Good morning! Today I am posting some FAQs for admitted, deferred, and denied students. The questions for admitted students are in this post, please scroll down to the next posts for deferred and denied FAQs.
I've been admitted! Woo hoo! Now what?
Congratulations! We hope you'll decide to make Carolina your home for the next four years. We might be biased, but we think it's about the best undergraduate
experience to be had. We'll do our best over the next few months to help you find out all you can about Carolina, so that you can decide if it's the best place for you. One of the best ways to get to know our community and the opportunities available here is to join us for one of our admitted-student events. An invitation to Explore Carolina was included with your letter of admission, and you can find out more about it here.
Our Admitted Student website has detailed information on Housing, Orientation, and the steps you'll need to take when you're ready to enroll.
Will I receive any merit scholarships?
Early-action applicants who are being considered for a merit-based scholarship have been invited to campus for Scholarship Day in mid-February. At Scholarship Day, students take part in discussion sessions with faculty members and other scholars. After the event, final scholarship selections are decided. This year, we were able to invite about 200 early-action admitted students to Scholarship Day, and these invitations were mailed on Friday, January 20. Emails were sent earlier in the week. Invited students are also able to view information about Scholarship Day in the Events section of their MyUNC.
Almost all of the merit-based scholarships offered by Carolina are awarded to the students who attend Scholarship Day. A small number of additional scholarships are awarded outside of this event; these scholarships are smaller in amount and for North Carolina residents. Early-action recipients of these scholarships will be notified by early March.
Am I being considered for Honors or any other special opportunities?
Last week, we mailed a letter to select admitted students regarding nine special opportunities that we offer. If you received a letter about these opportunities, be on the lookout for an email being sent out today, January 23. In the email, we'll ask you to indicate which of these opportunities you're most interested in. We'll then use your preferences as part of our final decisions about these programs.
What about financial aid?
The priority deadline to apply for financial aid is March 1, so you need to complete both the FAFSA and CSS/Profile by that date. More info is available on the Student Aid website. We expect to be able to begin notifying early-action students of their financial aid packages by late March or early April.
Want to get advice from current students?
Last year two current students started a Q&A blog for new students called Carolina Advice. If you want opinions and answers directly from current students, it's a great resource to learn more about life here.
Other questions? Please let me know.
I received the special opportunities email and just responded (marking Honors as my top choice); when will Honors invitations be sent out? I've heard that it's usually within 2 weeks of decisions. Also, do all students who receive the special opportunities email receive one of the opportunities? Do all or most get invited to Honors Carolina? Thanks for all of your help on this blog!
ReplyDeleteMegan
Hi Megan! Thanks for responding to our email so quickly. Honors Carolina is planning to send their invitations to Early Action students by mid-February I believe. We do our best to match students to one of their top choices, but each program has a limited number of spaces so we can't always give students their top choice. Thanks for the questions.
ReplyDeleteDo we still send emails to schedule@admissions.unc.edu regarding changes to high school course schedules?
ReplyDeleteHolden
Yes, that's the correct email address. Please include your original schedule, your proposed change, and your reason for making the change. We'll review your email and get back to you within a few days. Thanks!
DeleteOn what basis do you consider students for Scholarship Day? And what other merit scholarships are there, other than the ones awarded on that day?
ReplyDeleteHi Amber, We're looking for the same things in our merit scholarships that we're looking for in all of our applicants--academic achievement, impactful contributions and leadership, intellectual curiosity, diversity of experience. We look very closely at your essays and your letters of recommendation, as these can help us understand what impact you would make both in the classroom and outside it. We do have a very small number of merit scholarships that are awarded outside of Scholarship Day, but these are smaller in amount and are usually awarded to NC residents. Thanks.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure when the actual letters for accepted students were sent out. Is it normal not to have received it yet, even though it says accepted online? Thanks!
Hi! We mailed most of the letters by the end of last week. It's possible your letter is still making its way to you. Double-check that we have your address correct in MyUNC and send us an email if you don't receive it by the end of this week. Thanks!
DeleteWhat if you haven't received anything in the mail or online confirmation? On Carolina Connect, it says "Thank you for submitting your application. Your decision is not yet available."
ReplyDeleteCA student
Hi, If you haven't heard anything at all from us, it's possible that we have you marked as a Regular Decision student. Send us an email to unchelp@admissions.unc.edu and we'll look into it for you. Thanks!
DeleteI did send an email to that address and was told I have to wait for regular admission decisions to be made. I did in fact check the regular decision box by accident; my mistake.
DeleteHi,I was wondering what the admissions statistics for the class of 2016 were.
