Each year we ask a group of applicants to accept a position on our waitlist in the case that we have additional places in the class. If you've been offered a position on the waitlist, then congratulations. I know it's not the answer that you were hoping for, but it is evidence of our high regard for your abilities and potential. You are a student that we would love to have here, and we believe you would make many positive contributions to our community. Unfortunately, each year it seems there are more qualified students than we have room for in the first-year class.
Here are some frequently asked questions about the waitlist, but if you have additional questions, please use the comment stream and we'll respond asap!
How do I accept a position on the waitlist?
All you need to do is click the link that has appeared on your homepage (no later than May 7). There's nothing else you need to do. If you still haven't heard from us by the end of your school year, you can submit your final transcript. You also should begin making plans to enroll at another college. If we are able to offer admission to students off the waitlist, we will not do so before mid-May. You need to have other options available to you.
How do you make decisions about admission from the waitlist?
Usually about half of the students we offer a spot on the waitlist accept a position. After the May 1 enrollment deadline, we decide how many (if any) places we have left in the class. At that point we review all the waitlist applicants as a group. We may make several waves of offers through May and June to fill out the class. All students will know their final decision by June 30.
Statistics, please!
In the previous post we got a lot of requests for statistics. As Erin posted in a previous comment, we admitted about 200 of our first-deadline deferred students; about 1680 were waitlisted. Overall, we offered waitlist positions to about 1,200 North Carolina students and about 1,280 out-of-state students. We received just over 23,000 applications in all, which was an increase of almost 8% over last year.
Last year, we waitlisted 2,328 students. 1,420 accepted a place on the waitlist, and 453 were admitted. In 2007, we waitlisted 2,063 students. 1,240 accepted a place on the waitlist, and 226 were admitted. It really does vary quite a bit from year to year, which means you should take these statistics with a grain of salt. And like most colleges around the country, we're still waiting to see how much of an effect the economy has on students' decisions.
What is the new transfer-guarantee program?
This year, we will be offering a pilot program that will guarantee sophomore transfer admission to a small group of students who accept a position on the waitlist, but who we are not able to admit into the first-year class. The Daily Tar Heel recently reported on the program. Students who are chosen for the program will be notified this summer. The program was only recently approved by the faculty, so I'll be sure to share more details about the program as we have them.
Other questions?
