USC v. Duke v. UNC?

[monstor344]

<p>Hey Cuse, I’ve always wondered: why are you a UNC student while your username is, well, Cuse?</p>

[glassesarechic]

<p>

I disagree. UNC compares well against USC. Test score differences of 20-30 points are virtually negligible, particularly since both have over 15,000 undergraduates.

</p>

<p>I wasn’t speaking to the quality of UNC v. USC students, just to UNC v. Duke. It can be a shock to find, coming from OOS, how different the in-state standards are (whereas Duke, though it does give some preference to in-state applicants, is private and by nature doesn’t have the huge OOS/IS disparity). Not to say Carolina’s not a great school. Quite the contrary. Hell, it’s where my boyfriend is headed next year, and he’s a smart guy. Several brilliant, award-winning ex-debators from my school have also gone, and they’ve all found great opportunities if they’ve looked for them.</p>

<p>I’d just urge the OP to weigh the OOS cost/benefit of Chapel Hill against the in-state cost/benefit of USC. They’re comparable institutions, so if finances are an issue, I’d go in-state.</p>

<p>Also, though I could be mistaking, I think UNC’s UG population is closer to 13000 (though this year’s freshman class is 70/30 female/male!).</p>

<p>

Duke students are, by and large, more driven than their more relaxed Carolina counterparts. I am not entirely sure whether this is a good or bad thing, but generally Duke students are extremely ambitious and career-oriented. The academics at both Duke and Carolina are excellent, however, and both have intelligent students in spades.

</p>

<p>Absolutely.</p>

[Cuse0507]

<p>

Hey Cuse, I’ve always wondered: why are you a UNC student while your username is, well, Cuse?

</p>

<p>I made this name back when I was still in high school and was a huge 'Cuse fan. Ended up at UNC, though. Still harbor feelings for Syracuse, even though I’m a Tar Heel now.</p>

[Endicott]

<p>Duke first, after that it’s up to you.</p>

[lesdiablesbleus]

<p>

@Cuse0507

For basketball, UNC>Duke

How do you think Ol’ Roy and his scrubs will do in the NIT this year? You better hope Ed Davis sticks around or next year will be another painful one for Carowhina.</p>

[Cuse0507]

<p>

How do you think Ol’ Roy and his scrubs will do in the NIT this year? You better hope Ed Davis sticks around or next year will be another painful one for Carowhina.

</p>

<p>I was referring to all-time, where it is painfully obvious that UNC is the better program. More national championships, more wins, and domination in the head-to-head (not to mention 7 of the last 10 against Duke).</p>

<p>And we’ll be fine next year with Harrison Barnes. Remember him? Yeah, just the guy that Coach K poured his heart and soul into recruiting only to lose him to Carolina on national television.</p>

[eatsalot]

<p>Meh. OP, what are you looking for in a school? While these three schools may be similar in some aspect (namely athletics), they are all very different in other ways. </p>

<p>For example, I had the choice of the above three and chose Duke without another thought.</p>

<p>1) Strength of peers
2) Financial aid
3) Academic prestige
4) Resources
5) Undergraduate focus
6) Small classes
7) Expansive alumni network and school pride
8) Ability to send graduates to top grad/professional schools</p>

<p>Duke’s campus also won my heart… haha.</p>

[glassesarechic]

<p>^that’s a totally valid reason. Duke’s campus is gorgeous and compact, at least compared to UNC’s less inspired architecture and spread-out-ness</p>

[warblersrule]

<p>

@glassesarechic

Duke’s campus is gorgeous and compact, at least compared to UNC’s less inspired architecture and spread-out-ness

I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard someone call Duke’s campus - which is big enough to have buses - compact.</p>

<p>UNC’s campus covers 730 acres, which is exactly the same size as West campus. Add East and Central, and Duke is quite a bit larger. </p>

<p>Non-Duke people greatly exaggerate the distance, but a 15-20 minute walk from the outskirts of West to the outskirts of East is still not exactly tiny like Brown or Hopkins.</p>

<p>

@glassesarechic

I’d just urge the OP to weigh the OOS cost/benefit of Chapel Hill against the in-state cost/benefit of USC. They’re comparable institutions, so if finances are an issue, I’d go in-state.

There are just as many smart kids at UNC as there are students in Trinity at Duke (~4000 kids). The difference is that Carolina also has students who are, well, not as intelligent. While I do agree that there is a difference in the academic performance of the two student bodies, I personally don’t consider it significant enough to be a deciding factor. Duke and NC State, on other hand, would be a decidedly more lopsided competition.</p>

<p>I’m more familiar with the similarities and differences between the two universities than anyone on CC, and I will firmly say that the difference in academics is negligible. The difference is that Duke provides smaller courses (generally), more handholding, and much better academic and career advising. </p>

<p>As for finances, USC is not a public school, and the only money the OP would save would be airfare. </p>

<p>UNC Tuition/Fees + Room/Board + Books: $38,100
USC Tuition/Fees + Room/Board + Books: $51,600</p>

<p>UNC is nearly $15K cheaper, and it guarantees to meet full need.</p>

[tsdad]

<p>USC is very generous with merit aid for high performing applicants.</p>

<p>I am a Trojan parent and a grad of UNC graduate school as is my wife. Our son was accepted there out of state but went to USC. I would suggest that unless there is a compelling reason for you to go to USC, film school for example, you should consider coming to the east and south. It will be an eye opening experience to see the world beyond California. Dook is ok I suppose, but Carolina is much more interesting even though it has less “intelligent” people according to Warbler.</p>

[thatiscool]

<p>Duke > UNC > USC</p>