Why Carolina?

If you've already read my first entry on Tar Heels Talk, you might remember that I applied to ELEVEN colleges my senior year. A bit excessive, yes, but it goes to show that when I started my own college search three years ago, I had little idea of what specifics I was looking for in a college. My original College Wish List was of about 40 choices, and was then narrowed to The Eleven, and then I ended up with one final choice — Carolina!

Before I start going into what made me choose Carolina from the hundreds of potential universities out there, and then from the handful that I applied to and received an acceptance offer from, I wanted to talk about a few important considerations that led me to my Final Eleven. Although with each factor I'm listing my own personal reaction, answer these questions for yourself and see if Carolina might be the place for you. If not, find somewhere that matches what *you* want in a college!

The first consideration to take into account is geographic location. Are you looking to remain near your hometown or in your own state? Or are you looking to get away from your family at the far ends of the opposite coast? Take the climate into account, too — can you handle long winters of the north, or would you prefer the temperate milds of the mid-Atlantic coast? I knew from the start that I wanted to remain on the East Coast, somewhere between New York and North Carolina. Somewhere that was far enough from home, but close enough to make a random trip for holidays and whatnot.

Next, think about the type of setting you're looking for. Do you want to be in a big city? A suburb? A small town in the sticks? I considered both urban schools like NYU and suburban college towns like Chapel Hill, but made certain to steer clear of the super-rural colleges where cow-tipping is a recreational sport. The city definitely had a special appeal, but in the end I decided to save the urban setting for grad school or for later in my life. I wanted a campus, and a town that happily surrounded and supported that campus. The physical location of your college is crucial — you're committing yourself to the location for four years. Make sure you're in a place that will make you happy!

Next, think about the size of the student body. My high school enrolled about 2,000 students — and I have friends that chose colleges with a student population of hardly half that amount, which was definitely not for me. I wanted a pretty large school... Not somewhere so big that I felt completely anonymous, but somewhere with a decent student size. A happy medium like Carolina's 16,000 undergrads sounded perfect.

Another important thing to look at is majors. Although it's frequent to change your major numerous times during your college career (I switched my second major twice), it's something to keep in mind. If there is a particular major you're interested in, make sure to apply to a college that offers that major. Your academic major is the main reason (aside from partying, meeting people, living it up) for going to college — don't forget to take it into consideration when making a list of schools! I was interested in Journalism from the start, and wanted a school that was well-noted for its Journalism department. I'd read that Carolina had a great one, and everyone that I spoke to agreed. Now I can say for myself that they do, in fact, have a great J-school with some of the most amazing professors I've met.

A few other things to keep in mind: Are you looking for a college with a particular religious affiliation? Do you want a school with a big athletic presence? Looking for somewhere that specializes in the arts, music, or the sciences? Need some sort of creative outlet like band, a strong college newspaper, or a particular club or activity to get involved in?

All of these factors can help you narrow your list of potential schools. With involvement in high school yearbook and newspaper projects, I wanted a school with a strong journalistic presence. And seeing as how Carolina's newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel, recently won the college equivalent of the Pulitzer, I made a good call in that regard. I had no religious preference when it came to a school, and though I wasn't specifically looking for it, I was definitely excited about a school with athletic pride and national presence. Who wouldn't like sporting a Carolina logo and actually *going* to the school it represents? :)

Figuring out an answer to even one of these categories eliminates a huge number of college choices that aren't right for you. And if you can answer more than one -- great! It'll make your college search that much easier. Now, take answers to all of these questions and come up with a basic profile. This profile is what you want your college choices to match as best they can; the more they match, the more perfect the school is for you, the happier you'll be. Guaranteed.

Remember: few choices are key; otherwise you'll be totally overwhelmed with options and applications. Definitely check out some review books for colleges. They'll break down things like popular majors, enrollments, locations, etc., and they're fully worth the investment.

The final thing that sold me on Carolina was my visit to the campus. I can't stress enough how important the visit is. You're about to commit at least four years of your life to the school of your choice — make sure it's the right one for you! I flew to Carolina and stayed with a friend on a Friday in April of my senior year, and by the time I returned home two days later, I knew that Carolina would be my home for the next four years. The visit showed me the total package and proved that Carolina met all of the requirements I'd made on my College Wish List. It made it that much easier to cross-off the other schools that accepted me, but weren't *exactly* what I was looking for. When I saw the campus, sat in on the classes, mingled in the Pit, ate the southern cooking, went out on Franklin Street, and witnessed the UNC / Chapel Hill community firsthand, I knew where I'd be sending my acceptance.

And that, my friends, is why I chose Carolina :)