OHKID

Is this school a haven for those that are snobby, conservative, racist, and white like Princeton Review and other guides suggest? Or is that false?

Is the campus attitude accepting of others and their quirks, or not? Would a straight, urban activist liberal feel at home here?

How good or bad is the town of Oxford, in your opinion?

Why has Miami's reputation been sliding over the past decade?

How is their honors program and what are the admission requirements?



The reason why I am asking all of these somewhat rude question is because I am likely going to be attending this school due to the combination of price, majors offered, proximity to hmoe, reputation (which I asked further about above) and the fact that this is basically the only school my parents will let me go to. However, I am leery of it, especially considering my liberal, more academically-minded interests (my dream school would be more along the lines of a top LAC like Carleton or the University of Chicago, as well, to give y'all an idea).

Would Miami work for me? I have been to campus MANY times (like, more than you want to imagine), and although I realize it is very nice, it still doesn't seem to "fit". I did love the food I had (well, the awesome fruit drink at the new Rec Center, anyways), I know some townies, I'm originally from Middletown, so I got connections there, and I realize their business school is ranked highly (a big plus), and their engineering school is weak (a HUGE plus, since I am going to have to do a Mech. Eng. major).

Any reasons why I should NOT attend?

amsbluedevil24

Reasons you shouldn't attend:
You obviously don't like it there.

Reasons you should attend:
Though reputation is slipping (No idea why, though I would put my money on Ohio State's rise) I think you'll find that many important stats at Miami are very strong. "What stats are you talking about?" I'm glad you asked! Some of the stats I am talking about are their acceptance rates into postgraduate programs such as law school and med school which are both WELL above national averages. 89% of senior Miami applicants to law schools for the 2008-09 school year were accepted (compared to a 76% national average). I don't know the med school rates off hand but they are similarly strong.

Also, Miami is full of tradition which is something many state schools lack. It feels more like a private than a public.

Further, why go somewhere where everyone shares your views like LACS when you could go somewhere and be challenged? Lets say you go to Oberlin. Suddenly you will have your head so far up your own ass with liberal propaganda that you won't be able to cope with people who aren't like you. Go to Miami, people will challenge your views which will only serve to strengthen yourself. Go somewhere where everyone agrees with you and you will stagnate. Also, Miami isn't as far right as you might be thinking.

Oxford=AWESOME. "Why?" College towns=AWESOME and Oxford is the quintessential college town.

I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.

OHKID

Thanks so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trust me, I'll probably have more questions.

aussiek517

I've had a great experience at Miami, and I'm probably further away from the "Miami student" stereotype than you are. I feel like Miami students are fairly socially liberal-- or at least more than I had expected. Business students tend to be pretty conservative, although I do know very liberal students in business. If you apply and get into honors, you'll have an honors business cohort that will most likely be leaning liberal. Honors has changed fairly recently, so I don't have any experience with the current requirements. I enjoyed almost every aspect of being in honors, and their dorms are great! There aren't any specific admissions requirements, but there are essays (don't blow them off). Most students scored above a 30 on the ACT and are ranked in the top 10% of the class (the median is usually around a 32 ACT, top 3-5% rank), but there are students who scored or ranked lower than this.

I would attribute the reputation sliding to Miami's scholarships-- until this year, very few full-rides were offered, and then there was a pretty large gap to the next tier of scholarships. As a result, a lot of top students chose to attend other schools if they didn't receive a Harrison scholarship. I believe financial aid has changed the scholarships quite a bit this year to address this issue, so you might want to look into that. I don't feel like this has adversely impacted my experience at Miami.

Now, the town of Oxford. During the school year, I have always lived on-campus, and I keep myself pretty busy in Oxford. I'm extremely involved in activities and work, so I'm rarely bored. I certainly wouldn't complain if Oxford were a little larger, but as long as you don't expect an urban environment, I think most students adjust and end up liking the town.

I really wouldn't be concerned about the academic atmosphere. If you're an extremely strong student, I think you'll find that most professors would love to work with you on projects. There is a lot of support for undergraduate research. What are your intended majors? Business and engineering?

Every person is different, and it's not a bad thing if Miami isn't the perfect fit for you. (Miami isn't a perfect fit for me, but now, I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else!) It's still the summer; you have time to look at other schools and to spend more time at Miami.

binx

Miami is a huge school. There is a place for everyone. My D is conservative in some things, liberal in others (I think she may identify herself as more libertarian than anything else - but not totally), but not preppy. She has preppy friends, liberal friends, and friends who are like her. And I would say they are evenly spread. By getting involved in ECs that interest her, she has found like-minded folks in the things that are most important to her.

In general, I think most colleges and universities outside of religious ones tend to be liberal, and when people say a school is "conservative" they only mean that it is less liberal than others. I would be very surprised if you found 50% of the faculty or student body to identify as conservative. But the fact that there are some conservative people seems to scare a lot of liberals for some reason - the same liberals who are so open minded and tolerant about other differences (and no, I'm not being sarcastic - this just always surprises me).

My D, as is Aussie, is an out-of-state student, and they are definitely in the minority. It is a state school, so this doesn't surprise anybody. Many state schools reflect the state they are located in (duh!) so if you have found your niche in Ohio, then you should find it at Miami.

