Online application

As we approach our November 2 deadline, you may experience delays when working on your application. We apologize for this inconvenience.

To-Do List FAQ

I requested that my transcript/recommendation letter (or other material) be sent weeks ago. It's still showing up as a missing item in my To-Do list.

As we approach our first deadline, please be aware that application submission is at its peak, and our records managers are very busy preparing all applications and materials for review. After an item is received by our office, it may take 4-6 weeks before it is matched with your application and removed from your To-Do List.

Please also be aware that if your application has been submitted (or postmarked if you are using our paper application) by November 2 you will be considered for our first deadline. Be sure to send the other required items as soon as possible. Over the next few weeks, if we find that we are missing any item from your application, we will be in touch with you through email to let you know.

If you still show an item in your to-do-list 4 weeks after you know it has been sent, please contact us at (919) 966-3621 or email us at unchelp@admissions.unc.edu. And if your email address or other contact information changes after you submit your application, please update them on your MyUNC portal immediately.

We recognize that this time of year can be stressful, especially as you balance your college applications with busy senior schedules. We appreciate your patience with our new online system, and we are honored by your application to us. If there is anything we can do to help you, please do not hesitate to ask.

A Visit from the Weinermobile

Senior Assistant Director Erin Breese looked out her window this afternoon and was surprised to see the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile parked in front of the Admissions Office.

Turns out the young man driving the Weinermobile is a recent grad from Penn State and he's cruising around Chapel Hill on his day off. He's been in the area for the State Fair and wanted to check out the campus while he's here.

Erin pulled out a handy campus map and told him all the sights he should see while he's here. He gave us Weiner Whistles and we snapped a few pictures.

I particularly like the license plate.

Technical Issues with the Online Application

If you are working on your online application and are receiving a reference number error, please know that we are aware of this issue and are working to resolve it.

We apologize for the inconvenience; please stay tuned to this blog for updates. If you have any questions, please call the help desk at (919) 962-help for assistance.

Update about Changing Deadline--Please Read

I selected Deadline 1, but meant to select Deadline 2. How can I change it?
Since you meant to choose regular notification deadline, just be sure to submit your application by January 15. There is no need to contact us. You will then receive your decision by the end of March.

I selected Deadline 2, but meant to select Deadline 1. How can I change it?
Since you meant to choose our early notification deadline, please be sure to submit your application by November 2. When you do submit your application, please notify us at unchelp@admissions.unc.edu to request that your deadline be changed. You will then receive your decision by the end of January.

One Week Until the First Deadline!

Our first deadline is this coming Monday, November 2. If you can get your application in next week, that'll be one less thing to stress about come January. Check out the post I wrote last year "Why Apply First Deadline" for a few good reasons to get that application in by Monday!

A few notes about first deadline applications:

• First and most important: Only your application, application fee, and essays must be submitted by November 2. All other materials (your transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation, and counselor statement) may arrive after the deadline. It's helpful if you get them to us as soon as possible since we're not able to review your application until we have all required items, but it's okay if these items arrive in the weeks after the deadline.
• It may take 4 to 6 weeks for us to process items that you submit. This is a conservative estimate--in all likelihood these items will get processed more quickly than that. But please have a little patience and allow us plenty of time to process the mountains of mail that we are receiving in our office. As I said above, these items do not need to be submitted by November 2, so don't stress!
• Materials such as recommendation letters and transcripts that you mail in BEFORE you submit your application will not show up on your MyUNC portal until AFTER you submit your application. We don't match up these materials with your application until after you submit. So go ahead and submit your application when it's ready; you don't have to wait until the other items disappear from your checklist.

What other questions do you have? Please let us know!

Julie

Login FAQ

I’m trying to log in to MyUNC. The system requires my ONYEN or my UNC Guest ID. What does this mean?

The ONYEN (which stands for the “Only Name You’ll Ever Need”) is the username given to students once they are admitted. As a prospective student, your username is your UNC Guest ID, which is the personal email address you provided when you created your original account.

What if I have forgotten my password?

You may reset your password through the “Forgot Your Password?” prompt. Choose UNC Guest ID.

MyUNC will Be Down October 17 and October 24

Hi. As part of our planned maintenance, MyUNC (online application and portal system) will be down briefly on Saturday, October 17 from 10 p.m - 11: 30 p.m.

The system will be down again next weekend, starting Saturday, October 24 at 10 p.m. until 11:30 p.m.

Thank you for your patience; please don't hesitate to contact us through email or by phone at (919) 966-3621 if you have any questions.

Updated Application FAQs

I can’t find the Counselor Statement.
You may download the Counselor Statement here.

