Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina is a very academic and athletically oriented school that was well worth my visit. With the great campus, the large Greek system, and a town center with everything a student could possibly need, Chapel Hill is the perfect location for a university. The campus bookstore alone has every necessity, including groceries and a large selection of UNC apparel and accessories.

UNC is a strong academic university and is considered in the Ivy League of state schools. They have a large journalism program and their college newspaper ranks eighth in the country. I was impressed to see many students diligently studying on a Saturday afternoon.

It is a challenge getting into UNC. Approximately 82 percent of the students are from North Carolina and the average SAT score is in the 1300s. Only 30 percent of applicants were accepted last year and 91 percent of those were in the top fifth of their high school class.

UNC is also very athletic. It is Division I in the Atlantic Coastal Conference; the men’s basketball team won the NCAA National Championship last year. While there, I had the pleasure of seeing the UNC men beat Duke in the quarterfinals of the ACC tennis championship. Famous athletic alumni include basketball star Michael Jordan and soccer star Mia Hamm.

UNC is a very welcoming school and encourages prospective students to visit the campus. With 15,000 students on 729 acres, UNC is a great college for those anticipating an academic challenge at a large university.

After my visit, UNC made it onto the list of colleges I plan on applying to because of its atmosphere, athletics and, most importantly, its academics. Find out more at unc.edu.