The
University of Miami is a private university in the city of
Coral Gables in metropolitan Miami, Florida.The university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States and is particularly well known for its
nationally-ranked programs in business, medicine, marine biology, and music. In 2004, the average weighted grade point average for students
granted admission to the university was 4.0 and the mid-range SAT score was 1360. Sixty-three
percent of University of Miami students ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class.The university was founded in 1925. It has a student body of over 15,000, and its campus
spans 240 acres in Coral Gables. Its orange, green and white colors represent the different parts of the orange blossom tree. The
university's current president is former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala.The university's Iron Arrow Honor Society is one
of the most selective and prestigious student honors of any major U.S. university or college.The university has been among the most successful in major collegiate sports, winning five Division I national championships in American
football (1983, 1986, 1989, 1990 and 2001) and four in baseball (1982, 1985,
1999 and 2001). The university is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Its traditional athletic rivals include the Seminoles of Florida State University and the Gators of the University of Florida.In 2004, the University of Miami was the site of the first nationally-televised U.S. presidential debate
between Presidential candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry.