<p>I've been accepted at William and Mary as a Monroe Scholar and at UNC Chapel Hill in the Honors Program, both OOS. These are "last men standing" on my list, and I'm looking for some insight. </p>
<p>I'm planning to major in Chemistry as of now. I am definitely considering picking up a second major/minor in another science area, once I explore a little more. I'm looking to go to grad school afterward, once I figure out what I like to do. I'd like to be involved in research, and have as much contact with professors as possible. </p>
<p>Although I'm a science major, I also like to write, and would like to develop my skills in a place where writing is valued.</p>
<p>Politically, I'm definitely liberal. I really don't care about sports at all, but don't mind them being around. I like to drink, but not to the extent that some other people like to drink. </p>
<p>I've been to UNC three times, and wasn't sure if it felt right. I liked it, but wasn't convinced. </p>
<p>I've been to William and Mary twice, and liked it, but was afraid of being bored at a small school. Now, I'm starting to recognize some of the benefits of a smaller community, but still don't want to be restricted.</p>
<p>There you go! Thank you for ANY insight you are able to provide.</p>
<p>To help you, I was also selected as a Monroe Scholar at W&M. I am choosing UNC because of its unparalleled collegetown atmosphere and student pride. I get a feeling when I go there that was unmatched by anywhere I visited, including W&M. Don’t get me wrong, though, as W&M also impressed me. I loved its smaller size and the relationships formed with professors as described by the students that I met. I guess it really comes down fit, though. Go where you feel most comfortable with spending the next four years of your life. </p>
<p>P.S. I have a feeling that if you come to Chapel Hill, you will grow to care about sports. :D</p>
<p>I forgot to add before, but William and Mary gave me financial aid, while UNC-CH did not, so even though its price is higher, it is the cheaper option for me by about 7,000 dollars per year.</p>
<p>Within the UNC chemistry department, there will be opportunities to do all of this. I can’t speak for William and Mary, but UNC’s chemistry department is very well known and highly respected. For instance, I am currently in Analytical Chemistry at UNC and one of the major topics in Analytical Chemistry is separations (on which I have an exam on Monday!). The professor teaching this class is one of the pioneers for modern techniques in separations (for example, I looked in the references section of my textbook and there were so many citations of his publications and papers). One of the techniques that my professor invented (capillary electrophoresis) played a huge role in the human genome sequencing project several years ago. Another professor here has invented a non-carcinogenic method of dry cleaning. I’m starting to ramble…but the point is that UNC’s chemistry department is highly respected and professors within the chem department (in my experience) have been quite open to undergrads (ie very accessible, willing to give undergrads positions in their labs, etc).</p>
<p>Look on william and marys chemistry page and click “why choose chemistry”, I think it will impress you. If you want to get a great education and do lots of research I think william and mary is for you. 85-90 percent of chemistry majors do research in this area. At unc there will be much more competition for research since it is a huge school.</p>
<p>UNC is NOT huge…yes it is larger than W&M, but certainly not huge…Penn State, Ohio State and Wisconsin are huge. I had the same concerns in 2004 when my son was trying to decide but soon discovered that it’s really not very big (other than sheer size of campus) at all.</p>
<p>Undergrad research at UNC is not difficult to get…it is a major research university with a large amount of NIH and other monies flowing in each year which presents many opportunities for those looking to do research, even as early as freshman year.</p>
<p>Listen to those like phonyreal98 who can give you firsthand knowledge of the situation, not a HS senior from Virginia who appears to be biased. My suggestion would be to send phonyreal98 a PM (after his analytic chem exam on Monday) with any specific questions you have…</p>
<p>My son went to UNC not really caring about sports either…he left a huge BB fan and even returned to Chapel Hill for Final Four weekend the year after graduating while a first year med student just so he could be on Franklin St after the win. In case you have never seen what it’s like:</p>
<p>[An</a> LED flashblack: The 2009 NCAA mens basketball championship celebration on Franklin Street | Cree LED Revolution Blog](<a href=“Home - Cree Lighting”>Home - Cree Lighting)</p>
<p>UNC is by far the more liberal school btw and, as to drinking, the bigger the school, the more things there are to do meaning more to do without having to drink, the smaller the school the more chance of being sucked into the “culture” of the school.</p>
<p>Goof luck, they are both great schools…but from the way you describe yourself, it seems that UNC really might be the better choice.</p>
<p>D1 graduated with a chemistry major from UNC last year and is now in grad school. She had no trouble finding research opportunities and ended up with acceptances at several top programs. UNC has a highly regarded chemistry program - I can’t think of a single friend of my daughter’s who had trouble getting into grad school.</p>
<p>One of my son’s best friends is now in his second year at Berkeley and is also TA in ORGO…it’s a great situation…he’s being fully paid to get his Ph.D in one of the top grad programs out there.</p>
<p>You really compare apples with oranges here … </p>
<p>I’m a chemist by education, living in VA, graduated 20 years ago with a PhD. UNC is known worldwide for it’s good chemistry department (probably science in general, I don’t know). I visited both W&M and UNC with my son, and UNC was high on his priority-list (until he decided for an eng.-major). If my son had chosen to study Chemistry I would have been thrilled with UNC (and would have preferred to pay oos-$ over cheaper in-state options in VA). </p>
<p>Having said all of that, I can also say something VERY positive about W&M. One of my co-workers graduated from W&M in Chemistry, worked a year for me (to make some money) and then went on to graduate school to Northwestern. I met with him after the first year at Northwestern and he mentioned that W&M had prepared him perfectly for his graduate studies. The school is well-known for its rigorous curriculum and its thorough education. By the way - being paid for a graduate student in chemistry is normal … therefore they have to take a tutor-job in the lab or something similar.</p>
<p>W&M focuses on undergrad education - you’ll probably have more 1:1 contact with your professors, but less variety for R&D projects (simply because they don’t have that many professors at W&M). Competition for R&D projects will probably be similar in W&M and UNC (more professors at UNC, but also more students applying for projects). </p>
<p>Are you oos for both or are cost a factor? Evidently, you’ll have more of a ‘family’-feeling at W&M, simply due to size …</p>
<p>I just have to comment on eml505’s last point. Every single person I’ve ever known who went/goes to UNC talks about the Carolina family. Even though the student body is so huge, there’s an amazing sense of community on campus that I could feel even just walking around on my tour. And everybody finds their niche at UNC, so you can turn that big school feeling into a more close family feeling pretty easily.</p>
<p>While I can see where eadad is coming from, I have found UNC to be way too large for me. Ultimately, I thought I could get over it and still have a great experience here, but I’ve often wished that I picked a small LAC over UNC. If you’re legitimately concerned that UNC is going to be a poor fit based on size, then listen to your gut and go to W&M. UNC does have a great community and school spirit, but in my experience, those two things weren’t enough to overcome the major negative of UNC’s size. </p>
<p>If I had to go back and make the college decision all over again, I still would’ve picked UNC over my other choices (I applied to mostly tier three schools looking for large merit aid), but since you have W&M in your back pocket, I’d take a long time to think over what you really want out of your college experience.</p>