Happy Thursday, lads & lasses. Yesterday Jose wrote me a quick email that I almost put in my “DO NOT USE FOR THE BLOG” folder, but then I thought you all might have some advice to give him because the whole big school vs. small school thing is a very common issue.
And BTW, I realize that this whole site is kinda morphing into a much bigger and broader, “hard questions about college” site rather than just a site about scholarships specifically. It’s not what I pictured, but hey, I’m fine with it. I’m full of opinions and apparently you are too, so if you’ve got your own dilemma regarding college, finances, working, getting a job, home decorating, low-fat desserts or relationship advice, be sure to write in. (Everything from “home decorating” on is a joke, by the way. I know less than you about those three things, trust me.)
Jose writes:
Hey Josh,
I have read a lot of the blogs you put up on the website and they are all very helpful but I have found myself having to pick between 2 schools I didn’t plan on going to but its come down to them for reasons.
All righty.
I have to pick between the University of Florida or the University of Miami for engineering. I am lucky enough to have basically a full ride to either one so that’s not the issue.
Not a bad problem to have.
To me it seems all the negatives in one school are balanced out by positives and vice versa at the other. I like the strength of UF’s engineering but I am afraid of large classes and becoming a number at the school. Also, state budget cuts among other things worry me about UF.
Well, I wouldn’t worry about the state budget cuts too much if you have a full ride. Nothing’s beyond the realm of possibility when it comes to politicians, of course, but it would be an EXTREMELY unpopular move to renege on full-ride scholarships. And since politicians’ highest allegiance is to avoiding unpopular stances so that they can keep their offices and the power that comes with them, I wouldn’t lose too much sleep over that part.
Regarding the large classes: Well, that just depends on what kind of guy you are, Jose. If you’re more of an independent worker type who doesn’t need a lot of personalized feedback, then large classes are your friend, in my opinion. This is the type of guy I am — I enjoy being a “number,” as you put it, because then I’m not burdened with attention I didn’t ask for (I know that sounds really anti-social, but I like to be in as much control of the attention drawn to me as possible).
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I think I’m in the minority, though, as far as that goes. If you want easy personal access to your teachers, you’re probably not going to get a ton of that in your freshman-level courses at large universities. Lots of professors don’t enjoy teaching those courses in the first place, because, frankly, they don’t enjoy freshmen. There are tons of them, after all, and some teachers prefer dealing with students who are serious enough about their topic of study to have successfully passed through the weeding-out period of the freshman and sophomore years.
Don’t let that get you down, though. It’s just a fact of life. And if you’re persistent and motivated, you can get personal attention at large schools if you need or want it — it’s just going to be harder at a big school than it is at a small school.
On the other hand, Miami is a smaller program, I have no knowledge of their engineering besides that its small, great ratio, some really good professors like their new dean and all.
Well, you definitely need to get on that — learning about what kind of engineering program Miami has, that is. It’s a key piece of the puzzle. If the program sucks, you should probably eliminate it from consideration. If, on the other hand, it’s head-and-shoulders above the UF program, than that obviously should influence your decision as well.
I don’t know which one to pick, undergraduate research and academics are the most important to me. My goal is to go to MIT or Stanford for grad school.
any help would be great!
thanks!
If undergrad research and academics (by which I assume you mean program rigor) are your priorities, then yeah, you need to do some more investigating of both programs and find out which is stronger. Email professors at each school. Use Facebook to find students at each school who are in the engineering program and ask them what they think (they are probably your most valuable source, since they are living the exact life that you’ll be living if you attend that school).
Honestly, I think you should also put your mind on the social factors of large school vs. small school as well (and also public vs. private, since Miami is private), and traditional campus vs. urban campus.
UF has about 55,000 students vs. Miami’s 15,000 students (and 15,000 is not exactly a small school in my mind — I’d call it a mid-sized school, but that’s just my personal perspective). But even at that, there are going to be some big differences in the campus culture. I’m going to rely on the readers to give you the particulars since I’ve been out of grad school even for 11 years, and the biggest school I ever attended was Missouri at 30,000 students.
