Five Great Stats and Fun Facts about The University of Miami

I recently had the enviable job of touring The University of Miami, located just 20 minutes from Key Biscayne and Miami’s beaches. I discovered that while UM undoubtedly offers its students both great weather and a vibrant social scene, it is also able to boast about its strong academics and variety of school traditions.

Richter Library on UM campus

Here are 5 Great Stats about the University of Miami:                               

1. Academically sound: UM is ranked number 48 by US News and World Report and tied for the highest ranking university in Florida (with the University of Florida). Although this is UM’s 6^th year in a row in the top 50 ranking for USNWR, admissions officers emphasize that UM is a challenging but not cutthroat center of learning. (http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/search?name=University+of+Miami&state=)

2. Dual degree honors programs: Highly motivated students who are looking for the fast-track to advanced degrees need not look further. UM offers the following Dual-Degree Honors Programs:

·         Medicine (B.S. and M.D. degrees in 7-8 years)

·         Law (B.A. or B.S. and J.D. in 6 years)

·         Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (B.S. & PhD degrees in 6 years)

·         Marine Geology (5 year B.S. /M.S.)

·         Exercise Physiology (5 year B.S./M.S.Ed.)

·         Latin American Studies (5 year B.A./M.A.)

If none of those paths are for you, don’t worry; the university has over 180 majors and programs to choose from.

3. Campuses: UM is made up of 5 separate campuses with the main campus being located on a 239 acre tract in suburban Coral Gables.  Future marine biologists take classes at the The Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, strategically situated on a scenic 18-acre waterfront campus in Biscayne Bay. The school of medicine is located on a medical center which includes 3 University-owned hospitals that make up UHealth - University of Miami Health System: University of Miami Hospital, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center/UMHC (University of Miami Hospital & Clinics) and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. (http://www.miami.edu/index.php/about_us/fast_facts/)

4. Average starting salary: Graduates entering the job market have an average starting salary of $48,000.

5. Student-faculty ratio: UM boasts a student-faculty ratio of 12:1. 50% of classes have 16 students or less, and few have teaching assistants.

And now for the 5 Fun Facts:

UM dorm room

1. The Hurricanes: Although the origin of the team name is controversial, one popular version contends that “Miami News columnist Jack Bell asked end Porter Norris of the 1926 team what the team should be called. Told that the local dignitaries and University officials wanted to name the team for a local flora or fauna, Norris said the players wouldn’t stand for it and suggested ‘Hurricanes’ since the opening game had been postponed by such a storm.” (http://www.miami.edu/index.php/about_us/achievements_and_traditions/traditions/) And, as they say, the rest was history.

2. Sebastian the Ibis: The school’s mascot, Sebastian the Ibis, is named after a local marsh bird. Folklore maintains that the Ibis, a symbol of knowledge found in the Everglades and Egypt, is the last sign of wildlife to take shelter before a hurricane and the first to reappear after the storm. (http://www.miami.edu/index.php/about_us/achievements_and_traditions/traditions/)

The "U"

3. The “U”: “In 1973, UM’s Athletic Federation, the fund raising arm of the athletic department at the time, commissioned a local public relations expert to develop a distinctive logo. The University had gone several years with a variety of helmet and uniform changes and the Federation noted that a number of major colleges have the initials UM. Miami designer Bill Bodenheimer suggested the "U" idea, which lent itself to slogans like ‘U gotta believe’ and ‘U is great’. (http://www.miami.edu/index.php/about_us/achievements_and_traditions/traditions/)

4. Dive-in movies: UM students enjoy monthly “dive-in” movies, where students watch their favorite flicks projected on the big screen while floating in or relaxing next to the university swimming pool.

5. Farmers market: Students are invited to buy locally grown and organic produce at the ‘Canes Farmers Market held every Wednesday right on campus. In addition to the fruits, more than 25 vendors also sell vegan delights, honey, marinades and ceviche.

Well, there you have it: five great stats and fun facts about another fantastic college – The University of Miami!

Five Great Stats and Fun Facts about Swarthmore College

This summer I had the fantastic opportunity to attend a summer training institute offered by the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) which offered college admissions advisors training on everything from the latest trends in college advising to the best resources to use for students with learning differences, plus the chance to network with their colleagues. 

