<p>I have been accepted to both universities but I cannot decide which one I want to attend! I have absolutely no idea what I want to pursue in a career, but I will probably go into college majoring in Biology or some kind of health career (i.e. dentistry, ob/gyn, optometry). My interests are so widespread!
Since I am unsure about my major, that does not really effect my decision. It probably would not anyway, since the only difference between the two is NCSU's strong engineering, textiles, and agri. colleges.
So now the decision is up to the environment - which campus and social scene do I like best? I have visisted both colleges and absolutely love UNC's compact, beautiful, college town setting (in contrast to State's extremely spread out and industrialized, (and kind of unappealing) campus). However, I think I would like the people more at State. I definitely do not fit the preppy, liberal generalizations that UNC has. I am definitely more conservative, and even slightly "country?"
Does anyone have any first-hand experiences with either school? What are some things about each school that might help in my decision making (concentrating mostly on the campus, social life, or some academic aspects)! Thanks!</p>
<p>UNC is a great opportunity, I would go with them.</p>
<p>(It is big enough that you shouldn’t have any issues finding other conservatives on campus)</p>
<p>I don’t think either school are particularly good picks if you want a more conservative vibe. So tossing that aside, I’d go with Chapel Hill- it’s reputation is better and as you said, it’s very pretty.</p>
<p>There are several current UNC students on CC, and PackMom has written many informative posts about NC State. Doing a search for topics of interest (e.g. social life) would probably turn up useful information.</p>
<p>I think your impressions of the two are spot on.
[ul][<em>]UNC has a great college town; NC State has a city.
[</em>]UNC’s campus is nicely landscaped with eclectic architecture; State’s is a bit less green with lots of brick architecture. [<em>]Students at UNC are overwhelmingly liberal with a fair percentage of moderate students and a small bastion of conservative students; students at NC State are primarily moderate with a noticeable conservative contingent.
[</em>]Biology is strong at both, with NC State having the edge in organismal biology (botany, zoology, entomology, wildlife science, etc.) and UNC having the edge in most other areas.
[<em>]In general, NC State is the better choice for professional programs like engineering and textiles, and UNC is the better choice for liberal arts and business.
[</em>]Both could get you into good grad programs. [/ul]
How do your financial aid offers compare? UNC Chapel Hill is quite a bit wealthier than the other UNC schools and usually gives the best financial aid offers. </p>
<p>All factors being equal, I vote for UNC. I think it’s overall a better experience, and students are generally a bit more academically focused. A bus runs between UNC and Duke every 30 minutes, and UNC students are allowed to take courses at Duke (and vice versa). This is great for expanding course options and research opportunities.</p>
<p>If possible, try to make a meaningful 2nd visit to each school. You need to look past the buildings and find the place where you feel you’ll fit socially and academically. </p>
<p>We’ve spent time on both campuses, and UNC’s campus is more spread out than it initially seems. My d spent last summer there doing research and the students usually took a bus from their dorm to the labs. It’s a very long walk across campus. My other d has been taking dual-enrollment classes at NCSU and we have been very impressed with the professors and administrators at NCSU. They have gone out of their way to answer our questions thoroughly and have sincerely tried to help our d make the best decisions. She has even been invited by professors to participate in opportunities outside of her class. Last year, NCSU was one of only 4 institutions in the U.S. that had 4 Goldwater Scholarships awarded. As for financial aid - you’ll have to wait and see on that one. It depends on your circumstances. When my older d was accepted at each, UNC would have cost quite a bit more than NCSU. (In the end, she didn’t attend either but chose another school. She is considering UNC for grad school but would have chosen NCSU for undergrad over UNC. Just her preferences.) Our general impressions of students tends to align with yours. The students and professors at NCSU seem to be more ‘down-to-earth’ and more focused on their work than on rankings and prestige. It also seems to be a very diverse, genuinely integrated campus. Again - just our impressions.</p>
<p>Good luck with your decision! It’s not easy.</p>
<p>Editing to add that as far as bureaucracy goes - NCSU has been much easier to deal with than UNC. Another friend’s child took dual-enrollment classes at UNC and she agreed it was extremely frustrating dealing with UNC’s system. She said once she finally got through to someone who could actually help them, that person was very nice and helpful, but the run around before that was maddening. Also, her child was disappointed that the students in her classes often skipped class or showed up unprepared. She expected the students at UNC to be more serious and engaged. I’m sure this isn’t the case in all classes, but that’s what she experienced. Just passing on the personal anecdotes.</p>