University of Miami Top Questions

I absolutely love UM. I have met a lot of interesting, unique, and fun people. The campus is gorgeous, the dorms aren't bad. The dining hall food needs to be improved, which is the students most frequent complaint. The classes are the for most part interesting, although you get teachers who don't know what they're doing sometimes. The school doesnt seem too large, there are huge classes and some small classes, which I love. UM is also the best university in Florida so I am very proud to go here. I feel like its a prestigious school in this state. There are a LOT of activities and clubs and honor societies and sports you can participate in. Very active campus, and perfect location. Coral Gables has everything you need, and what you don't have here you have at Downtown (15 min away) or South Beach (30 min away). There is a LOT of school pride.

The best thing about going to the University of Miami is the fact that you go to the University of Miami. As pretentious as it may sound, being a Hurricane is an experience like no other, and cannot be simply decided by one football game or a certain class. Some students may point to our spirit and the excitement our athletic programs generate; this is a good answer. Some students may talk about our incredible professors, small class sizes (52{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}, according to US News, of them classes with less than 20 students) and prestigious academics; also a good answer. Some may brag about our beautiful campus, location, and thirty minute commute via public transit to famous South Beach; also a good answer. Going to the University of Miami is an experience that is comprised of all the incredible things the university has to offer to its students; unique and interesting classes taught by respected, friendly and most of all well-educated professors only too happy to teach students. The awesome school pride that pervades every part of University life here, from dorm life, classes, football games and even, on some memorable occasions, bathrooms. The “just right” size of the school, where you will always be meeting new and diverse fellow students but feel at home and comfortable in a campus that takes maybe twenty minutes to walk across (not that you would need to, thanks to our school-sponsored, campus-exclusive) ‘round the clock bus service). There are far too many aspects of the Hurricane Experience that need to be just that; experienced. But rest assured that every aspect of UM excels in its field. Even the administration has proven itself incredibly helpful, friendly, and easy to work with, unlike some other unfortunate institutions whose administrations are marred with red tape and inefficiency. The administration is able to work with the “just right” size of the student body, which means every prospective student, and has no problem quickly scheduling one-on-one meetings with counselors, advisors, professors, deans, or whoever may be necessary. Things like recovering a lost UM ID card or sorting out a problem with one’s financial account are handled on a personal level in one of the university’s many offices with a friendly smile and remarkable speed that one would never expect of such a complex institution, but not unusual at all for the University of Miami. It’s not unusual either to see the friendly and incredible President Donna Shalala walking around campus to grab a coffee, meet with a professor, or just to chat with her students and get a real sense of what’s going on in her school; in fact, school-sponsored meetings with the administration to deal with problems or just to see if there are any are held on a regular basis. I don’t even live on campus, being a Miami native, and I have made use of the school’s useful on-campus clinic when I felt sick earlier in the year. As a student, my schedule seemed too busy to include a trip to my doctor, so the on-campus clinic was very convenient. I waited maybe a few minutes and was seen by a professional physician and quickly diagnosed with a common cold, all without the hassle (or cost) of having to see my own doctor. Speaking of my status as a commuter, the school does everything it can to include and account for all types of students; residents, commuters, transfers, and even the significant portion of the student body that hails from an entirely different country altogether. At the beginning of this semester, a change in the established parking system made finding parking nigh impossible after noon, a death sentence for a commuter, and within the first month of the semester the administration in charge of parking held a meeting with the commuter student body to see how to best address the problem. Changes were made to the parking system soon after, and parking has not been a problem since. Though this may not have much bearing on a resident student, it just goes to show how responsive and helpful UM’s administration is. Taking into account all these factors, it’s impossible to pinpoint one. The University of Miami is an experience that will define and change an entire lifetime.

You've heard the phrase 'college is what you make of it,' but what no one tells you is that you can be limited by what the college has to offer. At the U, almost everything you can think of is available to you. Alongside the enormous selection of majors and minors is an incredibly large and diverse extra-curricular assortment. Whether you are interested in sports clubs, Greek life, wellness and fitness, music, movies, or anything else, UM has just about everything. Having so many options available to me has allowed me to expand my horizons and experience things I would never have previously. In example, my freshman year I was able to go rock-climbing, see a free pre-released movie screening, go to a party at the President of UM's house (she does this every year), and record music in a professional recording studio all in two weeks.

You've heard the phrase 'college is what you make of it,' but what no one tells you is that you can be limited by what the college has to offer. At the U, almost everything you can think of is available to you. Alongside the enormous selection of majors and minors is an incredibly large and diverse extra-curricular assortment. Whether you are interested in sports clubs, Greek life, wellness and fitness, music, movies, or anything else, UM has just about everything. Having so many options available to me has allowed me to expand my horizons and experience things I would never have previously. In example, my freshman year I was able to go rock-climbing, see a free pre-released movie screening, go to a party at the President of UM's house (she does this every year), and record music in a professional recording studio all in two weeks.

