The University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

Preface: I'm an out-of-state student from the Northeast who attended UNC-Chapel Hill for two years. This fall, I'm transferring to an Ivy League University to study history. I'll break my experience down into categories, then leave you with a few general observations.

Academics: Overall, I give my academic experience at UNC a "B" grade. With the exception of a few duds, the teaching quality was generally excellent and I had some outstanding mentors. However, I often found myself unimpressed with student participation and the quality of class discussions. Although large lectures present challenges at every school, even small seminars and honors courses frequently failed to facilitate participation. Many students were very involved outside the classroom, which may have detracted from the university's academic focus.

Sports/Student Body: I'll give this one a "B-/B." The student body is generally active, energetic, and pleasant. Like many southern schools, Div. I sports were extremely popular, especially basketball and football. Sports fostered incredible school spirit and represented major opportunities for high-quality recreation. However, they also siphoned millions of dollars away from academic programs and represented a step away from sheer academia. As a casual fan at best, I sometimes felt out of place and alienated by the sports craze.

Nightlife: An easy "A-/A."There were ample opportunities for parties and other small social gatherings. Greek parties are the most active and often do not admit male non-members, and first years may sometimes have a little trouble finding open events. By sophomore year, however, social connections made it extremely easy. For non-partiers,the downtown has quality restaurants, shopping, and a discount movie theater. Study sessions on Saturday night were not "frowned upon."

Conclusions:
1. UNC is a great school for bright, in-state students. As a well-traveled student from New England, I quickly realized that there was "more out there." With tuition on the rise, the niche of high-achieving, yet non-full-scholarship OSS students seems to be getting smaller.

2. The sports craze is pervasive, influencing everything from the student body to university policy. For sports fans, it's heaven. Personally, I found it alienating and, at times, disturbing. The widely-publicized athletic scandals speak for themselves.3. UNC is at a crossroads between "highly prestigious public university" and "non-elite, athletic powerhouse." Unfortunately, it seems to be moving towards the latter. In essence, this is why I left. Please consider my advice!

2nd Year Male -- Class 2016

Campus Aesthetics: A, Individual Value: B-

I'm going to divide my comments on UNC-CH into sections.
ACADEMIC: Difficult. These guys don't mess around. The thing is, UNC is a flagship research university, so understand what you're getting into. Seminar classes (that is, those higher level classes) are much easier to get a good grade in than introductory level classes. Working very hard will get you a B. Working casually/normally will give you a C. The A is basically indicative of mastery or excellence: at least in my experience (Natural sciences and political science), getting an A is a huge achievement. Be warned.

Now that I've talked about the bad, here's the good: like I said, it's a flagship research university. This means your professors are the best of the best. Don't take this lightly: the experience, insight, wisdom, and potential opportunity they have to offer you as a student is immeasurable. If you have any interest whatsoever in research, UNC-CH is a goldmine. It's a rare combination of professors who are exemplary but who also really enjoy engaging their students. Don't underestimate the value of leaving a good impression: I was rejected from a study abroad program, but because I did well in a professor's class, I was able to land the opportunity to assist another professor in his research.

Bottom line academically: be passionate, be committed, and be focused.
SOCIAL: UNC wasn't my cup of tea, but this is a very personal preference. Also, I found my niche, so I definitely wasn't miserable--in a big school, you'll find friends. Join clubs, be social, and make conversation with your classmates. UNC students are easily accessible in terms of conversation and introductions. Having said that, if you'd like to hear my complaints: I felt like, as it is at many college campuses, UNC really favors the indigenous (to NC) and the generally fratty. It's a bit elitist in that sense. The other group I noticed getting the most notoriety was the activist. But like I said, these things are personal and while I didn't really quite fit in here, there's a lot of people here who absolutely love it.

ADVICE FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS: Take advantage of opportunities. Seriously. There's funding opportunities for unpaid internships, study abroad options for dirt cheap, research being done by professors that (if you are good/passionate enough) you may be able to help with. Other than that, just remember to work your butt off.

ADVICE FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS: I don't want to beat a dead horse, but I wasn't kidding about passion. If you can convey your passion, you'll be competitive for UNC admissions. Find what you like, and do things which signal your commitment to excelling in it. Grades are great. Extra-curriculars are great. Being focused is ideal. Your A+ in biology is pretty good, but it's amazing if you want to be a doctor. Same with English. Or History. Understand your coursework, extra-curriculars, and volunteer work as being a stepping stone to whatever it is you want--even what you think you want--to do. The End.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000

I learned quite a bit of mathematics at UNC and felt that I was better prepared in my P. hD. program than even the MIT/Cal Tech grads.

I always felt that UNC was a fairly low pressure place. The lack of grade inflation-which no one seems to talk about here-in my mind helps things. To get an A you don't need to be smarter than everyone (although it helps) you just need to learn the material incredibly well. If you just get a handle on the material, you will get the average UNC 2.7 --which curiously seems to be viewed as acceptable. Many folks are just happy to be at UNC-again an attitude that I found puzzling. But as an out of state student I never felt that Chapel Hill was the center of the world like the in-staters did.

My niece goes to University of Michigan (I fund it), my twin brother went to Duke, and I taught at University of Virginia. The level of competition and intensity at these schools is far greater than UNC, especially at Michigan. The pressure cooker attitude just doesn't exist at UNC. Despite a lot of complaints I have read here about UNC, I think a student needs to ask himself or herself how much stress and intensity they need.

I always wonder if I would have pushed myself more if I went to a Duke or Princeton (my first choice, got in but Dad didn't want to pay). Based on what my twin brother did at Duke, I am not sure whether things would have been different. One last thing. Since I had a bad family life and was far from home, I wouldn't have made it through without the help of 4 or 5 friends and yes, caring faculty! Despite its size, I found people who cared about me and other young people. My niece has had some boyfriend/emotional issues at Michigan and she also found some help. The point is at these huge places you have to seek out relationships-thye just don't come to you.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000