NC State is in Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capitol. Raleigh (along with Chapel Hill and Durham) forms the research triangle, which offers great job opportunities. Raleigh transformed from a sleepy southern town in the 1980s to a city with a “hipster vibe” in the 2020s. Large employers in Raleigh include IBM, Red Hat Software, WakeMed, SAS Institute, and Cisco.
NC State Academics
Students and families I speak with often equate admission rates to colleges with their academic rigor and offerings. I caution them to be careful about that. A former supervisor of mine who graduated from UNC Chapel Hill says: “UNC Chapel Hill is hard to get into, but NC State is hard to get out of.” In addition, some peers of mine indicate that they believe the academic advising system is better at NC State than at UNC Chapel Hill.
The largest classes at NC State have about 120-260 students but typically have a discussion component with about a dozen students. Lectures are sometimes recorded, and students can rewatch lectures in the library.
The number of papers students write will vary by major. Students can often obtain extra credit if they take their papers to the writing center prior to turning them in for grading.
NC State encourages students to participate in cooperative education, in which they alternate between taking classes for a semester or two and working for a semester or year without taking any classes. While the participation in cooperative education helps students’ employability, it causes the four-year graduation rate to appear lower than it would be if cooperative education was not available.
NC State Programs
NC State has highly regarded colleges in engineering, business, architecture, and agriculture. NC State also has some unique programs because of its location. These include programs in textiles and paper science. NC State also has undergraduate colleges in (1) humanities and social science, (2) education, and (3) sciences.
Students who are interested in international business have an option to get a dual degree from both Skema Business and NC State. Under the dual degree program, students typically spend their first two years on the Skema campus in Raleigh; the third year abroad in France, China, Spain, Brazil, or South Africa; and the fourth year at NC State. Skema Business has campuses in France in addition to its Raleigh campus.
One student cautions that NC State does not offer arts majors.
NC State Admissions Overview
NC State has two admissions readers review applications. Prior to admitting students, a senior employee double checks the application to ensure that the student is admissible.
NC State recalculates GPAs when it evaluates applications. Honors classes receive a weight of 1.2, not the weight of 1.5 that honors classes typically receive.
NC State has a slight preference for in-state applicants. About 20 percent of the students at NC State transferred into NC State.
Apply by the November 1 Early Action deadline to receive priority consideration for financial aid and the honors program.
NC State Admits By Major
NC State admits students by major, and applicants are asked to write an essay about why they want to study their selected major at NC State. NC State cautions applicants not to try to “game the system” by applying to less selective majors and then switching once admitted. NC State’s application readers are trained to flag applicants who appear to be trying to “bait and switch.” The most competitive majors for admission are computer science and engineering.
A student’s highest-level math class is relevant to admission to certain majors. Having just precalculus might be enough if the high school does not offer math classes beyond that level. Students applying to major in business or engineering should have at least precalculus. Students who wish to study Computer Science should ideally have Calculus. International Baccalaureate students, who would typically not have a class labeled as Calculus, can typically take either SL or HL Math. However, prospective Computer Science majors should ideally have HL Math.
Students who are uncertain about their major can start in exploratory studies and declare a major after they begin their studies at NC State.
Current students who want to change their major submit a Change of Degree Application. Some students are required to take certain classes before they can change majors. Some students are denied admission based on their performance in subjects related to the major.
NC State Honors
NC State offers an honors program. The honors program includes separate honors housing in living and learning villages that provide suite-style housing. Honors students have priority when registering for classes and housing. The NC State honors program is more casual than honors programs at other universities. Very few classes are only open to honors students. Often about one-half of the students in an honors class will be students designated as an honors student. Only two honors classes are required to graduate from the honors program. In addition to honors classes, NC State offers related events, trips, and forums for honors students. Honors applicants must complete two additional essays.
NC State Affordability
NC State is a relatively affordable university. Some students told me that while they were admitted to universities they considered to be more “prestigious” than NC State, they chose NC State because of its affordability.
NC State offers a few different merit scholarship programs.
The Park scholarship program provides $40-50K per year for 4 years. Students are evaluated holistically, but they must have a minimum GPA of 3.5 and apply to it to be considered.
The Goodnight Scholars offers scholarships to low- and middle-income students in North Carolina to study STEM. NC State offers around 50 Goodnight Scholarships per year at $23K per year for four years.
In addition to merit aid, NC State offers relatively generous need-based aid to in-state students. Under the Pack Promise, NC State meets 100 percent of the financial need of students from families within 150 percent of the poverty line. More information on state-based financial aid from North Carolina is available here: https://www.educ8fit.com/post/save-money-on-north-carolina-tuition.
NC State Housing
Housing is limited for upperclassmen. One way upperclassmen obtain on-campus housing is by serving as a Resident Assistant (RA) in the dorms. However, students indicate that there is significant competition to obtain RA positions. This lack of on-campus housing affects affordability. One student indicated that she paid $1,000 for her own bedroom in a townhouse she shared with three other students.
NC State Student Life
Around 90 percent of students are in-state. NC State offers around 700 clubs for students to participate. A minority of students, about 10-15 percent, participate in Greek life. Just under 20 percent of students study abroad. While arts-based majors are not available, NC State offers music festivals and students can perform in theater productions.
NC State allows freshmen to have a car on campus. Your parking spot can improve based on your seniority as a student. College credits earned while in high school can count to that seniority. Local students are more likely to have cars.
Student traditions are plentiful at NC State. Students are happy to rally around the bell tower when it is lit red after winning a game. Howling Cow ice cream, which is made on campus, is a favorite. Students can also let themselves be heard in the “free-expression tunnel.” Students with strong legs (and stomachs) can participate in an event that involves both running and eating Krispy Kreme donuts.
NC State Sports
I would be remiss if I did not give a nod to NC State for its sports program. Basketball is king in this part of North Carolina. The rivalry between UNC, Duke, and NC State is fierce.
Educ8Fit Consulting
I work with students and families on the college and graduate school admission process. I help them navigate such complexities as merit aid and international admissions. Please contact Educ8Fit Consulting at either Jim@Educ8Fit.com or College Admission Counseling | Educ8fit Consulting | United States, contact for a free 30-minute consultation.
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