Where Should I Go? UNC-Chapel Hill or Syracuse

Transfer Students
1

Hello all,

I am currently a freshman at Syracuse University enrolled in both the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. I applied to UNC the fall before my freshman year, but got rejected. I applied again this year as a transfer, and was accepted into the College of Arts and Sciences.

I cannot decide whether or not I should transfer. I have enjoyed my time here at Syracuse, done well in my classes, and made good friends. I’m not necessarily set on leaving Syracuse, but the thought of going to UNC excites me and I’m afraid of missing the opportunity to go to school there.

UNC gave me a financial aid package, and at this point its cost of attendance is $4k less than that of Syracuse. With that said, Syracuse hasn’t released financial aid, and will not do so until after I make a decision. Also, I’m pretty sure I will be eligible for UNC’s Carolina Covenant for the next year (and maybe two), which covers the cost of attendance. That’s pretty enticing considering I am unsure of what Syracuse’s price tag will be for the coming years, and I am responsible for my own college debt.

I would be a lot more comfortable with the thought of leaving SU for UNC if I had a set major in mind. I’m thinking business, which is why I am glad I am enrolled in Syracuse’s business school. I’ll have to apply to UNC’s B-school once I get on campus, and there is a chance I get rejected. But UNC’s business school is rated much higher than SU’s based on what I’ve gathered. Although, I am also enrolled in SU’s Newhouse School of Communications, which is also highly ranked. But with all that said, I am still very unsure of what I want to major in.

To anyone familiar with both schools, which degree is better for the price? The dual degree in both business and communications from Syracuse? Or the single degree in business from UNC, for $4k less? Which degree has more national weight to it, and will carry me further in the future?

I have to make a decision in less than two weeks, and I have no idea what to do. I appreciate any and all insight. Thanks!

2

If I were you, I wouldn’t commit to an alternative offer unless it was fully comparable. Getting into a university is one thing, but getting into a selective business college is something very different. If you don’t get into the business school at UNC, you’re going to be miserably stuck in a major you don’t want. As far as UNC being ranked higher, rankings are just a popularity contest, and they’re very misleading. You’ve got a good thing going at Syracuse, and you’re already in a great business school. Having a business degree with strong communication skills are, in my opinion, far better skills to have than just a business degree at a brand name school. It shows versatility.