University of Miami

Located in Southern Florida, the University of Miami has an ideal location for students who love the outdoors. With popular spots like South Beach, the Florida Keys and Everglades National Park nearby, students have plenty of opportunities for water sports, hiking and sunbathing. Downtown Miami, also near to the school, is a thriving sports and cultural center. On campus, 2,500 students are involved in nearly 30 fraternities and sororities. Students can also choose from more than 290 clubs and organizations to join. Freshmen are required to live on campus and can live in one of the school’s five residential colleges. Modeled after the housing setup at England’s Oxford and Cambridge universities, the different communities combine living and learning with communal meals, poetry readings, sports and other activities. Freshmen who don't live in university housing are paired with an on-campus representative through the Commuter Assistant Program to help ease the transition into college. University of Miami Division I sports teams are known as the Hurricanes and compete in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The school’s mascot is Sebastian the Ibis, a species of marsh bird that is known for weathering tropical storms. The University of Miami is known as a research institution, and research opportunities begin at the undergraduate level. Annual campus events include the Canes Film Festival, which showcases student-produced movies, and Sportsfest, a weekend of competition between residence hall teams. Undergraduates are also known for upholding school spirit with traditions like the Boat Burning Ceremony held on Lake Osceola during homecoming. Notable alumni of the University of Miami include actor Sylvester Stallone and entertainer Gloria Estefan.