Need opinions FAST, please! UNC-CH vs. Univ of Missouri, Columbia

Parents Forum
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<p>^Very possible barrons. At parent orientation last August, we were told the oos acceptance rate at UNC-CH fluctuated annually but was usually between between 15-18% (if I remember correctly). It is often confused with enrollment information because the percentages are similar.</p>

<p>By law, UNC is required to keep oos enrollment at 18%. There is a little 'play' there since I do think they consider certain oos scholarship recipients (those who have oos tuition waived) as in-state students. jack definitely knows more about the details than do I....but I do know Admissions is careful not to misstate these percentages because it is a such sensitive issue in the State of North Carolina.</p>

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<p>barrons: My comment to the OP was in direct response to her statement in her post #39: "UNC is very picky and admits very few OOS students (<15% this year)." I simply pointed out that this was incorrect. 18% is the official "cap" on out-of-state students; again, this is determined by the Board of Governors who receive their marching orders, in part, by the NC Legislature. In fact, unofficially, it's probably bigger than that because of recent legislation ldmom has mentioned (which was, in part, a back door way of raising that cap). UNC raised their out-of-state cap from 15% to 18% many years ago. </p>

<p>As far as 15% being the out-of-state admission rate, this may be true. I don't have those figures. Regardless, this is not what the OP stated (certainly not how I read it), and it is not the statement I was correcting. As I said in my last post, he/she may be "hearing" one thing, and understanding it in quite another way. All I attempted to do was to correct what I felt was misinformation that gets repeated here, but I'm not sure why I bother.</p>

<p>Regardless, here are the 2006 facts--straight from the website (and more information that you ever wanted to know):</p>

<p>Fall 2006 Enrolling Class - Demographics </p>

<p>19,736 applied
6,734 admitted (34.1%)
3,816 enrolled (56.7%)</p>

<p>81.5% North Carolina residents
18.5% residents of other states and countries</p>

<p>12.32% African American/Black
7.52% Asian American/Asian
5.37% Hispanic/Latino/Latina
0.84% Native American/Alaskan Native
69.97% White/Caucasian
0.16% Pacific Islander
2.02% Other
1.81% Choose not to report</p>

<p>Once again, I think the OP's daughter should go to Mizzou. This is her "first choice," and I suspect she'd be much happier.</p>

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<p>admits does not equal enrolls. That creates confusion all over this board when we people quote numbers without knowing the nuances. You may be right--or not--the OP is vague but did say admits--not enrolls. Also my understanding is that a portion of that 18% is reserved for internationals and OOS legacies or something like that so the real number for OOS US kids who are not legacies is even lower.</p>

<p>That said, I'd go with UNC as much better rounded, better town, and better location.</p>

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<p>barrons: I don't have a clue. Differentiating between the OOS legacies and the "real number for OOS admits" sure seems like a red herring to me, though. </p>

<p>As to your second paragraph, I agree, but I think the OP's daughter clearly should go to her "top choice."</p>

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<p>*Jack - *</p>

<p>What is clear from your post is that anyone who feels the need to say that someone is "not really listening" is more consumed with being right and condescending than the issue at hand. *This thread was never about who is right about OOS stats. *</p>

<p>You have gotten totally off the track of this thread.</p>

<p>To Everyone else who has given time, attention, and thought to our dilemma:</p>

<p>I appreciate your sincere good wishes and effort in helping us figure things out. Your opinions, facts, and support have helped tremendously. We have learned a great deal about UNC especially that we did not know before. I will let you know the decision.</p>

<p>Again my deepest gratitude to all.</p>

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<p>pairodocks: I corrected what I thought you were saying, because too much misinformation is always given on these boards. You are the one who made the initial and rather pointless statement, which--let's be honest-- really should have absolutely nothing to do with your/her decision. </p>

<p>I find your tone (and your comments constantly in "bold" lettering) really unnecessary and, frankly, bordering on weird and bizarre.. In fact, I gave you quite a bit of information here of which you were previously unaware. (You're welcome.)</p>

<p>Again, I do hope your daughter gets to her first choice school. It sounds like, especially with honors and scholarships, Mizzou really wants her, and I can imagine this is where she will really be happiest. I hope you, as a parent, can help her get there. If not, you and she both might always regret it.</p>

<p>Again, good luck.</p>

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<p>pairodocks - whoa.</p>

<p>This thread has been very focused on the issue...which is providing you as much as possible ACCURATE information about the schools your child is interested in attending. Since jack, and I, have kids at UNC-CH, naturally we are going to comment on Carolina. Hopefully others with information about your other choice will also pop in with good, solid, ACCURATE info about that school. </p>

<p>Don't be annoyed if someone tries to help by correcting any bad info that you may have picked up along the way. I've read your other posts at other forums, and it does seem to me you have been misinformed about a few issues. (Dorms, food, admissions data, etc...) </p>