ReplyDeleteHi James, We admitted about 4,600 of the 13,000 EA applicants we had. Thanks.
DeleteDoes that mean UNC has filled all available slots (4500) out of the EA applicants? Then what about the RD applicants?
DeleteHi there. No, not all of the students we offer admission to will choose to come to UNC. There is still plenty of space for regular decision applicants. Thanks.
DeleteHi, I was wondering if admitted students through early action still have to send a mid-year report or just a final transcript at the end of the year?
ReplyDeleteHi, Yes, we'll ask all admitted EA students to self-report their midyear grades through MyUNC. We'll send you an email with instructions on how to do that within the next couple weeks. Thanks.
DeleteFor those of us who have been deferred, how's the second round looking? How are our odds?
ReplyDeleteHi, I posted everything I know in the FAQ post for deferred students. We won't know more until March. Thanks.
DeleteHey Julie,
ReplyDeleteIs there any way that current students can get involved with Explore Carolina or do you only use people from admissions or other invited students?
Thanks!
Hi! Many of our ambassadors are involved in student panels and tours during Explore Carolina. We recruit ambassadors each fall so definitely apply if you are interested. Thanks!
DeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteCan I still create an onyen account now even though I havent accepted UNC's offer of admission yet? I plan to accept, I just dont have the enrollment deposit ready yet. Thanks!
Hi there. Yes, you can create an Onyen at any time after you are admitted. We actually encourage all admitted students to create an Onyen, as you need that in order to access your financial aid information when it is ready. Thanks for the question!
DeleteHi! I was wondering out of the 13,000 Early Action applications, how many were in state vs out of state? Thanks! Ashley.
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley, It was about half and half. We had 6,700 out-of-state applicants and 6,200 in-state applicants.
DeleteHi, Julie,
ReplyDeleteI was nominated for the Pogue Scholarship, but I was not invited to Scholarship Day. Is this normal?
Also, could you tell me approximately how many Pogue nominees there were this year, and how many students win the Pogue Scholarship?
Thank you!
Jessica
Hi Jessica, Yes, the Pogue is separate from Scholarship Day so that is normal. We nominated about 100 students for the Pogue. About 30 will be invited for an interview, and about 15 will be awarded the scholarship. Congratulations on your nomination! Just let me know if you have any other questions.
DeleteHi! I was wondering about my chances at any of the Research programs or Honors Carolina. Would you be able to tell me how many people out of the 4600 accepted got the email about the opportunities?
ReplyDeleteHi. Are you EA or RD? For EA, we nominated about 1,000 students to be considered for one or more of the special opportunities. Thanks.
Deletedo you know about how many out of staters were chosen for the special opportunities/scholarships?
DeleteHi Julie! When I applied back in October, I put one intended major on my application. However, after thinking it over some, I want to switch to a different major. How does this process work? Thanks
ReplyDeleteHi Grant, Your choice of major really doesn't matter much at this point. All of our first-year students go into the College of Arts and Sciences and have two years to explore many areas before officially deciding on a major. Are you an admitted student? If so, just talk to your advisor when you come to Orientation and they'll be able to answer any questions you have. Your advisor can also change your major at that time. Thanks!
DeleteHey Julie,
ReplyDeleteI was wondering how many out-of-state applicants were admitted under EA. Thank you so much for all your posts on this blog and your quick responses!
Hi. We admitted about 1,300 out-of-state students for Early Action. Thanks.
DeleteHi Julie!
ReplyDeleteI found out through MyUNC that I was accepted online but I still haven't received any notification in the mail. Is this odd at this point in time?
Thanks!
Hmm. If it's been more than a week since you saw your decision on MyUNC, then you should have received your letter. Double-check that your address is correct in MyUNC, then shoot us an email at unchelp@admisssions.unc.edu to request another letter. Thanks!
DeleteThanks, Julie, will do!
DeleteHey Julie,
ReplyDeleteI applied under the Business Administration major and was accepted, does this mean I will be in the undergraduate business school or was I just accepted to the College of Arts and Sciences? Thank you!
Hi, All of our first-year students are admitted into the College of Arts and Sciences. You can then apply to the School of Business in your sophomore year. Thanks.
Deletehi! i was just wondering how bad your 1st semester grades to be for your acceptance to be revoked...i struggled this first semester and i'm extremely worried about the state of my acceptance! what is the policy here at unc?
ReplyDeleteHi there. We look at each one on a case-by-case basis so it's hard to predict. Your offer of admission is contingent on your maintaining the same level of performance that allowed us to offer you admission, so it is important that your grades stay relatively consistent. However, if we have concerns about your grades, we'll contact you and give you an opportunity to explain the situation. We never make these decisions hastily or without giving the student a chance to explain. Thanks.
