Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is up with the housing for sororities?

My dad went to Miami way back in the 60s. In the 90s when i was looking at colleges, he REALLY wanted me to go to Miami and he and my mom made me at least to a tour there. I remember them saying something about how fraternities had their own frat houses but sororities weren't allowed to have separate houses and instead had specific sections of the dorms. My mom (a faux feminist) was appalled by the double standard and no longer pressured me to consider Miami.

I went there 30 years ago, so my memory is fuzzy. This was the set up. As to the "why," I'm vaguely remembering that it's a condition based on a major donor. (Just did some quick Googling. No firm answer, but here's an article on the subject: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/sorority-houses-an-unattainable-dream -- it cites brothel laws and the major donation theory as the main rumors for the lack of sorority houses.)

So you were probably a student there when I took my tour (summer of 92)

Yes, I remember that "condition of a major donor" thing too. It just really rubbed me the wrong way--and I didn't even plan to rush or anything, but that a university was willing to discriminate like that if offered enough money, is pretty sick.

Snopes says the "brothel law" is false. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/brothel-laws-sororities/

I grew up near Miami (back when they were still Redskins) and it was and is very well regarded in the area. Considered an UMC school. Have several friends who attended before going to professional or graduate school. All loved it.

Fun fact I applied as my safety school but didn’t get in. I like to think it was yield protection because several other classmates got in and I was admitted to Wash U, Michigan and Northwestern. My parents are now hoping my high schoolers will attend, my oldest did like it when we visited. Oxford is a great college town, not so different than Ann Arbor but smaller.

I loved Miami. The campus is the prettiest one I've been to. I went on to graduate school at Indiana University - which is also a beautiful campus, but I'd put Miami's on top.

Oxford, Ohio is a full on college town. There's really no other reason for its existence. Back when I went there in the 90s, it had something like 18 bars in 3 square blocks. I wasn't aware of any particular drug issues back in the day, but binge drinking was very much part of the culture. A compact campus plus limited car availability made the binge drinking relatively safe. (That kind of thing is never entirely safe - but with the population being almost entirely college kids who are walking to their destinations, some of the risks are mitigated.)

The PP mentioned what's called the Western program -- I didn't participate in that program, but it was a bit of a silo unto itself. The impression I got was that Western was like Oberlin or Earlham. A very liberal, liberal arts program that was incorporated into Miami. (I think it had been a separate women's college at some point.) Students can take a very interdisciplinary approach and sort of craft their own majors.

If you don't go that route, Miami has a very well regarded business school and solid programs for other majors. (I studied history/political science on my way to law school). It's primarily occupied by sons and daughters of the Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus suburbs. A lot of very attractive white kids go there. It skews conservative but -- at the time -- only by college standards. My impression was that college-conservative = fairly moderate in the "real world." (Paul Ryan's fraternity notwithstanding. The Delta Tau Deltas -- "Dicks 'Til Death" mostly hung out at Top Deck (Top Delt) bar. So you could avoid them.)

It's only about 20 miles (and 30 minutes) from the northern edge of Cincinnati. (Bunch of retail options on Colerain Avenue in northern Cincinnati.) It is about an hour to the Cincinnati airport (actually in northern Kentucky) or, for that matter, about an hour to the Dayton airport. Two hours to Indianapolis or Columbus.

Anyway, best years of my life were there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is up with the housing for sororities?

My dad went to Miami way back in the 60s. In the 90s when i was looking at colleges, he REALLY wanted me to go to Miami and he and my mom made me at least to a tour there. I remember them saying something about how fraternities had their own frat houses but sororities weren't allowed to have separate houses and instead had specific sections of the dorms. My mom (a faux feminist) was appalled by the double standard and no longer pressured me to consider Miami.

I went there 30 years ago, so my memory is fuzzy. This was the set up. As to the "why," I'm vaguely remembering that it's a condition based on a major donor. (Just did some quick Googling. No firm answer, but here's an article on the subject: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/sorority-houses-an-unattainable-dream -- it cites brothel laws and the major donation theory as the main rumors for the lack of sorority houses.)

Frat houses with no sorority houses is a rape environment. Obviously not the intent, but that's the effect. Women are just much safer from sexual violence when they party on their own home turf.

Anonymous wrote:What is up with the housing for sororities?

My dad went to Miami way back in the 60s. In the 90s when i was looking at colleges, he REALLY wanted me to go to Miami and he and my mom made me at least to a tour there. I remember them saying something about how fraternities had their own frat houses but sororities weren't allowed to have separate houses and instead had specific sections of the dorms. My mom (a faux feminist) was appalled by the double standard and no longer pressured me to consider Miami.

I went there 30 years ago, so my memory is fuzzy. This was the set up. As to the "why," I'm vaguely remembering that it's a condition based on a major donor. (Just did some quick Googling. No firm answer, but here's an article on the subject: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/sorority-houses-an-unattainable-dream -- it cites brothel laws and the major donation theory as the main rumors for the lack of sorority houses.)

My niece is a senior there. She loves it- nursing major and she's feeling very prepared for her life after college. She definitely parties a lot but balances her classes... nothing alarming. Her friends that I've met have been lovely, fun, sweet and all seem like good kids. It's a bit of a challenge to get to (fly in, then 45 mins from airport) but overall she's had the best time. No regrets having her attend.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Drug Abuse might as well be a major there

Would anyone please provide more details on this comment?

Yes - this comment was based on no real information or statistics.

Anonymous wrote:Drug Abuse might as well be a major there

Would anyone please provide more details on this comment?

I went to grad school at CWRU with a number of Miami of Ohio grads. They were smart, well-spoken, good students. They loved their undergrad--lots of school spirt. I never heard anything negative about the place.

Lots of kids from the DMV end up there. I think it's basically a backup school to their first choice (not a safety, just a backup) and everyone I've talked to who goes/went there are very, very happy.

I went there about 20 yrs ago, and much of what people say above is true. That said, I lived on Western Campus and avoided most of the Greek stuff my entire time there. I quite enjoyed it, got a really great education (stronger than my post-grad), and still have a diverse group of friends I keep in touch with from then.

Miami is no more remote than many, many other colleges, and as a previous poster mentioned, it’s an hour drive to Cincinnati. The grounds are beautiful. Enrollment has grown significantly over the decades since I lived in southwest Ohio, but it’s still a moderate-sized school. It skews conservative and Greek, but no more so than other public, Midwestern colleges. The school attracts a lot of better (not the very best) Ohio students who need a moderate-cost option and don’t want the enormous size of Ohio State or the absolute party culture and poor academics of Ohio University. It’s also a target for better OOS students for it’s generous and formulaic merit aid. Visit their website for details.

Lots of binge drinking. Used to skew quite Republican, not sure about now. Really remote location and town is quite small.

My daughter went there as well as several friends’ children. Maybe easiest if I described it with a list.
It’s a wonderful school, and I loved it for my daughter.
It’s a big school that does not feel as big as it is.
It’s in a super safe environment - basically surrounded by farms for miles - but somewhat difficult to get to by air, agbe 45 minute cab ride.
The town where it is, Oxford, Ohio, basically looks like a Hollywood move version of a college town.
There is a relatively large contingent there of DC area kids - have no idea how that happened.
It’s a great school to apply for for a good student, and a good backup for a very good student.
As you go around the campus, you will see tons of smiling kids, who tend to look like the nice kid next door at home.

Freshman can have cars if they live so many miles from Miami. It is like 250 or so. It is also a small town. My now senior still doesn't have a car there. No need for it. It has been great. Fantastic merit aid and gorgeous campus. Lots of happy kids.