Tell me about UNC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Duke alum:

UNC is a great school. Chapel Hill is a quintessential college town, and being in the Triangle is awesome. It definitely has a southern feel with the high percentage of NC students. Plenty of very smart in-state kids go there but there are some who are weaker, and the in-state crowd can be cliquey. It has some very good programs.

The super right wing state legislature is trying to put its finger prints on it, which is not good. I think that overall the school is strong enough to withstand that.

It is very hard to get in from out of state (not much different than getting into Duke) but some of the stats in this thread are way off.

They hired a geriatric football coach who is dating his granddaughter and their basketball team is a joke. Go to hell, Carolina, go to hell!

Devils and Deacs stand in line
The red and white from NC State! Go State!

But as a fellow but different arch rival alum, I’ll agree with the PP on their general assessment of UNC. Good school (esp for certain programs) and it was a great (small) college town atmosphere that’s grown a lot (and maybe too fast). RTP is an economic powerhouse in the state, with reason.

Not sure we would swing OOS costs for it as The Hate runs deep and I still can’t stand that puke baby blue but, hey, we’re in the “serious” mode SEC shopping so that’s OOS too. At least many of them offer some merit aid to bring costs more inline with VA instate. I get that UNC doesn’t need to and everyone’s looking for a different experience. Carolina is a solid choice for many. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The NC is SO overblown, they are great students. Not all UVA or UofM kids are the tippy top either as of course they have to accept kids from all over their states too. I think UNC takes it more as it’s only one state of the 3 that has a top private.

UMD in state and OOS acceptance rates are nearly identical.

Yep. They and UNC (and I'd throw in Michigan and UVA) are all basically the same school in different locations.

UMD is not at all at the same level as UVA, UNC or Michigan. In NYS, that is a school for the slightly above average public high school kids. UVA, UNC and Michigan are schools for top students at top private and public schools considering top 30 schools only.

UMD is more similar to Wisconsin.

Just giving you the objective OOS view.

Agreed. Nobody from NYS proudly says “I have a kid at Maryland.” It’s a different story when it comes to UVA, UNC and Michigan.

I’d even say UMD is more similar to Rutgers than Wisconsin. Wisconsin and UNC both are viewed as a lot for appealing for undergraduates than UMD.

Wisconsin is a much easier admit than UMD. That said, it has a much better campus experience than UMD which is why it is more popular for OOS applicants.

It also historically has had a better academic reputation, which OOS applicants rely on to some extent.

True. I don’t know why Wisconsin seems to have slipped in recent yrs and is now less desirable than UT Austin. It used be where you went if you missed Michigan.

Because the Wisconsin legislature has been dominated by a particular conservative party which has defunded a lot of what made UW so good.

So bc it isn’t strictly a blue state, it slipped below the flagship of a much redder state. Sure, makes sense.

[Anonymous]

I live in NY. Wisconsin has a better reputation than Maryland. I agree with the assessment that Wisconsin is just below Michigan. And Maryland is below Wisconsin. And somewhere like Delaware is probably just below Maryland, though I am less certain of that.

Obviously certain majors and such refute that rule.

[Anonymous]

My son is finishing his second year at UNC and its been a good experience. He grew up in DC and I'm a UVA grad. Here are a few highlights.

* The OOS tuition is a relative bargain (compared to UVA OOS tuition)
* He only had a few huge classes or with grad students. Otherwise, he's had professors that he likes in smaller classes.
* Like other large universities, some of the majors require application after a year or two
* UNC feels more relaxed to me than UVA and that's a good fit for my son.
* On long weekends, a good number of NC students go home and the dining halls close. This surprised me. As a result, he is close to other OOS and international students in addition to in state students..
* The class registration website and process is bewildering. I only tried to help when he was an entering first year and stayed out of it after that (as I should!)
* The campus and CH is great (if your child likes that type of setting).

I am grateful he was admitted and I think it's a great school. Best wishes for you, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son is finishing his second year at UNC and its been a good experience. He grew up in DC and I'm a UVA grad. Here are a few highlights.

* The OOS tuition is a relative bargain (compared to UVA OOS tuition)
* He only had a few huge classes or with grad students. Otherwise, he's had professors that he likes in smaller classes.
* Like other large universities, some of the majors require application after a year or two
* UNC feels more relaxed to me than UVA and that's a good fit for my son.
* On long weekends, a good number of NC students go home and the dining halls close. This surprised me. As a result, he is close to other OOS and international students in addition to in state students..
* The class registration website and process is bewildering. I only tried to help when he was an entering first year and stayed out of it after that (as I should!)
* The campus and CH is great (if your child likes that type of setting).

I am grateful he was admitted and I think it's a great school. Best wishes for you, OP.

Thank you for the balanced response - very helpful. So many of the posts here are either 100% for or 100% against a school. Nice to hear some pros and cons.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The NC is SO overblown, they are great students. Not all UVA or UofM kids are the tippy top either as of course they have to accept kids from all over their states too. I think UNC takes it more as it’s only one state of the 3 that has a top private.

