I was accepted into both App State University and UNCW, but cannot decide which to go to. Previously, I was leaning towards Wilmington, but that was before really knowing what major I wanted. At the moment, I am looking to going for a Physics major, and was hoping to find out which school has a better program for it, but can’t seem to find such a thing. I currently live in Greenville, so Wilmington would be a bit closer to home, and have about the same weather that I am used to. However, I know college is about new experiences, so App would also seem like a great choice, given that it is a completely new experience in a completely new environment, which is good for the body. It also seems like App is a slightly better school in general, according to rankings from http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/appalachian-state-2906, where App is number ten of the Southern Region Universities, while Wilmington is 16th. Moving to the subject of recreation, which school generally has more things to do? I personally like to longboard, so which school would have the better environment for that? To sort of wrap up, what I’m asking is: 1. Which school is better in general? 2. Which school has a better Physics program? I would love to hear first hand experiences from graduates and those currently participating. 3. Which place is a better place to live? 4. Which place could be considered more fun?
Three and four are really the same question, but I figured I’d split them up. One and two are really the answers for what I am looking for, and three and four are just to see which place I’d be more comfortable. Thanks for your answers!
PS, I realize NCSU has a good Physics/Engineering program, but when I was applying to colleges I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I did not apply there.
Wilmington is probably a slightly better school, but not to the point where it should be a decision maker.
Obviously app is in the mountains so you get snow and snowboarding and skiing etc. Where Wilmington is at the beach, so you get the beach. App is known as more of a “hippie” or “skater” type of school, and Wilmington is known to be a little preppier, but you’ll find people who fit in with at both schools.
Personally for me it would come down to the environment, beach or mountains.
Hey OP!! UNCW freshman here. First, I’d like to congratulate you on your acceptances to these two terrific universities. You really can’t go wrong with either one, to be honest.
Don't focus on those rankings, as there's hardly any difference between a #10 ranked school and a #16 ranked school on the same list. I may be a little biased, but we're just a *teeny* bit better. However, the two schools are so similar that it really just depends on what you're looking for, as @ntk131998 put it.
I'm in the business school, so I can't really judge as to which physics program is better, but both are very respectable programs that should get you to where you need to be.
And 4. Wilmington is a more desirable locale than Boone. Then again, I may be biased because I escaped the cold of New Jersey to come here. :) also, my roommate hails from Boone, interestingly enough. One of my closest friends here is also from Greenville. And your hometown is very different from both Wilmington AND Boone, trust me.
I would recommend UNCW for you, but App State is a great school as well. But both schools tend to attract rather different people. UNCW has chill, beachy types, while the atmosphere at App State tends to cater more to stoners. It’s all about where you’d be more comfortable. Go with your gut; you won’t regret it.
Longboards are all over UNCW, very rare at AppState (terrain not conducive). UNCW has a collegiate feel to the buildings (all same design facing Chancellors Walk) while ASU is literally in downtown Boone with a hodge-podge of building types with traffic going right through campus. ASU has an adjacent downtown that is fairly student focused. No chain stores or restaurants. UNCW does not have an adjacent downtown and is in the middle of a city. Visit, they have very different feels to them and student populations. Both unique schools. Neither known for physics per se. Very similar in ranking, they take turns being 3 & 4 behind UNC then NC State.
Don’t know where you decided to go, but I’m a junior at App State so I’d throw in some of my experiences.
App State has a GREAT physics program with many top tier professors coming from Ivy Leagues. Their research topics are incredible. So that is something to consider. We also just got a $1.4 million dollar grant from NASA to fund many science programs. For any other students struggling with this choice, if you want to do Marine Biology, definitely go to Wilmington. Ecology/Biodiversity should come to App State.
As for the campus, it is completely different from Wilmington. Wilmington definitely has more of a consistent look and really does look like a cookie cutter university. I am also biased, but I think App State has an eclectic hodgepodge of buildings that is beautiful.
Boone is awesome because you can walk to downtown from campus and we have an awesome “Beeper” system where a member of the community will take you anywhere around Boone for $2. Longboarding and skateboarding are supposed to be illegal, but a lot of people do it anyway. It does get very cold though, so your window for these activities can be small. But you could take up snowboarding as we have great ski/snowboarding mountains nearby!
