Duke, UNC, and Wake were my top three and I am happy to answer any more specific questions over PM...lots of people are in love with the pace of life in the big city, and if you are one of those, these are likely not the best programs for you. I went to college in the northeast, but I happily returned to north carolina for medical school -- the pace of life is more to my liking. Cars are a part of daily life, for better or worse, except for the uber-tree huggers who can be seen biking. Moderate amount of things to do -- but I believe in truth in advertising and as great as our area is, IT DOES NOT AT ALL COMPARE TO THE MAJOR URBAN AREAS.