<p>OK, I will give you the simple version. I live in North Carolina, and am trying to choose between two colleges. First, UNC Chapel Hill. For those of you who don't know, this is an extremely prestigious university. Second, I received a full scholarship to UNC Greensboro. This is a less prestigious school, but it is completely paid for. I want to double major in both English and Theater, eventually going into law. </p>
<p>I could see myself thriving at either school, but I know that both prestige and price are important factors. </p>
<p>I don’t really know much about this since I’m still in high school, but if you’re pretty sure that you’re going to law school, then it’s probably a better idea to save money for that and take the free ride now, unless UNC Chapel Hill is so far up on your priorities list that it makes up for the difference in cost. Also, I’ve heard that law/grad schools care more about your LSAT and GPA than the specific school you went to, so you could skip Chapel Hill and still get into a prestigious law school (and if your law school is prestigious then your undergrad school won’t matter). They both seem like great options, so just think about whether, for you, Chapel Hill is worth the money.</p>
<p>Free compared to around 20 grand a year. x 4 = Free compared to around 80 grand.</p>
<p>Which is not chump change. You can do a lot with that kind of money - take an unpaid internship that is interesting to you, spend a semester or year abroad, and then buy a new car when you finish college. 80 grand could also pay for a year or two of grad school or even buy a house in a lot of places in this country!</p>
<p>Even if you decide in that you’d rather be at the main campus, and transfer next year, you will have saved a significant amount of money. It is perfectly OK for you to take the scholarship and go to the “less famous” university.</p>
<p>Chapel Hill is indeed one of the top public universities in America, but you may want to consider your definition of the term “prestige” in functional terms. Affording the opportunity to interact daily with other strong students? Yes. But getting your application moved to the top of the law school pile or the job interview pile, primarily because of the name of your undergrad institution? No. Stopping conversation at a cocktail party so that people focus on your experiences at your college? No. Getting people to say “Wow” when you tell them where you went to college? No. There are probably only 12-15 schools like that in America, and while UNC-CH is an outstanding university offering a wonderful experience, its not going to provide those trappings.</p>
<p>Are you sure that your actual cost of attendance at UNCG would be $0? It’s not just free tuition and fees?</p>
<p>To the OP, are you a freshman or are you a senior who has already been accepted to UNC-Chapel Hill and UNCG?</p>
<p>This is your post from February 2011:</p>
<p>"OK, so I’m one of the hyper-active freshmen who are already obsessing about college. I want to find out what my chances are to go to some schools if I continue with the path I’m going on. So please, just humor me. What are my chances at these schools…</p>
<p>UNC Chapel Hill, New York University, Wake Forest, Appalachian. </p>
<p>…with these stats</p>
<p>4.0 UW GPA
4.9 W GPA
8 APs by the end of senior year.
Average SATs</p>
<p>Creator of the Shakespeare Team
3 Years as captain of the debate team (only student EVER to do this)
In 5 of my school’s productions, got a lead in 4 of them.
3 years on my school’s football team.
100 plus hours of community service.
Accepted into the NC Governors School."</p>
<p>hoosiermom, I know girls who have played football. I mean, it’s unlikely, but possible. Anyways, if this is real, OP, then go to Chapel Hill. 20K a year is chump change when you compare the schools both academically and socially.</p>