<p>Ok so i've been a reader of this thread but have avoided posting until this point. My decision has come down to two schools: USC or UNC-Chapel Hill. Just looking for some more opinions/feedback.</p>
<p>Background: I'm from the Philadelphia area and plan on majoring in business. I'm not opposed to going far away, so the distance to Los Angeles is not a problem. I'm looking for a school that has a good balance of strong academics and a vibrant social culture. I plan on majoring in buiness.</p>
<p>UNC- I have wanted to go here basically since my sophomore year. I love the feel of small town Chapel Hill, the southern charm, and how friendly everyone is there. They love their school, their basketball (GO HEELS!!!), and really proud of just about everything Carolina related. There is one major thing I don't like about Carolina though: the curriculum. I hate how the first two years are really a liberal arts based curriculum. I don't like how the business school is only a two year program, versus at USC, where I would be able to jump right into business classes. I did not get any scholarship here, and my parents don't qualify for financial aid, so we would be paying OOS tuition out of pocket. Although I love UNC and USC, UNC comes in a little bit higher on the love scale. However, I really can't in any way shape or form rationalize asking my parents to pay $30,000 at UNC versus under $10,000 at USC. </p>
<p>USC- I recieved the Trustee Scholarship. Loved it when I visited. Invited into the Global Leadership Program at Marshall. Love the Marshall curriculum and all that the business school offers. Really didn't see any downside when I visited, other than the distance. Although I am not opposed to going far away, it would be nice to not be 2700 miles away. Also, I would like the option of being able to live/work on the East Coast after I graduate, and that might be a little more difficult with a USC degree. Talked to a girl from my high school that went to USC, and just recently transfered. She said that one reason she left was because there was a large "mean girl" culture at USC and that the social scene was dominated by the sorroritys. She also talked about how although the school is in Los Angeles, it isn't really a true city school since LA is very hard to get around without a car. Her impression of LA was that its very much what you see on The Hills. I didn't get this impression when I visited, and this is just one person's opinion. Talked to another current student and she said this culture does exist, but that it is not dominant and you can definitley avoid it.</p>
<p>Based on your description of your interest in UNC, I can already tell you won’t find USC’s atmosphere very much ideal.</p>
<p>I think the whole “the hills” reference has to do once you step into hollywood, and or night scene. </p>
<p>Objectively speaking, I don’t think UNC would be worth the extra cost. USC is big enough, including LA, to find your own nitch or own group of friends that will make you forget about UNC’s feel.</p>
<p>You gotta take the USC offer. You can find your niche there somewhere it is diverse enough of a place as is Los Angeles. There is the “hills” and “mean girls” crowd at USC as well as a boatload of “OC” brats who are there simply because mommy and daddy have money and went there, I am not going to lie. BUT, there are also lots of cool folks as well who are completely the opposite and many have international backgrounds or are from low income backgrounds (SC is decent about giving scholarships to lower income students) so you don’t have to get caught up in the TV version of the SC crowd. Plus, there are lots of diverse, unique communities around L.A. as well. UNC is a better school overall but NOT 80K over 4 years better. That could fund your MBA program almost entirely!</p>
<p>alliwant, have you tried contacting UNC’s Financial Aid office? You lose nothing by colling them and telling them of your current predicament. You can tell them than UNC is your dream school, but that you have been given a huge scholarship to another top 30 university that would essentially make it $80,000 cheaper over 4 years. Sometimes, albeit rarely, universities will respond with an offer of their own.</p>
<p>If they don’t, I agree that UNC is not $80k better than USC.</p>
<p>USC most definitly</p>
<p>costs less
it’s in LA (hope you like the beach)
eventhough UNC won in basketall u can’t go wrong with USC sports
Business school at USC is better</p>
<p>the downside of USC is its location close to Compton (just don’t wander off), and there’s a lot of snobby rich kids at USC (but its a huge school so you’ll find cool people)</p>
<p>ThaRussian, to most people, being in LA is a brawback, not a strength. Of all the cities I have visited that have a population over 3 million (Barcelona, Berlin, Chicago, London, Madrid, Montreal, New York, Paris, Rome, Toronto), LA has got to be the worst. That is not to say it is a bad place to live, but it is definitely not that great and many people just don’t like it.</p>
<p>And Marshall is not better than Kenan-Flagler. Those two Business programs are roughly equal.</p>
<p>^ Russian: Please actually check a map, USC is almost 15 miles away from Compton (That would be over a 30 minute drive in LA traffic). USC’s “ghetto” location is greatly exaggerated by people who, more often than not, haven’t ever actually been to the school.</p>
<p>Overall, both schools have comparable academics, with USC particularly excelling in its professional schools (including Marshall). USC is slightly more selective and has a very diverse student body.</p>
<p>“Of all the cities I have visited that have a population over 3 million (Barcelona, Berlin, Chicago, London, Madrid, Montreal, New York, Paris, Rome, Toronto), LA has got to be the worst. Thatis not to say itis a bad place to live, but it is definitely not that great and many people just dpon’t like it.”</p>
<p>Ouch haha. In all seriousness, L.A. is an “acquired taste” the traffic sucks and public transportation is BARELY existent so you will NEED a car. Also, the beach is not close to USC it about 15 miles away and Compton is pretty far south, so that was silly, but USC is in the “hood” if you will, although like U of Chicago, the campus is a bubble.</p>
<p>That said, honestly its about 80 K</p>