Is UNC Chapel Hill the right fit?

Colleges & Universities University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
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<p>CollegeConfidential have proven to be a very helpful tool to me in the past, which is why I’m writing this thread for my sister.</p>

<p>She’s currently a high school sophomore, NY state resident, - a bit early on the road to college, I know - but she’s been getting antsy about the college search for a few weeks yet. She hasn’t taken her SATs/ACTs yet. Her PSAT score wasn’t great, but she admitted she didn’t try and barely paid much attention to the exam, knowing it wouldn’t count.</p>

<p>But a bit more about her as a student. She was diagnosed with ADHD in her younger years, and has been on different medications ever since. They have helped her be able to focus, and with the right teachers involved, she has made tremendous progress, more than any of us ever expected. She’s been in Honors English for the past two years, and anticipates taking a bunch of AP/IB/Honors classes in the future. She’s got around a 93 GPA, and is involved in a few extra curricular activities - Girl Scouts, Future Educators of America, Interact (community service club)…etc.</p>

<p>Being that she suffers from a learning disability, and her overall personality, she is looking for a small/medium school where she can continue to blossom as a student. She aspires to become a special education teacher, to help others the way her teachers have helped her. I could see her being OUTSTANDING at this, if only she can find the right college to her her on this journey…</p>

<p>So that’s why I’m here. I’m looking from all sorts of opinions on a few colleges that would be good for an education major, with a learning disability.</p>

<p>The catch is that finances are an issue, and so I am clueless when it comes to Out of State aid, since I truthfully don’t know if I see ANY of the SUNYs as a fit for my sister. Many are pretty big, and others are in far too rural areas for her. She’s a picky brat, I know. But I love her, which is why I’m making this thread.</p>

<p>So anybody with ANY suggestions,
Please let me know!</p>

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<p>well, according to my friend who wants to be a special ed. major, UNC doesnt offer that concentration. she says that they are really strong in elementary ed. anyways though, UNC is definately not a small school</p>

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<p>UNC is the polar opposite of a small school, so if that’s what she’s looking for, UNC is not for her. </p>

<p>If she’s interested in schools in NC for teaching, I would recommend looking at Appalachian State. It’s a medium sized school and I absolutely LOVE Boone! It doesn’t quite have the face recognition of a school like UNC, but it has a wonderful teaching program that is well respected, and she’ll get a good education there. I don’t know about special ed specifically at App, though. I wouldn’t put App as difficult to get into, especially on CC standards, but you still have to be a good student. Also, Boone is in a pretty rural area, but I feel like it’s a good balance - you have everything you need in Boone or Blowing Rock, so it’s not like you’re deserted.</p>

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<p>I would suggest looking at liberal arts schools. They tend to be alot smaller than colleges like UNC but still provide a great education. There are alot of advantages to going to a LAC (i.e smaller classes, smaller professor-student ratio, more attention from faculty, sense of community, etc.) </p>

<p>If you would like her to go to a school with the advantages of a liberal arts school but the resources of a public school, I would suggest the College of William and Mary. Its a highly ranked public school but its size is a lot smaller than the typical state university. It has a special 5 year program where a person can get their B.A and M.B.A in special education as well as elementary and secondary if she changes her mind. </p>

<p>I hope she finds a great school to go to! Good luck</p>

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<p>Check out the Peabody College at Vanderbilt University. I believe it is one of the top Education Colleges in the US. Good luck! What a nice sibling you are!</p>

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<p>Thank you to everyone who has posted so far! I definitely can see her at a LAC, the only issue is the finances… </p>

<p>Also, another factor is that we’re Jewish, and I don’t think I see her at a Jesuit university. Though she says she wouldn’t want to go to a necessarily “all-Jewish” community, but I think she would like a non religious atmosphere with diverse people.</p>

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<p>I would second the Appalachian recommendation, especially if finances are a big consideration. It’s a medium size, wonderful teaching college, and wonderfully inexpensive!</p>

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<p>Perfectedxchaos, perhaps your sister might want to look into Goucher College. </p>

<p>Goucher’s an LAC and smaller than most state universities. It does have a major in Special Education. It’s located in Towson, MD, right outside Baltimore, so it’s not too rural. IIRC, it provides a supportive atmosphere–it’s one of the schools that Loren Pope featured in his “Colleges That Change Lives”. The student community is diverse from a religious/ethnic perspective. And, while it is a private school, they are relatively generous with merit aid.</p>

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<p>I would definitely have to agree with jgirl’s suggestion.</p>

<p>The College of William and Mary is a FANTASTIC school. It has the feel of a private school but is a steal when it comes to tuition. I live about 20 minutes away and the campus is beautiful. It’s the #6 public university in the nation for a reason, and it sounds like it would be a great fit for your sister! </p>

<p>If she is looking to come to south for a special education major I would also highly suggest Longwood University in Farmville, VA. It’s not a very well known school but it has one of the best teaching programs in the state (5 Year B.A./MBA program just like William & Mary). plus it has about 15 different specializations, including a great special education program. Also, with her grades she could get really good scholarships and it would be a very financially beneficial place to attend.</p>

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<p>Again, Appalachian has a great teaching program, as it was NC’s teaching college for quite some time. AThe only issue with App is that during the winter it can get quite cold (I have a cousin who is a professor there and she said that one time the windchill was a -40)</p>

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<p>The -40 windchill is not typical though, hah. App does have cold winters, but no colder than NY, I’m sure.</p>