HONORS COLLEGE & MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS

<p>Congrats just_forget! Did you find out Friday? What did they tell you? Are you excited?</p>

<p>I am a dual applicant (UNC Chapel Hill and Duke) and I got my Robertson Scholars letter on Saturday as well.</p>

<p>I'm really excited because I just got a likely letter today! No word from Robertson, though. That probably means they liked me... but not enough to give me money. <em>Sigh</em></p>

<p>Has no-one else here heard anything from UNC regarding merit scholarships yet? :(</p>

<p>I got a phone call from them... see the new thread. <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=39143%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=39143&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Do out of state students really have UNC as their first choice. I am oos, and honors, but a friend of mine that also got in was telling me that the honors program is not that great. So I looked up the courses online, and it looks as if I can only take 2 Hon. classes each semester, and the rest, 2 or 3 would be reg. And as you get into junior and senior it is even fewer choices. Have other honor acceptees looked this up?
Can any oos Honors people tell me why they would go to UNC rather than a private college.</p>

<p>alice,</p>

<p>see nckid's cited link. If you get selected as a Carolina Scholar, that seems like a very attractive offer. I agree the honor college alone is not a big deal for out of state applicants.</p>

<p>My son is in the same boat. He is OOS, got a likely letter, but nothing about Honor college or scholarship yet.</p>

<p>cajundad
what do you think of their Honors program per se. Have you looked at the course catalog? Does Chapel Hill only appear to be very slective because of their 82 or something percent of N.C. students? Or is it really really top-notch. Not only am I not from N.C., I am a recent immigrant, how out of place am I going to feel? I need advice as my parents are not able to give me any.</p>

<p>Alice,</p>

<p>There are certain pros and cons about UNC for a OOS student. It's hard to advise not knowing your background. Some obvious pros and cons:</p>

<p>Pros,
* UNC is listed #1 in best college for the money by Princeton Review. However, it is a great bargain for in-stater; not so much for an OOS without scholarship.
* It is one of the research powerhouses, particularly in natural and life sciences, but not so much in engineering. I certainly don't know anything other than science&engineering.
Cons,
* As you mentioned, UNC, as a state institution, is not diversed in term of student body. Rice, for example, is better though it still has ca. 50% texan(a school my S is comparing with). If I were your parents, this will be an important consideration.
* In USNWR ranking, UNC is strong in peer review but weak in student selectivity and financial resource for faculties and students.</p>

<p>My S is in the same boat and will wait for 4/1 and go from there. I hope this helps. Good luck to you in your college search.</p>

<p>UNC is a GREAT school! Not only does it have a top athletic program :), but US News ranks them at 29th in their America's Best Colleges list (really good when considering how many schools there are in the US) and its selectivity is recorded as "Most selective".</p>

<p>US NEWS:
Since opening its doors as the nation's first public university in 1793, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has earned a worldwide reputation for vital teaching, cutting-edge research and distinguished public service. Often called a "public ivy", Carolina is known best for its:
· Devotion to broadening students' views of the world through superior teaching, scholarship, and hands-on research. Carolina students spend two years exploring a broad spectrum of subjects before specializing in fields ranging from science and technology to business, the humanities, and liberal arts.
· Intense and friendly collaboration among students and faculty as they push the boundaries of discovery and create new knowledge.
· Dedication to improving people's lives in areas including economic development, education, health care, and human services.
· Commitment to access and affordability for people from all walks of life. Through the Carolina Covenant, students from low-income families can graduate from Carolina debt-free.
· Distinctive spirit and cohesiveness that shape everyday life in Chapel Hill--often described as the perfect college town. From classrooms and residence halls to athletic events to clubs and theaters, the Carolina community shares a special friendship that lasts a lifetime.</p>

<p>Check out these links:
<a href="http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drmiss_2974_brief.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drmiss_2974_brief.php&lt;/a>
<a href="http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_2974_brief.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_2974_brief.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Alice: Just to add what others have said here.... UNC is a very fine institution, with a national reputation. One would never have a problem getting into any graduate school/med school/law school in the country, in my opinion, from UNC. And when people talk about 'diversity' on these boards, I'm never clear what they're actually saying. Yes, 82% of the student body is from NC; however, in terms of diversity on other levels (ethnicity; rural vs city folks; monied vs not; the brilliant student vs the 'average,' etc)--you will find it there.</p>

<p>My own child attends a big public high school here in NC, incredibly diverse, with students who are from varied parts of the world and from the local region, and whose backgrounds are equally diverse. It's incredibly open and accepting (with a rigorous curriculum), and she loves it and wants that same diversity and openness in the University she attends. UNC would offer that---as well as a fine education.</p>