But here are a few things that come to mind. At a larger school, there are more clubs, activities, sports, etc., to get involved with, probably (you won’t be studying 24/7. I hope not, anyway). You may feel part of a really large and cool community — or you may feel isolated if you don’t fit in there. The more people at your school, the more people, cultures, perspectives you’ll run into. Maybe. Then again, at a school as large as UF, there are so many people there that you’ve probably got decent-sized subcultures of interest that make it feel VERY much at home despite its small size.
And you’re in Gainesville, which is a small city that’s basically sustained by UF’s presence. The town has a rich history, but honestly, Gainesville isn’t terribly well-known outside of Florida for much other than being the home of UF. Miami, on the other hand, is an established international city with more varied cultures than most cities in the U.S., let alone Gainesville. “The U” is a relatively small (but important) part of the city as a whole.
And Miami’s a private school, so your student demographic is probably going to skew a little bit wealthier than UF, the “school of the people” as it were. If you’re a working-class or middle-class kid, you’ll probably find more people from your background at UF.
I’m not saying anything mentioned above is better or worse than the other — it’s just all stuff you have to consider based on what you like and what makes you feel comfortable.
(UF and Miami people, help me out here — you’re the ones who know best…)
BUT, while Jose’s dilemma involves University of Florida and the University of Miami, lots of states have a similar situation. There’s UNC and Duke in North Carolina, USC and UCLA in Los Angeles, and tons of other examples that you can tell me about in the comments section.
So, my generic advice to Jose is to consider all angles. But it’s been a while since I’ve been pounding the pavement on the campus every day, so please let him know what you think below.
Thanks all. I’m off to cook lunch. And by “cook,” I of course mean microwave. Have a good night!
I would defintely go with UM. I am a biological sciences major at University of Delaware and I’ll be the first to tell you that big classes are not fun. You are less inclined to pay attention in class because there are so many people and unless you make a big effort to get to know your teachers (which will by no means be easy in such large classes) you will have a very difficult time getting recommendation letters in the future. I didn’t think that having such large classes would be a big deal for me when I started but I do believe it is something you should really think about because unless you are used to that kind of atmosphere, it can be difficult
to adjust.
A Chemical/Biomedical Engineering professor at USF told me that UF’s Engineering is great, but it’s more competitive (people are not nice to each other most of the time). Unfortunately, I don’t know enough about Miami’s Engineering department.
I would look into both programs, but I am sort of in the same situation (minus the full ride of course!). I am an upper division Civil Engineering major, who is on a waiting list at California State University, Los Angeles (which is like 2 1/2 hours from where I live) due to the budget cuts, but have been accepted to California Baptist University which is only 45 min – 1 hour away. Public schools (at least in California) are definately having major cuts, and even though they are less expensive for me, they may end up costing me just as much if it takes me four or five more years to get the classes I need. I went to Cal Baptist and met the Dean of Engineering, and their Water Resources Professor (that’s my specialty!) and they were all so helpful. They have a very small program which is just getting ABET accredited this coming year, but they do not have the stress of state funding as the Cal State’s do right now. They are actually ADDING a statics class in the fall because they will have more than 30 students in it. I was amazed at that concept! I would suggest going and meeting with the University of Miami’s Engineering department and talk with them about their program. I know that once I did, I KNEW that Cal Baptist would be the school for me. And if finances are not a problem for you, private schools are not hit as hard with the current economy. Good luck to you, and I wish you the best in your engineering education!
I believe you should truly look at where you want to be and if that enviroment fits your personaility then you should choose that school. Uf is a great school as well as Miami, but look at the cost for a private school vs. public school. I believe it truly depends on several factors such as cost, size, and enviroment.
I go to a tiny college, with a student enrollment of about 2,000. It’s a coordinate campus of the University of Minnesota system so I get all of the things the U of M system offers, like research and study abroad opportunities and a well-known degree. However, I also have the benefit of a small campus. It’s nice seeing familiar faces and my professors all know me, especially since I’m now in upper-division classes. The largest class I’ve had was a class of 50 for an intro course and even then my professor knew my name. I’m able to stand out more easily but I still have a lot of opportunities.
