Academics

The teachers are willing to spend a lot of time with you personally, maybe because this is a private school. Classes are interesting once you get past the intro-level courses, but they’re pretty good about AP credits here, so it’s easy to AP out of intro level courses.

Athletics

Intramurals are as big as you want them to be. They are well formed and have a place just to organize and get together. I am the IM chair for my fraternity, and I am a huge supporter of IMs on campus. They are really competitive and well officiated. They offer flag indoor and outdoor football, basketball, dodgeball, kickball, water polo, indoor and outdoor soccer, softball, tennis, and many others. It is definitely a great program.

Campus Dining

The food on campus varies depending on where you eat. The dining dollars used at places like Taco Bell, Panda Express, Subway, and fast food places are always a good choice for the lazy college student, but the real dining hall gets really old quick. It serves the same dishes many times in the week, and it feels like the food they get is not always the best quality. I have friends who have boycotted the cafeteria for long periods of time.

Campus Housing

The dorms are a great environment. There are freshman dorms (Stanford and Hecht), which are a really fun time. They are coed by floor, and the rooms are doubles. There really is not a set of dorms to stay away from, as they are pretty much all the same set-up. I currently reside in Eaton Residential College, which is for sophomores and upperclassmen. It is a suite setup and connects through the restroom.

Campus Strictness

I guess they're strict, I've heard that our dorm had like 300 citations in the first two weeks of school. Oh, one of the frats got raided by the police the other day. They found drugs. Big surprise.

Computers

The computer network has its ups and downs. Most of the problems are caused by the school’s never-ending quest to halt file-sharing programs. The computer labs are open enough time during the week to get important work done, and there are enough of them so that they are not constantly crowded. If the dorm labs are full, however, the library also has a large bank of computers. But what kind of modern college student doesn’t come with a computer these days, anyway?

Diversity

UM consistently ranks among the top five schools in the United States for the amount of diversity within its student body. It is one of the greatest things about the University, knowing that I will be able to meet, talk to, and learn with people from all around the country, as well as the world. Each person makes the school more unique.

Drug Scene

In Miami, there are many drug problems with such drugs as ecstasy. However, I have not seen very much, as I have never been around or really been introduced to a drug beyond marijuana. I have been told there are pretty heavy drugs around, I just don’t know what and where. It is definitely avoidable, though.

Facilities

The facilities are very nice. The Wellness Center offers students the opportunity to lift weights, play basketball, volleyball, and racquetball, run, and swim. The library has a wide variety of sources for students to access. The Whitten University Center is a nice place for students to just sit around and relax. The Storm Surge Café is a place where students can hang out, play billiards, and eat. The UC also has a lap pool for students to work on their tan.

Greek Life

The Greek scene tries to make themselves seem all elusive and all, but no one really cares. The NPHC is very secretive, and they exist on campus, but it's hard to find them. They start coming out around spring time because we have deferred recruitment.

Guys & Girls

The girls are incredible. There is no hotter place on earth than here, with beautiful women from all over the world that sometimes have the attitude to go with it. I must say, that is on the negative side. I have many friends, and I simply believe that it is about finding your comfort zone. The same sort of people are looking for the type of friends that they are used to from back home, or a group that suits their needs. I think it is important to find your niche, and you will be happy. I found mine in a fraternity, and I have been loving it since.

Local Atmosphere

The city of Miami always has something going on, though, for those under 21, things can become a bit limiting at some times. There are other schools around, but not within 20 miles or so. There are many movie theaters, bars, clubs, and general places to hang out. However, there are also a lot of areas to be avoided. The ghetto-type areas are obviously at the top of this list and are probably the easiest to identify and avoid.

Nightlife

I haven't gone to any of parties on campus, but I definitely know they exist. There's lots of drinking going on. South Beach and Downtown are 21+ depending on where you are and who're you're with. Cab fare sucks.

Off-Campus Dining

Sunset Place, Coconut Grove, and Miracle Mile are loaded with places to eat. You can find whatever you want. I personally like the Cheesecake Factory and P.F. Changs. There are places you can go to that are walking distance on US 441, which is right near campus.

Off-Campus Housing

Miami is pretty much saturated, and the housing off campus is quite expensive. I think in the end it all comes out to around the same cost because if you live off campus, you have to go through the headache of finding decent transportation and whatnot.

Overall Experience

It's a decent experience. I feel like I could be challenged a little more. I think it's preparing me well for the MCAT, but it still could use more improvement. If I could do it all over again, I probably would come here again even though my first choice was Johns Hopkins and I got in. Miami is my hometown, and my family is here, and the support helps. It's not the best university, even for me as a pre-med student, but if it keeps me at a competitive edge among all the other pre-meds nationwide, then I don't see a problem with going to UM.

Parking

It seems that for an on-campus student, parking is not much of a problem. However, for commuter students, it is a severe issue. Either you will have to walk or take the shuttle from the garage and kill a bunch of time. Or you might have to park in the commuter lots and hope nothing happens to your car, such as scratches and dents.

Safety & Security

I believe that security on campus does vary based on gender. If you are a guy, it does not really matter, however some girls feel that walking alone at night is not the most safe thing to do. I believe that the campus is pretty safe, and I have not felt insecure yet.

Transportation

Public transportation is pretty good here. There is a metro rail that is just across the street form the campus that can take you places. The collge also offers bus transportation to Coconut Grove. You can also rent environmently friendly cars or buy bikes on campus to help get around.

Weather

The weather is wonderful. It is almost never cold. The coldest it has gotten this year was around 30 degrees. I wouldn't bring any heavy winter jackests. The wheather at UM is hot and hotter. We barely have seasons!