2008 Contributor
Sewicked
Durham, NC
World class university with a gorgeous & historical campus
5 star rating

public school grad, a serious student, a good test taker, staff, not a sports nut, not rich
Pros

    Affordable, Large, Highly ranked, Near other Universities, Free bus system in town & around campus

Cons
    Large, Under Construction

FEB
12
2008

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — 

My credentials are that I attended this university & I work here, now. I have seen it from the student perspective and from the staff member's perspective.

The oldest building on campus dates back to the 1790's. It is still in use as a residence hall. At the same time, it is currently renovating and building new buildings to accommodate a larger and more diverse student body. As of May 2007, it has completed 38% of the planned projects. The American Society of Landscape Architects selected UNC-CH as one of the most beautifully lanscaped spots in the US.

Yes, slaves helped to build the University and today, thanks in large part to the efforts of the Black Student Movement, their role is acknowledged and appreciated. UNC-CH is striving toward acknowledging its history but not ignoring it. The Historical Collection in the Library is a large part of that, especially as they add material to their on-line collection through scanning and other methods. They have one of the largest slave narrative collections available on-line.

 While for many years the University relied almost solely upon state funds, in recent years it has started using more fund-raising and private funds. One use for those funds is the Carolina Covenent, a program that helps a certain number of students whose families are at or below poverty attend college and graduate debt-free. This is done through scholarships, grants & work-study programs.

It is primarily a state university so North Carolina residents are given priority and there is a cap on the number of out-of-state students who are accepted. It is also more expensive for out-of-state students. On the other hand, many reputable sources still consider it to be one of the best schools both academically and for affordability.

The focus is on the liberal arts but there is a strong medical school, nursing school, business school and pharmacy school. The computer science department is also well-regarded. The Genetic Medicine department and the Cancer Hospital have recently added new structures. Several of the colleges within the university regularly earn top-ranking among their peers, including Social Work, Public Health, and Library Science.

There are 71 bachelor degrees offered, 107 master degrees, 74 doctorate and 4 professional degrees. Enrollment is around 28000 students with a faculty of 3200. That said, there are 100 student classrooms as well as 10 student classes. Many of those faculty are heavily involved in research, that's both a pro and a con. With such a large student body, you will find others with common interests and there are many student groups and organizations available.

Unless you've never heard of Michael Jordan, you know that UNC-CH is also a strong basketball school. It is also strong in women's soccer, men's baseball, fencing, and other sports.

The residence halls range from Old East, with its 200 years of history, to Horton Hall, named for a slave poet of the 18th century and built in 2002. There is only one officially accepted off-campus residence hall. There are fraternities and sororities located around the campus and more at a little distance. Chapel Hill is a small town so housing is tight, but off-campus apartments and rental houses are available. Many choose to live in neighboring Carrboro, for its slightly lower prices. The two towns share a bus system and are located approximately 3 inches apart.


NOTE: the reviewer indicated that they are an employee of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill



I_thumb_up University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is recommended by Sewicked

1
helpful
vote
Did you find this review helpful?
 
 
 




I_comment_shdw24 Comments about Sewicked’s Review