<p>I am a mom new to this forum so please direct me if you know of past threads regarding my question.<br>
My son was accepted to both UNC Chapel Hill (Chemistry) and NCSU (engineering). He knows he loves science and thinks engineering might be the right direction...but Chapel Hill has such a great reputation.
He is not into sports, loves academics, is social among his academic friends...any thoughts or suggestions on which direction to go.</p>
<p>What engineering? Chemical engineering?</p>
<p>If he is wavering between the majors, NCSU would allow him to major in either (although administrative or capacity limitations on changing majors or divisions should be checked). UNC-CH would basically mean foregoing the possibility of doing engineering.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/internships-careers-employment/1121619-university-graduate-career-surveys-4.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/internships-careers-employment/1121619-university-graduate-career-surveys-4.html</a> might help with the job and career prospects of various majors, if that is needed as a tie breaker between majors of similar interest otherwise. Chemistry appears to be an uncommon major, so many career surveys have no data on its graduates, but the limited data available indicates worse job and career prospects than most kinds of engineering.</p>
<p>My S chose NCSU and never regretted it He was not an engineering major. DH, a MechEng major, is also a NCSU alum. DH had five engineering job offers by the end of his senior year. Of course that was a long time ago:) but I think NCSU engineering grads still have very good prospects in the job market. Both S and DH really loved NCSU and Raleigh. If your S is leaning toward engineering, he should choose NCSU. It would be a mistake to choose Carolina just for it’s “name” when it sounds as if NCSU would have a broader offering of his interests. </p>
<p>Has your S visited both campuses? According to S, the social atmospheres of State and Carolina are very different. Greek life is bigger at UNC than NCSU. S visited friends at Carolina during his college years and said he was always glad to get back to Raleigh. The Franklin St. social scene got old to him (and he’s verrry social). I know many love the “quintessential college town” feel of Chapel Hill but S liked the diversity of Raleigh and NCSU much more. According to him, State has more of a “regular guy” atmosphere…no pressure to be part of a “cool guy” social scene. There is a Honors program at NCSU and honors housing if that interests your S… My S was offered that but turned it down and chose to live in regular dorms.
I can’t tell you how much he loved his four years at NCSU.</p>
<p>I would disagree with PackMom about the social scenes being very different at State and Carolina. I’ve spent a lot of time on both campuses, as well as on many other college campuses in North Carolina and nearby states. UNC and NCSU have more in common socially and academically than students at either campus seem to think. Both have the intellectual energy and vibrancy that comes with many large research universities. There are lots of academic and cultural options at each. Both have mostly friendly, down to earth students with little snobbery. On both campuses, students seem to be quite happy (smiling, socializing with other students, faculty, and staff) and are very welcoming to visitors. As for Greek life, according to their websites, the percentage is about 10% at State and 17% at UNC. Greek life isn’t predominant at either school.</p>
<p>Your son would get a fine education at both universities. Yes, UNC has a great reputation. However, State is also a strong university, and for chemistry he couldn’t go wrong at either place. If he believes that he might go into engineering, he should choose State.</p>