My DD is struggling with these choices are far as feel and location. Auburn is also on her list but we know its feel and location. She really wants a school more in a city which why these two are under consideration. Ignoring major or cost what are the differences between Tennessee (Knoxville) and South Carolina (Columbia)?
Thanks!
Just opinionâŠU of SC campus is gorgeous. UTK is typically on the ugliest campus list for Princeton Review but many like it.
U of SC will be more geographically diverseâŠ.tons from the NE.
Both will have huge school spirit.
Both are near nature but UTK closer to mountains.
To me the major mattersâŠespecially if engineering or supply chainâŠthen UTK without a doubt. U of SC for businessâŠ.especially international.
Both have Honors Colleges but U of SC is more robust and reputed.
Both are solid schools.
U of SC was #2 for my daughter (she chose C of C). We live in UTK and visited but she disliked the campus which isnât laid out traditionally.
Hopefully you can visit and decide for herself.
Good luck
My daughter decided not to apply to South Carolina after driving through the campus. She didnât seem to like that the football stadium was separated from the main part of campus, among other things. She definitely liked the feel of both UGA (she didnât apply there, either) and UTK better than SC. She has been accepted at UTK but hasnât made her final decision.
Yes. That is our issue. She wants to major in Business Analytics (Auburn is top 3 but small town), Tennessee is top 10 in BA but the campus did not impress us, however, it does meet the âcityâ requirement. She loves SC from a campus location perspective but it doesnât have that major - just a concentration in the business school which really doesnât cover the full breadth of Business Analytics. Therefore she would be looking at an Information Science Major. Obviously she needs to put an emphasis on major but I also do not want her attend a college where she may be unhappy with the location.
I guess I was just trying to find out if the âfeelâ of Tennessee vs. the âfeelâ of Columbia was different or if it was just the campus aesthetics because SC was definitely prettier.
Personally, the major is newer and can be accomplished in stats or otherwise. Itâs not in a ton of places. Plus many change majors.
While you found a ranking, I wouldnât worry about it. For example, would you go to Auburn over Harvard or Yale even if ranked higher?
Auburn has a town and nice campus.
In the end you have to be somewhere four years, day after day. Better to find the place you think you can be happy.
Too late to apply but did you look at Florida State ? Arkansas is another (with really nice city) you might look at. People mistakenly discount it as redneck. The town is cool, the campus gorgeous and area booming. Lots of Texans. We didnât look but go to the area for work and have walked the campus.
Thank you! She did apply to FSU but we havenât visited yet. Her Dad isnât totally onboard because he went to UF - LOL!. However, he is ok with letting her decide.
There are a lot of Gators in Tallahassee!
Not sure why but U of SC and FSU get a lot of cross shopâŠat least on the CC. FSU is quickly moving up the rankings. My daughter got into U of SC Honors but rejected at FSU for Honors. Better campus than Gainesville in my opinionâŠjust more traditional than UF. And in the town.
Throwing out an out of area flyer and donât know your daughters stats (big merit) âŠbut gorgeous campus, warm, in the city and near downtownâŠ.and lots of geographic diversity.
U of AZ
I was recently looking at that major at Auburn for a family member. It is very interesting and well thought out. It could be pieced together are at the other universities.
I am most familiar with USC. It is a great college community within a smallish city. USC business students have access to some unique opportunities. The campus and surrounding dorms and apartments continue to spread out is all directions. They have invested a lot in the area in the past 10 years. Access to internships at businesses and in state agencies and the statehouse are within walking distance.
One thing to consider is ease of getting home - flights, Amtrak, etcâŠColumbia and Knoxville have airports close by, it sounds like Auburn can be more of an adventure.
The Auburn BA major definitely well thought out. I know some colleges (Alabama) are open to creating your own major. However, I do not get the idea that SC would be open to that but maybe Iâm wrong.
Not to get into a ranking debate bcuz fit, not rankings matter, when looking at this list of schools. But here are US News rankingâŠ.and then after top schoolsâŠthe remaining which includes Auburn, UTK, and Arizona ( I threw it out):). I know you said top 3âŠthere are many rankings which is why I wouldnât worry about themâŠvs finding the right school for you.
