<p>So here is the situation: I got offers from UNC and W&M and now I have no idea which one to pick. I visited none of them cuz I am in China so please tell me about what they are like if you know.
I intend to major in economics or accounting, haven't decided yet. Several people in the US told me W&M is a great school but I don't know what is exactly so great about it? W&M is far less known in China than UNC. So if I eventually have to go back China looking for a job, this might be a problem. Plus UNC's undergrad business program is highly ranked (I would like to look at things other than the ranking but there isn't pretty much information). On the other hand, I am not a very social person so kind of worry about UNC's massive number of students. W&M would be an easier place to build relationships I guess.
I would appreciate any help, thanks!</p>
<p>Have you done a Web search on international student groups at the two schools? If you are not very social, such a group might be a place to start. UNC, because of its size, probably even has some kind of group (either formal or informal) specifically for students from China. Also, you might look at lists on their Websites of formally recognized student organizations to see whether there are groups that you might want to join, which would be a great way of meeting people with whom you share some interests.</p>
<p>It would be nice if you could visit to get a feel for both schools, but here’s a little about them to help. Both have beautiful campuses. Williamsburg is a wonderful historic town, very quaint and lovely. There is so much colonial history in the area (including Jamestown and Yorktown), and you are very close to Busch Gardens amusement park for fun. There is a very tacky, congested commercial district to the west of the historic district, but you can easily avoid this area. Chapel Hill is the quintessential college town. Franklin Street has lots of restaurants and ice cream/yogurt parlors. It’s a very walkable area, but bus service all over Chapel Hill/Carrboro is free. Sports (particularly basketball) are very big and students have a lot of school spirit. The campus is far bigger and more spread out than the W&M campus and includes a very large research hospital and medical complex (medical school, dental school, nursing school, etc.).</p>
<p>You have two solid options. I know less about the programs at W&M, but it is a strong school academically and is well known in the United States. However, I do think you need to keep in mind UNC’s name recognition in China if you’re fairly certain that you will return.</p>
<p>I hope things go well for you.</p>
<p>Thank you so much, Marsian, this helps a lot. I hope I can get into a business school for graduate study, so which school do you think might increase my chance? How are these two schools recognized by graduate schools and employers in the States?</p>
<p>Both of these schools are excellent. The real decision is whether or not you want a large university experience of a smaller college experience. At UNC you will have a much larger student body and many of the typical things American students enjoy. At William and Mary you will have more one on one contact with students and faculty in a much more intimate setting. Also, you may consider that UNC will allow for the opportunity to take classes at Duke, which is one of the top 10 schools in the U.S.</p>
<p>The question is not which school will help you get into grad school. The question is where will you thrive, be happy, and do well academically. This will determine your grad school prospects. Both are fine schools but very very different. W&M is a Liberal arts school that focuses on undergrad teaching and a residential “Ivy-esque” environment. UNC is a large research state-U with a large Greek social life and top ranked sports.</p>
<p>Be true to yourself and pick the best fit and everything will turn out fine.</p>
<p>Hey lantis. We are expats living in China and my son is also choosing between UNC and another school. We have a home in North Carolina and my son was granted in state tuition at UNC, so I’m hoping that it’s the school he’ll chose.
If you look at the housing section of the UNC website, there is themed housing. There is a Chinese house. You might want to check it out.</p>
<p>We were lucky enough to at least visit all my sons choices over the summer, but we really would have liked to take a second look at a couple of schools. So hard living in China! Good luck. I know it’s a tough choice when you don’t have a whole lot to go on.</p>
<p>I’ll second swish14’s comments about graduate school and about picking the best fit. I will add, though, that while there are a number of fraternities and sororities, they are not that dominant on campus – the statistics I’ve seen say anywhere between 12-17% of students.</p>
<p>“UNC is a large research state-U with a large Greek social life and top ranked sports.”</p>
<p>UNC is far from a ‘large research state-U’ and is, more-so, a mid-sized liberal-arts oriented university. When I think ‘large state-U’, I think of schools like IU, Wisconsin, or tOSU, all with 30-50 thousand undergrads. UNC, with around 16,000 undergraduates, would have more in common with cornell or uva, than typical state university.</p>
<p>Also, Greek is barely a presence at UNC. Over 85% of the student body is NOT greek.</p>