There are downsides to a small campus though. With mine, I know a lot of people, or at least the real active students, and that may or may not be a good thing. I’m somewhat of a sports fan and my school is Division II so the school spirit just isn’t quite there. The clubs on campus are also not as big and thus may not do as much as they would at a larger campus. I am considering grad school and will likely end up at a large school for that but for grad school I don’t think it matters as much what size the school is since there aren’t many grad students.
As far as research, I’m guessing UF, being a state school (I think), would have great research opportunities. I’m not sure about the University of Miami but that’s something you’d want to look into.
The smaller the class, the better… For me, i’ll go for U-Miami b’cos it’s smaller + private… But like they: Just as our faces differs, our unique choices differs too… It all depends on the individual… Meantime, all the blessed beautiful best…
I just dealt with the same situation. I was choosing between University of Michigan, a state school in the north with over 30,000 I believe, or Pepperdine, a private Christian school in California with roughly 3,000. I ended up choosing the smaller school because I work better in a smaller environment, and want to be able to be “a big fish in a small pond”. However, I understand that U-M has more majors, activities, and networking.
What my counselor told me to think about was what school I would thrive at. Because it makes no sense to go to a bigger school if you aren’t going to utilize all of its big-school qualities, and same with a small school. And everyone has different opinions to whether they would get a bigger education at a big school or small school environment.
So just ask yourself, “Will Jose thrive at U-Miami or U-Florida?” And hopefully the answer will be clear. However, either school you pick, you’ll love 🙂
Good luck!
I go with triditional and jus get the degree while having a kil fun doing so no matter what after 2012 all this bull crap will be gone and over with .
With your full-ride to UF, keep in mind that if part of that is Florida Bright Futures, it WILL keep decreasing. They have cut back every year since I started college (3 years now).
Both school have that name that Judge Josh keeps mentioning, but in the end you have to think if you want to be a number or a face.
I currently go to UF, and I have to say I’m enjoying it. Even in the large classes (100 or more in some cases) there are ways to stand out from the crowd. I don’t mean by being the kid that’s always late to class or the one that always talks, but if you make the effort to talk to the teacher and visit their office hours, then you become a familiar face. Plus, it’s easier to talk to the teachers if something goes wrong if they have a face to put with your name instead of a number. So far, I haven’t encountered any teachers that truly dislike teaching freshmen, but I’m sure there are some out there. There are so many clubs and opportunities at UF, that it feels like something is going on every day (sometimes that is the case). You have a chance to really connect with people and hang out and do stuff on your schedule, so even someone like me, who doesn’t like being around people in social settings for too long, doesn’t feel isolated. I don’t know much about the engineering department, as that is the farthest thing from my major, but I definitely suggest putting some real research into it. UF was my “home” choice, but I don’t regret going here instead of USF, which would have been closer to home. In the end, it all up to you and what you want to do.
The only thing to consider in your selection of school is the school and Students perfomance.If i were you, i could do some research to know which school Students are perfoming better,I have seen big/small schools with big/small classes but there no teachers, students are just roaming around. Do that i hope it will help u.
well if you really want something in life then nothing should be a problem to you pertaining what location of school to choose, at the end of the day you will received the same practical and theory, i do speak for myself because any environment fits me when it comes on to learning..
It matters more as to
1) what his intended major will be, and
which college has the better reputation for that major,
as well as
2) what the Placement Office records are for both schools, particularly within his intended course study major.
Prof. P J Gammarano, Author: Teaching: Not For Dummies
XLIBRIS.com, publisher partner with Ingram Books.
I did my first two years at Red Deer College (small place in Alberta, Canada) this year I transfered to the University of Alberta (much bigger). All I can say is I hate it. In a smaller place you can get to know your Profs. and fellow students much better. Its very easy to get references letters. Plus, I find I learn so much better, the classes are much more interactive. The bigger place am at now is way different. I don’t think any of my Profs. know me. What one of the other poster’s said about bigger classes being destracting is sooo true. I stopped to going to one of my classes because of this (when 100 out of 300 people whisper it gets loud).
