can U see Urself at UMiami?

The unmistakable “U” formed by the joining of extended fingers is prevalent in growing social media feeds of adolescents. Whether the process of college searches is hibernating in the back of preoccupied minds or the only thought that appears during 2 A.M. homework procrastination, many students can attest to the popularity of the “U” in today’s society. This emblem belongs to the University of Miami, situated in the land of eternal summer; Florida. Specifically covering 239 acres in Coral Gables, the university boasts an idealistic combination of education with a water-front view alongside proximity to city life just about 7 miles away from downtown Miami. The University of Miami classifies itself as a private, non-sectarian, research institution comprised of 11 schools and colleges designed for both undergraduate and graduate studies. Within these 11 schools, over 180 programs are available to the university’s students in addition to the accessibility to student research and educational programs which receive about $324 million dollars of funding annually. However, the university sets a high standard of learning, with a relatively low acceptance rate of 37.8% in the school year of 2015-2016, accepting a total of 10,768 undergraduate students that same year. The University was established in 1925 during Southern Florida’s economic and real-estate boom by a group of individuals who recognized a need for higher education in the expanding community and since then has become of the most distinguished private institutions nationally. Despite the fervor of the community supporting the growth of the university, the ending of the real-estate boom and a disastrous hurricane in 1926, UMiami managed to survive through the perseverance and dedication of its first president, Dr. Bowman F. Ashe. The Ashe administration aided the university in overcoming challenges such as bankruptcy, weather complications, a world war, and the adaptations prompted by a post-world war society. Under the current leadership of president Julio Frenk, the university continues its paved path of growth, prosperity, and popularity. UMiami has developed into an institution with fame associated to its name and traditions recognized from coast to coast. The school’s “Band of the Hour” is acknowledged as the largest organization both in quantity and abundance of school spirit; performing in multiple significant football events since 1987 alongside nationally broadcasted programs. The name was given to the organization when the half-time announcer at the 1948 Orange Bowl introduced the musical group playing Fillmore’s “Man of the Hour” as “The Man of the Hour played by the Band of the Hour” and since then, the name was adopted into the community identity.  The University of Miami, through its beauty and academic rigor, has gained longevity and prominence, attracting exponentially larger amounts of interested students each year; fully encompassing the slogan coined by the college’s designer Bill Bodenheimer, “U is great.”