I love the mountains in NC and have decided to look into colleges there. I will be an OOS student from Georgia, so I know how un-generous the UNC system is with cost of attendance. I have looked into App’s Chancellors and Wilson Scholars, but I don’t know if my scores are competitive enough (31). I have been getting emails about the WCU Chancellor’s Application. I know they’re a little less competitive, but I don’t know what scholarships are offered and can’t find anything on their website. I have only read good reviews online about how WCU is growing and becoming a better school, but I am still concerned about the prestige of Western. I am looking into Furman and Wofford and think I can get some scholarships from them, but they just aren’t in the mountains exactly. Does anyone have any suggestions about other mountain schools?
I have a 31 ACT superscore and a 4.0 GPA. I have lots of extracurriculars and should be in the top 3 of my graduating class at a smaller school.
It’s up to you how much you weight reputation and ranking. Those can be meaningful attributes, though I think HOW one goes to college is much, much more important than WHERE one goes to college. I wouldn’t be very concerned about small differences in reputation and ranking. For example, I’d choose a school I loved seemed like a perfect fit and was ranked #140 by some sort of compilation of rankings than some other school that seemed okay and was ranked #120. I’d rather live and learn for four years in a place I thought I would love than have a small reputation/ranking difference that probably won’t mean much in a few years.
I’m not an expert on these schools but have been to WCU and UNC-A for various reasons several times over the last couple of years. If you love mountains, WCU has a great campus right in the mountains. I was impressed by the school. UNC-A is just outside downtown Asheville, which is one of my favorite towns (with Fort Collins (home to Colorado State), Flagstaff (Northern Arizona University), and Burlington (University of Vermont)). To me, that would be a fantastic place to go to school. There are tons of great things to do outdoors at these schools.
I can’t provide any intel on the scholarships. It seems to me that you’d be competitive. Win them over with the essays–be positive and forward looking and convey the contributions you’d make to the college’s community. UNC-A, full OOS cost, is a relative bargain in today’s crazy college cost world. I think it is around the mid-30s with room and board. That’s a lot, but not too much more than in-state at some of the publics in my nearby state.
Win you get to one of them,
–Go to class, that’s the real key
–Do the reading
–Get to know the professors, they want to know the students, it’s easier than it seems
–Get tutors right from the beginning for science and maybe math classes; strong students do this, not weak ones. It’s much better to work with them from the beginning than waiting until one bombs the first chem test.
If it were me, I would choose UNC-Asheville over WCU; but, as the above poster correctly (in my opinion) notes, fit is very important. If you attend a more prestigious school but hate being there, what is the real benefit to you (except perhaps an entry on your resume)? I would visit both schools, while each is in session; talk to the faculty in the areas that you are interested in studying; talk to the students; and make a decision after that.
In regards to Furman, whatever merit you get from your ACT/GPA may not be enough. My oldest child was admitted there a couple of years ago, and received a $25K Bell Tower Scholarship based upon a 34 ACT and a 4.5 GPA; but was shut out of Furman’s competitive awards. Even with the $25K merit award, the finances weren’t all that great. I think you would have a better chance of getting more money from Wofford than Furman.
In addition to the state universities that have been mentioned – WCU, UNC-Asheville, Appalachian State – there are some small LACs in the NC mountains: Mars Hill College, Brevard College, Warren Wilson College. I don’t know whether schools of that size might interest you, but they could be worth a look.
Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, NC might be worth a look. Their website indicates it is a “College of Distinction” and USNWR #19 regional college in the South. No idea what its financial aid is like, but the sticker price is quite expensive at >$35K. I wouldn’t be overly concerned with “prestige”; go somewhere you like.
OK, it’s not North Carolina, but would you consider Sewanee: The University of the South on a mountaintop in Tennessee? I know they provide some merit aid but don’t know if it would be enough.