I also found it easier to meet people at the smaller school. At the university, people always are coming and going, you could live by or have a class with someone and never see them more then once a semster. At the smaller school, I saw the same people more often and so it was easier to make friends.
It depends on what you ultimately want in a college. I am a current freshman at a prestigious private college located in Minnesota, and although I have never been to a large school to give both perspectives, I can easily suggest to go private or “small”. For one, I know all of my professors and can get great recommendations, feedback, or any help whenever I need it. Two, I know practically half of the kids on campus, which makes the campus life much more enjoyable. Three, activities are easier to join and more “together” since you recognize people. Four, the overall quality of education tends to be greater. Five; it really depends on what you want. Do you want to know a lot of people? Do you care about socializing? How active do you want to be on campus? And what quality of education/ relationship with teachers do you want??
Hope this helps!
I went to a school where some of my classes had 200 students in them. They were not really that bad except for one where the students talked too much, probably because they were bored with the teacher, and left class for no reason and did not come back. That is something that you should consider if you will be in a situation where that might occur. Currently, I am at a college with all small classes (at the most 25 to 30 students). It is better since there is a better chance of interaction with the professor and understanding the material. There are less people here, but they seem to be more annoying than at my previous school, probably because I am more aware of them. I would suggest going to a school in a place that is the least urban you can get, as there are a lot of negatives (more crime, bad influences, overcrowding, etc) that come with living in that kind of area. Getting into a private college could be seen as pretty impressive, as private schools and other organizations in the private sector fare better, in most cases, than things in the public sector. Statistics show that students who go to private colleges and universities graduate in an average of four years while students at public colleges and universities graduate in an average of five to six years. That is something that you should consider. Ultimately, you will need to decide which program would better meet your needs.
It is a big choice but if you have a major that you are interested in you should check both school and then go from there. I have been in college for over 4 years and when you find a program that you like go get it! 🙂
I want get over learning in The education about methedolgy teaching of seince
WOW! first I want to congratulate you on the fact that you have these two wonderful schools to choose from. I am from Miami, born and raised with a father who graduated from UF with a degree in pharmacy and my mother is a die hard UM hurricane alumni. I am the oldest of six children and am graduating from FIU this summer. My younger sister (third from the oldest) is now in UF loving every moment of it. And my brother just graduate from high school and is attending UM for lacrosse. As for big vs. small UF isn’t a small school, in fact it has a huge population and so does UM. The question is really where you think your major (if you know for sure what you want to study) can really help you and the school is strong in that major. Also a big factor is wither you want to be in a town or a city. I LOVE LOVE LOVE living in Miami, but visiting my sister and my friends in Gainesville is completely different. If you like the big city, millions of things to do (but you still have a lot of chill things to do) you should go to Miami. If you want big opportunities for your career I think Miami will give you more than a town. You will find more jobs and such that can further your career.
Now if you want the “full” college experience where the frat/sorority row lined up door to door from each other then UF it is. The ties that you have from there and the pride that is carried as a gator can help you further your career (but the same goes for Miami) the only difference is that the town SHUTS DOWN, LIVES and BREATHES for the gators. You can NOT go to that town and not be a GATOR! you will turn into one if you are not. lol My sister has have the best time so far and she has two more years to go. She is going to study aboard and lives for those gators she will end up marrying one and probably working for one (if not owning a company where she will most likely hirer a gator over a cane hahaha).
So what it comes down to is where you choose to live… city or town. Either is fantastic and the either way you will carry the pride of a cane or gator… and please ENJOY where ever you go, cause these are the best years of your life and you can only make it what you want where ever you go.
