<p>I am currently at UNC-Chapel Hill and actually return tomorrow. I had applied and was accepted at Wake Forest as a transfer student over the summer, but eventually decided to remain at UNC because I'd save $20k a year. However, I was never happy there. The size and the fact that most of the kids were there with a lot of their HS friends and didn't look to branch out as much bothered me, and coming from the great city of Charleston, Chapel Hill got old after first semester (going to the one club got old weekend after weekend). </p>
<p>Because I was really dreading my return to CH, I emailed Wake today to see if all the transfer spots had been filled. To my surprise, they informed me that had one more male transfer spot available. Now to the main gist of this thread. I am looking to major in Business Administration. I know UNC-CH's B school is one of the top in the country, but then again there is no guarantee I'll gain admission into it after next year. Is Wake Forest's comparable? Will it make a difference in the long run whether I go to Wake's B school or UNC's? I've also heard UNCs reputation OOS is better than Wakes, but that Wake's alumni is much more loyal in the employment network.</p>
<p>Business Undergrad? Or graduate? Kenan is higher ranking but frankly, I think that is only important for graduate programs.</p>
<p>If you want to go to Wake Forest, then go. It has a LOT of kids NOT from the area and not a lot of clicks from HS. Chapel Hill is 85% from inside NC and has HUGE contingents from the top highschools...so yes, its clicky and big.</p>
<p>Some will say Wake isnt worth the extra money, but that is subjective. </p>
<p>Wake has a Smaller Alumni so you get noticed better. But the schools are very comparable on an academic level. Though Chapel Hill people will vehemently dispute that.</p>
<p>My bias is that I never had a big interest in Chapel Hill and I usually prefer smaller private colleges as a general rule. So you know.</p>
<p>What's that supposed to mean? Wake has the "social?" Their social life is better than at UNC? I'll admit, going to that one club over and over gets old.</p>
<p>I'm not sure that UNC has more prestige. It probably should, but outside of NC and perhaps neighboring states, it's probably seen as just a flagship school of a southern state - perhaps along the lines of the U. of South Carolina. At any rate, it wouldn't be comparable to U.Va. Wake, as a reasonably selective private, would probably be seen by people outside the border South, who unlike those of us on CC, don't obsess about colleges, as more prestigious.</p>
<p>LOL gadad! Good one! But its a tossup really and boils down to the OP and what he wants from school. If he is unhappy at UNC, then clearly he should move on. College is a special time in one's life and you need to be happy. HOWEVER, he should make sure he would be happier at Wake. </p>
<p>its not about prestige, its about being happy and thriving.</p>
<p>The only thing I have going at Wake is that I have a good friend there already from my high school. It's certainly a risk as I don't know for sure, but people who know me and have worked at Wake said I'd fit in much better with the students there. At UNC, I had a long, long year where I met a lot of people, but most of them seemed homey with their high school pals and just hung out with them. During the summer, most of them spent time together and bonded, while I went home 300 miles away. Going to a small high school, Wake's size would also fit me much better than UNC's huge size did. </p>
<p>Again, I can't guarantee I'd like Wake more, but the upside is much higher than I can see at UNC. If I went back there, I know what to expect out of it and that's not much.</p>
<p>Then go to Wake. Its a great school with friendly people. If you do well, and go onto graduate or professional school, you will earn enough money to pay off the debt. Plus they have a brand new football stadium which I hear is AMAZING......and Coach Jim Grobe is perhaps one of the most respected coaches in the entire NCAA. (He is from Huntington West Virginia and coached at Marshall and knows the events of the tragedy there very well.)</p>
<p>Yeah. My dad lives in Winston and I've grown up a Wake fan all my life. He's had season tickets to both football and basketball forever. </p>
<p>The only worry I had was if I decided to do business school, I'd be downgrading, but if undergrad really doesn't matter, I guess I shouldn't worry. </p>
<p>Long term it looks like the best move for me, as I really don't know what another year at UNC would look like, and I don't want to transfer after two years at a school. But I feel Wake will have kids from all over the country, and having two friends there that I know from home will be a bonus too, rather than having people who went to high school together and all live in the same city, as it was at UNC. I might be making a mistake, but I really don't want to settle for the mediocre experience I know I'll continue to have at UNC.</p>
<p>if you're complaining about chapel hill city wake isn't exactly the best place to transfer to... there's just about nothing for college-age people to do in winston-salem</p>
<p>gadad, i would acutally say that UNC has MORE prestige outside of its neighboring states. up here in jersey, only rediculous genious kids can dream of going there. yet my first semester roommate (from NC) told me how rediculous that is because some "average" kids from her HS get in there. </p>
<p>its VERY well regarded around me, definetly more than wake. but if you really are unhappy then the transfer could be worth it. just take advantage of every opprotunity possible at wake and you can be just as sucessful as if you had graduated from UNC</p>
<p>I would have to disagree about "average" students attending UNC. UNC is a highly selective school for both in-state and out-of-state students, although more so for the latter. My high school gets anywhere from two to four acceptances to UNC each year; in fact, the class of '08 valedictorian and salutatorian from my high school are attending UNC and were the only two to be accepted to UNC this year. The middle 50% SAT score in each section for UNC is 610-700, that's far from average. Although in CC terms, perhaps that is; was your first semester roommate a CC'er too? ;)</p>
<p>Go where you will be happier. If UNC is really that bad for you, then switch--three years of pain is not worth the drop in "prestige," which is arguable.</p>