<p>Obviously, JHU is a very prestigious university, but how much does a degree from a prestigious university impact the rest of your life? There's harvard failures and obscure college people who make themselves household names, but how much did their college help them? Doess alumni associations and the school social circles help you that much in life?</p>
<p>Long story short, I'm trying to decide between a full ride to UNC or JHU. I've heard people say just go for the full ride and school names only matter for grad school. Then there are people saying that where you do go college leaves a "brand" on your resume forever and that college prestige does matter a lot for your future opportunities- like the school you go to majorly impact how your people see you.
Which side would you go with?</p>
<p>I think “prestige” is not the best way to pick a college. DS1 is at JHU but I would find a full ride at UNC very appealing. UNC is not a “bad brand” either. I recently spoke with several humanities graduates of the JHU Class of 2008. They all had landed jobs in Manhattan despite the recession. But I’m not certain if it was the “JHU brand” or the fact that they are bright young adults who make a good impression at interviews.</p>
<p>I’m a JHU graduate and married a Tarheel while in Med School at Duke. I love Hopkins, and have always received that instant recognition and respect, to which you refer, from those who ask where I went to school. Still, money is a legitimate issue and UNC is a wonderful school and environment. There is no overestimating, however, the differences in scope and feel between the two places - UNC if BIG (make no mistake), traditional, Southern, and has a distinct college-town environment. UNC and JHU are just too different for you to feel the same when you’re there - which feels like home to you?</p>
<p>Take the full ride; that scholarship at UNC is considered extremely prestigious if you are into that sort of thing.</p>
<p>GO where you’ll be happiest. Don’t take the full ride and regret it but do take it all things being equal.</p>