My D has been very happy at MU, even though it was not her first choice. Part of me often wishes that we lived in Ohio so we could get instate tuition, and yet, I know my D's desire to go to school out-of-state, so that probably wouldn't have worked, either. But I don't blame your parents for wanting you to go there.

But if you don't, and your parents insist you apply, just write lousy essays!

yorkyfan

Could anybody comment on a comparison of Ohio University in Athens and Miami University in Oxford? Ohio University is a strong candidate for my daughter (we are out-of-state, by the way). She loved her visit to Ohio University. I looked for schools that might be similiar to Ohio University and came up with Miami. I love their 4 year graduation rate! But their tuition is considerably steeper than Ohio University. I wonder, is it worth the difference? Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks!

amsbluedevil24

Go to OU if you want to have a REALLY good time and graduate in 5 years with few job offers.

Go to Miami if you want to have a good time and graduate in 4 years with ample job oppurtunities.

Sounds silly and anecdotal but holds true. These are the reputations for a reason.

OHKID

Thnks so much for the responses!!! It was so nice to have opinions about the universities that WERE NOT connected to my family or friends, since they have strong biases for the university and consider almost any other school to be "unacceptable", for whatever stupid reasons. You alls' comments at least give me some confidence that it is a good school with good people. (btw, I have met many staff members and they are WONDERFUL, just wasn't so sure about the students or the atmosphere in general, adressing my main issues in my post above)


To the Miami vs Ohio U comment: amsbluedevil24 pretty much hit it on the head.

However, exceptions are OU's exceptional journalism/communications program, which produced Matt Lauer of Today on NBC, and also its great business school, as well (but not quite as good as Miami's). You also would get in-state tuition and $750 for books deducted if your daughter obtains a 32 ACT or 1400 SAT, and maybe if her GPA and "holistic-ness" match, she may also get to join the Honors Tutorial College, which is ridiculously sweet.

MiamiDAP

You will never know until you actually is attending. Another way to look at it every school has a wide range of people with various backgrounds. If you find your place, you will feel fit in.

MamaDrama

My brother graduated from the Honors Tutorial College at Ohio University and eventually got his MBA from Cornell. He now lives in San Jose, CA and works in Silicon Valley. He is a die-hard liberal and used to work for Vice President Gore in DC.

Take it for what's it worth, but when he heard my daughter was not only considering Miami but that it was actually her first choice, he almost simultaneously broke out in hives, hyperventilated, choked on his own spittle, and had a seizure on the spot. Every time he sees us, he continually puts down Miami and tells us what a waste of her life it will be.

Of course, to my daughter this is affirmation that Oxford is exactly where she belongs. (LOL)

To OP, we used to live in Middletown, too, but moved away when my DD was in 5th grade. I don't think people in SW Ohio realize what a gem they have right there in their own backyard. You appreciate it more when you've moved away. Even though we've been away for 7 years, it still feels like home.

binx

Like I said...

MiamiDAP

Honors is great. 2 years ago reuirements were top 2%, ACT=32+. I do not know now, since then they accepted top 200, I believe they have increase that since then.

PugMum

My daughter is going to be a Senior at Miami. I went there for graduate school so I was well aware of the reputation. I was a tad worried that she would have a difficult time finding friends like herself. It does deserve it's nickname of J.Crew.U as there are many wealthy, conservative students. They're often part of the Greek community that is very large at Miami. However, she has had no problems meeting other middle-class, politically moderate/liberal people who have become great friends. The schools' proximity to Cincinnati is also a plus as the students have big city opportunities/fun when they need a break from the college town atmosphere. As far as diversity......my son went to O.U. and found it less diverse (racially) then Miami. He had many dormmates who had never gone to school with anyone who wasn't white. And, with the exception of the journalism school(which is terrific) I have to say there is no comparison between O.U. and Miami when it comes to academics.

kjofkw

I think part of the image is a self-perpetuating stereotype, which is only true if you believe it to be. Odd how many elite private schools don't have the same reputation, yet I would guess have even higher stats regarding financial backgrounds, low diversity, etc. Part of the reputation may be because Miami is a state school, that functions more like a private school. The campus even feels more like a private school. They welcome and encourage diversity, but may not attract the same mix of students as other state schools due to location, cost, etc.

I don't know the latest statistics, but per 2006 Fiske Guide, Miami used to have approx. 24 - 27% Greek. That may be larger than some schools, but realize that also means over 70% do NOT choose Greek.

Business and related majors are well-regarded at Miami. Miami also has an incredible admittance rate to medical schools. See other posts about average salaries of Miami grads. Not too shabby! We used to say the same things about a local boys private high school in our town. THEY (parents and alum) used to argue that they graduated the top students. I argued that they admitted the top students to begin with (from well-educated, and typically well-compensated parents who valued education). I don't mean to compare Miami directly to the highschool, but I do believe you have to consider things in context, and to evaluate deeper.

Alumni love Miami. Many children of Alumni attend (like many well-known privates). It may mean that some of the students tend to come from higher educated, well-compensated homes. That doesn't mean it is "snobby, conservative, racist, or white".

It also doesn't mean that you have to fit into that stereotype to attend, or you won't be happy, OR that it necessarily exists. You can usually find a niche within a school with over 15,000 students.

meShannon

I know a couple of people that would doubt that one.