DeleteI was wondering if my mid year grade on two courses are a high B (90 & 92) will that be a conflict with my acceptance? One is a an Honors course which is the first semester of an AP course and the other is an AP course. Including these two B's I have only had one other B (92) through my years in High School, Is this something I should be concerned about?
ReplyDeleteHi there, I would say 2 Bs are nothing to worry about. :)
DeleteThanks!
Hi Julie,
ReplyDeleteI still haven't received my official acceptance letter in the mail, should I contact the admission office?
Thank you
Hi there. If it's been more than a week since your decision was posted on MyUNC, then please double-check your mailing address in MyUNC and then send us an email at unchelp@admissions.unc.edu. Thanks.
DeleteHi Julie. I am an admitted student and I was wondering what the unc email was and how to set it up. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi! Once you are admitted, you're able to create an Onyen (which is an official UNC username) and sign into your email with it. We encourage all admitted students to go ahead and do this, because Student Aid will communicate with you via UNC email. You'll also need your Onyen in order to view your financial aid award. First, go to onyen.unc.edu to create your Onyen. From that same site, you'll then be able to log into UNC webmail. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks!
DeleteHey Julie,
ReplyDeleteI've created my onyen but I still am unable to see my unc email; and when I log on to onyen it says I have no unc email. Did I miss a step, or is there something I did wrong?
Hmm. Not sure about that. Have you seen the instructions on this page? If that's not working for you, you might need to contact the ITS help desk--there is contact information at the bottom of that page. Thanks
DeleteHi Julie, I was wondering what the CSS profile is exactly and whether or not it has to be done if we have already filled out the FAFSA profile. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteHi! Yes, you'll definitely want to submit both the FAFSA and the CSS Profile. The CSS Profile asks for additional information that helps us award institutional grants and other aid. In order to be considered for all the financial aid that's available, you must submit both forms by March 1. Thanks.
DeleteHi Julie,
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if it is possible to still be accepted into the Honors Program/one of the other programs if you did not receive one of the emails/letters mentioned above? Thanks!
Hi Lisa,
DeleteYes, Early Action students who are being considered for these opportunities have already been contacted at this point. Thanks.
Hi Julie,
ReplyDeleteI received an email regarding special opportunities from UNC, and I put Honors Carolina as my first choice. Do people generally get their first choice? What would my chance for Honors be approximately?
Thanks a lot for any input!
Hi, We do our best to match students up to one of their top choices. Some of the programs have limited capacity, though, so we can't always give students their very top choice. We'll do our best though. Thanks.
DeleteJulie- Can you be accepted into more than one program or only one, if any?
DeleteThanks.
Hi, All students who were nominated should receive at least one of these opportunities. Some students may receive more than one. Thanks.
DeleteHi Julie - Im an out of state (Illinois) and can see that I was admitted on MYUNC account but still have not received a letter in the mail. Should I be concerned? I noticed in my account it does list the correct home address but nothing shows under mailing address could this be the problem? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel. Hmm. Why don't you send us an email to unchelp@admissions.unc.edu. We'll look into it and be sure to send another admit pack asap. Thanks!
DeleteHi Julie, I'm also from out of state and haven't received my letter either. I already sent an email to UNC admission office but my concern is that what if I'm missing out on the special programs (honors, research, etc...) that UNC offers?
DeleteThank you
Hi, Notification for these opportunities have gone out by email and letter, so you probably would have heard. However, if you'd like to make sure, please just send us an email to unchelp@admissions.unc.edu and we'll let you know. Thanks!
DeleteHi Julie, do we create MY UNC accounts even if we don't know if we are planning to attend yet?
ReplyDeleteHi, We encourage students to create a MyUNC account as soon as they submit their application, as it allows them to track the status of submitted items and view their application status. After being admitted, students should create an Onyen and UNC email address so that they can view their financial aid information when it's available. Let me know if any of this doesn't make sense. Thanks.
DeleteOh sorry. I meant, should we create Onyen accounts/UNC email address even if we don't know if we are going to go to Carolina yet? (like I'm accepted but still waiting to hear back from other colleges before I decide).
DeleteThanks!
Yes. We encourage all admitted students to create an Onyen and UNC email account. You'll need an onyen in order to view your financial aid award when it is ready. Thanks.
DeleteHi Julie,
ReplyDeleteIs there a difference between MyUNC account and Onyen? If these are two separate account, then how does one go about creating an Onyen account then?
