FAQs for Denied Students

I'm so sorry we disappointed you. We know how hard it is to receive this kind of bad news, and we really hate delivering it. Please know that it's not you, it's us. We have so many talented applicants – close to 31,000 this year – and space for just under 4,000 in our first-year class. We have to deny so many students who would do great things here.

Through our work with the Carolina Covenant, we've had the pleasure of getting to know Josh. He's an outstanding student who came to us as a junior transfer and is now earning his MBA through Kenan-Flagler Business School. Below is a little of his story:

I was not accepted to Carolina as a high school senior, but I knew that this is where I wanted to be so I decided to work hard and transfer. It was like a dream come true when I finally got my admissions letter and then found out that I could graduate debt free as a Covenant Scholar. Once I got to campus, I took advantage of the countless resources that are available to students. Thanks to the support of faculty and staff mentors, I was able to land a job in banking after graduation. It was during that time that I started thinking about getting my MBA, and I knew I wanted to return to Carolina. I applied to two business schools and received my acceptance letter to the other school first, but I knew that if I didn't get into Kenan-Flagler the first time, I was just going to work harder and try again the following year. Luckily, that wasn't necessary. I'll be graduating with my MBA in May, and I already have a full-time job lined up! – Josh

Josh is proof that there are many paths to Carolina. We hope you have an amazing college experience wherever you choose to attend. But if you're interested in transferring in a year or two, we hope you'll keep us in mind.

Is this decision final?
Yes, I'm afraid it is. We can't re-consider your application this year. However, if your heart is set on Carolina, there's always the option of transferring after a year or two at another school.

Why did you deny me?
There isn't a simple answer to this question because our review is holistic. We don't deny any student on the basis of a single number or a single grade, but instead we consider everything we know about a student. We review each application multiple times, and ultimately, we have to make a lot of hard decisions. The unfortunate truth is that we just don't have space for the many talented students who apply.

I have my heart set on attending Carolina one day. What should I do?
Each year we enroll approximately 900 transfer students into the sophomore and junior classes at Carolina. Transfer students bring with them a diversity of background and experiences that enrich our community tremendously, and we welcome them into the full academic and extracurricular life of the University. For more advice, please see Applying as a Transfer Student.

Please let me know what other questions you have.