So the last two weeks have been completely stressful for me cause I’m still undecided where to go.
Right now, my family lives in NC but they will be moving to Florida this summer due to personal/job reasons. If I attend UNC, I will be guaranteed in-state tuition for the first year, but after that I will have to reapply for in-state residency (I feel I would get it because I have lived in NC for the past 6 years and attended highschool here). If I go to UF, I would have my tuition already paid due to the Florida prepaid program (my family use to live in Florida) and I was offered a $20,000 merit scholarship. The cost of UNC each year would be 24k, while UF would be 10k. I visited both colleges and felt more at home at UNC. I also I feel I would enjoy my time here more since all my friends are going there as well. However, UF being only 10k a year has made this a difficult choice. I also plan to do business as my major.
The following is just a breakdown of the pros and cons for each college.
UNC:
PROS
-Prestigious public ivy university
-I have many friends going, so college transition will be easier
-Kenan-Flagler is one the top 10 undergraduate business programs
-Intellectually stimulating environment
-Beautiful Campus
-Has alot of diversity of people and opinions
-Always been a huge tarheel fan
CONS:
-More expensive than UF, probably would have to take out a loan
-I do not have guaranteed admission into the Kenan-Flagler undergraduate business program. Only 50% of people are accepted into the undergraduate business school.
-I would only be able to see my parents during holidays
UF:
PROS
-Much cheaper than UNC and would have no debt from undergrad
-Would be able to afford study abroad
-I would automatically be enrolled in the Warrington College of Business
-Admitted into the Honors Program
-Offered $20,000 merit scholarship
-I would be able to visit my parents every month
CONS
-I would know only two people at the school, transition would be harder and I would have to make a conscious effort to make friends (I’m kinda introverted)
-Florida weather can be sucky at times
-Less prestigious than UNC
Thoughts? If anyone can provide any personal insight about any of these schools, that would be really helpful. My parents want me to go to UF, since it would be cheaper, but they are able to afford UNC (not super comfortably, but they said they will pay as much as they can). I have lived in NC for the past 6 years and UNC has always been my dream school, but I don’t know if it will be the right choice for me in the long run.
I’d probably go to UF. First graduating with no loans is great. And second I just know too many people who go to schools without a pre-admit and then don’t get into the major they want – then they either have to transfer or study something that they didn’t choose. I think having the direct admit to the b-school at UF is a big deal.
So UF would be $56,000 cheaper over a four year period. Initial placement for UNC business school might be better because of the concentration of finance employers in the region, but in the long run there would be very little difference between the two. I would save the money and go UF.
@collegebound1516 I just did! They said they have a 12 month grace period where a person is guaranteed instate tuition and then afterwards they will reassess your in state tuition availability based on my merit as an NC state resident. Thank you!
@Zinhead Hmmm, thats what my parents have been saying as well. I think the only reason the decision is so hard because of the personal factors involved such as the campus vibes and how UNC has always been my dream school
Only you can know whether you’re willing to possibly take on a bit of debt in order to attend your dream school. Some commenters would rather save the money, others would rather spend the money and go to college. Just like some people would rather drive a BMW and are willing to spend $50K whereas others would rather save the money and buy a Ford for $25K (which admittedly gets you from A to B just as well as a BMW). So don’t base your decision on what we would do, but think about what you would want and what’s most important to you – not going to the school you want but having an easier time later on without worrying about debt? or going to the school you want but having to work harder later to pay off some debt?
My personal view is that you only get to go to college once (for undergrad), whereas you’ll have your whole life to make money. So considering the debt in question is not a huge amount, I would be willing to take on the extra $14K/year, minus whatever your parents can afford to pay of that, to go where I really want to go rather than go somewhere I’m not so interested in just to save money. But I’m not you.
PS. I wouldn’t worry about not qualifying for instate at NC. You’ve been a resident and will continue to be a resident if you enroll at UNC. You’re not going to be a resident anywhere else, since you’ll no longer be a dependent of your parents and can file your own taxes, how could you not be an NC resident?
I personally find the state of Florida to be overrated (all the terrible drivers and dumb people you see doing dumb stuff on the news), so that alone would be enough for me to lean towards UNC. And although UF is an excellent school, UNC is elite. But you may run into a LOT of arrogant, irritating, whiny snobs at Chapel Hill, and you’re not guaranteed entry into Kenan-Flagler either. So in this case, UF is the best choice. Congrats on having such amazing options; you’ll do well no matter where you end up.
Automatic enrollment in the business school at UF is is a good reason to attend. FYI- there are not a lot of arrogant, irritating, whiny snobs at Chapel Hill.
@insanedreamer Wow, I never thought about it in that perspective before. I guess I have to figure out what I really want in two weeks. And I completely agree about the NC residency, so I’m pretty sure my residency won’t change to OSS.
@dancer7722 I notice that the acceptance rate is 50%. Do you have further information about that, such as GPA etc?
I do not feel qualified to answer your question about a career path as it pertains to each program- sorry about that. I feel torn- part of me feels you should go to the school with automatic acceptance into their program, while the other part of me says to attend UNC if that is really where you want to go.
@twogirls This year the UNC-CH b-school acceptance rate was 58% (it usually varies from year to year, the average acceptance rate is 50%). UNC-CH overall acceptance rate is 29%.
@twogirls The average GPA of the students accepted into the program is 3.5. While maintaining atleast a 3.5, students have to demonstrate leadership potential, extracurriculars, community service and effective communication skills.
It’s okay, that’s exactly how I’m feeling right now.
Those are definitely doable requirements (for UNC B-School), though you will have to make an extra effort. It all depends on how much you want it and are willing to put into it .
Both Schools are in the top 50 universities in the nation so you will succeed no matter which one you choose. Your degree you are interested in is business administration. Have you decided on a major in business administration? Having a specific major in business administration will help you succeed with this type of a degree. Being an introvert I understand how you feel about wanting to be close to your friends you know, but in college you will meet several new friends no matter which university you choose. Sometimes friends can hinder you from succeeding in college so never make a decision based on what friends are doing. Diversity is at every college campus and you will learn about a lot of cultures with whichever you choose. Are you planning on going for a graduate degree? If so, consider when you apply for jobs companies pay more attention to the last university you attended not your undergrad university. Both are great undergrad universities no matter how you look at it. The cost of college does play a huge role in your decision. Most people dream of graduating with no debt, please consider this when making your decision. I know you are close with your family but most students after the first semester typically come home to visit their families for holidays due to heavy activity schedule, studies and adjusting to your new life in college.
At the end of the day you have to do what will make you happy and live life without any regret. If I had to choose personally I would pick Florida especially if you are considering pursuing a masters degree or higher.