Hi, I think I can answer your question. MyUNC account is the account all applicants make when they first apply to UNC. The Onyen account is for students who have been admitted to the school. In the acceptance letter, there's another paper that gives your personal identification number (PID) and you use that to create your onyen.
DeleteHi Julie, I am an admitted student who has already set up the ONYEN but on my Connect Carolina page it says I have no UNC email address. I went all over the ONYEN site to try to find where to create a UNC email address but I never could find it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Hmm. I'm not certain. Have you seen the instructions on this page? Does that help? The ITS Help Desk is available online 24 hrs/day and they will be happy to help further.
DeleteHi Julie,
ReplyDeleteI was wondering if the "Special Opportunities" email is rolling, or if all of the invitees are sent the email at the same time. I havn't received it, and none of my friends have either. This just seems a little odd considering that we are all such strong applicants.
If there was no mistake, how difficult is it to earn admission into the Honors Program once a student is enrolled at UNC?
Thanks.
Hi. Yes, all of the Special Opportunities letters and emails were sent at the same time. If you'd like to double-check, you can send us an email at unchelp@admissions.unc.edu.
DeleteThere are lots of ways to get involved in Honors Carolina. Any student may register for honors courses and any student can graduate with honors by writing an honors thesis. It's a very inclusive program--we want any motivated student to be able to take advantage of it. Learn more on their website.
Hi Julie,
ReplyDeleteI am a little confused about an anwswer to a question above. Someone asked if it is still possible to be accepted into the Honors Program/Other Special Program if you have not received an email/letter. Your answer was yes, EA students who are being considered for these have already been contacted. I'm hearing 2 different answers, yes it is still possible to be accepted if you havn't been contacted and all students have already been accepted.
Maybe I'm just misundertanding the response. If you have not received an email or letter can a student still be accepted into the Honors Program or Special Opportunities?
Thank you!
Sorry. I guess my reply was confusing. All EA students who are being considered for these opportunities have already been notified, by letter and by email. Thanks.
DeleteIs Heelmail also your UNC mail?
ReplyDeleteHi, I believe "Heelmail" is for students who use a live.unc.edu email address. I'm sorry I'm not sure. More info here and the ITS help desk can help you any time.
DeleteHi Julie:
ReplyDeleteDo you know when the award notifications for the Special Opportunities for those invited will be? Will it be email or letter?
Thanks, Mark
Hi Mark. Many of the programs will not finalize their selections until after our second-deadline candidates have also completed the survey, so you may not hear until early April.
DeleteIs it possible to not get ANY special opportunities even if you were emailed about it?
DeleteHi, All students nominated should receive at least one of these opportunities. We'll do our best to match students to one of their top choices. Thanks!
DeleteWhen are regular decision students notified about their acceptance or rejection?
ReplyDeleteRegular Decision applicants will be notified by the end of March. Thanks.
DeleteThank You!
DeleteIf I am taking AP Calculus and AP History and ART this semester but I want to drop Honors Spanish III due to the class being combined with AP Spanish IV and the teacher not spending any time with the Honors students, will this be viewed badly by UNC? I have already been admitted and I don't want it to appear that I am "slacking off."
ReplyDeleteHi, The best thing to do is send an email to us at schedule@admissions.unc.edu with your planned change, and we'll let you know if it's something you should be concerned about. Please include your full current schedule, the change you'd like to make, and a brief explanation for the change. Thanks!
DeleteHi Julie,
ReplyDeleteI know that the standards for acceptance are considerably higher for out of state students, but does this also hold true for honors and merit scholarships? Is it more difficult for an out of state student to be accepted into honors or offered a merit scholarship than it is for in state students?
Thanks.
Hi, No, I wouldn't say it's any more difficult for out-of-state students to receive honors or merit scholarships than in-state students. Thanks.
DeleteHi Julie,
ReplyDeleteTwo of the classes that I planned to take this year, AP Lit and Anatomy Honors, were online classes, and due to the fact that my dad has lost his job, I have not been able to continue with the two courses because of a lack of internet access. I have replaced one of the classes with an honors class (teacher cadet), and the other had to be filled in with band. I've taken all of the upper-level courses at my already so those were my only options. Do you think that I should be worried?
Hi, We'll certainly take the extenuating circumstances into consideration, so you won't be penalized if the situation is out of your control. Have you notified us of your schedule change? If not, please do send us an email and explanation to schedule@admissions.unc.edu. Thanks!
