North Carolina college tours

College Search & Selection
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<p>Daughter and I decided to take a tour through some of the North Carolina colleges during her spring break last week. She's just fininshing up 8th grade, but wanted to get a feel for some of the local colleges to help her decide what type of school she would like to go to. We also wanted to go on a day when the college kids were on campus to be able to see what the student body looked like on a regular day. We planned a day trip of Elon, UNC, NCSU, Duke, and High Point. </p>

<p>We got to Elon pretty early and I didn't really think she'd like it all that much. We live near Davidson and drive by frequently, and she's never wanted to consider going there, but it could be just too close to home. Elon was much more active and vibrant than davidson. the main classroom buildings were close to each other. plenty of student housing of all kinds and some really nice looking athletic facilities on the edge of campus. good mixture of old and new that all seemed to work well. Students were everywhere traveling to and from class. they seemd to mostly walk in small groups and all seemed happy talking with each other. I knew there was a large greek presence on campus. we drove by the greek village and it was very tastefully done. the houses were all pretty small but all had large outdoor decks on the back and were surrounded by plenty of trees. We saw a good mix of ethnicities and most of the students were in jeans and t-shirts with a few polos mixed in. didn't see anyone really dressed up. DD said she really liked the school and could see herself there. </p>

<p>Next stop, UNC. First impression - beautiful campus. Plenty of old stonework and flowers blooming. Franklin street was hopping with activitiy and there were people everywhere. Daughter's first comment was "this is just like a city". She fell in love immediately. We drove all around campus (which took a good 20 minutes) then parked and walked around some. One interesting thing i noticed was that every dorm had an army of bikes parked outside but we didn't see a single person actually riding their bike on campus. It is very hilly. the hike from south campus to class every morning could get old - or just really get you into shape. I liked the way the stadium was in the middle of campus, but really wasn't that noticeable since it is build on a hill with plenty of trees around. We saw people from every ethnic background. Extremely diverse compared with the rest of North Carolina. Students were helpful with several asking if we needed directions. DD had always said she didn't want to go there because it was so big, but it just climbed to the top of the list.</p>

<p>We got some lunch and headed across town to NCSU. First impression - school spirit. almost everyone was wearing red. If not red, they had something with wolfpack on it. Also, the guys. I didn't realize how few guys there were at UNC and Elon until we got to NCSU and saw so many of them. Didn't concern DD on this trip, but by the time she's picking colleges, it may become more of a factor. Not nearly as many international students as UNC, but still pretty diverse. Most people in jeans and tshirts. Everyone seemed really happy, takling, laughing and having a good time. We walked around and I was surprised how much I liked the campus. Not nearly as "pretty" as UNC, but a good mix of buildings (yes they are mostly brick) and plenty of trees. also, mostly flat campus. I thought the railroad tracks through campus would be strange, but you hardly notice them. plenty of bridges and tunnels to get from one side to the other, and trees and buildings hide the tracks. I didn't like that the football stadium was a few miles away. seemed all lonely out there by itself. Another plus was the equestrian facilities. DD has been riding for 8 years and wants to continue riding in college. The barn where the girls ride is really close to campus. </p>

<p>Off to Duke. We started at Duke East because we got lost on the way to West. It was the middle of the day and we only saw 2 people outside. one was jogging and the other was waiting for a shuttle bus. We followed the shuttle over to the main campus and it's hard to describe just how pretty it is. The campus is surrounded by forrest and quite hilly. you come around the final bend and see the church and what looks like a giant castle. We walked around for about an hour. the architecture is stunning - very Harry Potter. Newer parts have been added on and it all seems to blend well together. Only problem with the school was the students. They were the most unhappy group we'd seen all day. They looked depressed. No talking or laughing. if they were in groups, it must have just been by chance that they were going to the same building. Also, no school spirit. didn't see a single Duke shirt. My daughter said "maybe they study too hard here to have any fun". Didn't like the vibe at all.</p>

<p>Last stop. High Point. We only decided to stop there because it was about 5 minutes out of the way on the way home. Didn't think it would be a good fit from what I'd read, but thought we'd try it because DD liked Elon so much. First impression - creepy. Everything was new and spotlessly clean. Had to drive through some sketchy areas to get there, but driving through the gates onto campus we passed multiple large bilboards showing upcoming and completed campus projects. The statues on the benches along the main walkway just looked out of place. The buildings all looked the same and there were new trees planted everywhere. It seemed like the campus just needed to age. I felt like I was at the mall or at Disney or something. Just not like college should feel. Also, plenty of signs around campus about how students were getting an excellent education. First place we'd been where the students dressed up. Everyone we saw was white. plenty of khaki pants and dress shirts and girls in heels. there was a large wall around campus but it seemed more to keep the students in than to keep other people out. We only spent about 15 minutes driving around before DD said she would never go there in a million years so we headed home.</p>

<p>DD loved the activity of a large campus at UNC. It was here favorite school by far. Her picks UNC>Elon>NCSU>Duke>>>>>High Point. I was prepared to love Duke, but really surpirsed by the depressing vibe. </p>

<p>We're planning a western NC trip in the future with App State, UNC-A, Warren Wilson, Mars Hill and Western carolina.</p>

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<p>If you liked Elon, you ought to check out Wake Forest.</p>

