The University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

Date: Dec 10 2004
Major: Language - French/Spanish/etc. (This Major's Salary over time)
I would just like to warn any prospective students (especially out-of-state ones) that UNC-CH is not as good as the glowing brochures make it out to be. Don't be dazzled by the school's so-called repuatation; that reputation is in free-fall right now, thanks in part to faculty who care more about their arcane research interests and various left-wing causes than they do about teaching. I came to UNC-CH as an out-of-stater, thinking it was some wonderful "public Ivy," and so proud that I had gotten in, when the acceptance rate for out-of-staters was around 5%. As it turned out, I could have stayed in my home state and probably have learned more. UNC-Ch may have prestige, but it's really like any other large, public university. Students have few opportunities to interact with faculty—actually, few classes are even TAUGHT by faculty. TA's seem to do most of the teaching. If you see a professor, he/she will be that little dot holding a microphone at the end of the lecture hall. And if you're in the sciences, get ready for HUGE classes and TA's who cannot communicate in English.

These problems are common to all large public institutions, but it is annoying that UNC-CH considers itself to be so wonderful when it is really just another factory-like school that treats students like they're simply sources of revenue. No one is intersted in whether you learn or nor, or what your goals or aspirations are. You're just a tuition check to them. This may sound harsh, and I'm sure some people had great experiences at UNC-CH, but I am just speaking from my own experience, which was dreadful. And yes, I tried my hardest to stand out and not be a number, but eventually you get tired of beating your head against an indifferent tower. UNC-CH is just not a happy place for undergraduates, and I wish someone had warned me before I went there.

So please think twice before going to UNC-CH. Consider going to a really top-notch liberal arts school—the attention from faculty and opportunities you have there would make the poor souls at diploma factories like UNC-CH turn green with envy!