Looking for some help. S has been accepted at both and also USC and Emory. USC is out because of the cost. He would be a Foote Fellow at Miami and in the honors program at UF. He has visited both and feels comfortable at both of them. Any advice? Cost to attend would be the same at both. Thanks
Congrats, both schools are great options. I (IMHO) would look at the following items…
Public vs. Private: UM will have better faculty to student ratio’s, class size and it spends more $ per Student (Instructional Expenditures / FTE). However, UF’s program is much larger, which means lots more options in class selection, undergraduate research, student clubs, etc. We can go on for days talking about public vs. private, but in this case, it’s really between more one-on-one attention at UM, vs. more options at UF (in everything from course selection, major, minors, and group of friends). Keep in mind that UF does have the higher Freshman retention rate (96% vs 91%) and graduation rate (87% vs. 82%), so UF students in general are happy at UF (as are UM students).
Living in Gainesville vs. Miami: These are two very different experiences. It’s really up to your son’s preference (and yours). Great college town vs. Miami, a great urban city. Spend some time looking into both, if he’s un-happy living in Gainesville or Miami, nothing else really matters.
Good Luck!