<p>So I already sent in my deposit to WM and have been getting pretty excited about going to WM in the fall. Today, however, UNC accepted me off of the wait list. This definitely gives me something to consider...</p>
<p>How do WM and UNC compare in their Business programs, greek life and general atmosphere?</p>
<p>W&M is smaller and has a liberal arts college feel that UNC does not. But if one is in-state and a lot cheaper, that is where you should go.</p>
<p>UNC has big time sports, Greeks. Nice, but spread out campus. Bus. school is good but you have to apply. They have higher standards at the B-school then the general student body. W&M has quality sports (beat Wake/MD in hoops/UVA in football/ UNC in baseball), Ivy League feel, tamer party scene, more intellectual. Mason acceptance is a formality b/c overall student body is higher than UNC. UNC is NC version of UVa/UCLA. W&M is public version of Brown/Dartmouth.</p>
<p>I’m actually out of state for both since I am from NY…</p>
<p>UNC feels like “state u” (bigger campus, way more students, bigger sports scene, more party atmosphere)… W&M feels like a private school. IMO.</p>
<p>My impressions of the UNC student body (academic wise) have become surprisingly negative. Stories from people very familiar with both say that W&M is definitely stronger. And the UNC student I met in Europe who wrote on facebook she went on an “autio tour”… autio? seriously?</p>
<p>My personal opinion is that turning down W&M undergrad for UNC would be a mistake. W&M has a strong business program with a brand new facility. That said, obviously I am 1. not you, and 2. slightly biased.</p>
<p>I imagine you’ve visited both places? Can you see yourself at UNC? It obviously offers the resources and possibilities of a large, well-regarded state flagship. But it’s big. One of my ds was very enthusiastic about the school when she researched it, loved the beautiful campus and architecture when we started the tour. But we happened to be in the center of campus when students were streaming into 11 AM classes. It was interesting to watch my d’s face as she realized, “This is what 18,000 students look like.” It was a mismatch for her, which is not to say that it would be for you.</p>
<p>I think that Greek life has an optimal place at W & M. It doesn’t dominate student life in any way, and Greek/non-Greek students mix well. For students who want a Greek presence, it’s there, but it’s not overwhelming. Can’t speak regarding UNC.</p>
<p>Maybe this will come down to whichever business school can give you what you’re looking for. Is there a possibility you’ll want to change majors? Business is not my field of expertise, so I hope more informed posters will weigh in. Good luck and congrats on two great choices.</p>
<p>Pretty much echoing what’s been posted above me, but do you want a big state school or a small private school (I know W&M is public but in a lot of ways it feels more like a private school). </p>
<p>The business schools are a wash.</p>
<p>UNC easily has the better sports, so if that’s really important to you go to UNC.</p>
<p>According to Wikipedia, 15% of UNC is Greek, it’s like 30% at W&M. So Greeks have a bigger presence at W&M. But I’d imagine there are more/better parties at UNC.</p>
<p>Overall, I imagine you’ve already visited W&M, right? Well, if you’ve visited certain large state flagship universities, I’d imagine they are similar in atmosphere to UNC.</p>
<p>I really like UNC. That said I think that in terms of where they will take you its a wash. So its really about fit.</p>
<p>If I go to UNC I will have a bunch of friends who will be going to Duke, about 15 minutes away… That is something to consider I suppose.</p>
<p>you will find tons of friends wherever you go to school… I would discourage you from deciding to go somewhere because it is close to where a friend (or friends, or a bf/gf) is going to school. Trying to arrange your social life around a school that you do not attend is not a recipe for being happy, IMO.</p>
<p>soccerguy, I totally get what you are saying. Of course I know that and wouldn’t base my decision on that fact, but I guess it is just something that would be nice?</p>
<p>I’m probably going down to NC again some time soon to check out UNC. I’m just a little concerned that since school is out the campus will be pretty dead…</p>
<p>Yea, now is not a very good time to visit as you won’t be able to get a very good feel because of the lack of students. But visiting now is better than not visiting.</p>
<p>Also, I don’t really think your friends being at Duke is big. I know plenty of people who were great friends during high school before W&M and really don’t hang out that much /have drifted further apart from each other. And that’s while they are attending the SAME college. It will be very hard for you and your friends to stay very close and hang out often while attending different colleges, even if they are only 15 minutes apart. </p>
<p>I know it sounds strange, but really that’s how it is. There are very few friends from high school that I stay in close contact with now.</p>
<p>the other thing to ask yourself is… if you were getting excited and pumped to go to W&M, why are you considering changing now?</p>
<p>was UNC ahead on your list before?