UMD in state and OOS acceptance rates are nearly identical.

Yep. They and UNC (and I'd throw in Michigan and UVA) are all basically the same school in different locations.

UMD is not at all at the same level as UVA, UNC or Michigan. In NYS, that is a school for the slightly above average public high school kids. UVA, UNC and Michigan are schools for top students at top private and public schools considering top 30 schools only.

UMD is more similar to Wisconsin.

Just giving you the objective OOS view.

Agreed. Nobody from NYS proudly says “I have a kid at Maryland.” It’s a different story when it comes to UVA, UNC and Michigan.

I’d even say UMD is more similar to Rutgers than Wisconsin. Wisconsin and UNC both are viewed as a lot for appealing for undergraduates than UMD.

Wisconsin is a much easier admit than UMD. That said, it has a much better campus experience than UMD which is why it is more popular for OOS applicants.

It also historically has had a better academic reputation, which OOS applicants rely on to some extent.

True. I don’t know why Wisconsin seems to have slipped in recent yrs and is now less desirable than UT Austin. It used be where you went if you missed Michigan.

Because the Wisconsin legislature has been dominated by a particular conservative party which has defunded a lot of what made UW so good.

So bc it isn’t strictly a blue state, it slipped below the flagship of a much redder state. Sure, makes sense.

No, when Wisconsin had a veto-proof legislature thanks to extreme gerrymandering and a right-wing nutter for governor, they gutted all sorts of things related to the University of Wisconsin system and tragedy Madison in particular. Top talent was no longer attracted, and other top universities made concentrated efforts to poach top faculty away. The highly sought after newly minted PhD's no longer have Wisconsin on their shortlist. So the overall quality of faculty has declined and academic protections and freedoms are considerably weaker than they were previously.

Nearly 20 years of republicans systematically weakening what was once one of the best university systems in the country has scared people away. Plenty of bright Wisconsin high schoolers look to University of Minnesota instead (encouraged by the long-standing reciprocity the two states have).

[Anonymous]

^enough of the liberal democrats complaining about everything. Left wing liberals have created so many problems and the Dem party represents these extremists and not the working class which has left in droves

[Anonymous]

All of these UNC threads are getting so tiresome.

And I even went there.

From out-of-state!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^enough of the liberal democrats complaining about everything. Left wing liberals have created so many problems and the Dem party represents these extremists and not the working class which has left in droves

Dems are far from perfect but the extremist, awful response from Trump is not the answer either - it is actually worse. See - I can admit my side isn't perfect. I guarantee 99% of Trump voters are unable to admit any flaw in Trump and how he has been doing things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of these UNC threads are getting so tiresome.

And I even went there.

From out-of-state!

Tar Heel born and a Tar Heel bred and when you die you'll be a Tar Heel dead!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of these UNC threads are getting so tiresome.

And I even went there.

From out-of-state!

Tar Heel born and a Tar Heel bred and when you die you'll be a Tar Heel dead!

What is a tar heel? A ram or goat?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of these UNC threads are getting so tiresome.

And I even went there.

From out-of-state!

Tar Heel born and a Tar Heel bred and when you die you'll be a Tar Heel dead!

No. It was just a 4-year blip in my life. I’m a Washingtonian. Third generation. This is who I am.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All of these UNC threads are getting so tiresome.

And I even went there.

From out-of-state!

Tar Heel born and a Tar Heel bred and when you die you'll be a Tar Heel dead!

What is a tar heel? A ram or goat?

https://alumni.unc.edu/what-is-a-tar-heel/

[Anonymous]

The leaving on weekends to go home and the campus food basically closed is true and is not to be underestimated as a factor for how OOS students can struggle to fit in

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The NC is SO overblown, they are great students. Not all UVA or UofM kids are the tippy top either as of course they have to accept kids from all over their states too. I think UNC takes it more as it’s only one state of the 3 that has a top private.

UMD in state and OOS acceptance rates are nearly identical.

Yep. They and UNC (and I'd throw in Michigan and UVA) are all basically the same school in different locations.

UMD is not at all at the same level as UVA, UNC or Michigan. In NYS, that is a school for the slightly above average public high school kids. UVA, UNC and Michigan are schools for top students at top private and public schools considering top 30 schools only.

UMD is more similar to Wisconsin.

Just giving you the objective OOS view.

Agreed. Nobody from NYS proudly says “I have a kid at Maryland.” It’s a different story when it comes to UVA, UNC and Michigan.

I’d even say UMD is more similar to Rutgers than Wisconsin. Wisconsin and UNC both are viewed as a lot for appealing for undergraduates than UMD.

Wisconsin is a much easier admit than UMD. That said, it has a much better campus experience than UMD which is why it is more popular for OOS applicants.

Can you speak more abt this?

^^ sorry, unclear. Why is Wisconsin a better campus experience than UMD?

College Park just isn’t an interesting place compared to Madison. Just not the state flagship experience kids want.

Now, kids make the mistake of visiting during nice weather vs going in January.