Wow, I just recently had the exact same problem. I got accepted to both UM and UF. My major is Biomedical/Chemical (UF dont offer biomedical) Engineering. I decided to go to UM. Not only is the classroom smaller but the people are friendly. But thats not the reason I decided to g to UM. At UM you get a head start in you major much ealier than other schools. At UF you would have to wait to atlest your second year. That alone and the fact that UF doesnt offer biomedical engineering, made me choose UM over UF. Plus the atmosphere of UM’s campus is amazing. Trust me UM is the school to be. I did research on my major and I just felled in love, You sould do research to see if UM is for you.
well honestly both are great. It just depend on you; choose the scholl that is dominant on your major and that give you plenty of opprotunity, such as:scholarships, grants, credits, etc. If your in a large class or small class it all depends on you if you are willing to listen to the professor or choose to converse with several students while there is an important lecture going on. Because small and large classes are the same(example: high school). Don’t matter how big the class is you can always call on the professor and ask him/her for extra help.
I would go with the school that feels better for yourself. Whichever school fits better with his personality should be the one he should pick. However, depending on what both schools offer (scholarships, sports, clubs, and many other things) can play a big role in how to pick a university. Furthermore, with a bigger school there are more things to do on campus and greater chances to do a lot more at the campus. With a smaller school, there is more one-on-one help from professors and you will be able to know everyone on campus easier. In the end it just depends on what any human wants from college.
You might want to check out which school has the better reputation in the engineering field and also their success rate in terms of internships and jobs. Perhaps, UF is offering a full ride to enhance its engineering program…dunno
I’ve been out of college for several years now and I’m just getting ready to go back to grad school. I started at a small school and then transferred to a very large university. My advice is this: GO BIG. Small schools are great for the personalized attention and help around every corner… in some ways it is like high school. I don’t mean that in a completely negative way – the coursework is definitely more challenging than high school and a small school can certainly provide an outstanding education, but like high school, my small school held my hand through everything. Going to a big school, you will just be a number forced to make it on your own. In that way, it resembles the world you’ll be living in in four years. Once you graduate, nobody is going to hold your hand through a job search or your first career, your bosses won’t constantly be checking in or providing extra help if you are struggling. In the real world, you have to find the resources that are available to you and make things happen. Its the same at a big school – the resources to succeed are there, but they won’t be handed to you on a silver platter. College is about more than just an education, its about growing up and preparing for life. In my opinion, a big school is much better way to prepare for the world waiting beyond the degree.
how can i get opportunity for this scholarship program. some of my friend say that the scholarship is not real that is scam but i don’t believe that. what i know is that every thing in this life is lucky that is why i realing want to know more about this program .
I don’t know if you have heard about it, but there is a site called http://www.ratemyprofessor.com that is really helpful to get more of an inside scoop.
The only thing I would add is since you already know where you want to go for grad school, I would contact those schools. I mean it’s never too early to start standing out to the employees who will be admitting you. Tell them your situation and tell them you want to ensure you’ll stand out for their program. Also be realistic about your skills when it comes to engineering. Some of those classes are challenging. Yet, schools sometimes provide tutors for that very fact. Investigate both schools, make your pros and cons list. Talk to the students, professors, all that great stuff that the judge said already. If they’re not for you, then class size wont matter much either way. Best of luck to you!
I’m pretty new to BlogEngine and noticed that a number of your other readers have different avatars. Any idea as to how I can change mine? Is it possible to put a custom one? Regards, Sean Mandolini,
I believe a big school or small school really does not matter. It is the person’s personality that matters. If you like being around lots of people and find it really easy to get to know people then big school is for you. But, if you find it difficult to get to know people you probably want to go with small school because it would be so much easier to get to know people there. A small community means closer relations and that people are closer
well it up to him …i like UF because of one thing GATORS!!!….but anyway if he fell that its right way to go between the two colleges whatever he like he should go their
Hey the fact that you want to get into lots of research really struck me. Though I am not familiar with the programs at the schools, and it would be your job to find out, I have discovered that smaller schools often have more research opportunities for undergraduate students whereas larger schools put the research focus on their graduate students. This may not be true for the schools in question but this is just something to look into and consider.
I can not work full time and study full time ,by doing both at same time it can not profit at all,but i can study full time and work per time.
UM is not a small school by any means. Maybe compared to UF it is. But UM is huge, it is so beautiful, everyone is so professional and helpful. The faculty is always there to help you with anything. They are so organized and they offer great financial aid and opportunities. Plus, if you graduate from UM, employers will be impressed as it is a very great school. 🙂 Also, you will find so many cultures here. I am a Miami native, I don’t know if Jose is. But we have everything here, and UM is like a melting pot. So many interesting and intelligent people.
