Hello my HS sophomore D and I are going to NC for a few days to look at colleges. She isn’t seriously considering any school yet -we just thought it would be fun to look around. She is a A/B student -but intellectual and a bit serious.
Wondering if anyone had any thoughts to share on Appalachian State, Warren Wilson, and UNC Asheville
Thanks!
UNC Asheville is considered the “liberal arts university” in the University of North Carolina system. It’s also one of he smallest in the system. Not a big “rah rah” school. No football. A friend’s D is a recent UNCA grad. She majored in Art History, did a semester abroad, involved in some of the theater productions I think. She was into horseback riding and was able to continue it at UNCA. Loved it. Asheville is a really cool town and has a airport I think.
ASU is wildly popular with NC students from Raleigh to the mountains of NC. Lots of my kids’ friends went to ASU. It is your typical big state u. with a wide offering of majors in a gorgeous setting.
Boone NC is not a big city but the kids don’t seem to mind. ASU has football. Saturdays in the Fall surrounded by golden/orange/red leaved trees/ mountains makes for great tailgating and cheering on the Mountaineers. Very outdoorsy. BUT…it is really cold in the winter…lots of snow/skiing. I think the campus has heated sidewalks to facilitate getting to class in inclimate weather.
Don’t personally know anyone who went to Warren Wilson. Just know that it a very small private with a limited majors available. I think students are expected to take on jobs within the campus. My two kids attended a large suburban h.s near a big NC city. Don’t know of anyone in their school/social /sports/ circles that went to Warren Wilson.
Other colleges in western NC…Western Carolina University( state u. w/ about 10,000 students), Mars Hill College, Lees-McCrae College, Brevard College (small privates)
Thanks! That was very helpful. Warren Wilson sounded interesting. Right now I mostly just wanted to let her see a big campus (ASU) and a little and compare a bit.
I live in western NC and my daughter is a HS senior who has completed the college search. She did not look at schools in the area (she is going to UNC-CH) but many of her friends did. Appalachian State, Western Carolina University and UNC-Asheville are the bigger ones. Warren Wilson is an excellent small college and is worth a look because they are unique in many ways.
@PackMom has hit the nail on the head with her insights.
Good luck.
Thanks!
Congratulations to your D
Appie State’s mountain location is lovely and the campus is beautiful. We’re in Knoxville. I’d have been thrilled for either D to attend Appie. I don’t have any knowledge of UNCA but do know of a couple kids who went to Warren Wilson and loved it.
Thanks. I was surprised to see it that it did not have a forum here.
My D is a sophomore at UNC Asheville and is very happy there. She had other options, including UNC-CH, but chose UNCA. It really is a small, liberal arts school. Her classes have been small with lots of opportunities to interact with her professors. Because there is only one very, small graduate program, there are not classes taught by TAs. The campus is pretty, very walkable, and the facilities are excellent. Asheville itself is a funky, quirky small city with lots of live music and a thriving arts community and wonderful restaurants. UNCA has a very distinct feel and I encourage you to visit. My D knew rather quickly during our first visit that she liked it. I’d encourage you to visit. They do an excellent job with prospective students–so sign up for a tour.
@JDavisKing, what is your daughter studying at UNC-A? What made her pick it over Chapel Hill?
My daughter was accepted and it’s a top choice for her (she’s down to a final three).
We’ve visited once before she applied. Best tour guide of our college visits - he managed to engage every high school student while he talked. Asheville is a great town - I would have absolutely no issue visiting.
I spent a couple summers teaching at App, and my sister recently graduated from UNCA. Like JDavisKing’s daughter, she chose it over the (for her) too big UNC Chapel Hill in addition to several other LACs like Agnes Scott. I wrote a short comparison of App and UNCA a few years ago:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/13179079/#Comment_13179079
I visited Warren Wilson after dropping my sister off at college a couple of years ago and was very impressed. It’s a good bit further from Asheville proper than UNCA, but the campus is gorgeous, and the facilities are extremely nice. As at all work-colleges, students are expected to work hard outside the classroom as part of the financial aid package – among other things, Warren Wilson has a functioning farm. On the downside, note that it’s relatively small even for a LAC and has fairly specific strengths (writing and environmental studies in particular). As with the College of the Atlantic, it’s one of the very few colleges I wish I had considered more carefully in high school.
I love both Asheville and Boone (had a house in Boone) and second looking at UNC-A and App State. My D looked at UNC-A.
I realize this isn’t in NC, but I would also check out Sewanee in TN - another mountain LAC with a beautiful campus.
Slackermom–my D is majoring in Health & Wellness Promotion, one of the programs that is fairly unique to UNCA. Her interests are health and nutrition, with an eye towards graduate school in a health field. UNC-CH was too big and too many of her high school friends were attending. (We are instate) And, as others have mentioned in the UNC-CH thread, they do not do a good job wooing prospective students. We visited three times, including after she was admitted and she never felt the “love”. My D is in the Honors program at UNCA–that program is full of kids who turned down UNC-CH. I will reiterate that UNCA does a great job with prospective students. If you want to see something specific, call and ask.
I think of Sewanee as being a bit conservative for her- but maybe I am wrong. Isn’t it big on greek life? She is a bit liberal compared to many of her classmates.
We have been to both Boone and Asheville before (we are in GA -not too far away) -but never to look at colleges. If anyone has a favorite restaurant -would love to hear about it.
Thanks all of you for your comments.
Thanks @JDavisKing. You/ve sort of confirmed my feelings from twenty years ago! I went to UNC-CH for graduate school. When I was there, as a single person, I remember thinking this is a great place for grad school, but I would never send my child here for undergrad. It was just a bit too big and easy to party for many a 18 year old (ha! it was easy for a 32-year-old to lose herself in the fun to be had along Franklin Street and in Carrboro). UNC is one of the best public health schools in the country - I highly recommend it.
@veruca, I would also add Hendrix to your list, if it’s not on there yet.
Favorite restaurant in Boone is the Gamekeeper. Cozy, relaxed atmosphere, attentive service, great food.
Asheville has so many wonderful restaurants that it’s hard to choose. Curate has great jamon iberico. The Admiral is an out of the way cinder block building with good food. I highly recommend French Broad for coffee and dessert.
Thanks -yum!
On the way out of the city, after leaving UNC Asheville, D And I stopped by Dough and had some incredible sandwiches.
Noted -Great thanks
Seconding the suggestion for Curate in Asheville! Their jamon iberico is amazing.
And D characterized Sewanee as “hippie preppy”, lol.
^Yes, I laugh about the characterization of Sewanee as a conservative preppy school. That moniker is partly true, but then there’s the other side of Sewanee. My D went there with her fairly preppy wardrobe and came home totally bohemian with her nose pierced. Her politics have gone from moderate to liberal too. Lol.