<p>I recently was admitted, much to my surprise and excitement. Now I need to make some decisions and would appreciate info from current or past UNC students (or anyone who knows a lot about the school).</p>
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<li><p>Diversity: As an OOS I am a little worried about this. Both my parents went to Ivies (they were middle class kids with student loans up to their eyeballs, they only finished paying them off when I was in elementary school) adn they talk all the time about the incredibly diversity of people, cultures, backgrounds, beliefs, geography, etc. and how it was one of the most amazing things about going to these schools. How diverse is the UNC student body? If only 17-18% are OOS, how much can I reasonably expect to be meeting people from all over the world and all walks of life? I know there can be great personal diversity among all the NC students, but realistically, it's going to be different than a school without those 82% parameters in place for in state.</p></li>
<li><p>Greek Life: Not really interested in drinking, getting drunk, frat parties, etc. I've seen lot of this in HS (drinking) an it's not anything I am interested in. I am more interested in outdoor activities, going out with groups, and long conversations about life that go into the middle of the night (kind of like what I found at my state's Governor's School this past summer). Does this sound reasonable at UNC, or does the campus social life revolve around Greek life and wild parties. When I drove down Franklin Street and saw all those frat houses I really started to be concerned that maybe this wasn't a place where a non-drinker would feel like they belonged. Please be candid and share your experiences, I don't want to go to a school where I'd be the odd man out. I like tighter relationships with smaller groups of people. </p></li>
<li><p>Carolina seems so big, how do students break it down to more manageable size? I was looking at a lot of LACs, so now that I have the unexpected option of a top-notch school that is much larger (AND also would offer endless opportunities at my fingertips) I am wondering if I could make it work for me? I would be studying in a smaller department (classics i think), would that help? I've been so focused on LACs because I would not get lost there; I am worried about getting lost at UNC (I went to a large HS and kind of slipped through the cracks at times).</p></li>
<li><p>I am also considering UNC bc my parent's job has been transferred to NC (great timing, we move in May after I graduate here), so by the start of sophomore year I would then be "in-state" and qualify for instate tuition. It's kind of hard to pass that value up, even if I WAS thinking I wanted a smaller school. My parents would pay out of state tuition for me first year, but then instate...seems somewhat selfish for me to not consider how much easier that would make their lives, instead of them (and me) going into debt for the 54K a year LACs I am looking at. 17K (instate) vs 54K....big difference (even considering that I'd pay out of state for the first year).</p></li>
<li><p>UNC vs. other Southern schools: I live in the south now and want(ed) very much to break free and do something different. I would never consider my state U (UGA) because it just felt too much like high school and locked in the south mentally. More of the same that I have seen my whole life. (I do NOT mean to insult anyone else's choice if it is UGA...UGA is just not for me). But UNC is NOT a typical southern school, right? It's more like UVA than UGA? UNC is more....world focused? world-renowned? diverse? I just want a different experience than the typical southern, big state school. That's NOT UNC, right?</p></li>
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<p>Thanks for any and all info you can share, I appreciate it very much. PLEASE be candid.</p>
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<li><p>UNC is just not as diverse as other schools. We’ve got an 80% in state population, and while they draw from all across NC, it’s still not the same. Luckily, while we may not be all that diverse, we’re pretty large, so you can meet interesting and different people. I.E. if you’re looking to be involved in some specific community, UNC is large enough that there is probably a group of students here for you. Does that make sense?</p></li>
<li><p>The minority of students participate in Greek life, but it does have a big impact. If you want to avoid the Greek scene, however, you absolutely can. It’s not something that’s inescapable/all encompassing. In fact, you might find yourself at a Greek-sponsored charity run, pancake breakfast, or other sober activity. </p></li>
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<p>(I’ll answer your other questions at the end)</p>
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<li><p>I don’t know much about UGA, but UNC is very liberal for a Southern school. We definitely have flairs of the traditional southern state school (girls dress up to football games), but I’d say on the whole, we’re much more progressive in ideology than the typical school. </p></li>
<li><p>After being spoiled with UNC’s in state tuition, I am even more wary of getting into enormous amounts of debt for a BA degree. Honestly, you will get a world class education here and pay pennies on the dollar for it. That’s hard to pass up. </p></li>