I love University of Miami. I grew up with it as my parents both went and my mother teaches there, but that's not the reason I love it. I believe that there aren't many other schools like it. Firstly, it's a medium sized college holding a little over 10,000 students on average. This means that the classes tend to be smaller and teachers are more willing to help, as they might actually remember you. Although some general education classes may be big, the more difficult upper-level courses tend to have more help. UM is also not in the "city" of Miami but nearby, meaning you're not located directly in the city but not in a college town where there is nothing nearby. Another aspect of Miami that I really like is having Donna Shalala as our President. After working in Bill Clinton's administration she turned her focus towards UM and adores the students. She even has the Freshman Orientation Barbeque at her house in Coral Gables!

I love UM, I have lived in Miami my whole life and when i was a freshman i went to Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. After a year and a half there, i decided it was time to come home back to Miami. I am so glad that i did. I love the campus, the student body, as well as the location surrounding the campus. There is so much to do on weekends whether you are a partier or not. I honestly rarely hear any complaints about the school, and if i do hear them they are about the amount of work the students have built up for their next test!

From an international and transfer perspective, I personally would have preferred a bigger school but it’s a good size. Not too big, not too small. Coral Gables is not a college town, definitely not; however the school spirit takes over the state of Florida. The weather is unpredictable but when it is warm, it is warm and everyone loves it. When I tell people I go to this school, they are usually impressed. Physically, it can be a pretty campus, I spend most of my time in my room doing work. The dining halls need to immensely improve and so does housing and these are where most complaints come in. But one thing they do, is encourage you , as a student, to have a voice and hopefully they will improve. Maybe what everyone else is calling partying, is not how I see partying, its more of a chill and drinking vibe. There are many opportunities to grab here, some take advantage of what they are given, and others take it for granted. I've had more bad experiences than good here but I'm hoping that will all change and the good will overshadow the bad. This is my first semester here and as a transfer it is hard to make friends because everyone already had their set of friends however, there is every type of group on campus and some really do make you feel welcome. I am not on a scholarship what so ever. In my opinion, it isn’t worth the $56,910.00

The best thing about the U is the atmosphere. The campus is the perfect size (15 minute walk from one side to the other) and is gorgeous. Most people think that UM is a huge school because of our football team but we only have around 11,000 undergrads. Another common misconception is that the school is in a dangerous area but our campus is located in Coral Gables, a quiet upscale town right outside of Miami. The Rathskeller is the best place to be, located right in the middle of campus you can sit outside on one of the swinging tables and grab a burger and a pitcher. The school is located close to the beach and lots of restaurants, shops, and bars. Cane pride is huge at UM. Once a Cane always a Cane and we go all out. My first football game will always be my favorite part of college. Our campus is probably the most unusual part about our school, it feels more like a resort than a school with all of the green grass, palm trees, and fountains. The school even sets up hammocks during finals. The biggest student complaint is probably that our football stadium isn't located on campus. However, UM provides charter buses free to students to take you to and from the game.

Everybody has an opinion about UM students. Clearly, I think our students are the best! Our President is highly interested in our successes and her actions show that. The worst part about the school is the food. Its not bad, but it's not great either. The food is contracted out by Chartwells and I believe we are in the process of improving it. This leads me to my next point, UM listens! Tell them anything, start a protest (peacefully), sign petitions! If you want something, it'll get done! Students wanted to be able to rent umbrellas, offer more catering options, offer bike rentals, and more! And these are all things in the works! Recently, our homecoming committee had Ludacris as the headlining act. Last year we had Lauryn Hill and before that we had Common. Not only are celebrities interested in the U, but they are also supporters. You will notice celebs in boxed seats at football games. We also hosted the Democratic debate with Obama and McCain, Condoleeza Rice and the Dalai Lama. The opportunities here are priceless! Miami is a great city. UM is located in the heart of Coral Gables, an affluent community with a lot of history. Miami is rich with history, rich with culture, and rich with scenery. Not to mention, the weather is always great! Despite the recent controversy of the Nevin Shapiro case, our community remains faithful to our students and the football team. Instead of being fairweather fans, they came out in droves to support us! The spirit of University of Miami is so large that people who have no ties to our school whatsoever still support our football, our students, and our alumni. When an employer sees that you attend UM or that you graduated from UM, you automatically get a leg up. Its a note of distinction and they know that our students are well-rounded, well prepared, and hardworkers! Being a student at UM will always be something I remember. Telling people I attend this campus is always a joy because their face and attitude change about me.

Overall, I'm transferring... again. I came to Miami hoping to get amazing connections, which I did. It is a great school for networking. The nightlife is fun if your 21+ but besides that the U lacked for me. I had mediocre professors who just seemed to put there time in to undergrad in order to do research in their field. They were defiantly experienced and knowledgeable but lacked the motivation to teach.