<p>cloying says it best. ;)</p>
<p>I'm a foreign graduate student, at the end of my fourth semester, and I have to agree it's highly overrated.</p>
<p>Academics are OK, but not as good as everyone seems to think. I took some 400 level cross-registered classes in my first year, and the standard of final-year undergrad work was a joke compared to my undergrad.</p>
<p>The fact is - UNC is a good, solid, local university. That's why so many of its graduates go on to positions of power in North Carolina. But to claim it's even close to UC Berkeley is absolutely ridiculous: UCB is a global university, one of the very best, known the world over.</p>
<p>When I told people in my home country that I was going to grad school in North Carolina, they might ask "Oh at Duke University?", but I don't think a single one had heard of UNC. And these are not uneducated people (they had heard of Duke, after all, which is itself not exactly global), these are phd students at one of the best universities in the world (far, far better than UNC).</p>
<p>UNC-- you're good, but get over yourselves.</p>
<p>they're talking about for undergrads, obviously</p>
<p>and unlike what many people overseas seem to believe (a friend here said that his school in Indonesia thought Purdue was better than Brown just because their engineering has a better grad program), grad programs don't necessarily always correlate to education/reputation of the school on an undergrad level</p>
<p>Wow, you need to work on your reading comprehension.</p>
<p>Though I am a graduate student, I only made reference to:</p>
<ul>
<li>my experience of undergrad classes here</li>
<li>UNC's international reputation (or lack of it).</li>
</ul>
<p>How does your reply latch onto any of that?</p>
<p>UNC is actually fairly good in my grad programme. Not top-notch, but good. But I was talking about the undergrad standards, which are way way below those of my undergrad.</p>
<p>shinagawa - Why did you bother to attend UNC? Just curious if you had other options.</p>
<p>And fyi, UCB is good...but not quite as famous as you think. Like many state schools, it's prominence varies from region to region. </p>
<p>In fact, take your following statement: "When I told people in my home country that I was going to grad school in North Carolina, they might ask "Oh at Duke University?" Now substitute Bay Area of California for North Carolina, and Stanford for Duke....and now you get the picture. Ironic, isn't it?</p>
<p>Sorry gotta hit the road/</p>
<p>It is funny how foreign grad students who happen to figure out UNC is up there somewhere in U.S.News ranking, decide to come to UNC and once they get in, they'd look down on undergrad. quality just becaue they think their foreign undergrad program is superior based on incompatibility. Well, I'd have to say, welcome to America. A U.S. univerisity in U.S. - UNC-CH is respected in a manner in which some of your elite universities in your own country are respected. That means by graduating UNC undergrad., many graduates enjoy recognition in our job market, amongst graduate programs and rest of our society just like Waseda/ Osaka U. graduates in Japan, Yonsei/ Seo-Gang U. graduates in S.Korea, Sorbonne/ Ecole graduates in France or Manchester/ Imperial U. graduates in UK etc., If having duke on resume seems better for you to gain recognition in your own country, please do yourself a favor and pursue your future academic goal over there 8 miles down the road. Good local university? Are you kidding me? Maybe a problem for you is that eversince you've stepped your foot in American soil, you probably haven't even traveled outside of RTP, muchless, CH. Look, I am a Korean born immigrant myself and have plethora of foreign friends that have gone onto elite universities; and they all recognize UNC for academic excellence and well deserved reputation. In fact, my ex-girlfriend, who was one of the elites graduating from Seoul U. in Korea decided to attend UNC grad school based on the fact that there are plenty of gov't officials and business partners "in power" in Korea that have attended UNC grad schools. Also, I live in NJ and UNC is very well respected in northeast along w/ top private U's (You'll know when you're looking for a job at any of SMP500 companies). My suggestion - While you're at hitting the road, travel up to VA or Atl, GA and survey UNC for its recognition or ask some of the other graduate students in the campus for their opinion of what they think their foreign perception of the university is.</p>
<p>Ahhh Carolina folks, you bought Armcp's bait. Anytime a discussion of UNC's strengths and weaknesses comes up, it goes rabid and really does a disservice to UNC's image. If you look on many of the other college's discussions about S's and weaknesses of a given University, for the most part, they are so much less emotionally toned and hostile. UNC people, please defend UNC with intelligence and grace-openly admit weaknesses without being so defensive. The defensiveness has scared away many potentially good UNC prospects (there is a whole pm world that quietly discusses this fact). All colleges have their weaknesses. It is okay for folks to voice them. UNC has many wonderful strengths that will offset the complaints without folks needing to get so personal. Have faith in Carolina's reputation!</p>
<p>"The defensiveness has scared away many potentially good UNC prospects (there is a whole pm world that quietly discusses this fact)."</p>
<hr>
<p>If this is actually true hornet, then I truly have to wonder about these prospects. Do they really rely on an internet forum which is frequented by roughly a dozen students and parents on a regular basis in order to make life decision like which college they will attend. Or..... are you perhaps prone to hyperbole?</p>
<p>I actually think the problem is many people who are not ecstatically happy at UNC, for whatever reason, become highly resentful when they read the accounts of students who love their school, feel academically challenged and have no regrets about their college choice. If a person is unhappy, of course they don't want to hear this, and of course, they are going focus on the negative and toss the positive. </p>
<p>AND, the only thing I see here is response to statements or claims that are NOT factual or true or well-supported or 'typical'. If someone is going to come here and criticize the school, citing the atypical, they should at least have their facts together or some logical, supportable basis for their opinion..... because I guarantee you; a weak argument presented ANYwhere on CC is going to be shredded alive. You don't need to visit the UNC forum for that one. ;) (I just love it that the little winky-face is Carolina Blue...)</p>
<p>BTW...just because someone 'disagrees' does not mean they are defensive. But hey, that is a nice tactic in the art of redirection...lol! Go for it if you must.</p>
<p>"Or..... are you perhaps prone to hyperbole?"