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<p>OK, the social life: I wanted a small LAC too. I wanted to be in a close-knit community, but I came to Carolina. Here’s the thing: It is hard. The problem isn’t meeting wonderful people (very easy here at Carolina, everyone is nice) or making friends, it’s that Carolina is just SO BIG that it’s very difficult to meet with people and hang out. I.E., I have completely different lunch/class schedules. Sometimes our dorms are literally a 20 minute walk apart. We all have different exam schedules, so we all need to be studying at different times. It’s definitely isolating because it takes a lot of effort to maintain friendships here. Anyway, that’s just been my personal experience here. I hope it helps.</p>
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<li><p>Diversity at UNC is not going to be what you would get at one of the Ivies, but at the same time, it might be diverse in different ways. It would not surprise me to see greater socio-economic diversity at UNC while seeing greater international diversity at smaller liberal arts colleges. Just a personal opinion though. I would like to see more international diversity at UNC. All of that being said, there is a broad spectrum of people at UNC and you can find people from any walk of life. It just might be more difficult than the types of schools you mentioned. </p></li>
<li><p>The Greek scene is not dominant at UNC. At all. It is large enough that if you want to, you can associate yourself with only Greeks, but small enough that you never have to set foot in a Greek house and still have a social life. I’ve never been to a Greek house for a cocktail or mixer, but have been numerous times to mooch a free lunch off of some of my Greek friends. I’ve also gone through out college without drinking, either underage or legally. And I’m not the only one of my friends to do so. Granted, we might be the minority, but there are a good number of people like that. I’m not doing it for religious reasons or anything like that, just personal choice.</p></li>
<li><p>UNC really does have all the resources of a large resource institution, but it is small enough that you constantly see people that you know. I find it just about impossible to go anywhere without seeing people that I know. The Classics department at UNC is fantastic from what I have heard, and highly regarded across the country. But in terms of finding smaller communities, that tends to happen in a variety of ways. You might find that in your hall that you live in, especially if you live in a Living and Learning Community, but I have been in two different halls that ended up bonding ridiculously well. If that doesn’t work out, you can definitely find smaller communities in groups and organizations that you join. If you aren’t someone that is comfortable doing that, it might be a little harder, but the closest friends I have made have been the people I have lived with and the people I have gotten to know through the groups I have been involved in.</p></li>
<li><p>Can’t argue with the costs. It is a consideration.</p></li>
<li><p>UNC is technically a southern school in terms of geography, but it is nothing like southern schools like UGA and Alabama. I’m from Alabama and am very familiar with the University of Alabama, and pretty familiar with a number of other SEC schools. Probably half of my graduating class went to SEC schools, and UNC is definitely nothing like that. UNC is also in the Triangle, which by and large is one of the most liberal places in the south that you will find, other than Austin, Texas. And yes, UNC is much closer to being UVA than UGA. 40% of students at UNC end up studying abroad, and 50% end up doing undergraduate research of some sort.</p></li>
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<p>In regards to my personal experience, I have had an absurdly good one. I agree with ArtemisDea to a certain extent that it can be frustrating that dorms can be 20 minutes apart, but it is only a 5-10 minute bike ride, the bus system is great, and for me those 20 minutes are worth it. I guess it helps that I sleep less than most people too…</p>
<p>Feel free to PM me with any other questions you might have.</p>
<p>You might consider trying to get a middle campus or north dorm. More of a freshman atmosphere on south campus. Pros and cons with this - but in general, it seems more of the freshman party scene on south campus. My son sounds a lot like you, also OOS - he’s loved it, found friends, etc. The party crowds coming in at all hours have not made dorm life great. One way to do this is to pick a Living/Learning center at a dorm, like Morrison, and apply - that way you get into that dorm. Otherwise, it’s hard to control as a freshman. Might also help create a group of friends for you as well. You might also check this out - a new organization forming, sounds exactly like what you are looking for … from the boys I know that are joining, it might be a good fit. [Welcome</a> to Facebook - Log In, Sign Up or Learn More](<a href=“Facebook - log in or sign up”>Facebook - log in or sign up)</p>
<p>In case the link gets removed, go to facebook and look up sigma phi society at UNC Chapel Hill.</p>