Hey! I really struggle with making decisions especially big ones like where to go to college. After a lot of research and college visits I have finally narrowed it down to 4:
Wingate- great academics, nice people, getting a big scholarship, pretty campus, small like my high school but in the middle of no where and no club soccer plus apparently food isn’t great
UNCW- love that it’s close to beach and nice area for the most part, have club soccer, pretty campus, have ASL, good academics but not the exact program I want, not the best freshman dorms,possibly too big for me and no
Scholarship so far
High point- beautiful campus, exact major I want, perfect size, wonderful dorms, have club soccer but in a bad area and afraid people are too preppy for me (big concern)
Coastal Carolina- the only school I would know someone (my cousin is going…big plus), near beach, nice campus, I got some scholarship money and good sports teams but I heard academics aren’t that strong, don’t have the exact program I want and heard it’s a big party school
I really can’t decide!!! Any opinions or advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks sooooo much :)))))
My perfect school: exact major I want, pretty campus, medium size, good surrounding area, nice people, club soccer, big scholarship
UNC W is the best choice since it meets most of your criteria and has excellent academics. In addition, the dorms are not so bad
What’s your desired major and what does UNCW offer that seems close to it?
What’s your parents’ budget and what do these colleges costs if you add up (tuition, fees, room, board), then subtract scholarships and grants only? (DO NOT subtract loans. Those may appear as Federal Loans, or Stafford). @LBad96 is a freshman there and will likely tell you about his expeience there.
Yes, providing us with an idea of how much it’ll cost you each year will be important. UNCW and Coastal Carolina are public universities while High Point is private (and I think Wingate is too), so simply knowing whether or not you got a scholarship doesn’t help - UNCW may still be cheaper.
Exact major isn’t really as important, as you can usually come close with another major or a combination of majors or by creating your own individualized major. What is the major you want?
Honestly UNCW sounds like the best choice in terms of your pros, assuming that your family can afford it.
So how about using your spring break to go spend some time on each of the campuses while they are in session? Sit in on classes. Eat in the dining room. Read the student newspaper. Ask if there are any big changes anticipated on campus that would impact you as a student over the next four years. Walk around the surrounding area and check out the community. Talk to the faculty in the area you’re interested in. Even if you did this before you applied, you will see it with different eyes this time around. Given that you will be there for four years, I think investing a little more time is worth the effort if your family can afford it.
Hey @cec615!! I see that you have my school as a choice. Without any bias, UNCW is by far your best choice in all aspects. As @MYOS1634 said, UNCW has excellent academics; I’d give us 4 stars personally. The dorms aren’t at all bad here. The size of 14,000 undergrads is absolutely perfect for me, and I wouldn’t have enjoyed going to a school that was half the size of here. The academics are the best here out of all four of your choices. People here are inherently nice, and you seemingly have to go out of your way to find a person who’s rude. You’ll meet people from all sorts of different backgrounds and walks of life; it’s a very diverse atmosphere here.
Having met someone who transferred here from Wingate, I’d say they’re 3 stars. Honestly can’t say much else about them.
You’re right to be concerned about Coastal’s academics, as they’re a 2.5 star school. I also know a few people who transferred here from there, as well as one person who picked UNCW over Coastal, and they would all tell you the same thing. It’s a party school that doesn’t take academics very seriously at all. Hence why they have a high transfer out rate.
And don’t let High Point’s pretty campus fool you; the academics aren’t at all well-respected (2.5 stars with ZERO standout programs), the surrounding area is fairly crime-riddled, and the students there tend to stick their noses up in the air. You’re 100% right about it being too preppy at HPU, and the snobbery is 100% unwarranted as well. Easily one of the most overpriced schools in the country. I can link you to a thread where one student felt completely duped by what the school actually turned out to be after initially being very excited to attend.
Another word of advice that goes off of what was said above: don’t pick a more expensive private school over a great public university just because the private school gave you a larger scholarship. Private schools typically have larger endowments, therefore more free cash to dole out. Speaking from personal experience, I turned down private schools that gave me $23k/year, $16k/year, $13k/year and $12.5k/year to come here with no scholarship offer. I came here because the academics were the best of any school I got into, the surrounding area and the city is fantastic, and the people here are world-class human beings. I haven’t regretted my decision for a second. I hope that I’ve helped you reach an informed one.
plus apparently food isn’t great