<p>Hey guys! I applied to NC State, but I didn't really know why, other than exciting sports. I got in and just received my financial aid package, and it was WAY more than expected, and is enough for me to go there. It is ranked 101'st in US News & I'm not sure if that is low or not. For those of you who attend or know a lot about the school, mind telling me some more information about it?</p>
<ol>
<li> What is the reputation like a) In NC/South b) Across US</li>
<li> Are the courses challenging?</li>
<li> Are there a lot of fun things to do in Raleigh? Is it a good college town?</li>
<li> Coming from New York, will it be easy to blend in?</li>
<li> How is the campus?<br></li>
<li> How are the dorms?</li>
<li> Do you find the people that attend fairly smart?
Sorry for all the questions! Thank you so much for your time. :)</li>
</ol>
<p>Hi zcongress, Congratulations on your acceptance and on the good financial aid news. My son will be a freshman at State next year. I’ll try to answer your questions, but please realize I do not have a lot of experience with State yet.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>NC State has a good reputation locally and in surrounding states. Many of the departments have reputations that reach farther. It’s a great school, but sometimes lives in the shadow of UNC-Chapel Hill, so doesn’t get noticed as much.</p></li>
<li><p>It’s not a cake walk school. You will have challenging courses and some programs will be more challenging than others. You didn’t mention which school you would be attending.</p></li>
<li><p>I don’t know Raleigh that well yet, but from what I hear, it’s a good city for students.</p></li>
<li><p>Many people in NC are originally from other parts of the country, so we’re all used to meeting people from all over. I’m originally from New England. I have found native North Carolinians and transplanted North Carolinians to be very welcoming of others.</p></li>
<li><p>I’ve only been there a couple of times. It’s large, but honestly I can’t tell you what the campus social atmosphere is like. My son liked it and can’t wait to go. Hopefully a student, or more experienced parent, will comment on the campus.</p></li>
<li><p>Not sure. My son stayed in Tucker for an engineering camp last summer and wasn’t impressed, but that’s just one dorm.</p></li>
<li><p>You will find a lot of really smart people at State. It is a large public university, so there will be a range of scores, grades, and abilities. Here’s a link to last year’s freshman class to give you an idea of where you fit - <a href=“http://admissions.ncsu.edu/how-apply/admission-profile/pdf/facts.pdf[/url]”>http://admissions.ncsu.edu/how-apply/admission-profile/pdf/facts.pdf</a> .</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I hope this helps you.</p>
<p>Thank you very much! That information sure is helpful! I guess I live far away and don’t really know how strong State’s academics are. I have to still hear back from a couple schools but hopefully I will end up here!</p>