<p>My son has been going to camp in the mountains of North Carolina for several years (first as a camper and now as a counselor), and he has fallen in love with that part of the world - so much so that he wants to go to college there (we live in Jackson, Mississippi). In addition to UNC-Asheville and Appy State, he has been advised to consider Western Carolina. What do you know about WCU? My son is interested in chemistry/biology/physics/environmental science - and kayaking. The WCU website describes recent growth, new buildings, and a great quality of life in a rural mountain setting, but WCU gets no attention on this site. How big a drop off is there from UNCA and Appy State to WCU? Thanks.</p>
<p>Hi clejarin,</p>
<p>There are actually some pretty significant differences between the three universities. I spent a summer at Western doing ecological research, a summer at App State teaching, and my sister attends UNC Asheville, so I’ll try to differentiate them.</p>
<p>App State - App has arguably the widest geographic draw, as it’s rapidly becoming the preferred back-up school for those who can’t/didn’t get into Carolina or (more rarely) NC State. It’s fairly large (15000 undergrads), but the campus is very attractive and spread out, and while some of the buildings are honestly decrepit, the university is in the midst of doing a massive overhaul to the campus. The dorms, student union, and library are astonishingly nice, and the brand new food court supposedly is as well. Boone is a very cool little college town, and King Street is sort of a miniature (but funkier) version of Franklin in Chapel Hill. Much of Boone is within easy walking distance of the university, including popular spots like the Mellow Mushroom right near campus. Its primary academic strengths are music, English, environmental science, and education. </p>
<p>UNC Asheville - UNCA is the smallest of the three, enrolling about 3500 undergrads. It has a very strict core that rivals that of Chicago, and it’s very good in most of the liberal arts fields. Even introductory classes tend to be small, although this makes getting into popular courses difficult, especially for underclassmen. The campus is very nice, though I personally don’t like it as much as App’s, and Asheville itself is a fairly nice and artsy city. Most of Asheville is not within walking distance, and the bus system is free though apparently not terribly convenient. UNCA has less of a geographic draw than App and tends to draw either artsy kids from the Piedmont area who didn’t like Chapel Hill or local students from the area, some of whom are more conservative than the university has a reputation for. As a general rule, UNCA is a fairly liberal but homogeneous university (certainly more so than App or WCU). </p>
<p>Western - The first thing that strikes you about Western is that it is isolated. Boone and Asheville are not bustling metropoleis, but Cullowhee is, quite frankly, difficult to even find. It consisted of Western and a Wal-Mart when I was last there, and Sylva isn’t much bigger. Although the area has since been developed some, it still has a very different feel than App or UNCA, and the rural setting makes drinking very prominent, particularly in the winter. It’s noticeably less selective and less popular than App and UNCA, as it tends to draw from Appalachia, and the academics are weaker. Environmental science and biology are its strong points, however, so I would not rule it out on that basis alone. The campus is functional if not attractive, but the scenery is absolutely gorgeous. The campus is in a valley with the mountains ringing the area, and it’s simply breathtaking. The downside to being in the valley is that it can be extremely humid and rainy, and cell phone reception is very spotty at best. A common joke about WCU is that it stands for “We carry umbrellas,” as it rains nearly every day, though usually for less than an hour. The dorms I’m familiar with are fairly old and lack air conditioning, but the new honors dorms are reportedly quite nice. There’s an outdoor expeditions outpost in the student union that organizes rafting and hiking trips and the like, and the Blue Ridge parkway is a very easy drive from campus. WCU is in the Great Smokies, unlike App and UNCA, which are in the Blue Ridge mountains, and the scenery around WCU is more rugged and unspoiled. There’s a ton of research going on in the environmental sciences at Western, and undergrads can get involved in electrofishing and fish sampling, water analysis, and study anything from salamanders (a NC specialty) to birds to lichens. In terms of opportunities for hands on research, Western’s location is pretty hard to beat.</p>
<p>He might also want to consider Warren Wilson and Mars Hill, both of which are in the Asheville area.</p>
<p>Thanks, Warblersrule86. You certainly have a unique perspective. I understand that it is difficult for out-of-state students to gain admission to schools in the NC system, so I’m not sure my son could get in to either App State or UNCA. He is an A/B student, is in the top 20% of his class at a solid public high school, and has good extra-curriculars, but he also has dyslexia and will need some support in his English and other writing-heavy classes. Frankly, I’m not sure he’s ready for a program as rigorous as Chapel Hill (not that he could get in there). He thinks he wants a school bigger than Warren Wilson or Mars Hill, but we’ll visit those places when I take him to camp outside Asheville this summer. My son is not a partier (I guess most parents think that), and he is more interested in kayaking and hiking than fraternities and kegs - at least that’s what he tells me. We welcome any other suggestions you may have. Again, thanks for taking the time to respond.</p>
<p>UNCA sounds just about perfect for him. Partying is very low key, and the Greek scene is nearly nonexistent (only one frat). Access to the outdoors is still very good, and it’s a very supportive environment. I’m less sure about the academic support at App, but education (as a discipline) is taken very seriously there, so I would imagine someone with dyslexia would be able to find the proper support. I think your son has a good shot at both.</p>
