<p>Other than the obvious highly competitive schools in North Carolina like Chapel Hill, Duke, Wake, Davidson can anyone throw some light on the other schools (besides Elon), especially the state schools?
I don't see a lot written about them here.
I have an average h.s. sophomore who seems to have a disability when it comes to test-taking (will be formally tested within a few weeks). She's a NC resident, so the NC state schools are within her ability to be accepted. I have all the college guidebooks and rankings, etc., however the parents on CC seem to have a lot more insight and can add more dimension to these guidebooks!
The two most attractive to her are UNC Asheville and Appalachian State.</p>
<p>I'm not a parent, but I am an NC resident who has friends in most of the state schools. </p>
<p>UNC Asheville is an up and coming school in North Carolina. Last I checked (back when I was applying to colleges), their SAT average was the highest of any in the UNC system except for Chapel Hill (UNC-C may've still been above it, I'm not totally sure). And as far as environment goes, the friends I've got that went to UNC-A are probably happier with their choice than most of my other friends are. The people that go to Asheville love it. It's definitely worth considering.</p>
<p>What do you mean by 'average?'</p>
<p>mom0809 -- we're former NC residents and our S has been looking at several schools.</p>
<p>ginny is right. UNC-A is a very up and coming school, and Asheville is a fantastice community. Warren Wilson is also in Asheville and has a reputation as a great experience for a particular type (very liberal, very "granola"). UNC-G has good academics, though is very much a commuter school so we haven't looked at it to strongly. UNC-W is strongest in the sciences, especially marine science (duh!), not so much in the liberal arts. Guilford (Greensboro) and St. Andrews (Laurinburg) are both written up in Colleges That Change Lives, so you might want to get that book or visit the website at <a href="http://www.ctcl.com%5B/url%5D">www.ctcl.com</a></p>
<p>Putting aside the ongoing discussion on another thread about Princeton Review's "Best 361 Colleges" and how schools are selected, the book itself contains nice, detailed two-page summaries of the following NC schools that you might be interested in:</p>
<p>UNCA
UNCG
Catawba</p>
<p>Let's see, what else. My brother-in-law went to Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory and it really turned him around from a slacker to a good student, and he eventually went on to get his Ph.D. Very supportive environment. </p>
<p>And to expound on davida's question: You can get a very warped idea of what "average" is by hanging around this board! </p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>I am somewhat qualified in that I was in Institutional Research at UNCW for a while and I have a son who is a new freshman at App State (aka. ASU or Appalachian). This years freshman class has a weighted GPA around 3.7 and an SAT around 1120. My son had a much lower GPA and a much higher SAT and got in with no difficulty. I have been quite impressed with the atmosphere and the programs at App. My son is in something called Watauga College, in which the kids live together in a dorm and have classes in the dorm annex and do not have to take traditional English & History but instead some Interdisciplinary courses called "Origins & Migrations" (6 hours) and then another one called Utopia or something (3 hours). He loves it so far (2 weeks into term). </p>
<p>UNCW has quickly become a popular college for NC students and seems to have a good business school and Biology dept. Also it is at the "beach!!!" It was not so many years ago that UNCW had an average SAT of 900-something but that day is gone and they have become much more selective.</p>
<p>The truly average student can almost always get in East Carolina at Greenville.</p>
<p>Guilford is in NC.</p>
<p>I live in Wilmington and I attended UNCW many years ago. It has grown into a very strong school and it is a great place for college kids. Also, Meredith in Raleigh is a great all girls school, very close to NC State, so the coed factor is close by. Meredith seems to have a lot of money to share,so I wouldn't be turned off by the tuition. UNC-A has become very compttive in recent years. UNC-G is probably a good bet for average kids.</p>
<p>UNC-G, Guilford, High Point, Catawba, Lenior-Ryne, Belmont Abbey</p>
<p>Not yet mentioned: Elon. But it sounds like the original poster was talking about public institutions, not private. So, does anyone have any first hand (or even second hand) insight into UNC Charlotte, UNC Greensboro, North CArolina State RAleigh, Western Carolina U or East Carolina U for her?</p>
<p>Elon is very competitive, UNC-Charlotte, Western Carolina, ECU, UNC-G may be more reachable for an average student. NCState is more competitive, though maybe not quite as competitive as UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke, Wake Forest. etc.</p>
