Dear high school seniors, this is why you should commit to UMiami

Students from all over the US and the world choose to come to Miami for four of the most important years of their lives. Whatever their reason for choosing it, with a freshmen retention rate of 93 per cent, it’s clear that almost everyone loves it here. Here are a few obvious and not-so-obvious reasons to attend the U.

Academics

Academics are important: they should be one of your main concerns when deciding on a school that works for you. Thankfully, UM is a top-ranked national university (#51 in US News) with 11 schools, small classes, and renowned faculty. I came to school without a major, and knowing that UM had one of the largest choices of major programs for a school its size was a big deciding factor for me. It’s also the perfect size – I always pass someone I know on the way to class, but I also pass dozens of people I’ve yet to meet.

They even fill campus with hammocks (and puppies) for orientation and finals week

Diversity

The Princeton Review recently rated the U as the number one school in “Race/Class Interaction”, and rightfully so, seeing as 15 per cent of the student body is international and 36 per cent of faculty are underrepresented minorities. The city itself is even more diverse, and I’ve had Uber drivers who speak French, Spanish, English, Creole, and Portuguese. If you’ve ever wanted to learn another language or experience different cultures, Miami is the place to do it.

Weather

Okay so this one’s a little obvious, but how can you not love the weather here? I send at least five Snapchat pictures with the temperature filter on them daily (I’m sure my friends at home are very much over it). You’ll never get snow days, but you will be able to tan in January and your friends and family will always be looking for excuses to come visit you, and I think that beats a few days off from school anyway.

Athletics

Football games and tailgates take up almost every Saturday in the fall, and we’re already ranked #3 for next year – with a new coach and awesome players ready to redeem themselves. Our basketball team just made it to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament and our baseball team is ranked #2 in the country. Plus, we’re basically famous for the milkshakes at our baseball games.

Just before crushing Duke in basketball

The beach

Of course we have South Beach, which is about a half hour from campus and a major hub for tourists and festivals. There are also smaller, less-known beaches like Matheson Hammock Park and Key Biscayne, which are beautiful and quiet and closer to campus. Plus, the ocean water in January is still almost 75 degrees.

The parties (and the other fun stuff that doesn’t involve alcohol)

Whether you want to spend your weekend on a yacht with your sorority sisters, biking in Key Biscayne, or clubbing downtown, you’ll have fun (and a day or night out is not always as expensive as it sounds). There are tons of amazing restaurants (see @miami_foodporn on Instagram), ice cream shops, and malls. Wynwood is a nearby art district that is home to uniquely painted walls and shops. Greek life is popular, but it’s not overwhelming – you won’t feel obligated to rush. There is literally always something to do, so don’t worry about being bored.

After riding our bikes and seeing the world’s tallest sandcastle in Key Biscayne

School spirit

You won’t find a ‘Cane who isn’t proud to be here. Alumni are huge on offering jobs and many come back each year for homecoming, where a boat burning and fireworks are tradition. You can watch away games at the Rathskeller – what other school has a lakeside bar with good food? There are over 2,000 universities in the US, but there’s only one U.