<p>D was with me on the campus walking tour of the University of Central Florida with a light, white, jean jacket (both inside and OUTSIDE) in July.</p>
<p>Excellent points ncmentor. Another thing to look at is the geographic diversity of the students. Forty percent of the students at my son's college, Roanoke, are from out of state. Many are from the mid-atlantic states which brings a degree of familiarity for my son but overall quite a bit of "differentness" to make it interesting.</p>
<p>My daughters College (private, Christian) in the mid-west had 92% of the students from out of state and that made this mid-west school seem not so typical. The big commonality was religion but that was about it.</p>
<p>UNC is a world class school and everyone will for the most part find it both welcoming and challenging.</p>
<p>"But the misconception that polite = sly is a interesting cultural difference."</p>
<p>Blame that on that darn Eddie Haskell. ;)</p>
<p>Yes! I overheard another mother talking about a kid and she said, "because he says 'yes ma'am' he gets a pass. He's just pulling an Eddie Haskell in my opinion!"</p>
<p>Seen on car bumper stickers in Atlanta a few years ago;</p>
<ol>
<li> "We don't Care How You Did it Up North!"</li>
<li>"If You Love NY Take I-85 North."</li>
</ol>
<p>Kids open to new environments will be just fine crossing the Mason Dixon. Even schools with large regional representation don't discriminate if they aren't discriminate against. Basically, be open!</p>
<p>Duke=University of New Jersey, Durham Branch</p>
<p>(Duke grad here)</p>
<p>I know you are a grad of Duke (with a sense of humor), but if I had a nickel...for everyone near me in VA who says that Duke (son is Duke '09) is the New Jersey of the South (not meant as a compliment..usually followed by "and they can just go back up there up North and ...), my favorite add-on is the next segue...because it is comically insulting...to me.."I can't send Susie there (or to a whole host of places), she might meet someone from New Jersey and marry a Yankee"...(truthful though, at least: tell us how you really feel!)..I met my New Jersey spouse at Furman, actually, where teachers are pretty thrilled to teach kids from other regions in class and students are endlessly polite and warm-hearted.</p>
<p>the joke is of course that they assume I completely agree..(they view me as native to VA since my "people" are here but I am a military brat with many years on the northern side of life) My spouse was born and raised in NJ and still has an accent to prove it, but somehow his "heritage" is so inconceivable that it is always forgotten.</p>
<p>the reality of Duke's student body, where NC and SC are still "protected" by charter for a small advantage in admissions..this was in the latest parent newsletter...New Jersey is the least of the "differences" making their way to Durham.</p>
<p>"some other interesting things to know about this class. They are truly a global group of students, from as far away as Kazakhstan, Zambia, Australia, Paraguay, and Sri Lanka. Domestically, we saw increases in students choosing to enroll from both near and far, with more students from both North Carolina and California this year. North Carolina remains the most represented state, with 15 percent of the class; California is, for the first time, the second most represented state, with 9 percent of the class, just edging out New York, with the top 5 states rounded out by Florida and Texas. The next five include New Jersey, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Maryland. All in all we have students from 48 states. Students of color comprise just over 44 percent of the class: 466 first year students are Asian, 171 are African-American, 117 are Latino, and 10 are Native American. And 150 students are coming to Duke from outside the United States."</p>