The workshops were held at Swarthmore College, a private liberal arts college with 1,545 enrolled students located about 10 miles southwest of Philly. Since I ate, slept and drank at Swarthmore for four days, I really got to know this campus (along with its history, traditions and expectations from students) quite well.

Here are 5 great stats about Swarthmore College:

1. Tri-College Consortium: Swarthmore is part of the Tri-College Consortium, which is a cooperative arrangement among Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr, and Haverford Colleges. “The consortium shares an integrated library system of more than three million volumes, and students are able to cross-register in courses at all three institutions. A common Quaker heritage exists amongst the consortium schools and the University of Pennsylvania also extends this cross-registration agreement to classes at the University of Pennsylvania's College of Arts and Sciences.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swarthmore_College)

2. First semester without grades!  Although Swarthmore ranks #3 on the U.S. News and World Report list of National Liberal Arts Colleges and has only a 14% acceptance rate, this intellectual powerhouse still has a soft spot for its freshman academically. How so, you ask? “For a student's first semester of the first year at Swarthmore, final grades of CR (credit) or NC (no credit) are the only officially recorded grades on the transcript. This is to allow students time to make the transition to college-level academic work.” (http://www.swarthmore.edu/advising-handbook/general-advising-issues-and-information)

But while there’s no GPA, Dean’s List or class rank for the first semester, students should understand that they will still be graded as usual within their courses with written evaluations and grade equivalents from their instructors, copies of which are shared with the advisor.

3. The typical Swattie:  The Dean of Students, James Bock, describes a typical student at Swarthmore as one who is not afraid to debate. He or she is intellectually engaged and not scared to have beliefs challenged. The Admissions Department is currently looking for people who have faced adversity without pessimism, perfectionism, procrastination or career paralysis. Swarthmore is looking for “bridge builders” and “chill pills” – the type of student that doesn’t crash and burn when faced with academic rigor. Many Swatties are originally from California, New York, Pennsylvania & New Jersey.

4. One large arboretum: Swarthmore’s entire campus of over 300 acres is located on a gorgeous arboretum, exhibiting over 4,000 kinds of ornamental plants. It was formed as a living memorial to a student of the class of 1895, and its mission is educate the public about which plants are suited for home gardens in the Swarthmore area.

The Dean of Admissions recognized that more people come to see the arboretum than the university. Bock also joked that “Although each plants and trees has a label, not all buildings do. Therefore, even if you can’t find your class, at least you know where the trees are.”

4. Need blind admissions policy for domestic students: Swat has a need-blind admissions policy (which means that applicants are judged solely on their own merits, irrespective of their ability to pay for tuition) for domestic students. Need I say more?

5. Housing: All dorms are intergenerational (meaning they house a combination of students from different years together, not just freshman), and there is guaranteed housing for all 4 years. 95% of students live in college housing each semester. “Swat's 16 dorms range in size (from a cozy 8-person house to a lively 200-person dorm).” (http://www.swarthmore.edu/housing/dorm-life) A lottery system determines which dorm you or your student will end up in.

And now for the 5 fun facts:

1. “I do”:  According to James Bock, 15% of Swat alums marry other alums, although they usually get together after college, “giving substance to the College’s traditional appellation as the ‘Quaker matchbox’”. (http://www.swarthmore.edu/college-catalog/alumni-association-officers-and-alumni-council)

2. (Dining &) dance hall days love: Visitors to Swarthmore’s Sharples dining hall often have the feeling that they are visiting a set from Hogwarts. This idea inspired students back in the Fall of 2010 to transform their daily dining hall into a Harry Potter-like wonderland, complete with cauldron cakes, ice sculptures, musical performances, and various wizard-inspired attire.

The Yule Ball, now an annual tradition at Swat, is an excuse for students to sample a creative array of Harry Potter-themed desserts, such as Chocolate Frogs, Peppermint Toads, Cockroach Clusters, Pumpkin Pasties, and Treacle Tarts.  In past years, the Yule Ball Committee has even sponsored a host of related events in anticipation of the grand event, such as waltz lessons, screenings of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and tutorial lessons about the ins and outs of playing Quidditch. (http://www.swarthmore.edu/news-events/watch-swarthmore-transforms-hogwarts-annual-yule-ball)

