East Carolina v UNCW

<p>My D was accepted at ECU and deferred until April 1 at UNCW. Her GPA is 3.95 and composite ACT 23. She liked the city of Wilmington area much more than Greenville but liked the atmosphere at ECU better than UNCW. ECU seemed fun and friendly while UNCW seemed not to have much activity going on. We live in Cleveland Ohio so don't have a lot of first hand experience or knowledge of either school. She is undecided major. She is leaning toward ECU over UNCW and thinks she won't get in UNCW. She likes ECU West End dorms and wants to send in her $100 to assure a West End dorm. She loves North Carolina and is looking forward to getting away from Cleveland's harsh and snow filled winters. (although I see ECU recently closed 2 days for snow)</p>

<p>Any thoughts on either ECU or UNCW or comparisons would be appreciated.</p>

<p>I personally prefer UNCW to ECU because of UNCW's proximity to the beach (you can drive from the campus to the beach in about five minutes!) and the student body is a little bit better than ECU. UNCW has higher average SAT scores and a lower acceptance rate, so it would be more intellectually stimulating to your daughter. Best of luck!</p>

<p>There are a few kids from our area (out of state) that go to ECU and I have heard that they really like it. The campus is nice and there is a lot of school spirit. The football games are a lot of fun.</p>

<p>I have a few friends at UNCW (all female), and they've had extremely positive things to say about the school. I am a huge fan of coastal schools, so like Sligh I would have to give UNCW the boost in that area. UNCW definitely has a lot going on, and Wilmington is well-known for its arts scene (e.g. the Azalea Festival). It's a pretty well-rounded school, with great departments running the gamut from marine biology to creative writing. ECU is a great school, but personally I'd only consider it over UNCW if I were pre-med.</p>

<p>I never visited ECU but I have been to UNC-W. I got the feeling that a lot is going on at UNC-W. BTW, boy are summers hot and humid there! The beach is fairly close to UNC. I liked that the school has little shuttles to get around the area, and there are city buses. The education building at UNC-W was very impressive. The airport seems very convenient to UNC-W. I found UNC to have a very nice campus. I agree with other posters that admission to UNC-W is more competitive than to ECU. I have heard good things about both schools, so if your D gets into UNC-W she will have 2 good options. If she only is admitted to ECU, I have heard that students there are happy. Best of luck to your daughter!</p>

<p>Firstly: do you have $100 to spare for maximum choices? If so, I would send in the housing deposit now and be prepared to forfeit it if your D is later accepted to and decides to attend UNC-W. Otherwise, she needs to compare the two schools now--assuming that she does get into UNC-W, would she choose it over ECU? Which is the best fit for HER?</p>

<p>I'm pretty sure housing deposits are refundable if you decide not to attend</p>

<p>Where I live UNCW is considered MUCH better than ECU. Not that ECU is necessarily bad, but it is usually the school everyone is sure they will get into and few actually want to go to. Wilmington would be a nicer place to live and, as others have said, right by the beach. But, there are of course people who go to ECU and love it.</p>

<p>I live in Wilmington, so I can hopefully give you some first hand experience (although I'm a HS Junior). ECU is a PARTY school. Sorry, but everyone in the area knows that ECU is the easy school and people just go there to get drunk. UNCW is higher up on the list. Although once itself a party school, UNCW is redeeming itself and is making it tougher to get in. UNCW is about 85-90 degrees during the Summer, and it never gets below 15 degrees in the winter. We just had snow in Wilmington last week for the first time in 7 years!! How exciting it was! They closed school for two days and it was less than 2 inches...we just aren't that prepared for the snow. UNCW is prone to hurricanes, but all students are given adequate time to make arrangements to be safe, including the option to stay with hosts families. I would HIGHLY recommend UNCW over ECU. Also, your daughter can become an extra while staying in Wilmington. She just has to go to the movie studio, provide a picture and some contact info, and then whenever they need her they will give her a ring! I've been an extra three separate times in tv shows and movies (think One Tree Hill) and they feed you, pay you $8 an hour, etc. Its not a part-time job, but it is so much fun when you get a chance to do it! If you have any specific questions about the Wilmington area, please feel free to message me and I will be more than happy to assist you. Obviously I can not give a lot of information about ECU except what I've heard, so I do apologize for the biasness. (But seriously, it is THE party school in NC and I believe it is in the top 5 list for the top party schools in the usa)</p>

<p>No matter which you choose, I'm sure your daughter will be successful and enjoy her time at her chosen University. Good luck.</p>

<p>Here's a review of both colleges from The Princeton Review. Read them and think about where your daughter would fit in the best. Good Luck!</p>

