Finally narrowed my decision to 2 but I need help. What are the pros/cons of each? Thanks!
Can you share your major or interests?
Are finances a consideration?
Have you visited both?
Visited and applied undecided to both (but will visit again). We’re thinking both will be about the same with scholarships and aid, but won’t know until FAFSA gets their act together
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Wow - the school of Chris Clemons - scoring machine!!!
One is 2K kids on campus and one is over 10x as large.
One is in the city. One isn’t far - but isn’t.
One is state affiliated. One is Christian.
Perhaps the major matters - but in the end, what does the student seek in a school? They are pretty different institutions.
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I don’t think we could go wrong with either, and both have the major she’s considering. For now, the major pro/con list is Campbell’s dorms are better (no hall-style bathroom), but it requires 1 more Spanish class 
She’s definitely not looking for parties but does want to be involved in the campus. One concern is would employers look at State vs Campbell degrees differently? And are there more opportunities at a larger school or smaller because of competition?
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Funny - my kid chose a lesser name (but a known name) entirely because of the dorm. And yet they can’t wait to move off campus - so go figure - the dorm was one and done.
I think it depends.
if you apply for a job in Kansas City and note you went to NCSU, then everyone will know what that means. Few will know what Campbell means.
But in the NC area, I’m sure the Cambpell name shines proudly - and once you have work experience, typically where you go doesn’t matter. Or grad school can give the bigger name.
I surmise NC State will be better for what you mention - but I’m not sure I’d choose it if it weren’t the right school.
Sometimes you can get more involved when there’s less competition!!
Does the religious aspect play a part?
Not really. Both schools have been at the top of the list, and we were 100% going Campbell if State didn’t work out. I’ve heard good things about NCSU’s exploratory program which is what’s making the decision difficult. Someone needs to help the kid figure out what major to do lol.
At Campbell, she had to declare a major for a scholarship, but they mentioned people change them all the time.
Hall-style bathrooms really aren’t that bad. Sometimes they’re better than the alternatives, in terms of avoiding crowding problems and cleanliness issues. My daughter attended a school that’s known for great dorms, yet she spent her freshman year in a triple that shared a single bathroom with another triple. It was not better than a hall bath; in fact, sometimes she fled to a different part of the dorm to use the hall bath over there!
Hopefully your daughter can dig into the various possible programs of study that might interest her, and the extracurricular activities she might enjoy, and find something that excites her more than minor variations in first-year bathroom configuration. She’ll get used to the bathroom! (The only exception would be if she has specific needs, i.e. irritable bowel syndrome or something that would make a private bathroom more important - but if that’s the case, she should be able to get accommodations anywhere she goes.)
NCSU likely has has more options, academically; and hopefully Exploratory Studies would help her to sample them and figure out what she’d like to pursue. The kids in that program even live together, in addition to taking the career exploration classes, so they have a smaller “Exploratory Studies Village” community that makes a big school feel smaller. To me, this sounds like a much more dynamic option than starting at a small school with a major already selected, and then trying to decide whether there’s anything available that she might like better. NCSU has a great reputation, too - as has already been pointed out, it’s much better known outside of the local area.
So for me, I’d consider NCSU the default better choice based on what you’ve said (with not having to take the extra Spanish class as an added bonus, lol)… unless there’s truly something of substance that she likes better about Campbell, or unless there’s a big affordability difference.
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I tend not to be a believer in exploratory - because often times schools put kids marginal to the school in it - or it’s just taking a bunch of random stuff to fulfill gen ed.
But - this one does have some counseling and residential life behind it - so @aquapt makes a great point.
One thing I’d say is - if you have any idea what might be a major of interest - for example, if it’s possible it would be business or Communication/Media or whatever, you might want to ensure the path to get in is reasonable.
it likely is with a program like that - but you might triple check that any program that might interest you would be accessible.
And if you’re worried about name recognition (and I don’t think you need to be) but if if you were - NC State solves that too.
Good luck
PS - sometimes there are no bad choices - kids can be happy at a multitude of places.
Thanks! Everything seems accessible(not trying to be an engineer) so NCSU seems like a better choice right now. We’re still doing tours for both again, but thanks for your help
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My daughter is graduating from CU and my son will start at NCSU in the Fall. BIG difference between the 2. First of all, cost. Secondly, the size. Campbell is very small, in a rural area. Nothing to do around there, unless you go to Raleigh. If you are a social person, like my daughter, you might want to consider NCSU. She was not very happy at CU, but she couldn’t turn down a full ride.
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I think NC State is widely regarded as a much better school in a much better area (socially, career wise, etc.).
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Thanks. We’re from the area, so we’re well aware it’s kinda middle of nowhere. A major talking point on the tour is they have the only movie theater and Chick fil a in the county (which is also the only one that serves Mt Dew - very important around here 
)
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Tagging @Sweetgum who might have some thoughts on the subject.
Both are decent options. If you are considering CU, there is a law school, pharmacy school and a med school. NCSU only has a vet school.
NCSU is a stronger brand for sure. I have friends on faculty at both.
I would look for fit above all if cost is not a consideration. On that note, I would ask by how much costs will go up each year at CU. Scholarships do not go up for most.
NCSU – cost will be the same for 4 years.
I am local from Wake County.
I agree with the other folks.
Campbell is good for a Baptist or other Christian who wants a small town environment and small classes with lots of N.C. kids. It’s pretty well regarded in NC, as you know. More conservative environment. If you want an everyone knows everyone place then Campbell is gonna be better. A little more nurturing.
NCState is a little more academically challenging and selective (although Campbell is a good school). Great STEM offerings at State, but they also have some good humanities options too. Tons of people, busy city environment, much more diverse. Some kids might flounder at first a bit in the big school environment.
What major?
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Undecided as of now, but potentially communications or business.
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