Monday, November 22, 2010

Congratulations to Our New Rhodes Scholars!

Carolina seniors Laurence Deschamps-Laporte and Steven Paul Shorkey Jr. have won Rhodes Scholarships, the world’s oldest and best known awards for graduate study. Since the Rhodes program began in 1904, Carolina has produced 47 Rhodes Scholars so far. This year marks the seventh time that Carolina has had two Rhodes winners in the same year – and the third year in a row.

Updated: With Rhodes districts reporting Sunday (Nov. 21): Among all research universities, Carolina ranks fifth in the number of Rhodes Scholars in the last five years, behind only Harvard, Yale, Stanford and Princeton. Over the last 10 years, Carolina is tied for sixth, with the U.S. Military Academy and Duke University. In the last five, 10 and 25 years, Carolina has produced more Rhodes Scholars than any other U.S. public university.

Read more.

What We're Doing and Why It Takes Time

So far this year more than 14,000 students have chosen to apply to Carolina. We’re honored by the interest of these students and humbled by their achievements and potential. If you’re one of them, we’re grateful to you.

A lot happens between the time you hit the Submit button and the time we read your application. First we review what you sent us to make sure that everything came across intact. Then we match your application with the credentials – transcripts, counselor statements, recommendations, test scores – that others have sent us on your behalf. As we connect your credentials with your application, we check them off your to-do list.

All of this takes some time, not least because our applications, and the credentials that accompany them, tend to come to us more or less at once. This year 9,000 students applied within a week of our November deadline; their credentials came rushing right behind. The combined effect is sort of like a thousand owl-borne letters flying through the chimney of number four, Privet Drive.

We’ve made good progress in the two weeks since the deadline. As of 5 pm on Friday, we’d reviewed 11,000 applications for completeness – three fourths of the total and double the number we’d reviewed by last year on the same date. We’d also forwarded 5,200 applications to our admissions committee to be read – also twice as many compared to last year.

We still have plenty of work in front of us. For example, we think it will take us at least until December 8 to sort, scan, and match all the mail we’ve received through today. If you check your to-do list and see that something’s missing, and if you know that the credential has already been sent, please don’t resend it just yet; if it’s not connected to your application by December 8, you’ll have several other chances to see that it finds its way home.

We’re lucky to have great students at Carolina – and the interest of other great students who’re thinking about joining us. I promise you we don’t take your interest for granted. And I promise we will give you every reasonable chance to make sure that your application is complete.

In the meantime, thank you for your patience, and thank you for choosing Carolina.

--Stephen Farmer

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Chat with Business Majors Tomorrow

Interested in learning more about studying business at Carolina? Join us tomorrow for an online chat with students in the BSBA program in the Kenan-Flagler Business School. You can get all your questions answered--about the curriculum, internships and other real-world experiences, study abroad programs, career placement, and more.

We'll also be available to discuss Assured Enrollment in Business.

Click here to join us online tomorrow (11/18) from 7:00 until 8:30 pm Eastern Time. We look forward to chatting with you!

Monday, November 15, 2010

International Education Week

It's International Education Week, so there are a lot of exciting events happening across campus that celebrate and promote global awareness. With more than 35% of undergraduates choosing to study abroad and a very active global education center here on campus, Carolina offers many opportunities for students to explore the world.

Check out the full listing of on-campus events taking place. I'm definitely planning to check out the exhibition of student study abroad photography in the FedEx Center. There are also a number of interesting lectures, films, and performances planned.

The U.S. Dept of Education has a Global IQ Quiz online, in case you want to test out your own knowledge of the world!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Update on Application Materials

To all of our applicants, thank you for your interest in Carolina. We look forward to reading your application and learning more about you.

We also thank you for arranging to have your supplemental materials sent to us. Whether these items have been submitted electronically or through the mail, you may monitor their status by viewing your To-Do List in MyUNC. As materials arrive and are added to your application, we will update this list.

We ask your patience as we work to assemble your application materials. Please note that it may take 4-6 weeks for your To-Do List to be updated. If we find that we are missing any critical items, we will be in touch with you. Please continue to monitor your MyUNC account for updates. For the latest information from our office, please visit the Admissions Blog.

Again, thank you for your interest in Carolina. If you have any questions, or if we may assist you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Extraordinary Opportunity: Assured Enrollment in Journalism


When you apply to Carolina, you're automatically considered for a number of special opportunities. In addition to merit scholarships and the Honors Program, we also consider you for programs that match incoming students with some of exciting opportunities that exist on this campus.

We recently posted about Assured Enrollment in Business, and today we're focusing on a similar program we offer for students interested in Journalism. Carolina students generally apply to the School of Journalism and Mass Communication during their second year of study at Carolina. Each year, however, a select group of outstanding first-year students are offered assured enrollment in the undergraduate program in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication--widely acclaimed as one of the best such programs in the nation.

Students who are chosen for the program take two special first-year seminars focusing on journalism. In this way, students are able to start exploring their interest in journalism from the first day they step on campus. There's no obligation to pursue journalism if students' interests lead them elsewhere--they're always free to choose another major if they wish.

All applicants are considered for this program just by applying for admission--there's no separate application required.

Read more about Assured Enrollment in Journalism.

Explore the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Thank You for Your Patience

*Update: 4:34 pm: We are experiencing very high call volume, so we appreciate your patience. If you are unable to reach us, please remember you can continue to check this blog, our website, Ask Admissions, and our Application FAQs. You may find the answer to your questions about our first deadline in these resources. Again, we apologize for any delay you experience when trying to reach us on the phone.*

To all of our applicants (and anyone else) who is trying to reach us by telephone today, we apologize for the delay. Given the approach of our deadline, we are experiencing an unusually high call volume, and as a result, callers may be on hold a little longer than usual.

For an immediate answer to your question, you may find it useful to check Ask Admissions or the Application FAQs posted below.

If your question is not time-sensitive, you may also email us. We generally respond to most emails within 2 business days.

We appreciate your interest in Carolina, and we thank you for your patience.

Online Application Will Be Down Today from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.

*Update 10:07 am: We're pleased to report that our online application system is available again. Thank you for your patience; please continue to check this blog for the latest information from our office.*

We apologize for the inconvenience, but we will be taking down our online application system from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. today (November 1) for maintenance. For the latest information from our office, please continue to visit this blog.

As a reminder, if you have chosen our first deadline and your application is submitted (or postmarked if you are using our paper application) by today, November 1, at 11:59 p.m. ET (10:59 p.m. Central Time; 9:59 p.m. Mountain Time; 8:59 p.m. Pacific Time) you will be considered for our first deadline. Be sure to send the other required items as soon as possible; they may be submitted soon after the November 1 deadline.

We thank you for your patience and your interest in Carolina.