<p>East Carolina University</p>

<p>"East Carolina University is in the business of “providing excellent education at a reasonable price.” Students agree that “ECU has one of the best nursing schools,” boasting a “90-something percent NCLEX pass rate.” But if nursing isn’t your thing, don’t fret. Schools the size of ECU are “filled with many opportunities in whatever field you are interested in.” And “although large in size, ECU has a small-school atmosphere.” For one thing, “the grounds of ECU are beautiful. Just walking around ECU you can see the beauty and feel comfortable.” In addition, “the majority of class sizes are small, allowing you to get the help you expect from a professor, most of the time.” But be warned: professors are “a coin toss; you either get an instructor who does their best to get the curriculum across to students in a fun, timely, and organized manner, or you will get someone with an untouchable tenure who scarcely does more than show up and read directly off a Power Point presentation.” The latter type seems to be most prevalent in the general education classes, which are not well-loved by students. For the most part, “the administration is very helpful [and] very friendly…. The financial aid office, however, is a train wreck.” Disbursing especially “really needs work.” The only other major student gripe is that “registration is a pain in the ass.”
"“Friendly,” “mostly Southern students from North Carolina” compose a large, noticeable proportion of the ECU student body. In broad terms, the typical ECU undergraduate is “middle-class,” “heterosexual, Caucasian, Christian,” “easy-going,” “full of school spirit,” “enjoys shopping, chain restaurants,” and “partying” “and participates in one extracurricular program.” This hypothetical student “doesn’t work too hard, but they do enough to get by.” All that’s not to say that there aren’t different types of students here because there are. You can find many of them in the “the art school [which] tends to have a different community than the outside campus, with a (seemingly) larger number of openly gay/bi/transgendered individuals, a more liberal stance, and less emphasis on Christianity.”
"It’s called “Pirate Pride,” and it springs from a deep appreciation for the “beautiful campus, friendly people, school spirit, great sports teams, [and] beautiful weather” that grace ECU. “We love our sports and purple and gold,” which means that “ECU football and basketball [games] are huge.” But the ECU campus offers far more than intercollegiate sports for socializing opportunities. For example, “there is the student center, where there are game rooms and a bowling alley. There is also a rec center where people can exercise and play sports.” For the studious, the library beckons. And wherever you choose to go, the digs will likely be smart: “The student recreation center and the library are both very new and clean.” As far as fare goes, “the food is really good” but could be “a little less ridiculously expensive.” Regarding campus housing, students would like to see a few restrictions lifted. For one, they would like “no curfews for opposite sexes in the dorms. There is no reason for it.” Off campus “the downtown scene is wonderful. There are many bars and clubs to go to. They have either 21 and up [or] 18 and up, so everyone can go out [and] have a good time.” If you’re not into bars, you can also go to the “movies, ice skating, or out to dinner.”</p>

<p>University Of North Carolina - Wilmington</p>

<p>"With its “warm weather, great teachers, lovely downtown on the river, and a gorgeous beach,” University of North Carolina—Wilmington has pretty much all the right ingredients to create a “laid back,” “relaxed atmosphere” for learning. What’s more, all this comes at an “affordable” price. “Small but challenging classes” are led by mainly “excellent, passionate” professors, although “the basic studies teachers are varied; some are excellent, but some are just waiting for something better to come along.” Outside of class, professors are “easily accessible during office hours for additional assistance and even help with studying.” If you can get admitted to it, “The Honors Scholars Program is great because you get priority registration.” In addition, the honors classes are especially “thought-provoking and engaging.” As far as majors go, “there are so many options here.” Students name the “marine biology department and film department” as top academic programs, though nursing and business have their champions, too. Most students believe the administration is “great,” given that it is “readily available to see you when you make an appointment.”
"The Wilmington “student body is mostly made up of very attractive, beach-loving people. There are plenty of surfers and sunbathers,” and “quite a few beach blonds.” “The typical student is white, middle class, and politically conservative.” As far as personal style goes, there are “a lot of Southern preppy frat types, surfers, hippies, skateboarders, and emo film students.” “The different types of students blend at parties and whatnot, but it’s easy to pick out which crowd people are in.” “There is little to no diversity,” but people report having “seen no discrimination.” “People of different ethnicities are treated equally.” While most undergraduates are traditional college students in terms of coming straight from high school, “you also have a lot of older students.”
"Wilmington students confidently declare that “Our life is your vacation.” “We are in the South and located in a beach town where time seems to slow down a little bit. The city here is big enough to always have something to do and be entertained, but quaint enough where you feel safe and you know your way around.” No wonder “Everyone wants to live here year round after their freshman year, which is rare at most colleges.” “The residence hall association seems to have some event (movie night, barbeque, athletic event, ice cream socials, etc.) almost every week, there are always athletic events to attend, movies to watch in our movie theater on campus, dramas to go see, concerts, guest speakers, comedians, etc.—and these are all on campus.” Off-campus, “students go surfing, go to the beach.” “I mean honestly how many students can go lay on the beach to do their homework?”—“or downtown for fun.” Downtown has “ice skating rinks, the mall, clubs,” and “shopping.” “There are also bowling alleys and pool halls.” “The environment is very pretty, and many people work toward conserving it.” If students had to cite one problem with their otherwise idyllic lives, many would say that “parking is absolutely horrible.”"</p>

