For my next College Spotlight, I am going to take you to the American Heartland. If you are looking for a well-rounded school in the Midwest, you need look no further than Miami University of Ohio in Oxford, Ohio.

Founded in 1809, this is a school that really has it all. You may wonder why a school in the middle of Ohio is called Miami University when we traditionally think of Miami as being in Florida. It takes its name from a Tribe of Native American Indians who were called the Miami and lived in the Miami Valley region of Ohio where the campus is located. The tribe currently lives in Oklahoma, but it maintains a close and reciprocal relationship with the university that is described by both as “Neepwaantiinki,” a Myaamia word meaning “learning from each other.”

Miami is one of the original eight “Public Ivy’s” – a term coined in 1985 in a book written by Richard Moll. Moll did exhaustive research to find eight public schools that he determined offered an Ivy League college experience (in both academic rigor and overall campus experience) at a public-school price. As such, Miami is considered to be both an academically challenging school as well as one that offers a beautiful campus steeped in history and tradition. Other schools on this prestigious list include the University of Virginia, The College of William and Mary, and the University of Michigan. Benjamin Harrison, 23rd President of the United States is the school’s most famous alum.

Fall 2018 enrollment at Miami was just over 17,000 undergraduate students. The student/teacher ratio is 17:1, providing students with fairly good access to their professors.

Miami has six different schools on campus: Arts and Science, Business, Creative Arts, Engineering, Education and Health, and Liberal Arts and Sciences, offering 120 different majors. Business and Social Sciences are the most popular majors. It also has a graduate school and a unique study abroad program in their own dedicated school in Luxembourg. At the Luxembourg campus, students can take up to 16 units and keep on top of their major coursework in the morning, and then they are offered the opportunity to do internships in the afternoon. Because of its central location in Europe, travel to other countries is extremely easy by train. Students live off campus with local host families.

Tuition at Miami for the 2018-19 school year was $34,895 with room and board an average of $13,860. There are terrific merit scholarship opportunities available to students who apply by Dec. 1, both academic and other. See their Merit Scholarship page on their website for the specific scholarship information.

An added bonus is that Miami offers a “Tuition Promise” for first time undergraduate students that guarantees tuition, room and board payments will remain the same for eight consecutive semesters. For specific information on this, please view the “Tuition Promise” page.

All freshman and sophomore students live on campus as a way of fostering community within the University. Sophomore students can petition to live in their fraternity or sorority under certain circumstances.

Nineteen percent of men opt to join fraternities, while 29 percent of women join sororities. (The original chapter of Sigma Chi was founded on this campus!)

The Miami Redhawks field 16 varsity sports: seven for men and nine for women.

The school also offers over 50 club sports, boasting 12 national championships over the past ten years.

It is one of the largest club sports programs in the country. There is also an intramural sports program.

While admission to Miami could be considered less competitive than many schools, the College Board reports that 55 percent of incoming freshmen have a GPA of 3.75 or higher.

Grades, test scores and your application essay are the most important factors in admission decisions.

When my daughter and I visited Miami a few years ago, we were amazed at what a beautiful campus it had. It has a spacious, yet intimate, feel. Most buildings on campus are brick and quite traditional looking.

This is a school that is definitely worth a look for anyone who wants that Midwest experience and does not want to be in a big city.

Contact me if you would like to discuss whether or not this would be a good fit for you, or if you want help finding the right schools for your college application list.

Maryanne Hogan is an Independent College Admissions Consultant working with students on Maui. Visit her website, thecollegeauntie.com, for more information or to make an appointment.