<p>MOM0809 - does your DD have any idea of where her interests may lie at all as far as a college education - if not - not a problem - there are many opportunities in NC to help your DD figure that out eventually LOL - and what are some of her interests - ?sports, extra currics?, acting, anything at all ?? - I ask cuz the NC state schools - there are 16 of them in the UNC system - not all are called UNC BTW - but each having their own personalities and what you may call specialties.</p>
<p>We looked at several of the schools in NC - and they are all unique - UNC-Ashville - is a very up and coming school - yes - they have raised their standards of late - as has UNC-W -(strong in the sciences) big bonus - near the beach lol (tho both are more competitive these days) - but an 'average' student could be very successful at both of these schools.</p>
<p>App State is unique - in the mountains - a bit more crunchy - if you know what I mean - more laid back in many respects - has a great new student rec center - great Outdoor program - major and club - good snowboard team LOL.</p>
<p>ECU - have lots of experience here - my DD is presently a junior at East Carolina - yup is part of the UNC state system. She was also accepted at UNC-W and College of Charleston - whose admission standards are a bit higher I think - but.....She loved the big university atmosphere and the opportunities at ECU that the other 2 did not offer to her. They do have rolling admissions - would advise applying early no matter what - it is not binding - so no problem - tends to have alot of 'average' types of students - many many of whom excell there. ECU was originally a teachers college - and continues to have a great program for those interested in teaching. Because they also have a very good med school affilliation - they have all the medical/health profession programs also. ECU has MANY great majors - including some unique ones as well - ie an new engineering program specific to the area of NC and an industrial management program also - 1 of 12 in the country. ECU has a very active music program - drama department, etc..... pretty much whatever one might want.</p>
<p>ECU - altho being a large university - also has that smaller community feel - great campus - pretty much encoumpassed within a 5x10 block area and also great athletic facilities very close to campus. From our own experience has lots of student supports also. The university has alot in the planning stages for the future - majors, opportunities, etc..... It is an eas campus to get around on also. Has lots of semester abroad programs, etc.......</p>
<p>Students at ECU range from the very bright - to average - and some below average - wide range - and success there - as at any school - will depend on the student. I know my own DD would NOT consider going anywere else - and we gave her that option last year - she absolutely loves it there - has opened many doors for her. She is now a declared Outdoor Rec Management major - part of the Management of Recreational Facilities and Services major - and she LOVES it. She has an on-campus job at the beautiful Student Rec Center working for the Adventure program - Is also on the schools Snowboard team - they have been to nationals for the past 3 years - partifcipates in several intermural sports programs - is involved int he environmental club, etc.......... She has definitely found her nitch there - and is also far from home as we live in New England.</p>
<p>UNC-G, Western Carolina, UNC-C are also good options. NC State is a pretty competitive place - as is Elon and some others. I am sure there is a ''right'' place for your ''average'' student at several of the UNC's.</p>
<p>Jeepmom, Thanks for the report on East Carolina U - sounds like a nice solid school for the right type of kid.</p>
<p>THANKS SO MUCH, ALL OF YOU!!!
This is exactly the info I needed....especially about Eastern Carolina. I did not know it was part of the UNC system.
My average daughter is very average, and below the average of the kids at CC.
Her grades are B's and C's...although she tries very hard. She plays the violin very well, but because of reading problems, which have carried over to reading music, learning new pieces is difficult for her. However, once she gets it, she's got it, if you know what I mean. She is also a first degree black belt. That's about the extent of her extra-curricular activities.
Now that she's in a new h.s. in NC, I'm encouraging her to join at least 1 or 2 clubs (Key Club, etc). She's a bit tentative because she's new. She still gets lost (moving from a school with 250 kids to a school with 2,500 kids)
We did not live in the USA for most of her life, so dealing with her learning disabilities at some of the foreign schools has not been easy.
Unfortunately she falls between two brothers who are gifted in several areas, which doesn't help her self esteem academically.
On the other hand, she's the sweetest, most loving child one could ever ask for. So....that being said, it is my mission to help her find the best school for her that she will be absolutely happy at, and for her to discover that she can achieve and succeed.