<p>Frankly, I'll have to give it to jack for persevering...I've pretty much given up. To me, your dilemma seems to be no more than a need to find justification for sending your student to a more expensive, but less prestigious school, because this is the school she truly wants. If you can afford it, send her to that school! Make her happy and she'll be successful. It's a simple as that. </p>

<p>You came here, you asked for help, I think you got it. Just be polite and say thank you...or say nothing. But don't be critical of those who are taking the time to help you.</p>

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<p>The last (?) word on UNC admissions.</p>

<p><a href="http://alumni.unc.edu/article.asp?SID=2357%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://alumni.unc.edu/article.asp?SID=2357&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>barrons: Interesting data; thanks for posting. Looks like the <em>admit rate</em> (if I'm reading correctly) for OOS (not counting legacies) was 18.8%. I suspect that's been around the same percentage in the years since.</p>

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<p>pairodocks</p>

<p>I really know how agonizing the process can be since we were faced with a somewhat similar dilemma four years ago. I say somewhat because we weren't comparing UNC to a less prestigious school but rather to Yale. We were looking at Yale at $40K a year or so less the minimal amount of aid they offered to a full ride with perks at UNC (The Morehead) and to be honest both Eamom and I were struggling far more than our S was despite the fact that Yale had been his dream since 8th grade and he had been admitted to Yale EA the first year of SCEA, also known as "the bloodbath."</p>

<p>He alone made the decision to accept the Morehead and has NEVER regretted his decision. Again, in all honesty it took us parents far longer to set our egos aside and deal with the fact that we wouldn't be putting Yale stickers in the back windows of our cars or answering "Yale" when asked where our son was in school. Hindsight being 20/20, seeing how incredibly happy he is at UNC, I really wish I has some of those sleepless nights back and had not stressed things as much as I did. </p>

<p>UNC has provided him with everything and more than he would have gotten at Yale with a big bonus...he (and we) are debt free with him heading to med school where there is no financial aid other than loans. In case you haven't looked recently, the cost of grad and professional schools (especially for the elite J schools like Columbia and Northwestern) makes undergrad costs at most places look like a bargain. Med school in some places is $55K a year TUITION only....and we aren't talking about Harvard, Johns Hopkins or Yale here.</p>

<p>I hope that whatever the decision, you come to terms and peace with it as we have. </p>

<p>jack and I have been trolling these boards for a while and along with ldmom really try to offer as much help as we can while trying to remain as objective as we can. My S is a junior and is really beginning to feel much melancholy at the prospect of leaving UNC very soon, jack's D is a sophomore and ldmom's D is a freshman so you are getting three varied perspectives even from a time point of view.</p>

<p>jack offers a unique instate perspective with a child that is a Robertson and had many fine offers from other schools as well, ldmom is OOS like me (and also from Texas, like me) and has a D who turned down better offers (financially) to attend UNC. </p>

<p>Please don't interpret anyone here as trying to hijack boards or get off topic when all any of us are trying to do is make sure that you have real facts before you when make a difficult decision. You asked for help and input and we ALL tried to offer the facts about life and the educational opportunities at UNC as we know them from our own children's experiences. I think what has been difficult for any of us is the fact that regardless of what we have offered, you had an almost immediate rebuttal which sent the message to us that you REALLY didn't want the help in the first place, and that has left me and I am sure the others puzzled to say the least. Your post is titled "Need Opinions Fast....." we offered opinions and facts but you never really seemed to like any of them.</p>

<p>Good luck with your family's decision. It appears to be quite difficult for all of you. The good news is that if she gets to Mizzou and realizes it was the wrong decision, it isn't the end of the world and she can apply for transfer anywhere. The bad news is that if she does want to transfer to UNC, the money that UNC is offering this year won't be there.</p>

<p>Again, and sincerely, good luck...let us know how and what she decides.</p>

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<p>I think eadad has hit on the ultimate question.....Can you live with it if you turn down a full or near full at UNC? Because once you do, the money is gone. </p>

<p>We were in a similar situation as the OP because ldgirl had honors offers with fulls, near fulls or large/multiple merit awards at four other schools, including our well respected flagships of UT-Austin and Texas A&M. The honors program into which she was accepted at UT-Austin only made offers to 100 students, so this was something she took very seriously. (She also had an acceptance at Cornell, but no money...so beside the point.) </p>

<p>Our d also rec'd an acceptance into the honors program and a small merit award at UNC-CH...and compared to the other schools, this was the option that was the most expensive for us. But UNC was the school that she loved and it was the school that we felt would open all the right grad school and career doors for her. And yes, we were willing to pay for the additional prestige. </p>

<p>It IS a huge decision when letting those big scholarship offers go. My only advice is that you make sure you are getting something in exchange.</p>

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<p>"Hijacking" is pretty common here and not considered a problem so long as it relates to the main topic. We here don't really care for bolding and all that crap. We don't yell here and most of us can read and get things just fine without any extras.<br>
Many here just think going to Mizzu over UNC would be a mistake no matter how highly ranked it is for one dept (Does it have one other highly ranked program? I can't think of any.) If you don't want opinions don't ask for them.</p>