DeleteMy child has been accepted at UNC for admission. Due to circumstances beyond my control, we may not be able to complete the Financial Aid Application by deadline of March 1. Does this impact the admission in any way? If needed we should be able to pay full tuition / fees etc.
ReplyDeleteHello. No, whether or not you apply for financial aid does not affect the offer of admission in any way. However, if you think you may be eligible for aid, I'd encourage you to apply by the March 1 deadline if you can. They do allow you to estimate your tax information and other details in order to meet the deadline. Applications for aid that are submitted after March 1 will be considered for any aid that's available at the time of the application. Thanks.
DeleteHello Julie. I will be attending Scholarship Day next week. As you know, one of the activities consists of discussing an article we will read prior to that date. Do you when and how we will be receiving that article. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHello! You should have received an email update on Friday. More info will be coming by email this week. Let us know if you still have any questions. Thanks!
DeleteOne of my friends said I need to send my mid year grades if I've been accepted but the option isn't on myunc. What do I do?
ReplyDeleteHi there. We will be requesting midyear grades from admitted students, but we haven't added it to MyUNC yet. (We started with deferred students last week.) When we're ready for you to self-report your midyear grades, we'll send you an email with instructions. You'll also be able to see instructions on your MyUNC. Thanks for the question.
Deleteso after I've created my onyen... do I also create an email account regardless of if I end up going to unc or not?
ReplyDeleteHi. We do encourage you to go ahead and create a UNC email address because that is how the Student Aid office will communicate with you about your financial aid package. Thanks for the question.
DeleteHi Julie, I am an admitted student who has created an onyen and I have a heelmail but on my myUNC page it says that I do not have a unc email address. Just wondering if unc email and heelmail are different. My myUNC page also doesn't show my home phone number. How do I get my phone number on it or does it even matter?
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Hi Jacob. If you can log into Heelmail, then that's where you can access your UNC email. I'm not sure why it would not be showing up on your Student Center page...It sounds like you should be all set, but if you'd like to confirm, give the ITS Help Desk a call (919-962-HELP). They'll be able to answer any questions you have. Thanks!
DeleteWhat is the UNC policy for accepting SAT scores if test was taken after High School graduation?
ReplyDeleteHi. It doesn't matter when you take the SAT...are you a transfer applicant? Or are you hoping to get placement credit for your SAT score? In either case, it's fine if the test is taken after high school. Let me know if you still have questions. Thanks.
DeleteIf I want to take a break after High School and apply a year later and also need to improve my SAT score - will the SAT score be accepted if taken after the graduation. Also, if I apply after a year of graduation, how does that affect my chances?
DeleteHi. Yes, it's fine if you take the SAT after graduating from high school. If you don't enroll in any college-level courses during the intervening year, then you will still apply as a first-year student and you'll be competing for admission with other prospective first-years. We like to see that students are continuing to challenge themselves, so it will be important for you to demonstrate how you are using your gap year--whether you're working, volunteering, studying, etc. I hope this helps answer your question. Thanks.
DeleteAs an accepted student who wasn't invited to Scholarship Day, is there anything I can do to increase my chances of being offered one of the scholarships that will be given out later?
ReplyDeleteHi Hopeful, I'm afraid there's nothing more you can do now. It's only a very few scholarships, and they will be awarded based on students' original application materials. We reserve most of our aid money for need-based aid, so there are just not a lot of merit-based scholarships available. Thanks for the question.
DeleteHi Julie,
ReplyDeleteI was denied admission as a first year student. I understand that there are normally a number of students that drop out at the end of the first semester. What is the process to transfer mid-year (say January 2012)? I am a first generation college student. My dreams were crushed when I was denied admission to Carolina. I will not give up. I want to be a Tar Heel.
Hi there. I'm so sorry we disappointed you. And I'm afraid we only admit transfer students in the fall, so your next opportunity to apply will be for Fall 2013. However with a strong first year of college under your belt, we'll be very happy to consider you for transfer admission at that time. Best of luck to you.
DeleteI created an Onyen account a long time ago (at middle of Jan) but I dont know how to create the email.
ReplyDeleteHi there. There's more info about email on this page. If you need more help, the ITS Helpdesk is available at (919) 962-HELP. Thanks!
DeleteIs there a social network for admitted students? I know there is a class of 2016 Facebook page, but it doesn’t really seem like a place to meet future class mates. Am I missing something? Thanks for all your help on here, it has really been helpful!
ReplyDeleteHi there! I don't believe there is a separate network just for admitted students...we have set up event pages on Facebook for our Explore Carolina. If you come to one of these events, we'd encourage you to connect with fellow students that way. Thanks!
DeleteThank you!
Delete