3. Butterfly roof: "Responding to an urgent need to update and expand its science teaching facilities, Swarthmore College sought to create a contemporary environment to express the College's commitment to progressive education and intellectual inquiry." (http://www.archnewsnow.com/features/Feature171.htm)

Sustainability was one of the major forces leading the conceptualization. And so, Swarthmore hired an architectural team who could not only unify the isolated science buildings and library with a common area, but decided to make the new building innovations specifically for their campus needs. As mentioned earlier, Swarthmore’s entire campus is a nationally registered arboretum which needs lots of water to stay verdant and beautiful. For that reason, the renovators decided to make the Commons building an inviting place with transparent walls and a butterfly (or V) -shaped roof to harvest rain water, “directing water back into the earth through waterfalls, stone water channels, re-absorption pools, and infiltration beds with excess stored underground for irrigation.” (http://www.archnewsnow.com/features/Feature171.htm)  

4. Giant chalkboards: Besides finding innovative ways to keep the campus green, Swarthmore also decided to take a fresh twist on traditional teaching methods. Most notable are “the outdoor teaching spaces scattered around the perimeter of the building where honed black granite walls provide ‘blackboards’ so that science classes can be conducted with a traditional teaching wall.” (http://www.archnewsnow.com/features/Feature171.htm) Now wouldn’t that be a fun way to learn!

5. Pterodactyl hunt: “Once every year, an unparalleled phenomenon occurs on the Swarthmore College campus. The temporal boundary between the present and 65,000,000 years ago weakens, letting loose vicious pterodactyls and a slew of countless other monsters to attack the student body! How does Swarthmore respond? What do the students do in the face of impending doom?

They pick up foam bats, of course.

Usually occurring in early October, The Pterodactyl Hunt is a Swarthmore tradition unlike any other. Students come together to wear trash bags, fight monsters, and generally make fools of themselves—all while having the time of their lives.

The Pterodactyl Hunt is coordinated every year by the members of the Psi Phi Club, who spend a few weeks preparing for the event—and making sure that students are thoroughly prepared to defend the campus.

Students need not fear if standing on the side of good isn’t their thing. Psi Phi also spends time during those weeks to recruit students to the side of the monsters, which is by no means confined to pterodactyls. There’s a whole range of baddies and creatures of evil that join the fray, including (but never limited to) goblins, orcs, kobolds, the jabberwock, the lonely troll, and dactyl guards (dubbed, with nerdy wit, the “spondees”). Certainly, this mass of monsters proves to be a daunting task for Swatties to conquer, but Swarthmore students are of a valiant sort, and refuse to let their campus fall to the dactyls!” (http://www.swarthmore.edu/student-life/pterodactyl-hunt)

Well, there you have it: five great stats and fun facts about another fantastic college – Swarthmore College!

Five Great Stats and Fun Facts about the University of South Florida (USF)

A few weeks ago I attended the Overseas Association of College Admissions Counselors annual conference held in Tampa.  Along with the usual offering of networking and educational sessions regarding college admissions, I had the opportunity to visit three distinct institutions --the University of South Florida, the University of Tampa and Eckerd College -- all within a 45 minute drive from one another in the enviable location of Tampa / St. Pete, Florida.

And what did I find learn about each of these vary distinct centers of higher education? Let’s start with the largest, the University of South Florida.

 

Here are five great stats about USF:     

1.       Leading research university: USF prides itself as being one of the Top 50 Public Research Universities in the U.S. (National Science Foundation, 2012) and uses its applied research approach to tackle problems important to society, such as health and poverty issues.

 

2.       Students "R" Us: USF is the eighth largest university in the US with a total enrollment of 47,600 students (36,200 undergraduate and 9,550 graduate students). Yet, despite this overwhelming number, the university attempts to individualize the learning and social experience through their break out TA sessions and wide variety of organizational offerings, including over 600 different clubs.

In addition, FSU gives students the option of joining a living and learning community (LLC) that encourages students to live in residence halls with others who have similar academic ambitions (including business, education, engineering, pre-nursing, mass communications, the honors program and ROTC) or lifestyle interests (such as such as sustainability, healthy living and global citizenship.

3.       Affordability: USF was listed in the Top 40 “Best Buy Colleges” for affordability (Forbes, 2012) with one of the lowest tuition rates for in-state students, plus scholarships for international students. (Tuition still costs under $17,400 for Florida residents.)