<p>I'm always a little confused by the posters on all of CC, not necessarily this UNC board (but particularly parents), who seem to be desperate for "diversity," yet who are hell bent on finding that "diversity" in very small, elite, and very expensive private universities. If one <em>truly</em> wants diversity, attend a big state public university---and it doesn't get much better than UNC-Chapel Hill (in my opinion).</p>

<p>Alice...I forgot to add...acceptance to UNC for an out-of-stater is as tough an acceptance as to any elite school, including the Ivy League. Incredibly selective. I would guess that any OOS student who gets into UNC, could probably gain acceptance anywhere. And acceptance for an in-state student is getting tougher. They don't take just any student. They don't have to..</p>

<p>Thank you cajundad and Jack</p>

<p>You are right Jack, about diversity. UNC probably has it except in geographical terms. </p>

<p>In my post #48 I was asking about the honors classes. Their fall Honors does not have a wide selection of classes open to Freshmen. Since I am quite clueless about my major, I would want to have lots of options. I do know that UNC is a highly ranked State school, but are they throwing in a handful of Honors classes to attract the best students. And will the best students bite?</p>

<p>Also do a lot of the 'better' in-state students who get accepted end up going to 'better' schools than UNC. And then they end up with the next tier? I suppose my questions sound silly...</p>

<p>Would your child go to UNC Jack, or try to do "better" than that? And if he went, would it be because of the bargain price for in-staters?</p>

<p>aha....I see that eadad in post #3 has explained that the Honors program is not an Honors College, and a student can only take 2 Honors classes each semester, {and I guess 2 regular}.</p>

<p>Alice, UNC is indeed a great university and getting accepted into honor program is no small feat, in-state or out-of-state. However, I always have the impression that it is not a good idea to go to an out-of-state public university without a tuition scholarship. An extremely bright kid that I know went to UC Berkeley out-of-state and regreted it. Not only did he has to pay OOS tuition for all four years but also fail to enter his first choice major that he likes. It doesn't make you feel good knowing that majority of students pay less because they are in-state and a lot of them are less qualified than you.</p>

<p>Does anyone know how long an OOS student becomes qualified as a Carolina resident and thus pays in-state tuition?</p>

<p>isn't it only if your parents live in the state and pay taxes? Or if you are not supported by your parents and are earning in a job.
$27,000 is still a lot less than $45,000, but I know what you mean. There will be some feeling of resentment in you when 82 % are paying $13,000 or even less with all the Carolina scholarships.
UNC needs to do more to attract us oos kids</p>

<p>i heard somewhere that after you go to a public university for 2 years, you can get in-state tuition. not sure if this is true or not.</p>

<p>btw, weren't merit scholaships supposed to be given out early march? has anyone gotten any yet?</p>

<p>Alice: I do think that the Honors Program is pretty selective, and a student I know who currently attends UNC, says that the Honors classes are very small and are very rigorous (graduate level, in her opinion). </p>

<p>The Carolina Scholars awards you mention are not only for in-state students, and--in fact--many are offered to out of state students to attract them. Also, if you look at the Robertson list of finalists, you will see how few are actually from NC. The Morehead Scholarship, also, is divided evenly between in-state and out-of-state. So I think that UNC does do a lot to attract OOS students. There is a thread on here somewhere, where someone posted the question, 'Why do out-of-state students choose to go here?" You might want to check that out. Also, the cost for an OOS ($27,000?) is still a relative bargain, compared to those $40,000 schools. Also, every state has its own state universities. So you could apply to your own state university and pay the in-state tuition. Another option is to move here for a year (on your own?), apply for residency after a year, and then apply to UNC. Of course, you will have to do something worthwhile for that year. </p>

<p>In answer to your other question...my child did apply to UNC early, was accepted, and was invited into the Honors Program. And, yes, she is seriously considering UNC. We know UNC has some excellent programs if one chooses to take advantage of them (aside from specific academic departments/majors). She has also applied to other schools, and I don't know if they're "better" necessarily, but probably considered tougher to gain acceptance at them than to UNC. But, honestly, whether the programs at these other schools are "better" is questionable.</p>

<p>Alice: Somebody else may have mentioned this before, but you do need to research what your own interests are, and determine if they mesh with what UNC offers. And there are other issues, too. Do you want an urban environment? Do you like the south? Do you like a big school? I don't know where you are located, but if you can take a trip down here and check it out the campus, the town, and the environment, it might help you make a more informed decision.</p>