Kayla
The best thing about UNC is the feeling that the University is one, big family. I've received relentless support from professors, faculty, peers and close friends that is unparalleled by what my friends have found at other schools. It has all the perks of a large state school (awesome athletics, a quirky and unique college town and a teeming nightlife) but the comfort of a small school (prestigious academics, small class sizes and familiar faces).
The school pride is unbridled. I interned at a campus organization on the day of a basketball game to find that everyone had left early in anticipation of lining up outside the "Dean Dome" for the big game. Everyone wears-- and bleeds-- that recognizable Carolina blue.
Caroline
UNC is the difference between everything and nothing at all. It offers a big campus atmosphere with a small campus sense of unity. With the recent murder of our student body president Eve Carson, it is clearer than ever that what Charles Kuralt said remains to be true. Carolina "is as it was meant to be, the university of the people."
Megan
2005 Final Four was amazing. I was on Frankiln Street with thousands of people celebrating. Amazing. I love walking on campus because it is really historic, peaceful, and quiet. I love walking through the Quad and past the Old Well. I'll always remember the Eve Carson celebration/memorial service in the Dean Dome where thousands of Tar Heels wore their Carolina blue in honor of her. The Carolina community comes together not only in times of mourning but in everyday life. Our school really gives back to the community. If you want to do community service, you will not have a problem at Carolina!
Nico
Maybe everyone's biased when they first attend college, but I think UNC was the BEST decision I could have made. I was challenged, I met lots of different people that I never would have expected to become friends with, I was comfortable in Chapel Hill where everything is beautiful. I feel like my world view was expanded so much and that UNC really is this unique place where people think outside of the box and they are always improving themselves. Chapel Hill and the surrounding area is pretty upscale and not what I expected from North Carolina. It's obvious that most people at UNC come from well-educated families and have quite a bit of money to spend and travel. That being said, you'll also find that it doesn't matter too much, at least in the non-sorority fraternity circles. Sometimes you'll make friends who have been all over the world or drive cars your parents can't afford but instead of having it rubbed in your face they'll just get you excited about the places they've been and also about where you want to go out and what you want to do that weekend.
Cary
UNC provided me with a top-notch education and a number of wonderful opportunities. I had the chance to work directly with a leading faculty member in the field of history as well as a number of gifted and dedicated professors over the four years I spent as an undergrad. The friends I've become close to have stayed with me and I value them and the memories we share. Franklin Street is a wonderful environment for hanging out during a school day as well as staying up late into the night. I can remember many nights walking home in the early hours of the morning feeling safe about where I was and what I was doing. Being a happy, successful student was something I had to work hard at here, but I have indeed learned many of my most important life lessons within the boundaries of UNC.
Adam
Chapel Hill is a great place to live and go to school. You have a great town full of tradition, an excellent university where you can't help but learn, a great nightlife to supplement the hard work that is required to complete such a rigorous university, and finally one of the top athletic programs in the country to rally around.
Nicholas
The best thing about UNC is the unity of the student body, through academics, athletics, and just in the social scene. People react in different ways when they know you go to UNC because most people out-of-state people don't know the university's prestige and how hard it is to get it for all students. Another great aspect is Chapel Hill which is undoubtedly a top 10 college town and fits the definition perfectly. There is a ton of school pride. Frequent student complaints are about the lack of relevance of the academic advising program.
Kris
UNC offers as ideal a college experience as one could ever hope for. The campus is beautiful and looks and feels like what you imagine college looking and feeling like. Chapel Hill is a fantastic college town. It is a place that exists exclusively because of the university and so caters very readily to the university and its population. The faculty is fantastic, the facilities are great for the most part (there are a few buildings that could use some attention but the school is more than two hundred years old what else would you expect), the athletic programs are among the best in the nation almost across the board, and you're not likely to find a more zealously spirited student body. I have yet to find anyone on campus that isn't happy at UNC. As far as name recognition goes, UNC is among the best schools in the nation, what more could you ask for.
Jamie
The best thing about Carolina by far is the beautiful campus. It's definitely hard to be an out-of-state student, but even in-state students can sometimes feel lost in this campus full of 17,000 overachievers- it can seem hard to make your mark! Chapel is of course seen by so many as the "quintessential college town"... and it's great, but it can start to feel very small, especially if you're from a big city. Like any big school, there are always issues with bureaucracy, especially in the advising department. One thing you'll notice immediately- it seems like EVERYONE around you is wearing Carolina blue or some sort of Carolina gear. It's true that in this and in pride in our basketball team there is a lot of school pride, but sometimes it feels like our campus could be more united.
Carrie
Carolina is a perfect fit for almost any student. Where else can you get premier academics with Nobel Prize-winning faculty AND unbeatable school spirit supporting a basketball team that wins National Championships? And that's all in the gorgeous state of North Carolina with our blue skies and stunning Chapel Hill campus. The town of Chapel Hill is a real college town with the main thoroughfare, Franklin Street, bordering campus and boasting awesome restaurants, coffeeshops, boutiques, and a movie theater. Some say Chapel Hill is a big state school, but the truth is it doesn't seem big at all. If you seek out your professors in office hours, they are more than happy to build amazing relationships with you. And the large student population just means incredible diversity! On any given night at Carolina, there are concerts, rallies, speakers, parties, film screenings, or sports events to go to. The only downside is that you can't attend them all! The student body is also incredibly socially aware and active in public service and social justice, which makes for fascinating and ever-changing student life.