Did I make a good choice with University of Florida over University of Miami?

[medicalfielder]

I've been hearing from a lot of people how UF is declining in rankings and will continue decline, while schools like FSU and U Miami are on the rise...

I turned down U Miami, which cost about the same as UF for me due to scholarships, because I felt that UF would be just as good of a school for me for what I wanted to study (pre-med). I liked the traditional college atmosphere of UF more.. Now I feel that perhaps I made a mistake..

I guess what I want to know is.. is UF still a top school? I know that it's not with the likes of Harvard, Duke, Cornell, etc., but I'm pretty sure U Miami and FSU aren't either... I haven't declined U Miami, and it's still technically an option for me.. so I am unsure if I should just stick with UF, where I will be majoring in Chemistry and plan to pursue an MD/Ph.D, or if I should drop UF and go to Miami and major in Biology or Biomedical Engineering with a pre-med focus so that I can also pursue an MD/Ph.D.

I appreciate any advice anyone can offer.

Thank you

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[AntiHouseMD]

You made the best choice based on what you wanted. You saw something in UF (or FU, depending on your preference) that you preferred over UMiami, and you made the right choice for yourself. Here is what I have always found. It matters much more WHAT you do, not WHERE you do it (for the most part). I can't speak specifically on UF and UMiami, but I can speak generally. So, regardless of whether you choose Florida or Miami, the biggest thing is that you make the most of your time in college.

Quick question before I continue, why do you have doubts over Florida? Is it something related to its reputation, something you personally do not like, or something else? That would help me offer better advice.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

It's not about prestige, it's more about what programs you want to study and where you're more comfortable at. That being said, UF is reputed to be a lot harder to do well in than U of Miami, as UF is a lot larger of a school and the curve will be against you.

 

[medicalfielder]

@AntiHouseMD:

University of Florida has been declining on college rankings, and is now 58th overall according to US News and World Report. University of Miami is 38th overall. I feel that Miami's rankings are soaring while UF's are dropping. The only thing giving me any comfort is the fact that the medical school rankings are still about the same...

But I feel like I may have made a poor choice with UF... I really like the school, but I worry sometimes if perhaps I should've chosen the better ranked school... I'm not exactly sure about caliber of students either..

 

[AntiHouseMD]

@AntiHouseMD:

University of Florida has been declining on college rankings, and is now 58th overall according to US News and World Report. University of Miami is 38th overall. I feel that Miami's rankings are soaring while UF's are dropping. The only thing giving me any comfort is the fact that the medical school rankings are still about the same...

But I feel like I may have made a poor choice with UF... I really like the school, but I worry sometimes if perhaps I should've chosen the better ranked school... I'm not exactly sure about caliber of students either..

Okay. You really have to look within yourself (definitely corny, but that's the best advice I can think of). Which campus do you like better? Do both colleges have an abundance of majors in case you decide to pursue something other than medicine? Where can you picture yourself for the next four years? I think the biggest thing is you pick the campus where you're most comfortable. Rankings are also very subjective. Don't really too much on them for your decision. If you like Florida a lot more than Miami, rankings shouldn't sway you that much. UF will be tougher since you have the curve working against you (but you're going to be a pre-med, so get used to having to work hard).

Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck!

 

[forsparta]

I came from a no name school (like #4584954 on the list) and I got into a top twenty school along with a plethora of others. Screw prestige and go where you will be comfortable.