<p>I don't live too far from Wilmington...I'd mostly agree with what JamesJr said; my impression of ECU has always been more of a party school - most of my friends from HS that go there are big partiers. City-wise, Wilmington is much cooler than Greenville, IMHO...</p>

<p>If you have the extra $100, I don't think putting in the deposit would hurt anything. NC winters are much better than OH winters :)</p>

<p>I applied to UNC Wilmington for this school year and visited over the summer. Honestly, I have to agree that ECU has a bit of a party school reputation. As far as rankings go, UNCW is a tier 1 school and ranked #4 in University Masters–South. That’s a pretty good ranking and tier compared to ECU’s tier 4 ranking. Especially if your daughter plans on going to graduate school, ECU isn’t going to have as much of an academic reputation as UNCW. </p>

<p>I have never visited ECU, so I can’t say much for the school’s environment, but I do have to say that I loved the atmosphere at UNCW. It was very laid back, yet I got the sense that the kids there were willing to work hard. There was a ton of school spirit and it was a very ideal college campus. Of course the beach is also a great attraction. Best of luck!</p>

<p>although I see ECU recently closed 2 days for snow</p>

<p>I don’t know about NC and snow in particular…but I do know that many southern cities don’t have snow equipment, so schools can close even if there is a very minor amount of snow. You would probably find the amount of snow to be very little compared to what you’re used to. </p>

<p>I live in the South and schools close when there is an inch of snow with no accumulation. Seriously.</p>

<p>Why have so few posters here talked about the quality and rigor of the academics at either ECU or UNCW?</p>

<p>The Life Sciences are fairly strong at UNCW, particularly Biology. Incidentally, It’s an attractive, suburban-like campus. Right smack against a strip-mall shopping district. I can’t speak to the academics at ECU, but ECU has been acknowledged for being innovative and proactive in student life and retention of freshmen. One of the major news magazines did a story on ECU’s freshman counseling/adjustment/immersion program a few years ago.</p>

<p>I was born and raised in Wilmington. I have a large extended family here as well. Yes, UNCW has come a very long way. When I graduated in '86 you literally went to UNCW the day before classes began in the fall and signed up. We are very proud of how it has progressed. The renovations are wonderful and the campus is beautiful. However, you will NEED a bike to get around as the buildings are very far apart. </p>

<p>It is interesting to me that people talk about it being a great “beach” school. When school is in session, it is winter and although there is no snow, there is nothing happening on the beach either. Ok, so maybe you could fish off of Johnny Mercer’s pier if you are into that type of thing. And sure, you can stay for the summer but finding a summer job is about impossible. Most students I know live 12 to a house just to afford it and say they live at the beach. Once you are out of school, you will have to move. The majority of Wilmington employers are small to mid size businesses. There isn’t a lot of security or ability to move up the ladder so to speak. The majority of the students I know are grossly under employed and some have never or are having a very difficult time finding any type of internship for their major. </p>

<p>If you are coming for purely academics, come on down but if you think there is some kind of “beach” life, you have watched too many movies. There are better schools to attend that will help launch you into a career after those four short years.</p>

<p>I attended ECU and it is a fine institution. </p>

<p>[Top</a> Colleges & Universities in North Carolina | University Web Rankings](<a href=“http://www.4icu.org/us/North-Carolina.htm]Top”>http://www.4icu.org/us/North-Carolina.htm)</p>

<p>This is an old thread, but I’d like to add that UNCW and ECU aren’t that far apart academically, so I would choose whichever school that was better in what I wanted to study. That said, I think Wilmington is a great town, and I’d personally rather spend 4 years in Wilmington than Greenville.

I completely agree with this.</p>

<p>How does UNC-Pembroke come in ranking #9 (ranked higher than UNC-W on this list btw) on the ranking list posted in #16?</p>

<p>Also, look how far down in the rankings Elon and Davidson are on the list posted from #16. How did they come up with this ranking?</p>

<p>

Judging by the results, I’m fairly certain hallucinogenic substances were involved.</p>