4.       High admission standards: Students starting in the fall of 2012 had an average high school GPA of 3.9 and an average SAT score of 1209 (2 parts).

5.       Comprehensive: USF can be considered a comprehensive university, since it offers 240 degree programs at different levels (BS, MA, PhD), including medical, dental and pharmacy school programs.

And now for the five fun facts:

1.       Rocky (but no Bullwinkle): USF’s beloved mascot, Rocky the Bull, was crowned champion of the 2013 Capital One Mascot Challenge. I had a chance to sample some of his best moves during the OACAC conference.

2.       Dancing wheelchairs: I previously mentioned that USF uses its applied research to help solve relevant societal problems. Here’s a prime example: USF dance professor, Merry Lyn Morris, in collaboration with the Department of Mechanical Engineering has spent the last 7 years developing a hands-free wheelchair that helps that helps those with disabilities dance. According to the Huff Post Impact, “The chair moves in the same direction that the dancer is leaning, and can even support a second standing dancer for partner work… Morris has been introducing the wheelchair to children with spina bifida and cerebral palsy in a series of unique dance classes.”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/07/merry-lynn-morris_n_4058626.html

Interestingly, YouTube revealed that the inspiration for the “dancing wheelchair” came from Morris’ own personal tragedy, as she had spent years caring for her own father who was “critically injured in a car accident and spent 21 years in traditional hand-operated wheelchairs.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ--kw-i6YI)

3.       Elevator speeches: USF’s Career Services Department teaches it students to give their best elevator speech – or what it calls a “30 second to 1 minute personal statement that provokes the person you are speaking with to want to learn more about you.” USF believes this can be a useful tool that students can use in any number of situations from networking events to voicemail messages to interview introductions. Examples, like the following, can be found on the USF website:

"Hi, I'm Mary Smith. I'll be graduating from USF in May with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and I have a real passion for the environment. I love creating outside-the-box marketing strategies for new products, especially environmentally-sensitive ones.  

I understand that your company has produced some new green products that aren't on the market yet. Last semester, while interning for a local firm I created an aggressive marketing campaign for a new product, which improved their sales. I'd love to talk to you about how I might be able to use the skills I've learned to help your company. Are you available for a brief meeting on Monday or Tuesday?" (http://www.theperfectpantry.com/2006/07/miracle_whip.html)

According to Dean of Business, Moez Limayem, USF goes beyond just teaching about elevator speeches theoretically; rather, they actually invite top executives from the Tampa area to accompany its business students for a ride in the elevator of a local skyscraper to determine how persuasive their elevator speech really is. 

 

4.       Steinway pianos: The USF School of Music has the honor and prestige of being named of being named an All Steinway School – one of just over 100 in the world – which means that every piano on campus is a Steinway. USF also presents the Steinway Piano Series, sponsored by The Music Gallery of Clearwater, which “brings premier international pianists to perform in the University’s new Music Building and Concert Hall, recognized as among the top acoustically perfect spaces for music performance in the nation.” http://music.arts.usf.edu/content/templates/?a=3092&z=298)

5.       Mind your manners: Business students are invited to participate in business etiquette dinners in order to them to learn how to make their best impression during meals with potential employers. (http://www.ctr.usf.edu/noteabull/e-newsletter/templates/default/defaultLong.aspx?issueID=152)

Well, there you have it: Five great stats and five fun facts about another university worth taking a second look at – The University of South Florida.

Stanford University - Fun Facts and Hard Acts to Follow

Although almost everyone interested in higher education is familiar with Stanford's reputation as one of the foremost universities in the world, these "fun facts" and hard acts to follow may still surprise you.

1. Many famous celebrities have attended classes at The Farm, as it is affectionately called. Here's a list of some of the most well-known alumni:

• Former presidents Herbert Hoover and John F. Kennedy (who later dropped out of their MBA program).
• Actors Reese Witherspoon (who has been on a leave since 1996), Sigourney Weaver and Ted Danson (who later transferred to Carnegie Mellon University).
• Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
• Entrepreneurs Phil Knight (co-founder of Nike), Doris Fisher (co-founder of The Gap), Steve Ballmer (former CEO of Microsoft) and Reed Hastings (co-founder of Netflix).
• Writers John Steinbeck (who attended intermittently) and Tobias Wolff.
• Broadcast journalists Ted Koppel (of Nightline fame) and Rachel Maddow.
• Athletes John Elway and Tiger Woods (who only attended for two years), and 
• Astronaut Sally Ride, the first woman to enter space.