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<p>Honestly, if you/your daughter are attracted to beautiful campuses, don’t spend your time driving all the way out to Western, it’s extremely bland. Buildings are all the same, nothing going on in town, and not a lot happening on campus. The quad was deserted even though it was a beautiful, unseasonably warm fall day. And I’m not exaggerating when I say that there’s nothing in Cullowhee. This is their downtown area - <a href=“http://www.wcu.edu/WebGraphics/Cullowhee_business_district.jpg[/url]”>http://www.wcu.edu/WebGraphics/Cullowhee_business_district.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Of those you listed for future visits, UNCA is definitely the most beautiful (in my opinion) and wins for diversity, but I love the campus and spirit at App. You’ll definitely see that sense of community, similar to what you described at Elon. And there are a lot of student activities, more than I’ve seen at any other college I looked into. I also love App’s buildings, especially the new Library. One thing to consider (although you’ll hear this if you take a tour) is that App’s curriculum is Liberal Arts based but UNC-A is an actual LAC, one of very few public LACs in the nation, which makes for an interesting educational environment. </p>

<p>I know someone who is going to Warren Wilson because they’re the only ones around who will get him a 3D art major. He’s a good friend of mine and it was on the way, so out of interest I drove through on my way to UNCA. Very small, but it’s nice… One thing they do that’s interesting is that they run a large farm, and a lot of students will get experience on it in some way relating to their studies.</p>

<p>I’ll agree about the impression you got at High Point, I went there to see a play and I expected a campus that was so new to be more, well, interesting, but it really wasn’t. The only thing that turned me off about State was how big-city it was, which isn’t what I’m looking for in a college. And as for Duke, I’ve never been but I have a good friend who goes there. From the way he describes it they have very little fun in between studying, ever. And gadad, I live in the city Wake is in and know plenty of students at both schools. I won’t say too much because I have a “hate this town can’t wait to get out” bias, but I Will say that if you think Elon has a significant Greek presence, try 60%+ at Wake.</p>

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<p>Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think Wake only has ~30% Greek?</p>

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<p>We skipped Wake mainly because of the large Greek presence. About 50% from what I’ve read.</p>

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<p>Yes, it’s 45% [Questions</a> & Answers | Parents | Wake Forest University](<a href=“http://parents.wfu.edu/faq/#greeklife]Questions”>http://parents.wfu.edu/faq/#greeklife)</p>

<p>The article is a bit misleading because it initially says,

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<p>I saw that number and jumped to the conclusion that Wake is 30%. Further on, the article says,

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<p>Interesting – Your impressions of the three larger schools you visited were almost identical to the ones my children and I had.</p>

<p>I think it’s great that you are taking your eighth grader to look at campuses, as long as it’s a “let’s have some fun/no pressure” kind of touring. Make sure you don’t do too much looking too soon, though. If you start talking about her preferences for schools too early, she may burn out of the process before she applies.</p>

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<p>It’s just what I heard, but I suppose I heard wrong. CollegeBoard (which I think is updated for Class of 2015 stats) says 35% men and 42% women. That’s still a little to high for my blood, and part of the reason I think I heard such a large number is that they really do dominate the entire social scene there. As someone who doesn’t want to go Greek, it becomes a lot more challenging in that sort of environment. By comparison, Elon is 18% men and 30% women.</p>

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<p>Never skip a college because of greek life!!! Your daughter is in 8th grade shes what 13 years old? She may up being in love with greek life by the time shes ready to apply. Wake forest could end up being the most beautiful college in your daughters eyes so let her see it. Especially if you live in NC then its not a far drive.</p>

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<p>As someone with experience on Wake’s campus, yes a bunch of social stuff is Greek-centric, but it is by no means exclusive. The parties are open with a few exceptions during the year and non-Greeks are welcome.</p>

<p>OP, I do think you are making a mistake by skipping Wake. It is a great school and you would be doing your daughter a disservice by not taking a look at it.</p>

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<p>Oh wow, I didn’t read that your daughter is in 8th grade. IMO, that’s too early to start college searching. I think it’s a good idea to see one or two colleges so she can see what college is. In 8th grade while my family was in DC we toured Georgetown because my mom went there. It gave me a good idea of what a college is and I think that was a useful visit, but I didn’t see anymore until 11th grade.</p>

<p>As an 8th grader, it is way to early to throw out the idea of a college with a strong greek presence. Disregard the strength of greek life at Wake Forest argument for a second - your 8th grader may drastically change socially by the time she is entering college. By the time she is in 11th/12th grade, she might love the idea of a strong greek presence. Come back to this topic in a few years and see if her views change. For now, don’t rule out a Wake Forest or Dartmouth because you think she won’t like schools like them 5 years from now.</p>

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<p>Same here. And I agree that it’s way too early to eliminate any colleges, or ask your daughter what her preferences are, because high school is a very transformative experience and the schools she thinks she likes now may seem like horrible fits 3 years from now.</p>

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<p>We didn’t do Wake this visit at Daughter’s request. Just not somewhere she wanted to see right now. Plenty of time for her to go visit in the future. She picked 4 of the schools on the trip. We only added high point at the last minute after seeing how close to it we were already traveling. She wanted to compare the campus feel at small privates vs large publics. before the trip she said UNC was way too big to even consider. Now, next time we’re at the beach, she wants to drive through UNCW.</p>

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On your way to UNCW you should check out East Carolina. If your daughter can get into Duke, she’ll get a full ride to ECU. Plus ECU has a TON of school spirit. Defiantly a nice safety to consider.

EDIT: Just realized how old this thread is…

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This post is three years old. I think the OP has already figured things out.