The University of Miami is a leading private research university (not, note, a public university) with over 12,000 degree-seeking undergraduates in Miami, Florida. They students into 9 undergraduate schools and colleges, maintaining a small student to faculty ratio of only 11:1. Despite having such a large undergraduate student body, half of all undergraduate classes have students. The acceptance rate is about
If you are considering submitting an application to the University of Miami, remember that UMiami is test optional through at least the spring of 2026. This means that students applying in the 2025-2026 cycle are not required to submit SAT or ACT scores. They have announced, however, that they will return to requiring standardized tests in the fall of 2026. Count yourself lucky that you will be applying now! We don’t say that because we don’t think the ACT or SAT can be a useful tool in creating a compelling application package, though. A strong standardized test score underlines academic excellence in the classroom, so we encourage our students to submit scores to UMiami that are 1450 on the SAT or over 32 on the ACT.
When we work with students, we teach them that the key to a strong application to any school is to make it your own. It must be personal, and not just personal in the sense that anything is personal if you’re talking about yourself. A strong application doesn’t simply tell the readers facts, it brings the reader into your most meaningful relevant experiences, building a rapport with the reader that makes them feel invested in your future success at their university. In this case, the University of Miami. In this post, we’ll give you a peek at how we assess the supplemental section of the UMiami application, and give you crucial advice and guidance for to help you write your most powerful application.
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The UMiami supplement is short. There is only on the supplement, and it isn’t a long response either. This can cut both ways. You don’t have to write a ton to apply to UMiami, but what you write has to be impactful. There isn’t a second supplement to make up for a misfire on this one — it’s all you’ve got to stand out beyond your strong transcript, scores, activities, and college essay. Let’s break it down.
The University of Miami is situated in one of the most vibrant cities in the world, fostering a community filled with varied backgrounds. Our students come from an array of cultures, traditions, languages, and experiences. We value the unique perspectives each student brings and the meaningful contributions they can make.
Reflect on a community that has influenced you—be it your school, neighborhood, club, team, ethnic group, or any other group that has played a role in shaping who you are. What significance did that community hold for you, and in what ways did you contribute to it? How will you bring those experiences, values, and insights to enrich our campus community at the University of Miami? (250 words)
We love this type of question, but the broadness of it can throw students off, leading them in the wrong direction. UMiami invites you to reflect on one community, sharing how it has impacted you and how you will bring those lessons and experiences with you to campus as a student. This is objectively awesome, but if you spend all of the allocated 250 words explaining you have seriously missed the mark.
Instead, we work with our students to spend half, or more, of the supplement showing how a community has impacted you — not telling. For example, maybe being part of a Boys & Girls Club has been an integral part of your growing up. You went to swim lessons there, learned to be a lifeguard, and worked as a lifeguard after school or on summer breaks. Then, you started teaching swimming. This supplemental essay could start with you ‘graduating’ your first class of swim students. Calling out the names on each certificate, you reflect back on when you were in their position, receiving a ‘diploma’ from your first swim instructor.
Starting the supplement with a vivid, compelling, and heart-felt story like this offers multiple avenues for building depth once the scene has been set. You can reflect on mentorship, and link that to a community a UMiami, or link your commitment to the goal of becoming an instructor to your academic drive. While these are both pretty broad, the secret is actually to be specific. Name precise programs, groups, or initiatives at UMiami that you are drawn to, and connect those to the lead story.
Writing a strong supplement for UMiami relies on making it personal, making it meaningful, and making the application reader feel truly connected to you as an applicant. Application readers are looking for reasons to say no — they have to, as they have to reject so many more students than they accept. This means that they spend much of their time reading applications ‘in their head,’ making logical and measured decisions.
We work with our students to develop applications that pull admissions officials out of their heads and into their hearts, upending admissions expectations and leading to exceptional outcomes.
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