<p>Aside from ETSU (which is largely a commuter school) and Virginia Tech (which is rigorous), most similar colleges in the area tend to be small. </p>
<p>It’s not in NC, and it’s becoming fairly selective, but Clemson might be worth a look. It’s in the foothills of the mountains in SC and has a very lively campus feel. [url=<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/members/pierre0913-205314.html]Pierre0913[/url”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/members/pierre0913-205314.html]Pierre0913[/url</a>] is the resident Clemson student and can tell you everything you’d want to know about the school (plus some!).</p>
<p>UNC-Asheville is by far the best public college in the mountains of North Carolina. Western Carolina University doesn’t really come close to it. Warren Wilson is also another amazing college in that area and one to consider. </p>
<p>Clemson University isn’t exactly in the mountains but it is in a rural setting on Lake Hartwell so if your son loves kayaking, sailing and water activities it’s a great place. If he will have a car, there are lots of great hiking places in the SC upstate! I’m in the outdoors club here at Clemson and have been on several hikes in the area.</p>
<p>Thanks, Pierre. Clemson seems to be a VERY hot school right now, and my sense is that admission has become quite competitive. I like everything I have heard about CU, and it looks like the science offerings are really strong. He will have a car, so he could travel for outdoor activities. We’ll take a good look at Clemson.</p>
<p>And as people have said I’m really a big fan of UNC-Asheville. I would’ve definitely applied there and maybe have gone there if they had an engineering major there. Asheville seems like a great city and the education is more like that of a personalized liberal arts college. I’ve heard nothing but good things about that school.</p>
<p>I went to WCU right out of high-school and had a great time! I had such a great time that I drank myself right out of school. DO NOT let your son join a fraternity or move off campus at least until he’s a junior!! I am going back to school right now and if I don’t get into Cornell or UNC, I will be going to App. My humble opinion is that App is the most selective of the three and has the best athletics, UNCA is the most urban(relatively speaking)and has the best nightlife/music scene, and WCU offers the most opportunities for outdoor recreation. I would tell your son to attend the most selective school he can while carrying the least amount of debt and to major in something that emphasizes math skills which will lead to employment; even if that means living at home, doing the first two years at community college, and then transferring in-state. Unless of course you are rich and can pay; it will not be he wants to hear of course, but hey, he can always move to the mountains of NC when he’s out of school and has the money to enjoy it. When you add up the cost of education, you’re talking about an investment on par with a mortgage and that student loan debt will be an albatross around his neck for years to come. I would not even consider the small LAC’s as I have been to visit all of them recently and for the $30,000 a year that they are asking, it is not worth it. Just my two cents, take it or leave it.</p>
<p>crUNChystONE - thanks for the reply. If my son doesn’t join a fraternity and doesn’t move off campus until his junior or senior year, would WCU be a decent choice? How were the professors? Would he be able to find friends who don’t party so hard? He thinks he can keep busy kayaking, hiking, and camping - with an occasional trip to Asheville. Is that realistic?</p>
<p>Yes, it was a great place to go to school; my teachers were friendly, the classes were small, and since he is into outdoor activities there will be plenty to do instead of partying. Unfortunately I never progressed to upper level classes so I can’t speak to that but I was in Cullowhee the other day and that place has grown a lot! Looks like they have built many new buildings. There is nothing wrong with going to WCU. Just my opinion here, but if he has the option to pick between WCU and App, I would tell him to go to App. It’s not that I’m a diehard App fan or anything, it’s just that they offer the exact same things: public school, mountains, outdoor recreation, but App is a better school(aka selective), carries more weight in the state of NC(if he plans to live here), and has become nationally known(so they say)due to three consecutive FCS football championships and a win over Michigan. Also, App has the advantage of being 20 minutes from the best ski resorts in NC; something to think about because the mountain winters can be long and boring. Google student reviews and you can read tons of reviews from students who attend the universities that you are interested in. Oh, and I have heard that App has a good biology program.</p>
<p>Thanks, crUNChystONE. My son is going to be a counselor at a camp outside Asheville for a couple of weeks this summer, so we’re going to visit WCU, UNC-Asheville, and App State. From everything I’ve read this far, it seems clear that App enjoys a significantly better reputation than WCU. Someone recommended Guilford due to my son’s interest in Physics, and I understand that’s an interesting and quirky place. My son is pretty dang liberal (certainly by Mississippi standards - which isn’t saying much), so the “left-leaning” environment I’ve heard about at Guilford won’t bother him at all. Having said all that, he thinks he wants a bigger school - 5k-15k. Again, thanks for your insights.</p>
<p>Well I’m sure he will love i there. Where is Guilford? I haven’t heard of it.</p>
<p>Wcu- great for outdoorsy people! The academics are improving consistently each yer and everyone there is super friendly! There is always something to do and everything is organized well by the staff who care a lot about the students most of the staff went to western for a bit themselves. The campus is so beautiful and the rural area gives everyone alot of time to focus on school.</p>