are you only interested because they said “no” and now they said “yes” so you have the ability to get what they said you couldn’t have?</p>
<p>definitely a good idea to visit UNC again, but as you said, you will probably be able to go on a tour and check out campus.</p>
<p>Well, UNC wasn’t exactly above WM before, but the more I consider it the more I feel that UNC does have aspects to it that I would enjoy.</p>
<p>Namely,
1.) Big sports
2.) Larger party scene
3.) A more active college town</p>
<p>I am still leaning to WM, don’t get me wrong, I just want to make an educated choice. I feel like WM and UNC would both be great for me but in different ways.</p>
<p>W&M has smarter students and better reputation.</p>
<p>Absolutely not true on both fronts.</p>
<p>Certainly both are fantastic public universities (both are among the original list of public ivies in fact). One significant difference between the two that hasn’t been mentioned is the ratio of in-state to out-of-state students. At W&M, 35% of the student body is out-of-state. It’s likely around 17-18% at UNC. As an out-of-state student at both institutions, you may want to consider this statistic as you consider fit and whether or not one might feel more like a suitcase campus than the other.</p>
<p>I live in NC. Trust me, it is absolutely true. It is a great school for all the reasons you mentioned, but it is not the same intellectual environment that W&M has. When I tell people that I am a W&M alum, most UNC grads give you that, “you must be really smart” look. It the same look Duke/Davidson people get in NC. It is a great school for its mission (large research state U), one of the best; but there are literally thousands of students there that couldnt get into W&M. That will be your peer group.</p>
<p>Pick your school based on what is better for you and what would make you happy. These are two entirely different institutions, with different strengths and weaknesses. Unless sports/parties are the top issues for you, stick with W&M</p>
<p>A quick look at standardized test scores on collegeboard shows UNC-CH’s 25th/75th percentiles on the SAT to be 590/700 CR, 620/710 Math, and 580/680 Writing; for W & M, it’s 620/730 CR, 620/720 Math, and 610/710 Writing. Almost identical scores for math; advantage to W & M for CR and Writing, though no one would argue that UNC-CH’s student profile is not a strong one.</p>
<p>As to reputation - why not say that UNC has a better reputation in research and most graduate programs, while W & M has a better rep for the quality of undergrad education? </p>
<p>OP, you can’t make a bad decision here. Go where you feel most comfortable. And go with all your heart, as Confucius would say - no need to second-guess a can’t-lose scenario. :)</p>
<p>To suggest that “William & Mary has smarter students and a better reputation” is, again, simply not true, and anything offered since swiss made this comment doesn’t prove the point. If you want to make the case for William and Mary on the basis of its slightly higher average SAT scores (a dubious effort at best), don’t forget that UNC is a much larger institution that’s much more selective on out of state applicants. For every high SAT score you can find at William and Mary you can probably find two at UNC. </p>
<p>UNC also is second only to U-Va in the number of undergraduates who have won Rhodes Scholarships over the years. Consistency on the Rhodes front – unquestionably the most prestigious undergraduate prize out there – is a pretty good indicator of an undergraduate school’s general academic reputation.</p>
<p>Finally, “a suitcase campus?” Surely William&Mary Admissions can make a better case for William and Mary than taking a cheap shot like that against a competitor. UNC has one of the most rabid alumni bases in the country and a nearly unrivaled reputation for a fun college experience. It didn’t get that way because its students all went home on weekends. I can’t imagine Dean J saying something like that against another school on the U-Va board.</p>
<p>UNC is William and Mary’s academic peer in every way. This is all about fit.</p>