<p>My son just received letter yesterday informing him of trustee scholarship. He was up for presidential, and was extremely fortunate to have been put in this new situation. My question, however, is this...after visiting UVA for the Echols Scholar visit "on the lawn" day over the weekend, and because of his acceptance to UNC, (he was the Morehead Scholarship nominee for his school, and made it all the way as a finalist, but didn't make the final cut),
he is still torn, mostly ,between UNC and USC. Are we crazy to not take the Trustee...are UNC, UVA more prestigious academically say for admittance to graduate school later?? In a real quandry here over great choices, but a decision does have to be made. Any comments/advice?</p>
<p>Interesting delema. All three schools, prestigewise are in about the same spot in my view. UVA 23, USC 27 and UNC 30 according to USNews & World Report rankingns. I think you might need to provide more information as to your son’s intended major and into what type of grad school he intends to enroll.</p>
<p>Without that information, if it is between UNC and USC and USC is cheaper then go USC for sure. </p>
<p>Fight On!</p>
<p>Interesting. We too had the same decision to make in 2003. At the time we were in-state in Virginia and had the pre-paid tuition plan making UVA the most attractive financially. Both my wife and I are UNC grads (graduate school) so we were interested in him going there plus it was relatively nearby and relatively tuition friendly for OOS. So where did he go? USC? Why? He got into the film school, and that’s what he wanted.</p>
<p>Some questions for your family to consider. Is money an issue? Are you in-state at UVA or UNC? Does your son want a specific program that’s better at one of the schools? Can you afford expensive airfares for breaks if your son goes far away? Does your son intend to live on the east or west coast? Can you accept the possibility that if your son goes to school far away from where you live he may stay there? My son did.</p>
<p>Forget the prestige. Prestige is often regionally-based. As an old guy, let me say that my Rutgers and UNC degrees have served me very well over a working career of 35 years.</p>
<p>Here’s some more info…we r out of state from all 3, probably major in communication/business ; at UNC he is able to put those together as a double major; USC obviously has that readily available as well. UVA with the Echols you put together your own curriculum. In addition, he is leaning toward law school following undergrad. Hope that sheds some light on our predicament…any comments, advice greatly appreciated…this is our oldest child, his mother and I went to two different schools, she to UNC, I to KU…relatives to other highly ranked colleges.</p>
<p>Well congrats to your son. My questions above still stand. Any of those schools will serve your son well for grad school.</p>
<p>Big question: where does your son want to go to school?</p>
<p>Communication/Business? USC is the clear choice. When your son applies to graduate school, they won’t look at UVA or USC or UNC so much as the program within that school. Annenberg (Communications) is ranked #3 for undergrad and Marshall (Business) is ranked #10. It’s not a matter of prestige, it’s a matter of quality and of connections. Your son will not only be living and possibly interning in Los Angeles, a city with far more opportunities, but he will be able to take advantage of the Trojan Family for the rest of his life. USC’s stock as an educational institution is also on the rise.</p>
<p>Did your son receive equal scholarship funds from all three universities? That could be a deciding factor as the costs of a college education rise each year. The Trustee Scholarship is a high honor at SC. There are some extras that go along with the scholarship, such as receptions with President Sample and distinguished guests. It will be on his resume. </p>
<p>The Annenberg School is known across the nation. There are executives at CNN here in Atlanta from Annenberg. One SC alumna has 16 producers who report to her.</p>
<p>These are all fine choices.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, my son only received merit awards from USC. As there is no financial need, there won’t be any aid forthcoming from UNC or UVA. There is no financial hardship, but from a dad’s point of view it’s hard to pass up such a generous award from USC. However, I want him to go where he wants to go, and don’t want to put any pressure on him. He still can’t decide, in spite of my telling him not to take the financial aspect into consideration. I realize reputations of schools are somewhat regional, but the impression in the midwest is that UNC is a little better school. And, of course, they won the NCAA championship last night!</p>
<p>As was mentioned above SC is ranked higher. There are other things to consider. In the area of faculty resources SC is ranked 25 places above UNC. The faculty student ratio at UNC is 1/14, at SC 1/9. The classes at SC are smaller.<br>
