Great Grad School + FUN city + low cost rent in NC=_______??? (architecture, architect)
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Can't believe no one mentioned UNCW...Wilmington is where you will be on the weekends if you go to a Triangle school anyway, might as well skip the middle man.
ECU also has a very good Public Administration program and is very fun college town, not far from the beach as well (easy access to Outer Banks).
You have to like the weather and be the mountain type to like App IMO. And some of the older folks may not realize that getting into Duke or UNC grad schools is next to impossible these days...I know lots of UNC grads with 3.5 GPA's and better that couldn't get into UNC Med or law schools and went to Campbell, ECU or Wake Forest.
Can't believe no one mentioned UNCW...Wilmington is where you will be on the weekends if you go to a Triangle school anyway, might as well skip the middle man.
ECU also has a very good Public Administration program and is very fun college town, not far from the beach as well (easy access to Outer Banks).
You have to like the weather and be the mountain type to like App IMO.
Most Triangle students, especially grad students who aren't living on mom & dad's dime, do NOT spend their weekends in Wilmington. Sure, maybe a beach weekend 2-3 times a year, but it's 2 hours away, not the next town over.
Also, my brother just got his masters degree in accounting at ECU and my other brother just spent his summer there for an intensive pre-med program. Both of them hated Greenville and I can't say I was too impressed when I visited. This is not a review of ECU, but of Greenville. It's not the worst place on earth, but it was like a more run-down Wilmington with no beach nearby. Flat and ugly, IMO. Definitely visit any of the towns before you commit. I know I would have been miserable in Greenville for 2 years.
And as someone with a similar out-of-state graduate degree (urban planning), go to the school that gives you the most money. If I had to do grad school all over again, I would have stayed in science and gotten my degree paid for instead of taking out loans.
Thank you for the responses. Taking Boone out of the equation, for those of you who live in NC, how would you pit Raleigh and the "Triangle Region" against Charlotte?
Obviously, you need to see what grad school you get accepted into before worrying about what town it's in. Duke and UNC are the highest-ranked in the state, which you probably knew.
As for a "FUN city"--having been to graduate school, I don't think you will have nearly as much time for "FUN" as you might imagine.
Originally Posted by Thank goodness for [URL="http://www.uncc.edu/"
The Internet[/url].
You really think that wasnt the first thing I looked to?? I am trying to discover information that cannot be found on the schools website from, hence why I am using this forum. But thanks anyways.
And yes this may be premature since I have yet to apply to these schools, I just want to get some information beforehand so that when the time comes I can make a good decision.
I have attended NCSU, UNC-CH, and App -- but all more than 10 years ago. My sister went to UNC-Charlotte. I no longer live in NC so can't answer most of your questions.
Networking/job opportunities -- you should call up the programs and ask them directly. You can also ask to speak with current graduate students by phone or email -- I did this before attending a graduate program. I imagine the larger universities would offer much better networking, and the degree would be more recognizable out of NC. If I were making this decison, I would email each program and ask specific questions about networking/contacts, mentoring, assistance with job placement, success of graduates, etc... I would also apply to all of them and see which provides the best aid package. The last thing I would take into consideration is the actual town. But of the areas you mention, I think the Triangle is the most cerebral, fun, and internationally diverse.
I have 2 family members who did Grad work at UNC Chapel Hill and NCSU in Raleigh, house divided and all, the one who grad. from State is working while the Chapel Hill grad is still looking.
Raleigh turned out to be the better move as overall cost was lower and results turned out better.
FWIW, NC State is just west of DT Raleigh while UNC-Charlotte is in a much more suburban location.
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