Reply to Thoughts on UNC-Chapel Hill (for out of state student)?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I find it curious that people on here are claiming that UNC is weak in STEM.  Some of the graduate programs in STEM at UNC are very competitive/well regarded (for example, chemistry).  There is also a lot of biotech/tech in the research triangle areas. I will be the first one to say that the quality of the research programs doesn't necessarily map on to the quality of the education for undergraduates, but it's not like top tier resources do not exist there.

In contrast, I find people on this board to overrate UVA's overall reputation quite a bit on this board. From discussions on here, you would think UVA is Yale. While I think students can get an excellent education there (STEM or otherwise), UVA is not really known for having top tier programs that are not in the humanities, business, or law (at the graduate level).  In fact, I have a PhD in a STEM field, and have lived in a lot of other states, and a lot of my colleagues (who are unaware of its humanities/law reputation) don't really think of it as overall top tier.  Certainly not at the same level as UC Berkeley or Michigan, or even Wisconsin-Madision, UCLA, etc. Again, I still think that undergraduates can receive a fantastic in a number of fields, and at some level it doesn't matter for undergrad, but the "network" and the way the "name brand will carry you" perhaps is somewhat overexaggerated.

I also find that in whatever state I have lived in, because getting into the flagship school is challenging, and the top students from that school want to attend, people tend to overrate its prestigiousness.  When I lived in Texas, parents were obsessed with getting their kids into UT-Austin. When I lived in the Chicago area, it was all about University of Illinois-Urbana, Champagne.

I agree with the PP that mentioned that if two people were applying for a job, and one went to UNC and the other to UVA, it would come down to a lot more about their qualifications than which school was ranked higher on the US news and world report list that given year.[/quote]

UVA is not that big of a deal in other parts of the country or internationally. Berkeley and Michigan have more national and international reputation. 
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