(http://www.businessinsider.com/famous-stanford-students-2011-6?op=1)

2. There are more than 25 fountains at Stanford. Although originally created for their aesthetic beauty, they are now more well-known for the student tradition of "fountain hopping" around campus. According to stanfordpedia (yes, that is a real website), "it typically takes place during Admit Weekend, during Orientation, after finals, on a nice sunny day, or just out of spontaneity." (http://stanfordpedia.wikidot.com/fountain-hopping)

3. The Stanford Shopping Center, an upscale, outdoor shopping center (that houses such major department stores as Nordstroms, Neiman-Marcus, Bloomingdales and Macy's), is actually part of the Stanford campus and has a fascinating history. 

When Stanford University faced a financial bind after a drop in enrollment during World War II and a boom in matriculation afterwards, it needed a way to generate revenue. This task was made more difficult by the fact that university officials were not allowed to sell any of the original 8,800 acres endowed by its founders, Leland and Jane Stanford. Fortunately, the Vice President for Business Affairs at Stanford found a way to comply with this regulation and still generate some much needed income for the university -- by leasing space to a commercial real estate company. Thus, the concept of The Stanford Shopping Center was born, and "excavators broke ground in 1954 on what was once Leland Stanford's vineyard." ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_Shopping_Center)

Interestingly, the Stanford Shopping Center today is also known for being dog-friendly, since well-behaved dogs are welcome around the mall as well as inside many of the stores. Imagine finding yourself shopping for cosmetics next to Fido the next time you visit Macy's! (It actually happened to me.) (http://www.dogfriendly.com/server/travel/uscities/guides/w/FOLDERca/wonlineca6178585st.shtml)

4. The Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band (LSJUMB) bills itself as the "World's Largest Rock and Roll Band" and has become infamous all over the U.S. for its irreverent sense of humor, cutting-edge musical arrangements and bad fashion sense. This wasn't always the case though. Once upon a time (actually for the first 70 years after the university was founded), LSJUMB actually behaved like most other college bands, marching in straight lines, playing traditional marches and wearing impeccable uniforms. 

All that changed, however, after the school's beloved band director was dismissed during a reorganization of the music department in the 1960s. The Stanford marching band reacted by going on strike and refused to go onto the field for the first two football games under its new director, graduate student Arthur Barnes. In an attempt to salvage what was left of the season, Barnes made an offer to his students: if they would start playing at football games again, the band could be a student-run organization.

Of course, the group readily accepted their new leader's offer. Yet, things didn't turn out quite as neatly as the university expected due to the influence that the counterculture revolution of the 1960s had on the newly reorganized band. Over the next decade, the students opted to trade in their prim military-style uniforms for white fishing hats and gaudy red blazers; they decided to scatter rather than march onto the field; and, to make matters even worse, they chose to play rock 'n roll music - a well-known threat to musical respectability - rather than traditional band marches at their football games! (http://lsjumb.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/drupal-7.4/history)

The band's reputation for hijinks still continues today, although not only during football games. The LSJMB now plays for all types of sporting events, including rugby, water polo, sailing and even chess. They've been know to show up in a classroom or in one of the fountains (I mentioned earlier) and will eagerly play at a wedding, bar mitzvah or funeral when invited. As you can see, they're anything but your typical halftime show! (http://lsjumb.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/drupal-7.4/about)

5. I'll end this essay with a note about how Stanford students end their academic years at this renowned institution. They do what's called the Wacky Walk, a relatively new tradition that takes place during the first minutes of their graduation ceremony. Instead of participating in the traditional entrance march , Stanford students parade or even run all together into the stadium. Some carry placards thanking their respective parents; many dress in original costumes of their choosing; while still others join forces with fellow students to enact toga party themes or assemble group formations, such as a giant soccer ball or caterpillar. Feel free to take a look at this wacky, organized campus chaos on Stanford's official video: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIivxBIRq78)

Well, there you have it -- fun facts about and hard acts to follow at Stanford, a prestigious university with impressive alums and students that like to show their school spirit in many creative and nontraditional ways.