My Miami Experience

Introduction
I had a really hard time deciding on a school, but I eventually picked Miami because I wanted to be close to home (I'm from Cincinnati). As it turns out, Oxford is a world away from home, no matter how close you live. It ended up being the perfect choice for me, thanks to the excellent political science program as well as the great financial aid package I took advantage of. I picked Miami, like I said, to be close to home, but I have still been able to have an excellent, well-rounded college experience. The main reason I was drawn to Miami, aside from location, was the fantastic study abroad program: one of the best in the country. However, if you are not interested in studying abroad, you don't want to major in business, poli sci, or education, and you are more interested in an urban setting or an alternative lifestyle, Miami probably isn't the right choice for you.

Campus Life and Social Life
The best side of the social life at Miami is the constant opportunity to go out and have fun with your friends, whether at the bars uptown or at a house party. There are several bars that are 18+, and the social scene definitely revolves around them, at least freshman year. Once your friends from freshman year start moving into houses, there are also lots of house parties available. Unfortunately, if drinking/partying isn't your scene, there aren't a lot of options. It is also important to note that going out to the bars every weekend definitely gets expensive. There aren't that many choices if you don't want to go out and party, but if you like to do that, Miami definitely has a great scene.
Additionally, there are so many awesome clubs and teams you can join at Miami. I am a member of our nationally top-ranked equestrian team, as well as the National French Honor Fraternity, Pi Delta Phi. Both of these activities, as well as hundreds of others offered, really enrich the college experience. I decided against joining the social Greek scene, but I still have a very full, fun social life and get to take advantage of the perks of Greek life through my friends. It is definitely not mandatory to be in a sorority or fraternity! Advertisement
Academics
Many of my friends are business majors, or pre-business, and they all work very hard to do well in Miami's business school, one of the best in the country. I've taken many poli sci classes, and all of my professors have been articulate, interesting, and passionate about the subject. I was fortunate enough to not need lots of intro classes, thanks to AP's, but the few intro's that I have taken haven't been too big and have still been pretty interesting. Once you get into the higher level classes, you will definitely have smaller classes, individual attention, and interesting assignments. I have never had a class taught by a TA; every class has been taught by a professor. The workload can be heavy, but as long as you structure your time appropriately, you can still go out on Thursday night but turn in all your work on time.

Student Body
The 'typical' Miami student to an outsider is a white sorority girl/fraternity guy who has tons of money, is super preppy, dresses up for class, and drinks and goes out six night a week. The reality is, there is a grain of truth in every stereotype. The average Miami student is white; we have a very low level of diversity. Many students here do come from wealthy backgrounds. Greek life is a predominant choice on campus. There are girls who get up for their eight o'clocks and dry their hair (although I'm pretty sure you'll find that at almost every school). Most of the student here do go out a couple of nights a week. However, if you don't fit that cookie-cutter image, that doesn't mean you won't love it here. There are just as many students who don't get up, but instead wear sweats to their early classes; who come from middle class backgrounds; who only go out a few times a month, and would rather spend their weekends doing community service than hung over. My point is, there is a place at Miami for almost every type of person, but some poeple will have to work harder to seek out a group that they are comfortable with.

In Closing...
Finally, I would just like to say that I love Miami, but that doesn;t mean that you will. The weather isn't always great, but when the sun shines on this campus you'll think you walked right into a movie, it's so beautiful. There is an activity and a niche for every kind of person, some are just more difficult to find than others. If you are not motivated to seek out a good time even if you don't fit the Miami stereotype, Miami may not be the place for you.