Each year, campus tours bring in the next fresh faces of UNCG and their folks. Since students usually keep a poker face, the oohs and aahs of parents become a primary measure of a college’s reputation.
“Students tend to ask questions that revolve around things to do on campus and Greensboro life,” says sophomore Hailey Todd, a UNCG campus tour guide since spring 2022. ”Parents ask questions centered around safety and logistics.”
With campus safety at the top of the list, here are five campus features that future Spartan parents are bragging about this year.
1. “Safety is a priority.”
Parents love that UNCG takes a multi-level approach to keeping its students safe by channeling technology and practical answers to student safety. The campus has its own police station perfectly located across from the Kaplan Wellness Center and residence halls cannot be entered without a Spartan card.
Spartan Alerts quickly communicate danger on campus and apps connect students to safety measures through their phones. Last Spring, UNCG launched an improved Safety app called Spartan Safe. This new app has improved digital features like Friend Walk which shares student location with friends and family members and Mobile Blue Light which immediately connects students with the police in case of emergency. These safety measures give families a sense of security as teenagers embark on independent living on a college campus.
2. “What a great place to live!”
With safety concerns addressed, parents and prospective students alike begin to fall in love with the beautiful place that UNCG calls home. The rich history and arts scene that surrounds UNCG is striking; and Greensboro’s “not too big, not too small” size and central location in the state earns high marks.
Strolling through the picturesque campus, future students and their parents appreciate the range of on-campus housing options and are delighted to hear that 80% of first year students take advantage of on-campus living.
There are three residential colleges, an honors college residence hall, and ten living-learning communities. In these halls, students live together with peers in their fields of study. First year student dorms are centrally located, updated comfortably, and buzzing with peer support and social activity. Why live off campus when everything is within reach?
3. “Your teachers really have your back!”
Transition to college is a hot topic among college bound students, but evidence of an engaged faculty eases parental concerns. At UNCG, mentoring programs are found in all fields of study; a 20:1 student-to-faculty ratio keeps students from getting lost in the shuffle; and hands-on projects and research opportunities are available to undergrads as well as graduate students.
“Parents typically have the best reaction when we tell them about our tutoring options, like the math help center and Academic Achievement Center.” Todd says.
The Academic Achievement Center’s tutoring programs and counseling for time management, test anxiety and note-taking get rave reviews in tours. Although parents brag about their independent children, they love the assurance that faculty and staff will strive for their kids’ success!
4. “UNCG’s bang for the buck scores!”
“Aside from safety around campus, the second most asked question I hear from parents is the value of the education their students will receive.” Fortunately, UNCG campus tour guides like Hailey Todd are armed with great value statistics and can remind parents that the New York Times rated UNCG as number one for net cost in 2023.
Parents investigating tuition costs for UNCG often find that they’ve saved more than they need. UNCG costs $1000 less than the average cost of in-state competitors. Additionally, 74% of our first year students receive need-based financial aid. Parents find that college expenses are presented in a straightforward manner; and information about need and merit-based financial aid is easy to access at UNCG. In today’s economy, this is so important to families of college bound students.
5. “Are you ready to make a real-world impact?”
For most parents, the ultimate payoff for college investment is graduation that leads to a successful job. A recent survey reported that the average starting salary for UNCG undergraduates in the Class of 2020 was $47,000. In addition, The Wall Street Journal rated UNCG #1 in North Carolina for social mobility, meaning that the institution educates more economically disadvantaged students and graduates them into good paying jobs.
The strong support and preparation UNCG gives its students is undeniable. Although 50% arrive as first generation college students, they leave Greensboro to build big futures and impact their communities.
For many young tour participants, committing to UNCG opens doors to life-changing opportunities and broadens their lives socially, academically and economically. When tours illuminate the right college fit for prospective students, it’s the first step towards an investment that parents find difficult to resist.
Want To See All This for Yourself?
Story by Becky Deakins, University Communications.
Photography by Sean Norona, University Communications.