"But hey, that is a nice tactic in the art of redirection...lol! Go for it if you must."</p>
<p>This is exactly what I am talking about. These types of comments assume quite a bit and are a wonderful example of what I wish the board would stay away from.</p>
<p>Again hornet...redirect if you must. </p>
<p>The point is, we have had a minor mini-rash of posters who have had atypically negative experiences, or so they claim. I think the reason many feel the need to correct these posters is not to DEFEND, but to make sure the overall picture of UNC is true and accurate. </p>
<p>Because, seriously, some of the complaints have just been really nutty lately. Sheesh.</p>
<p>I'll add an elaborative example on the oos issue. My d is from oos obviously. All of this negativity about being an oos student and treatment by in-state students is really sad. It is NOT the huge problem into which two or three posters have frothed it. My d spent last week with her big gang of girls...half in-state, half oos, half sorority girls, half independents, etc... They dressed up, took photos together, hung out before the big push for finals and before they went their separate ways for summer. The in-state girls are helping the oos girls without cars get their belongings into storage. Their's is a wonderful, colloborative friendship and one EASILY HAD by all willing just to make the smallest of effort. If I mention this, hornet will call me defensive. If I don't, people will read this forum and get a completely WRONG idea about what it means to be oos at Carolina.</p>
<p>"Again Hornet...redirect if you must"</p>
<p>"If I mention this, hornet will call me defensive." </p>
<p>Your post was fine and would have help its own without the above comments. Why did you discredit your post? Had you simply shared your daughter's experience, you would have had a good, solid and helpful example. The added "colored" comments are what I am complaining about, not the right to present another opinion.</p>
<p>I'm glad you like the post hornet. But again, the fact that I DISAGREE with you doesn't constitute 'color', nor does it make anything I've said invalid. You are out of line in assuming you hold the key to the proper way to debate a topic, and in chastising others for not meeting 'your' standards. And my calling attention to that fact, while uncomfortable to you, IS fair.</p>
<p>This discussion is so stupid, if you hate Carolina go be negative somewhere else, we're proud of our school, get over it.</p>
<p>
[Quote]
UCB is good...but not quite as famous as you think. Like many state schools, it's prominence varies from region to region.
[/Quote]
</p>
<p>I just want to point out that I've heard this 3 times on CC....and all 3 times, the people are from Texas.</p>
<p>Ahh, the red-state/blue-state rivalry runs deep in TX it seems ;)</p>
<p>I agree that UNC is among the best public schools in the country. But saying it's the same as Berkeley is simply uneducated. Why? Because it doesn't have the results to prove it (with the exception being the pharmaceutical/pre-med fields, of which it produces amazing results). Once it does, it will certainly get the credit it deserves from people of all regions. </p>
<p>The good thing about UNC is that it's rapidly advancing. Like USC and Boston College, IMO. The only way it will go for the next several years is up.</p>
<p>"Uneducated"? What is uneducated about the statement that though UCB is great, it's no Stanford. Setting aside my Stanford bias (;)), I don't think anyone will disagree with me. </p>
<p>And it is factual that how far a UCB diploma will take you varies from region to region, or from industry to industry. I'm sorry if you don't like this...but the truth hurts. No doubt....UCB is still a great school. But I guarantee you, it will take a back seat to nontop 30 schools like UT or Texas A&M in Texas, UF in Florida, Mines or Penn State in the oil industry, you get my drift....</p>
<p>Btw vc...I don't think you caught the meaning of my post. (Often an issue I have with you.) My post was not a comparison of UNC and UCB on any level other than the susceptability of their prestige factor to region factors.</p>
<p>unc's not rapidly advancing in USNews. it's position has remained mostly static as the 5th best public since the publication began rankings (not necessarily a bad thing). it's law school's ranking has plummeted recently, from the high 20s to the mid-40s. i hope this isn't a predictor for the undergraduate division.</p>
<p>can we talk more about how our personal experiences at UNC make us feel about its 28th ranking. do we feel like the school should be above that, below that, or about the same based on the quality of our ACADEMIC experiences at the school? this would entail idmom06 taking her personal attacks elsewhere, since i'm assuming you are not a student at this university (?).</p>
<p>first off, ranking colleges are stupid on CC. it gets none of us anywhere nor does it do anything for any of us. you want rankings? read US news, or whatever magazine ranks colleges since they are "professionals".</p>
<p>anyways, not saying your (armcp) wrong but college is more than just academics. I agree that what mostly got us here in the first place is hardwork throughout high school and we attend college to educate ourselves but the overall experience and and how "good" a school is compared to others extend far beyond simply its academics. I know you arent only focusing on academics since you mention personal experience but a lot of people seem to take one look at the US news rankings for national universities and feel that they are qualified enough to make judgements about them. That being said, the rankings are stupid because everyones different and everyone will have their own unique experiences. People have different levels of adaptability and how easily you can fit in. You could be given a million opportunities and still end up not as happy as the person who was only offered one but used it fully. Its not about how much your given but how much you take. So what if a college is ranked higher on paper? You'll still have to make the choices. You determine what you make out of YOUR college career. If you like your college, good for you. If you dont, it doesnt mean other people wont either. Thats why this discussion is pointless.</p>
<p>i'm not asking people to rank unc. i'm just asking them to reflect on whether they think the USNews ranking is accurate. this is an exercise of criticizing the rankings, not of acting like they are all that matter as you imply. and just saying that this is all relative is an attempt to put out any really debate or discussion here. relativism is a given. i know that college is what you make of it and personal experiences will vary. this has been iterated millions of times of this site. can we move a step beyond that now? jesus.</p>