Many people are looking at the fact that you stated big school, small, school, private or public or why they think this school is better. Yeah, but we are looking at whats better for our buddy Jose not us. If I were to give Jose any kind of advice it would be to do his homework on both schools and see which one is going to better fit his needs. Which one will better help him to accomplish the degree he is trying to obtain. Some schools will only take you so far and then you have to transfer because they only go as far as a masters in a particular program. Which on will better fit his budget should be his next concern because as we all know it’s not free. Which is why we are all online at two in the morning applying for scholarships 🙂 If Jose doesn’t have a car, which campus is going to be more convenient to commute back and forth two. Before choosing a school, I looked up the complaints and graduation ratio. Find out what others are saying about these schools. Ultimately I would tell Jose to weigh the pro’s and cons of the schools and then make a decision.
I am a current graduate of UF. Jose, in my opinion go with UF. Classes are large, this is true, but one thing about large classes is that you can stand out by going out of your way to know your teachers. Pass by their offices often with questions (smart ones mind you) but use these questions as an excuse just to talk to your teachers. When class time comes, they will remember you because they spend time with you in their office. (Most students dont do this..in fact I am willing to bet about 90% of students dont do this.)
Studying can be a challenge but its always easier to find/meet people that are willing to do study groups. Moreover, UF has an insane amount of activities you can get involved with. AND their Career help center is rated #1 in the nation which means they offer great help when it comes time for you to search for a job. In fact, yesterday was the career fair and there were all sorts of Engineer firms there practically begging for UF students (since we have such a great reputation). Since you have full tuition scholarships for both schools, then I wont mention the fact that UF’s tuitions is WAY lower than UM…I guess i just did. AND cost of living in Gainesville is by far more affordable then Miami, here in Gainesville you practically dont need a car since transportation is provided for free through UF. (The bus system here is free for UF students, so you can ride it as many times as you want and go wherever you need to go…for free). There are trails, nature preserves, bike paths, outdoor recreation pretty much anywhere and everywhere in Gainesville….all in all…go to UF.
Hope this helped
Hey Jose…
I had the same problem pretty much… I had to choose between going to University of Toronto, which at the biggest campus has about 75 000 students, and York University, which is still a big school, but has about 25 000 less students. Originally I wanted to go to York, and then I let my sister convince me that it’s the name of the school that matters, where you get your degree is all that counts… Now I say this, yes if I were going into medicine or engineering it would definitly matter that I go to U of T, because the programs there are pretty much the best in Canada… But, for a general HISTORY degree, going to York would have been perfectly fine.
I am now regretting my decision to go to U of T, and wish I had gone to York, which is what I plan on doing next year.
All in all though, make sure you check out both campuses, and get a feel for their community life. I feel that at U of T you are just a number, and its a very impersonal community. I checked out York last week, and felt more like a person, and people even stopped to talk to me…not something I’ve experienced at U of T.
Anyways, I’m rambling… I would say, make sure you check out both places, go to some random lectures if you can and see if you like the professors for the most part, and dont let anyone talk you into going somewhere…
Hope that you go where you really want to, but hey, if the one school doesnt work out, you can always transfer right?!
Good luck Jose!
i prefer the big class
since i ‘ll have more big chance to know more people.
for me, socializing is important. more friend you have. more people ‘ll help you going through your life. ^^
I go to a small university in Canada and I honestly love it! All of my classes are small and my professors actually have time to help me when needed. All of my professors know me by name not a number and I am allowed to call my professors by their first names. Being at a smaller university, I find you make so many friends and gain so many experiences. If I had the chance to change my desicion and go to a larger university, I wouldn’t. This has honestly been one of the best choices of my life.
Good Luck 🙂
In my opinion the smaller the college the better it is because you get individual attention from your professors and doesn’t seem that you are lost in a crowd. Also in bigger colleges you feel classes are like hearing a conference or seminar while in small ones the teacher is right in front of you to help in every possible way.
