University of Miami Admission
University of Miami Undergraduate Program
University of Miami Application

The Facts

University of Miami is a large privately funded research university located in the town of Coral Cables, Florida just outside of the large city of Miami. It has an undergraduate population of over 9,075 students and about 4,239 graduate students. Besides its main campus in Coral Gables , there are several programs (including a marine biology program) housed in their own campuses fairly near to the main one. The main campus, however, consists of nine undergraduate schools including the schools of architecture, arts and sciences, business administration, communication, education, engineering, international studies, music and nursing. Of course, there are many majors offered at the many colleges, however, some of the most popular include majors in neuroscience, marine biology, sports medicine, exercise science, psychology, pre-med, English literature, international studies and contemporary culture studies.

Admission to the school is quite competitive; last year, approximately 16,854 students applied and 7,490 were admitted, however, only 2,078 of those admitted actually enrolled. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 1120 to 1340 and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 25 to 30. Over 87% of admitted students were ranked in the top 25% of their high school graduating class with an average GPA of about 4.04. Obviously, students are admitted to the school only if they are highly qualified, as it is a popular school for application all over the country.

The student to teacher ratio is a reasonable 13:1, which makes it fairly easy for students to be in direct contact with their professors when needed. As always, the introductory level courses are quite a bit larger, however, it is rare to hear any students complain. The work at the school is often quite demanding, but in general, students enjoy what they are studying and don’t become terribly overwhelmed.

The Social Scene

U Miami is extremely diverse, and over 24% of the student population is Latino, which makes sense for a school in Miami. The campus is gorgeous and very tropical, and students can often be seen baking (and studying) under palm trees in the late afternoon. Students say it is a definite plus to have a car here, as several gorgeous and trendy beaches (including the famed South Beach) are easily accessible by car.

The city of Miami is, of course, culturally vibrant and offers some of the best and most exciting nightlife in the country, and at U Miami, students definitely like to get their party on! Greek life is big at the school, although more for its community involvement than its party scene. Because Miami is so near, students tend to leave campus for party purposes. Sports are always a popular activity, and the Hurricanes football team have been quite successful in recent years; students love to tailgate and celebrate their victories in a big way.

On the dating scene, expect lots of highly tanned guys and girls ready to go hit the clubs of Miami, usually skimpily dressed...

What's Good

“The school knows how to balance a good time and good academics. You learn quickly how to balance work and play.”

“The classes are pretty small and really dynamic. The teachers really know what they’re talking about.”

“The surroundings are incredible. You feel like you are in a tropical paradise, and its easy to forget that this is college, not a vacation!”

What's Bad

“A lot of kids get lost in the party scene and end up failing out early on because they neglect their studies.”

“There are a lot of teachers who could care less about your progress and well-being. Even if you seek them out, they don’t really respond often.”

“The school claims to be really diverse, and this may be true ethnically, but everyone here is definitely at least white collar.”

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