<p>I was recently on a website called theU.com, which has a large database of colleges. Within each database, it has a series of ratings, and one of the elements the website rates is "Academic Reputation." The website lists UNC's reputation as being "Above Average," while other premier public universities, such us UC Berkeley, UC Los Angeles, UVa, and William & Mary, all have reputations ranging from "Very Good" to "Excellent."</p>
<p>I know that I shouldn't put too much stock in a website like that, but I have to admit that as a member of UNC's class of 2014, seeing its academics so poorly misrepresented is troubling. </p>
<p>That’s judging academic reputation, not the actual academics. The feel I got at UNC was that they were good at academics, but were also big into partying, whereas at W&M there was definitely a more academic oriented feel. Perhaps it has something to do with that?
I’ve seen in other books and websites UNC being ranked higher in academics than W&M, so I really wouldn’t take it to heart.</p>
<p>Actually, that is one of the reasons that I picked UNC over W & M. I didn’t really get the feel of the social scene in Williamsburg, where it was readily apparent in Chapel Hill.</p>
<p>Within the state of NC, the reputation is Ivy League. The further you get away from the state border, the more the reputation comes down. Still good, but seen as a UCLA, Penn State, Maryland equivalent. I think the truth is somewhere in between.</p>
<p>Primarily in NC is it seen as a peer to UVA and to a lesser extent W&M. Agree with other poster that it decreases the further away you go. If your goal is to remain in NC, then it is seen as a peer to Duke and Ivies.</p>
<p>UNC has a pretty strong reputation here in Texas as well. </p>
<p>The only thing that really matters is how grad and professional schools as well as employers see the school. That said, UNC is a regular recruiting stop (along with UVA) for the top Investment Banking houses. UNC annually has many grads admitted to the top Medical and Law schools in the country as well as top graduate programs.</p>
<p>From the General Alumni Assn: “Since 2000 Carolina has produced more Rhodes Scholars than any other state-supported university and the ninth most of any public or private school. From 2004 to 2009, UNC has tied for fifth overall in production of Rhodes Scholars, ahead of several Ivy League schools. Only Harvard, Yale, Stanford and Princeton produced more Rhodes winners than Carolina during that period.”</p>
<p>Where it matters, UNC is considered a top, top school. Don’t worry about the multitude of anonymous blogs and website posters who are either ill informed or have an agenda.</p>
<p>These winners were Morehead Scholars. These students have to be bought to come to UNC. Its a great strategy, but not reflective of the overall student body. Hawkette has some good posts re “depth” of student body strength. That is more reflective of a schools make-up rather than Rhodes stats.</p>
<p>^ Partially, though, that’s just because of the way that the Rhodes scholarship works. UNC can nominate a student based on his or her state of residence, or the state in which UNC resides. So, they can nominate large batches of their Moreheads (One for Georgia, one for South Carolina, one for Ohio), but not many people from NC (1, I think). Obviously, if there are 20 out of state nominations and 1 NC nomination, the out of staters will will more often than not.</p>
<p>UNC is considered one of the “Public Ivies” so I wouldn’t but too much stock in that website. Maybe it’s because we have such a strong athletic program that we’re considered something of a “jock school?” I don’t know.</p>
<p>As opposed to UNC’s national reputation versus other public schools like W&M and UC-Berkley, a lot of that depends of what field you’re talking about. Carolina’s business school, journalism school, and school of public health are consistently ranked in the top 10 or even 5 nation-wide. Its information and library science school is number one. I’m from the j-school and we get emails all the time from companies throughout the U.S. that are interested in recruiting Carolina grads.</p>
<p>To quote my dear departed grandmother, “what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?”</p>
<p>Who cares if they were Morehead scholars? They were UNC students who represent and bring prestige to UNC on a national and international level.</p>
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<p>Your second comment reminds me of Oscar Wilde’s definition of a cynic…(paraphrasing here) " a person who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing…"</p>
<p>As the parent of a former Morehead scholar I can tell you that he never felt “bought” and NEVER regretted turning down Yale and others to attend UNC.</p>
<p>As corrupt as these scores may be, I think that USNWR’s peer assessment score is a pretty decent indicator of academic reputation. UNC scores around 4.1-4.2 on this assessment and usually ranks around 20th in the peer assessment. Take it for what it’s worth.</p>
<p>Oh, and I meandered on over to the website the OP mentions. Its top 5 schools in order of reputation are Rutgers- New Brunswick, Brown, Notre Dame, Baptist College of Florida, and Tufts. Also, Baptist College of Florida ranks #1 on the most active drug scene. I wouldn’t trust this website.</p>
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This probably happens with most state schools. My general impression is that in the Southeast (especially in NC and VA), UNC and UVA probably have a better reputation than Michigan and UCLA, possibly UCB too.</p>
<p>If Yale had also offered him all that money etc, would he really have gone to UNC? What if there was only a small cost difference? Would he have gone to UNC then? If no, then he was bought. No shame in it.</p>
<p>As you often say, lots of people turn town HYP for the Morehead. It’s safe to say that lots of them wouldn’t have done that if it was financially a wash. That is the sense in which they were bought.</p>
<p>Morehead scholars are typically people who are outstanding, ‘too good’ for UNC. The scholarship lets the university get those people (and thus collect baubles like rhodes scholarships) … quite a good strategy!</p>
<p>I agree – with the caveat that Michigan, Berkeley and UCLA are some distance above Virginia and UNC. UNC is also much less internationally recognised than those 3.</p>
<p>What’s wrong with being “bought” by a good school? Sounds fine to me. :)</p>
<p>Our son is applying to both the Johnson Scholarship at Washington & Lee and the Robertson Scholarship (Chapel Hill & Duke). We didn’t know about the Morehead in time to apply. :(</p>
<p>I’m not convinced the Ivies provide an education that’s one whit better than what you’d get at a good solid state school. So, why not go where all expenses are paid for? </p>
<p>NC mom: I agree with you that UNC provides an education comparable to the Ivies, but cannot agree that assessment includes all “solid state schools.”</p>
<p>One thing to bear in mind, though – at UNC and at most Ivies, a big chunk of the actual teaching is done by grad students. But the best grad programs in most fields are at places like the Ivies, not at UNC. So the Ivies get better grad students. So at the Ivies, you are taught by smarter people.</p>
<p>Really? Because I haven’t had a grad student yet. All of my courses have been original sections created and taught by the professors; but this is just my first semester, so maybe I won’t be so lucky the next. However, I am a humanities major, maybe this occurs more in the sciences…</p>
<p>I have a grad student (D. Wright) as my Calc teacher, and he’s pretty darn good. He’s the only grad student prof. I have though, so he might be an exception, and not the norm.</p>