Student Profile
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- Class: Senior
- Major: Psychology
- Gender: F
- High School:
- Transfer Student: N
Big Picture
It's a small town, surrounded by nothing, but luckily it's close enough to somewhat larger cities that even if you get stir-crazy and need to leave, you can spend some time in Cincinnati or Dayton. In spite of the stereotypes, I have met my best friends here. There are truly caring, thoughtful, conscientious people at Miami. Of course it is a largely white, upper-middle-class, heterosexual, Christian campus, and the lack of diversity is a very large issue. The university does recognize the problem and is taking steps to remedy it. If you want to see school pride you should check out a hockey game, but be prepared to lose your voice.
Academic Life
Most of the professors I have had at Miami are good-natured, humorous, open-minded, and amazing at what they do. You can tell when a professor loves her job, and if you're lucky you'll see what I mean. Miami students absolutely have intellectual conversations out of class--at least the students I know do. The best professors create an atmosphere of mutual respect and learning--they acknowledge that they don't have all the answers, and students learn just as much from other students when the classroom is a place for honest and thoughtful discussion. The Miami plan liberal education requirements can be tiresome to complete, but I personally didn't mind so much. It's good to take chances on classes outside your comfort zone.
Student Body
There is a LGBTIQ community on campus that has been working steadily to improve the sometimes stifled diversity on campus. There are more classes geared toward gender and sexuality issues now, and I really hope Miami hopes to grow in this dimension. The diversity issue is Miami's largest problem. Occasional insensitive acts by students are a sore reminder that Miami has a long way to go as far as fostering the kind of understanding and acceptance of people from a range of religious, socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, gender, sexuality, disability, age, cultural (etc.) backgrounds. It is largely a conservative campus, but I think even this might be changing, with increasingly outspoken activists for more progressive politics. Students are mostly from upper-class backgrounds, but Miami has recently been doing more to help lower-income students afford its tuition.
The Best Things
It's beautiful, and there can be a real sense of community if you find the right people.
The Worst Things
The lack of diversity and occasional ignorance that kills the mood.