She absolutely loves the location of Appalachian State, by the way.</p>
<p>App is great -- "Happy Appy" :)</p>
<p>And I know it's private, but given what you've said about your D I would really urge you to look seriously into St. Andrew's. It has a wonderful reputation as a great place for B/C students -- and they are very understanding and supportive of kids who have encountered learning challenges.</p>
<p>I'm in my freshman year at UNC-Asheville, so I guess I feel somewhat qualified to give insight, even though I've only been here a few weeks. I'm finding that everyone here really cares about the students, my professors are great, my classes are all small (my largest is Chem, 26 students). This is a relatively small school, with about 3,400 students (my guess). Campus gives you a safe, contained feel. I don't think there's a strong music program here, though. My dorm is surprisingly nice, and everything feels well-maintained (fresh paint, nice landscaping, etc.) It doesn't have the feel of a large university, though, so it depends what you're looking for. I'm really happy here, and I feel like (so far, anyway) I'll get a really strong undergrad education here. I've heard they have strong undergrad research program here, so I'm looking forward to that. I have friends at a couple different NC schools, including Charlotte and Wilmington. Charlotte is a really large school (I think about 18,000 students?), and my friends seem happy enough there. For a school that size, however, it sounds like there isn't a lot of action on the social front. There are things going on, lots you can do, but not a ton of school spirit. At Wilmington (which has gotten tricker to get into - popular I think because of the beach location more than anything else), if you don't like the beach, don't bother. Much of the social life revolves around the waterfront. They don't have enough on campus housing there for juniors and seniors, so you are forced off campus after the first two years. I've heard good things about ECU, and it's relatively easy to get into. Lots of good choices in NC, but every school definitely has its own flavor. And, it spite of its overwhelming popularity because it's a "name school", I've heard disappointment from a number of freshman friends that went to Chapel Hill last year, so don't feel bad if your kid doesn't get into the flagship u. Educationally, they might well be happier elsewhere and get much more attention from the prof's.</p>
<p>TRYINHARD - very nice response and report - well said - great perspective from a student.</p>
<p>MOM0809 - ECU is presently about 20,000 strong with plans to expand to about 25,000 within 5-6 years - but that includes undergrad/grad + students. Many students opt for off campus housing after freshman year - cost of living in Greenville is very reasonable - it is less expensive for DD to live off campus than to live on campus at this point.</p>
<p>Violin - nice nice - well I do know that ECU has a good music program and music teacher program as well - and music therapy also. hehe I played for about 6 years - ooo about a century ago lol. There are some good cultural things at ECU also.</p>
<p>Marshall arts - ECU has several competitive clubs in the marshall arts - don't ask me which ones lol but..........</p>
<p>Yes Happy Appy is a cool place - a bit different from ECU lol - but in a very pretty place - my own DD would have considered APP in a heart beat - tho they did not have her original pre-pt major - or anything close to it - so we passed it over - but, NOW.......had we known where she would happily land........they have a great program in her major - and she is an avid snowboarder so the mountains would have been to her likeing alot - but alas.........she is now 1 1/2 hours from the Outer Banks - loves the beaches, etc.....</p>
<p>JeepMom and TryinHard...
Thanks so much. I'm busy looking at both East Carolina and UNC-A. I've always loved the Asheville area, and East Carolina is a new consideration. I don't particularly like UNC-W because of the beach (hurricanes...we've been through enough in the Caribbean and in Florida, and witnessed too much of the Gulf Coast area). Somewhere up in the mountains sounds very peachy right now. I'll leave my daughter to check out ASU. She went rafting up there a few years ago and has been enchanted with the idea of going to college in that area ever since.
...and this might be for another thread, but has there been a trend lately for students to start considering taking the ACT's instead of the new SAT's, lately? I've been hearing a few rumblings, but I'm not a regular reader of the CC board, so I may have missed something.</p>
<p>mom0809, If you are worried about hurricanes, I should tell you that a few years ago when hurricane Floyd roared through southeastern NC, Greenville NC (ECU) and the surrounding areas had some of the worst damage in the state, serious flooding. I'm in Wilmington and hurricanes are common,but frequently areas inland and north of here suffer the most. Fran that was a direct hit here did lots of damage in the Raleigh Durham area. (not trying to be negative,but you should know the truth!)</p>
<p>App seems to have a pretty good music program and a great new performing arts center. The location sold my son too. He loved it. They have great tutoring programs there free for the asking so the student support services are in place. </p>
<p>All the campuses in the UNC system have benefited from the 2000 (i think) bond issue and many have great new facilities just coming online. App has just opened a beautiful new library, student center addition, and a huge new rec center is scheduled to open this winter.</p>
<p>I have a book called 100 colleges where average students excel, published by arco publishing. In NC it lists Belmont Abbey, Chowan, High Point, St. Andrews, and Western Carolina University. Many of these are private, but the book is well worth a look. My older son was definately an average student until his senior year when he realized that grades matter. He's now at U of Oregon and doing very well, but the book helped me with the process of looking at schools. I recommend it.</p>