We Have Moved!

Earlier this week, we launched a new website at admissions.unc.edu! Our new site offers a beautiful new format, including some cool features such as student community profiles and feeds for all of our social media channels. We also have a new blog that is integrated in the site. From this point on, we'll be blogging on the new site, so head over there for news, updates, and tips from UNC Admissions:

Visit our new blog.

Email Subscribers
Don't let this be your last email! To continue receiving all of our blog posts in your email, fill out the form below. And if you haven't yet subscribed to our blog, please do! By subscribing, you'll receive a daily digest of our blog posts, including posts written by our student bloggers.

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Applying for Residency on the Common Application

When you fill out the Common Application, you'll see in our "Member Questions" section that we ask you to fill out some information regarding your residency:

If you answer "yes" to the question "Do you believe you may qualify for in-state tuition?", then we'll ask you to provide further details about your residency (for instance, when you got your driver's license, if you've filed state taxes, and whether you're registered to vote). You'll also be asked to answer these questions for one of your parents. These questions help us determine your residency, so that we know whether or not to consider you a NC resident.

If you've applied to us before or if you're a counselor, you'll notice that this section is new. We're now asking all students who believe they qualify for in-state tuition to provide this information with their application. It's helpful for us to have this information up-front, rather than asking students to fill out long residency applications after they've applied. We're trying to keep things simple, for students and for us!

Below are a few of the common questions we're hearing about this section of the Common App:

How do I know if I qualify for in-state tuition? 
Residency classification is complicated, and each case is considered on an individual basis. Generally, a student whose domicile has been in North Carolina for at least 12 months prior to the term they enroll is considered an in-state student. To learn more about how we determine residency, go to Ask Admissions and type in "residency".

Which parent should I choose to provide residency information for? 
If both parents live in NC, you may choose either one. If your parents don't live together but share custody of you, choose a parent that lives in NC. If someone other than a parent has legal guardianship of you, fill out the information for that person (but if one or both of your parents have legal guardianship, you should provide information for a parent).

I'm not a U.S. citizen, but I live in North Carolina. Is there additional information I need to submit? 
Depending on your visa status, you may still qualify for in-state residency. If you're not a U.S. citizen, we'll ask you to fill out a supplemental residency form and provide documentation of your legal status in the U.S. (i.e., your Permanent Resident card or visa status). After you apply, we'll request this information by listing it on your To-Do List in MyCarolina, but you're welcome to be proactive and send us this information at the same time you submit your application.

Other questions? Please leave a comment below!

Who You'll Meet at UNC: Part 2

Each year, about 82% of our incoming first-year class is made up of North Carolina residents. But just because these students are NC residents, that doesn't mean they all grew up here! Many of them were born across the nation. (And beyond!) Check out this graphic for a visual.

Who You'll Meet at UNC: Part 1

Did you know? The incoming first-year class represents students from 95 counties of the total 100 in North Carolina. That's a lot of counties! Check out this infographic for the breakdown and a few fun facts about the in-state residents of the Class of 2017.

Arbra's 6 Simple Steps to Applying to Carolina!

Hi! My name is Arbra and I'm a Senior Communications Specialist who also happens to be a proud graduate of UNC. I've been with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for over ten years and throughout this time, it's been my honor and privilege to help thousands of young people apply to Carolina. If you're considering applying to us, I'd like to offer 6 simple steps that may help you along the way.

Step 1 – Go to www.commonapp.org
Step 2 – Click "Create An Account" and follow the steps to create your Common Application account
Step 3 – Click on "My Colleges"

Step 4 – Select "University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill"  to begin the application.

Hint: For school or city name enter "Chapel Hill" in the "College Search" box. Then simply select "University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill." Click "Add" and then select "Dashboard."

In this section you will begin the official Common Application portion that is required to apply to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. There are six sections to complete:

• Profile – your personal information
• Family – mother, father, and sibling information
• Education – school(s) you have attended and academic information
• Testing - ACT or SAT information
• Activities – clubs, sports, or volunteer information
• Writing – Here you will see the Common Application's essay question prompts. Choose your choice (only one is necessary) of the five prompts offered and write an essay from 250-650 words. Hint: The Common App makes it easy on you by giving you a handy box to enter your essay into! See below.

Step 5 – Select "University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill" to complete the section of the application that includes the UNC-specific questions (also known as "Member Questions") that are also required.

Go to the "Writing Supplement." In this section you are asked to upload answers to your choice of one of five essay questions specific to UNC (400-500 words) and to answer six short-answer questions directly into the boxes on the screen.

 

Hint: As you make your way through the Common App, look for the green check marks that will appear as you complete each of the required sections: the Common Application; the Member Questions (questions specific to UNC); and Assigning Recommenders (where you'll input email addresses for your teachers and counselor). 

The screen to the left shows that an applicant has completed all required sections of the Common Application. 

 

 Step 6 – Almost there! You may now proceed to the "Application Submission" screen as shown below. Here you'll have a chance to review  your application one more time, submit your payment or fee waiver, and certify it with your electronic signature.  Click "Start Submission" to submit your application.

 

For additional questions about applying to Carolina, you are welcome to post them here and we'll do our best to answer them promptly. For technical issues related to the Common App or applying to other schools, we refer you to the Common App's Applicant Help Center, which provides an excellent database of the most frequently asked questions.

We thank you for your interest in Carolina and look forward to reading your application and getting to know you.

Meet Us on the Road this Fall

Asst Director Melissa Kotacka and her college fair tablecloth in NYC

School is starting again and so is our busiest travel season. Throughout September and October, our recruiters will be hitting the road and bringing Carolina to schools, college fairs, and other events across the country and around the world.

Where are we going? We’re glad you asked!

In North Carolina, you’ll find us at every CACRAO event – our admissions reps (David, Olivia, Brandon, and our newest team member, Joe) will be crisscrossing the state to talk Tar Heel with students from Murphy to Manteo. We’ll be traveling with lots of other colleges and universities, so these events are great opportunities to connect with plenty of schools. Elsewhere in NC, we’ll be attending as many parent nights and school programs as we can, along with additional visits to high schools to connect with students.

For those outside of North Carolina, we’re coming to see you, too! We’ll be hitting up the Atlanta metro; Dallas-Fort Worth; Columbus, OH; Boston; NYC, Long Island, and a few counties north of the city; Charleston, SC; Tampa, Miami, and Ft. Lauderdale; Orange County, CA; the DC metro; Chicagoland; and the Virginia Tidewater.

Speaking of out-of-state travel, we’re also teaming up with Emory, Notre Dame, and UVA to visit a total of 19 cities in 15 different states in September – details here!

We’re even doing a bit of overseas travel to find the best and brightest students. Melody and Jen will be in Toronto for the NACAC college fair; Jared will be heading to London and Paris; Patty is heading to Central and South America; Melissa will be in Turkey; and Andrea will be in Bangkok, Ho Chi Min City, and Manila. 

We also have amazing alumni ambassadors who are covering college fairs in even more places around the country and occasionally overseas, too.

WHEW!

We are pumped to meet you in your towns, but we also want you to come to ours if you can – it’s a great way to learn more and get a feel for what it’s like to be a Carolina student. Whether we see you on the road or here on campus, WE ARE EXCITED. Travel season is super fun for us, because we get to talk about opportunities and possibilities – and it builds anticipation for reading season when we get to learn even more about the amazing things you’re doing.

 See you soon!

-Melissa Kotacka

Tour's Over... What Now? Part 4

Finished your tour, but haven't gotten your fill? Check out advice from Olivia, a UNC alumna and current Admissions representative, for her top five must-sees of Chapel Hill and the surrounding area.