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/business-analytics
Thanks! The problem with that list is many of them are only available at the Masters level. (ie Georgia Tech). I know the list says undergrad but if you go to the schools websites a bachelors is not available.
I should also mention we a looking to stay in the south if possible and want schools that offer merit. She has received the max scholarship at these three schools. She has already taken others off her list.
Thanks so much for all of the insight. This is a bit overwhelming. I did tell her that we can always wait and do the analytics masters if she wants to go to SC.
Like you said they have a certificate so thereâs a focus like at auburn. If she did a business major or stats some classes will cross over, etc so she can gain similar experience there I think.
Iâm sure it will work out. Auburn. Tallahassee. Knoxville. Columbia.
If she engages with the school while there sheâll have a great four years. Auburn is a big enough community she may never need to leave the campus for âdowntownâ.
I think they are almost interchangeable, except that UofSC may have the edge on having a lower acceptance rate than UTK and possibly a little higher overall ranking. My D21 was accepted at both (didnât apply for honors at UofSC because it wasnât in her top 6 but got merit and a Capstone invite). She didnât love SC but part of that was that itâs only 1.5 hours from our home in NC, and she wanted to be further away. Probably 20-something of her high school classmates go to SC and LOVE it. She liked UTK and the vibe of Knoxville but didnât get honors (accepted with merit to supply chain major, which she wasnât married to anyway) - and felt that she wanted to focus on finding the best fit. Her boyfriend goes to UTK and loves it (was deferred and then accepted to SC) - sheâs visited a number of times and has mentioned that sheâs glad she didnât choose UTK - while itâs a fine school, the fit wouldnât have been right for her. She was also accepted to FSU - but that was a last minute add-on so she had no emotional attachment to it, and we never had time to visit.
Also, when doing our visits, I liked UTKâs campus much better than UofScâs - but that stuff is subjective.
Now solve the mysteryâŠ.whereâs she go ??
And you are right about campuses and subjectivity. Everyone loves Bama. Top 10 in so many pubs. Itâs fine. But I donât see all the rage.
Many like Tulane. I thought it was dumpy. My school is gorgeous. Syracuse. But not listed in any top campus pubs.
Illinois is ugly. But many here want to stone me for saying so 
Duke and VT, to me, are the nicest!!
I love visiting college campuses!!
Are Syracuse dorms dumpy?
Question on culture for girls, which is more relaxed and nicer, Auburn or UofSC?
Iâve seen FB posts from both parent groups and Auburn discusses wearing clothes one-time only, expensive jewelry as part of standard attire, fancy shoes for football games (white ankle boots, high heels or knee-high boots), $600 field coats. Of course, social media is only giving a small glimpse of the entire population but itâs concerning that a very expensive wardrobe budget is expected.
Good question. I sort of took the chat off topic. I should start a whatâs your favorite campus you visited and least favorite? And why ?
I graduated 30 years ago. I canât answer. My son and I stopped in as we were passing a few years back. I was giddy to revisit. And I took the stairs from campus to Flint Hall where I lived. Of course now the doors are locked so I couldnât go in. For what itâs worth, Niche rates the dorms a B which isnât great. Or 672 of 1.392.
My son attended a summer camp at Purdue, loved the campus, but wasnât high on the dorms with hallway bathroom and the stories of overcrowding and housing freshman off campus. Still a fantastic school for engineering and a merit scholarship and I thought for sure he was going.
But on job shadow or college visit day he joined some classmates at Alabama. Clearly lacking the prestige of Purdue but he saw Ridgecrest and getting his own room and he was sold and now attends.
So you never know who chooses which school and why.
UTK routinely makes ugly campus lists and U of SC nicest yet even on this chain there is difference of opinion with some preferring the one that publications donât like.
So it truly is subjective. Some get offended (sorry if thatâs you) but itâs all in fun. As long as students enjoy their experience, then itâs a great campus !!
I would love to hear a perspective on the culture of girls at SC vs. UTK. The girls I know that go to Auburn definitely dress up for games and clothes are very important! Iâm sure there are plenty who donât as well.