<p>Actually, I am perfectly happy here. It’s a good education for a good price. But I suppose I do view the place with a more skeptical eye than most people. I see the downsides as well as the upsides. I certainly don’t hate it.</p>
<p>I appreciate that my views are in the minority, though when I have voiced them in real life a surprising number of people have agreed with me about many things. I also appreciate that you don’t want to give people the wrong idea. But you can do that without lying about or misrepresenting what I think.</p>
<p>I do <em>not</em> hate Carolina. I like it here just fine.</p>
<p>I happen to have a child at UNC and another one who has both an undergrad and masters from Yale. It’s two completely different environments. Yale is city, UNC is campus. Both offer tremendous educations but it’s really what you want in a college. There is NOT an elite attitude at Yale. People are happy to be there and enjoy meeting peers like themselves. Carolina has the most amazing school spirit and there is always something to do. You need to decide what you want. I truly believe either degree will help you in your future. Btw both my children found their schools challenging and had many amazing professors.</p>
<p>@ confused01: thank you for your response. It’s indeed true that I need to figure out what I want. I’m wondering, given your experiences in both places, would you say that the economic disparity between the two institutions would still make Yale worth it? Tuition and fees for 2011-2012 amounted to 56K at Yale; in your opinion, is that, times four, worth the difference between Yale and UNC?</p>
<p>Unless you are dead-set on going to law school, I think Yale is probably worth the money. And I say that as someone who has turned down Ivies for both undergrad and grad school in favor of full scholarships at “lower” ranked schools (UNC for undergrad). </p>
<p>While it’s true that there are a few departments where UNC is stronger than Yale, Yale is simply a better school across the board. And in general, your classmates at Yale are going to be significantly smarter and more diverse than they would be at UNC. Maybe those two things aren’t that important to you, but if they are, I think Yale is worth the money. </p>
<p>Likewise, your initial job opportunities coming out of Yale are simply going to be better than they would be coming out of UNC. Sure, some students from UNC snag jobs at places like Goldman and McKinsey, but jobs of that caliber go to Yale students at a much higher rate. </p>
<p>Long term, I think the difference is even more pronounced. UNC obviously inspires a lot of loyalty and has a strong network, but so too does Yale. Think of all the prominent people that went to Yale–those are the kinds of people your classmates are going to be. Again, that’s not to say that there aren’t plenty of impressive UNC alumni, but I think there are more real movers and shakers from Yale (and that’s despite its smaller size). </p>
<p>Among people who didn’t graduate from the respective schools, UNC is basically just another state school; Yale is Yale. I wouldn’t underestimate the effect of that difference, especially if you plan to spend your career in North Carolina. </p>
<p>All of that said, I think others are right that the two are probably very different places in terms of culture, campus life, setting, etc. So if UNC appeals to you along those subjective metrics much more than Yale does, I think it makes perfect sense to choose UNC in spite of Yale’s objective advantages. But that’s something you will just have to decide for yourself after visiting both places.</p>
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I agree completely. I found myself in a similar situation last year. I was deciding between Stanford and UNC with the Carolina Scholars award. However the choice was clear for me because Stanford had always been my dream school and financial aid and scholarships allowed me to attend without breaking the bank.</p>
<p>Both places have great programs in the humanities, and you’ll have plenty of opportunities at either school. I don’t think Yale’s environment is cutthroat, nor do I think UNC’s postgraduate opportunities are limited. Yale is more prestigious and it does have more people in high places, but UNC’s alumni network is also strong and can open many doors for you. As luxlibertas mentioned, there are other factors you may consider such as setting, campus life, culture, athletics, etc.</p>
<p>I have friends at both schools who are having a blast and have found great opportunities. You can’t really go wrong with either option in my opinion. When it comes down to it, it’s a matter of preference, and none of us here can really decide that for you.</p>