You will not go wrong with either school. In terms of research, UNC is no shrinking violet. Additionally, the triangle area is quite diverse and many move there from other parts of the country.
The OP has not returned. I assume that this student made a decision…both schools are great.
UNC - 44
Michigan - 27
As part of the world-renown Research Triangle of North Carolina, UNC is a research powerhouse. UNC conducts more than one billion dollars of sponsored research from all sources annually, making it the 11th largest US research university in research volume and annual expenditures.
Do tell us your choice OP!
Fulbright Scholarships 2019
Mich-26
UNC-10
Michigan 1.55 billion sponsored research. Largest among public universities and second only to JHU among all schools.
UNC is a research powerhouse. Michigan is too. Can’t really go wrong. Weather in NC > weather in Michigan.
@twogirls @Heathie
Hey everyone, OP here! Sorry for just disappearing, I was touring colleges and forgot all about CC for a while there!
I ended up choosing UMich. I visited both and felt like while UNC was the more traditionally pretty college campus, Ann Arbor had a much more urban feel to it, which I wanted. The people at UNC seemed a tad bit more genuinely friendly, but both colleges had equally helpful people. I wonder if it’s a southern vs midwestern thing. Being unfamiliar with both regions, this is just speculation.
There were a few very unfriendly taunts at UNC from some fellow admitted students’ families, not sure if they were racist but would assume so for certain reasons. However, did not play a part in my decision (at least consciously) as there are bound to be bad apples everywhere.
We got a few cloudy/rainy days and a singly sunny day at UNC, and two cold, drizzly days and a sunny one at Mich, but honestly can’t say either one bothered me. If anything I strongly dislike sunny weather so surprisingly enough, Mich felt like a better choice from that angle too (bet I won’t be saying that next January though :P).
In all honesty, aside from me feeling more at home and excited on the Mich campus, what sealed the deal was the resources and the way in which they were presented to us. Mich’s admitted student day was far superior, mostly linear schedule with clear directions on where to go and what to expect. Engaging speakers who really did give me a good feel for what being a UMich student would feel like. Not to say UNC’s was bad, the people were SO friendly and enthusiastic, but there were several overlapping sessions that required students to choose between them. Also scattered all over campus.
And lastly, the research opportunities. Learning communities such as UROP and MRADS mean that at Mich, even freshmen are almost guaranteed research opportunities. At UNC, after speaking to several people (including professors in my departments of interest) I got the strong impression that research is almost impossible up until your junior (and most certainly sophomore) year.
TL, DR: Chose UMich over UNC for resources, campus, and overall vibe. UNC seemed great too but less right for me personally compared to UMich.
Go Blue!
Good luck!!!
Thanks for letting us know, and thanks especially for explaining your reasoning - that all will be useful to people in the future who find themselves in a similar situation. Welcome to the Wolverine family and Go Blue!
Go Blue!