On the Road Again!  UNC Chapel Hill (UNC) is the oldest public university in the United States and the flagship campus of the North Carolina state university system.  It is a renowned public research university that has been a prominent landmark in the state of North Carolina for over 225 years.  During my visit to UNC, I was immediately struck by the beauty of the campus.  The over 700 acre campus features sprawling grounds covered in lush greenery and the stunning architecture combines both traditional and modern styles.  Chapel Hill is a vibrant college town with lots of student-friendly restaurants and shops.  UNC is well regarded for academic programs and is steeped in tradition.  With more than 80 percent of the students hailing from North Carolina, admission is particularly difficult for an out of state applicant, but applications still pour in by the thousands.  Here are just a few of the highlights:

  • UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School is consistently ranked as one of the top undergraduate business programs in the country. Unlike direct admit business programs, students apply to the school at the end of their first year.   The entrepreneurship minor is popular especially with the Carolina Challenge, a competition run by students that awards a $50,000 prize annually for the best business plan.
  • UNC’s School of Media and Journalism is one of the top programs in the country with a focus on multimedia storytelling and cutting edge technology.
  • UNC is known for its research opportunities. About two-thirds of the students participate in the First Year Seminar program which is a great way for students to get introduced to research concepts.   More than 60 percent of the students participate in undergraduate research and benefit from the proximity to Research Triangle Park, where students often have access to internships and research opportunities.
  • UNC is governed by the student run Honor System which upholds the standards of honor and integrity.

UNC students don’t shy away from fun!  Tar Heel school spirit is alive and well as is a very active Greek life system.   Students flock to the basketball games in particular, especially against their arch rival, Duke University, to show their UNC pride at the “Battle of the Blues.”  It is no surprise that such an old university has a number of fun traditions.  Students take a drink at the Old Well, a historic landmark on campus.  Legend has it that drinking from the Old Well on the first day of classes will bring good luck for the rest of the year – why risk it?

UNC Chapel Hill has its fair share of famous alums from government to industry to entertainment including multiple CEOs of major corporations and financial institutions, US President James T. Polk, James E. Webb, the architect of the Apollo space program, actors Andy Griffith and Ken Jeong, writer Thomas Wolfe, television journalist Charles Kuralt and basketball hall of famer Michael Jordan.