Univ. of North Carolina is a state university. In my opinion UNC will not be immune to cuts made by public universities in uncertain economic times.</p>
<p>The Governor is proposing a 5% cut for UNC in his upcoming budget, [UNC</a> General Alumni Association :: Carolina Faces 5 Percent Cut in Governor’s Budget](<a href=“Carolina Alumni”>Carolina Faces 5 Percent Cut in Governor’s Budget - Carolina Alumni).</p>
<p>USC is rich. Very rich. OTOH, my son was disappointed about the very conservative, and hostile to protesting students, stance the USC administration took in 2007 on worker’ rights in the company that makes USC logo apparel. My son is still very angry about that. Things may have changed since then. Perhaps a current student can comment.</p>
<p>And BTW, WAY TO GO HEELS. YEA!!! Using a cookie cutter she bought years ago in Chapel Hill, my wife baked some cookies in the shape of a Tar Heel and colored them Carolina blue. She used a raisin for the tar spot. I shared them with my colleagues here in Madison.</p>
<p>Annenberg School of Communications at SC has faculty members who have earned Pulitzer Prizes, Guss Fwllowships, du Pont-Columbia University Silver Anvils and NCA Research Awards.</p>
<p>Annenberg Radio News as well as TV news have recently won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists. Here is the link: <a href=“http://uscnews.usc.edu/family_matters/newmakers.html[/url]”>http://uscnews.usc.edu/family_matters/newmakers.html</a></p>
<p>Well known media scholar, Henry Jenkins, will join the faculty at SC Annenberg in July. He comes to SC from MIT where he directed the university’s comparative media studies graduate degree programs. At SC he will teach courses at the UNDERGRADUATE and graduate levels.</p>
<p>Here is his comment about USC…“USC offers a natural home for me, given there is world-class research being done there on many of the topics that have been the focus of my interest in recent years < >. USC has been assembling a dream team in the field of media studies and I am proud to become a part of that community.”</p>
<p>More information: [Media</a> Scholar Henry Jenkins to Join USC](<a href=“http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/16086.html]Media”>http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/16086.html)</p>
<p>topdad, what did your son decide to do? i am in the exact same situation. any other opinions?</p>
<p>Our S decided to eliminate UVA, is now debating two remaining schools, UNC and USC.
He has other deciding factors…east coast vs west coast…wants to major in business school so Marshall very inviting…Kenan at UNC as well. Of course, S has now said we could provide him with transportation, (car), if he chooses USC because of full ride there…don’t think THAT will happen, but can’t blame him for trying! (Think that money would be better off for grad school if he decides to go for that later.) Good luck with your decision, we know exactly what you are going through, and May 1 is right around corner. As everyone has said though, the "gut " feeling you have on a campus is what really determines how your stay at school will go, and money ultimately should not be determining factor.</p>
<p>oh really now :)</p>
<p>Good luck. Either school would be great. BUT, it is a lot of money to turn down if he chooses Carolina over SC.</p>
<p>Well I’m viewing this thread a little late but I hope your son made the right choice and chose UNC. UNC and USC are on par academically. But the degree he gets from UNC will mean a lot more being the nation’s oldest public university. </p>
<p>If your son was interested in doing a double major in business and communications, he should look into the journalism and mass communication program at Carolina. It is the best undergraduate journalism school in the country ever other year switching between MizzU and Carolina. </p>
<p>For law school, coming out with a journalism degree in advertising, p.r., electronic media or something from a top journalism school and undergraduate business school will look really good. And besides, not to mention the real college experience you get from a college town like Chapel Hill. USC is in South Central, Los Angeles. Need I say more? Great school located right next to the hood.</p>
<p>I also forgot to mention UNC’s degree will carry more clout coast to coast because it is a nationally recognized brand where as USC has more of a regional reputation. You alluded to this in your comment pertaining to the midwest.</p>
<p>Great unbiased evaluation cktommy :)</p>
<p>Well I have lived on the east coast and went to Chapel Hill. I now live in California and son goes to USC. People on the west coast do not know much about UNCCH except it is a basketball school that is hard to get in for out of staters. When I was interviewing in New England for graduate school they did not even consider it a top school but kept asking me if I meant that I went to Duke. It was well known in the south where I lived at the time</p>