Well, it is obviously your choice, but which school do you think you would get the most out of? I mean, simply an education id fine, but which one will help you become the person you want to be socially and in your community? Where do you want to live? Look at the environment; what is the environment like? It might help if you ask yourself questions.
i have been to a small school and I have enjoyed each and every minute there as interacting with people has been very easy so for him it depends on what he is looking for
The answer to this all depends on you as an individual. I too had issues with large classes and making a decision but I ended up getting accepted to the University of Arizona and did more research into what life would be like there. If you haven’t gone on a tour of the campuses yet I’ll tell you now it’s a big help, I fell in love with the UofA campus right away and seeing the campus really helped me make that decision because before that I was considering going to a Community College. I’m not sure about other University’s but some with big classes will at the end of each week split up into groups so everyone can work with someone to make sure they know what’s going on in the class. It just depends on the school so look into that. You should also consider your own needs and lifestyle into making this decision. If you manage better in smaller classes go for the private school. I can’t tell you what to choose and nobody can we can all just help in deciding what you as the individual wants and needs because you know yourself better than anyone else does. Try looking into a program where you can go to classes with a student in your degree just to see what life is like at that school, most colleges have programs like that and as another plus you get a better tour of campus this way too. See what each school has available to it’s students and make a list and go with the best choice for you. I hope this was at least of some help to you and I wish you luck.
the answer is depend upon the circumstances but according to me i would like to study in urban area.
I go to UF right now. I chose it over the University of Virginia, and I don’t like it. There are too many students. The school is not in one central place; it’s all over Gainesville. Here’s UF, and here’s Walmart. I don’t like that. I would like a school that is separated from the town. You have to cross streets and lights to get to your class. Urg! But oh well, it was cheaper so what can I say.
University of Miami is a better Florida experience in my opinion, there are beaches close by and it’s far more tropical than Gainesville. I grew up in Florida and personally find that Gainesville is one of the most boring places I’ve been to in that state. You will definitely not get bored in Miami, and going to a smaller school is much better for your own educational needs, as you can actually develop a relationship with your professors and not just feel as though you are another student in a massive group of other students. If you want to go to college to party your life away than I would suggest a large university.
I’m actually from the Ft. Lauderdale and am a junior at UCF. UM is a great school. My older sister graduated from there with a full-ride. I also have a friend studying biomedical engineering there. UM was able to get him into a research-based internship at Harvard over the summer, which leads me to believe that UM does have connections. AND yes, Miami has a lot more to do and many more things to do than Gainesville. If you prefer city-life I would go for UM. Also, consider if you want to intern. When you’re closer to a metropolitan city it may be easier to find an internship during the school year and not just the summer. Just my two cents. (That’s how it is for me at UCF–lotsa internship opportunities) Not to say Gainesville isn’t a great school. I have heard from cousins at Gainesville. One is graduating this year that you are very much a number. UF is research school. A lot of the professors there are there in order to do research so sometimes my cousin said that it felt like teaching was not a priority to some professors there.
Also, if you do choose UM consider that most likely your full-ride won’t cover everything. Expenses will add up, like housing, parking, books etc. UM in that sense may still prove more expensive than UF. Good luck!
Definitely go to University of Miami!
I’m currently a student at UM and I LOVE THERE.
A lot of my friends are in the engineering school, most of them actually like it even though they always complain about the requirements of the engineering school. I am not an engineering student, I can’t tell you a lot about the requirements, but from what I’ve heard, engineering students have to follow a specific academic track which is designed by the dean.
There is a B.Eng + B.Arch program too, which you spend 4 years to get a B.Eng and 1 year to get the B.Arch degree. It is a program provided by both the Sch. of Eng. and Sch. of Arch.
Most UM students can get a job within 3 months of graduation because UM strongly suggests us to intern during the 4 years and their recruitment centre is really good.
The size is not a problem at all. 15,000 is not that small, but it’s not that big also. None of my classes has more than 50 people (they are intro classes!). Professors remember you by name, not your social security number or anything.
Being in Miami = endless opportunity