How do I submit a letter of recommendation?
While filling out your online application, you may specify the name and email of a recommender. Then, when you submit your application, we will send an email to your recommender with instructions on your behalf. Alternatively, if you want your teacher to submit a paper letter, you may download the Teacher Recommendation here.

I selected Deadline 1, but meant to select Deadline 2. How can I change it?
Since you meant to choose regular notification deadline, just be sure to submit your application by January 15. There is no need to contact us. You will then receive your decision by the end of March.

I selected Deadline 2, but meant to select Deadline 1. How can I change it?
Since you meant to choose our early notification deadline, please be sure to submit your application by November 2. When you do submit your application, please notify us at unchelp@admissions.unc.edu to request that your deadline be changed. You will then receive your decision by the end of January.

Can I print out my application?
When you select the option to submit your application, you will be able to view a report of your application. When viewing the application report, please use your mouse to right-click on the application, and choose the option to “Print.” Once your application is submitted, it is no longer available for viewing or printing.

I had a problem paying with my credit card. May I pay by credit card?
We are sorry you experienced problems when paying your application fee. Please follow the steps below to pay your application fee online:

1. Log back into your MyUNC account.
2. Click on your “My Application…” link.
3. Click Continue on the page that indicates you have attempted to pay your fee.
4. Click the “Pay by Check” option. Note that the Credit Card option does not appear.
5. To pay by credit card, close your current webpage and repeat steps 2 and 3
6. The Credit Card payment option should be available now.

Where are the residency forms?
When you complete our online application, you will be prompted to answer a few simple questions that in most cases will fulfill our requirements for determining residency. If not, you will be prompted to select and complete an additional form.

How do I change my major?
You may change your major after you submit your application by contacting us by phone at (919) 966-3621 or emailing us at unchelp@admissions.unc.edu.

Cake, Frosting, and Sprinkles

“Well, I know colleges are looking for well-rounded students…”

So begin many of our conversations about that ever-present and often-touted piece of the admissions puzzle: extracurricular activities.

As we’ve discussed on our blog, we read each application carefully and thoughtfully, one by one. Extra-curricular activities are an important part of the application, but so are the other parts (academics, essays, recommendations, and test scores).

Think of your college application as a cake. Your academics—courses, grades, and testing—are the cake itself; they’re the foundation for everything else on top. Your essays and recommendation letters are the frosting on the cake. Your extracurriculars are the sprinkles. Cake with sprinkles – any kind and any number of sprinkles – is a lovely thing: everything comes together for a great dessert experience. Now imagine you’ve just sat down to a bowl of nothing but sprinkles: it’s really exciting for the first few spoonfuls…but then you start missing the cake. Your activities need a solid foundation from the rest of your application so that they enhance your overall profile.

We are often asked what kinds of activities we want to see from students. To be honest, we’re not particular. It’s our goal to build a well-rounded class at Carolina: within the 3,960 students enrolling in our Fall 2009 class, we have musicians, artists, writers, scientists, activists, athletes, mathematicians, linguists, Eagle Scouts, competitive gymnasts, equestrians …the list goes on and on! Every student is bringing his or her own unique interests and passions to campus. That’s a big part of what makes Carolina such an exciting and interesting place.

We’re looking for persistence and leadership. We don’t expect you to be president of every club or captain of every sport AND work 25 hours a week to support your family (yes, work is an extra-curricular!). But we do want to see a commitment over time to those activities that are meaningful for you. We’re also trying to learn about the impact you’ve had in your school and your community. We want you to share your passion – whether it’s swimming or the oboe or volunteering – with us.


Brag about yourself and tell us about the amazing things you’re doing. When you’re listing your activities, we encourage you to emphasize those in which you believe that you made the most impact. Simply answer this question: “How would that club/team/store/troupe be different if I hadn’t been there?”

I’ll end with a story that might help you as you seek to describe your extracurricular activities. I met a student last fall and I asked her what she did outside of class. She said that she ran track. After a few more probing questions, I learned that she had been the only freshman on a team of seniors for the 4x100 meter relay and that they won the state championship that year. My advice for her – and for each of you – is summed up in three words:

“Lead with that.”

Melissa Kotacka
Assistant Director of Admissions

MyUNC Will Be Down Briefly This Weekend

Hi all! Wanted to give you a heads-up that MyUNC and the online application will be down for a scheduled maintenance from 6:00 pm on Saturday, Oct. 10 until 6:00 am on Sunday, Oct 11. Hopefully this will not inconvenience too many of you. If you have any questions or concerns, as always just let us know!

Julie