miami or the beach. Going into the city is inconvenient and expensive. That's why their stadium is famously half-empty during most football games, despite being one of the most storied brands in football.

Sure, it still beats UVA in this respect, but don't go there without a realistic understanding of the geography.

Interesting. My niece and nephew are both at Miami and their social medias are rife with pictures of them partying it up in Miami, at the beach, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d rather live in Miami anyway.

What a fun college experience!

The U of Miami is in Coral Gables, which is fine, but not exactly a convenient stroll from either the city of Miami or the beach. Going into the city is inconvenient and expensive. That's why their stadium is famously half-empty during most football games, despite being one of the most storied brands in football.

Sure, it still beats UVA in this respect, but don't go there without a realistic understanding of the geography.

Interesting. My niece and nephew are both at Miami and their social medias are rife with pictures of them partying it up in Miami, at the beach, etc.

This has to be a joke. The social life of U students hardly centers on Coral Gables and they have zero trouble getting to the Grove, Winwood, Brickell, South Beach, and numerous nearby beaches. My DD has twice sailed with friends to the Bahamas and a private island for the weekend. The stadium is not in Miami but in a city north of Miami, 45 minutes from campus. Not ideal, but they play in a top NFL stadium with 65,000+ capacity and student population of about 10,000. This past football season the stadium has been famously sold out. I’m not saying this is an ideal atmosphere for every 20 yr old, but to suggest the kids are in some way isolated or have trouble getting to fun venues is laughable.

[Anonymous]

OP, I'm not sure about your family situation - Is one of you a SAHP, is this your only/last child, etc..

If yes, one of you should consider moving to VA or FL. In-state tuition at both places (at least from the second year) would be a lot cheaper. If you live in MOCO, just buy a cheap apartment in Farfax county, register to vote here, driver's license, etc and a year later you get to pay in-state.

http://www.schev.edu/index/tuition-aid/in-state-residency

Google similar requirements for FL though I'm guessing your scholarship money would be off the table or reduced if you go in-state.

[Anonymous]

University of Miami is private so no in state tuition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d rather live in Miami anyway.

What a fun college experience!

The U of Miami is in Coral Gables, which is fine, but not exactly a convenient stroll from either the city of Miami or the beach. Going into the city is inconvenient and expensive. That's why their stadium is famously half-empty during most football games, despite being one of the most storied brands in football.

Sure, it still beats UVA in this respect, but don't go there without a realistic understanding of the geography.

Interesting. My niece and nephew are both at Miami and their social medias are rife with pictures of them partying it up in Miami, at the beach, etc.

This has to be a joke. The social life of U students hardly centers on Coral Gables and they have zero trouble getting to the Grove, Winwood, Brickell, South Beach, and numerous nearby beaches. My DD has twice sailed with friends to the Bahamas and a private island for the weekend. The stadium is not in Miami but in a city north of Miami, 45 minutes from campus. Not ideal, but they play in a top NFL stadium with 65,000+ capacity and student population of about 10,000. This past football season the stadium has been famously sold out. I’m not saying this is an ideal atmosphere for every 20 yr old, but to suggest the kids are in some way isolated or have trouble getting to fun venues is laughable.

It's different from most campuses in that the social scene tends to be more off-campus and can be a bit cliquish. This is no problem if you've got a bit of money or access to transportation, or you can afford to "Uber it," pay to get into clubs, have connections to friends with condos or yachts, fly to private islands, etc., but even a few miles can be a challenge if you are a poor student with no car.

[Anonymous]

It’s $70k a year. Kids have some Uber money or can ride in their roommate’s car. This is true for most campuses that aren’t isolated or in the middle of nowhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d rather live in Miami anyway.

What a fun college experience!

The U of Miami is in Coral Gables, which is fine, but not exactly a convenient stroll from either the city of Miami or the beach. Going into the city is inconvenient and expensive. That's why their stadium is famously half-empty during most football games, despite being one of the most storied brands in football.

Sure, it still beats UVA in this respect, but don't go there without a realistic understanding of the geography.

Interesting. My niece and nephew are both at Miami and their social medias are rife with pictures of them partying it up in Miami, at the beach, etc.

This has to be a joke. The social life of U students hardly centers on Coral Gables and they have zero trouble getting to the Grove, Winwood, Brickell, South Beach, and numerous nearby beaches. My DD has twice sailed with friends to the Bahamas and a private island for the weekend. The stadium is not in Miami but in a city north of Miami, 45 minutes from campus. Not ideal, but they play in a top NFL stadium with 65,000+ capacity and student population of about 10,000. This past football season the stadium has been famously sold out. I’m not saying this is an ideal atmosphere for every 20 yr old, but to suggest the kids are in some way isolated or have trouble getting to fun venues is laughable.

So - no homework or studying then? Doesn’t sound like a rigorous education.

Private island?? Sounds modest too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d rather live in Miami anyway.

What a fun college experience!

The U of Miami is in Coral Gables, which is fine, but not exactly a convenient stroll from either the city of Miami or the beach. Going into the city is inconvenient and expensive. That's why their stadium is famously half-empty during most football games, despite being one of the most storied brands in football.

Sure, it still beats UVA in this respect, but don't go there without a realistic understanding of the geography.

Interesting. My niece and nephew are both at Miami and their social medias are rife with pictures of them partying it up in Miami, at the beach, etc.

This has to be a joke. The social life of U students hardly centers on Coral Gables and they have zero trouble getting to the Grove, Winwood, Brickell, South Beach, and numerous nearby beaches. My DD has twice sailed with friends to the Bahamas and a private island for the weekend. The stadium is not in Miami but in a city north of Miami, 45 minutes from campus. Not ideal, but they play in a top NFL stadium with 65,000+ capacity and student population of about 10,000. This past football season the stadium has been famously sold out. I’m not saying this is an ideal atmosphere for every 20 yr old, but to suggest the kids are in some way isolated or have trouble getting to fun venues is laughable.

So - no homework or studying then? Doesn’t sound like a rigorous education.

Private island?? Sounds modest too.

OP - Here are reasons NOT to send your DC to Miami.