If you’re going for engineering at NC State, that ramps up the admission competition quite a bit, as getting into engineering almost anywhere is very competitive. I would be very sure that engineering is more than a passing interest to you before you mark boxes on applications. Engineering isn’t typically a major that one chooses on a whim.
Even the School of Management at NC State, which is where their business programs live, is becoming a lot more competitive. When my daughter applied back in 2020, NC State’s application included a “why us?” essay. You should research the NC State “vibe” and really come up with a slam-dunk piece of writing (more than just “I need to be in Raleigh”).
We are in NC and my kids’ high school stopped using class rank like five years ago. Plenty of kids get into UNC & NC State every year.
My daughter and her friends (UNC alums) would use the nickname “Chappy” a lot - as in “I’m headin’ back up to Chappy”. Also, Chapel “Thrill”.