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<p>Okaaaay.... I'm trying to find the post where I said ANYthing about the University of Missouri's J-school. lol!! I do however think it is without dispute UNC is a more highly regarded university as a whole. So you can quote me on that one. </p>

<p>Two points:</p>

<p>I don't know what the OP or her daughter expects regarding college cuisine, but the UNC Ramshead is a brand new facility, considered to be cutting edge and a model that is being followed in the development of food service facilities at colleges nationwide. In fact, the Ramshead got quite a bit of press when the facility was opened. My husband and I have eaten at both the Ramshead and the Top of the Lenoir which are the two big dining locations and the food was great. Btw, the OP stated these were the only two dining facilities which is incorrect. There are actually about a dozen eating choices on campus. The UNC One Card is accepted at these other options as well.</p>

<p>Regarding housing, Yalemom, the OP only stated she HEARD the dorm situation was subpar, but did not elaborate as to what she HEARD. I didn't notice any posts where she stated she actually had first hand knowledge about housing. Perhaps you know the OP personally and therefore know more than we? If so, I stand corrected. But clearly the OP had inaccurate information regarding housing as explained in the many, many responses regarding facilities which can be found on this thread as well as a similar thread at the UNC-CH forum. </p>

<p>Boy, this whole thread has me scratching my head. Bolded fonts, sharp rebukes about the direction of the thread, an unwillingness to acknowledge mistakes or inaccurate information, singling out posters for abuse....it's all a bit much. </p>

<p>And, it isn't exactly polite to post under more than one name.</p>

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<p>oh parents it's so funny to see you guys bicker like high schoolers over something like "hijacking a message board"</p>

<p>as you may or may not know (or care) i was debating between UVa (with very little money) and Mizzou (with more money + in state) so my situation is similar but flip-flopped of yours.</p>

<p>i went with Mizzou. the only reason it was in the cards in the first place was finances, but after i visited i (very reluctantly) fell in love with it. mizzou is a good school with a great feel and a very vibrant social scene. its greek scene is huge, it is one of two research universities in MO, its j-school is ranked with Medill (as you know), the tradition of homecoming started there, and its sports teams are followed religiously by students, alums, and residents alike. if she goes to mizzou, which seems to be her first choice, she will love it. </p>

<p>another reason i liked mizzou over UVa (and this doesn't seem like it will be a problem for your daughter) is its relaxed atmosphere. i come from a very prestigious/rigorous high school, and therefore am not at the tippy top of my class as i wish i were, and can't wait to be in a less competitive environment. </p>

<p>mizzou will also give me great networking opportunities in MO. my family is from St Louis, so good MO contacts will be very beneficial for me. does your daughter plan to live in NC? if so, it would be beneficial for her to make NC contacts via UNC.</p>

<p>mizzou's honors college is pretty cool...great advising and opportunities. the aspect of the honors college that sold me is that when a big lecture breaks up, the honors college kids get the professor rather than the TA.</p>

<p>i have 3 younger siblings, so money is definitely an issue for my family. i don't think i'm cheating myself (this feeling took forever to find) by going to my second choice school (mizzou) for cheaper than really breaking the bank to go to my first choice school (UVa). besides, there's always the pricier school (mizzou in her case) for grad school.</p>

<p>seems like you're looking for some validation, so here's how i look at my UVa situation (per some great advice from CC): UVa was my dream school. I worked so hard to get into UVa...and I did. But when it came down to final decisions, other factors had to be considered. While it sucked to turn down my dream in favor of my safety, I choose to look at UVa for what it is: a huge accomplishment and solid validation that hey, you know what? I really did work hard in high school. I worked hard enough to get into one of the toughest public schools out there. </p>

<p>Loans can be repaid, but regret can't. Tell your daughter to follow her heart...she'll do the right thing. I know if I were faced with a lot of aid to my not-top choice school vs. not as much to my top choice, I would have a really tough time deciding. I personally would feel pretty guilty sending my parents into debt by paying for my undergrad and I don't really want thousands of dollars of debt when i leave school. Money is a huge pain in the neck. </p>

<p>"college is what you make it" --with someone as spectacular as your daughter undoubtedly is, she will continue to excel where ever she ends up. glass half full rather than half empty...at least she gets to choose between her top two!</p>

<p>i apologize for sounding so scattered...lots of different thoughts on this topic. plus it's getting late ; )</p>

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<p>Very good advice in this ^ post. Good luck to you kristin! (btw...you did not sound scattered at all!) ;)</p>

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<p>Kristin,</p>

<p>You make a lot of sense. My daughter has learned a great deal from reading about your experience in a well thought out post. </p>

<p>Your choice and decision appears to have paralleled hers. Thanks for your perspective and opinions about Mizzou.</p>

<p>It was great hearing from you.</p>

<p>Thank you, Kristin. Any my daughter thanks you, too.</p>