Report from the 2013 Spring Job and Internship Expo!

Interested in what you could be doing after four years at Carolina? Our Communications Assistant, sophomore Jessica Carter, has the inside scoop. 

As a sophomore, I am one who feels that it is never too early to plan ahead.  Although I'm not currently seeking employment, I thought it would be great to get a jumpstart on things by scouting out potential future employers at the 2013 Spring Job and Internship Expo hosted by University Career Services.  From making small talk to knowing what to wear, University Career Services gives great advice to job seekers.

This year’s fair boasted over 100 top companies.  I was extremely delighted to see and have the opportunity to speak with representatives from Target Corporation, General Mills, Hershey, Neiman Marcus and a variety of other companies that I would consider for employment in the future.  Additionally, there were many non-profit and service organizations, such as Teach for America, which grabbed the attention of many students.

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and firmly believe that events such as this are extremely beneficial to students and employers alike.  Students, particularly seniors, are seeking the best job opportunities available to them upon graduation and employers are seeking to hire the best and brightest students they can. It's no wonder that so many  world-renowned employers come to Carolina to recruit every year!

--Jessica Carter

Congratulations to Carolina's Two New Luce Scholars!

Congratulations to our newest Luce Scholars: environmental studies major and city planning minor, Will Leimenstoll, and classics major and biology minor, Henry Ross.

As a Luce Scholar, Will will be studying sustainable city planning and urban design, hoping to one day build and design environmentally friendly buildings in the United States. Henry plans to incorporate the program into a future in law.

The Luce funds a year of living and learning in Asia for recent college graduates and young professionals who have had only limited exposure to the continent. With 35 Luce Scholars since the program began in 1974, Carolina leads the nation in its number of Luce recipients. Carolina was the only institution with more than one winner this year.

Read more.

Interested in Service Abroad? Apply for the Global Gap Year Fellowship by March 14!

Today we welcome a guest post from junior Ananda Day, Co-leader of GAPPL.
 
Hi! My name is Ananda Day, and I’m a junior Public Policy major originally from Montana and most recently from Raleigh, N.C. Carolina has helped me grow in ways I could never have imagined, from the wonderful people to the extraordinary academic opportunities. What has helped me make the most of my college experience, however, was my gap year, and I’d like to tell you about it.

During my senior year in high school, I first considered taking a year off because I was exhausted after all my college applications. I loved learning, but I wanted a chance to understand by doing, to be at some of the places I was always taught about instead of just hearing about them. So I traveled to Senegal, where I worked for a nonprofit organization and also taught English. I created conservation plans flowing from my environmental studies, and ended up with a French vocabulary that allows me to speak about turtles and public health for hours on end! Four years later, my year in Senegal has touched every part of who I am, from academics to what food I eat.

For the third year in a row, the Campus Y, GAPPL (the UNC student gap year advocacy group), and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions are proud to offer the Global Gap Year Fellowship, which will award several first-year students admitted from the first deadline up to $7,500 for an international, service-based gap year before their first year at Carolina. UNC staff will help you plan your service project and keep in touch during the year. GAPPL helps returning gap year students catalyze new-found potential and make a smooth transition to college and leadership opportunities. Please note that the fellowship is open to any admitted Early Action student.

Consider applying for this once-in-a-lifetime fellowship by Thursday, March 14, 2013 at 5 p.m. Taking a gap year will allow you to join an important movement of students who are re-thinking the way we structure college and higher education. It will be one of the most transformative and wonderful years of your life. Click here to learn more and to apply for the Global Gap Year Fellowship.

We wish you the best as you complete your final year of high school. If you have any questions about the Global Gap Year Fellowship, we encourage you to check out our FAQs or email us.

--Ananda

Explore Carolina Friday!

In spite of the drizzle and threat of sleet, nearly 200 admitted students and family members came to campus today for the second round of Explore Carolina.

Here Hunter Mills and his father (from Greenville, N.C.) check in with Damon Toone, Senior Assistant Director of Admissions, who delivered his classic Carolina greeting, a big smile and a copy of True Blue, a guidebook to the sights you can't miss on our campus.

Today Hunter will have his choice of more than 50 sessions and panels to help him decide whether or not Carolina is right for him. He was quick to tell us that Carolina is at the top of his list!

Admitted students who couldn't make it today will have their choice of three more dates for Explore: March 4, April 15, and April 22. Students who already know that Carolina will be their home for the next four years may elect to attend Carolina Bound offered on April 19.

Meet Brian Woodard

Next up in our new staff introductions is Brian Woodard.  
Welcome Brian!

Title: Carolina Student Transfer Excellence Program (C-STEP) Representative
Hometown: Snow Camp, NC
Alma Mater: Carolina (bachelor’s and master’s)
Number of years at Carolina: A little more than five years (two as an undergraduate, two as a Carolina College Advising Corps member, one as a graduate student, and five months with C-STEP)
Area(s) of specialty in the office: Counseling and guiding prospective transfer students through the C-Step Admissions process
Why I love my job: C-STEP and Carolina transformed me from a student with ideas and concepts into someone who could create my own opinions. It turned me into a leader. When I came to this university as a transfer student, I had never dreamed of creating a club, being a mentor, or working with high school students upon graduation, but with the assistance of the C-STEP program, Carolina transformed me into a better individual. At Carolina, everyone works together to make the world a better place. After graduating from Carolina, I can truly say that I left the university a better place than it was when I arrived, and I can also say that the university placed me in a better position than I was in beforehand – for this I am grateful. Now as an employee, I love helping students achieve their dreams. Removing obstacles, motivating students, and providing support are all reasons why I love my job.
If I didn’t work in admissions, I would be: Working as a counselor for middle or high school students
If I were a fictional character, I would be: Jefferson Smith from “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”
Favorite ice cream flavor: Rocky Road
Favorite song to sing when I’m in the car by myself: “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey, “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, or “Hotel California” by The Eagles

Unusual Question of the Day and More!

Happy Monday! Today has been very busy on the phones, and we've been delighted to talk with you. We received a number of questions—from the frequently-asked to the unusual. We thought it might be helpful to share our answers. We'll start with an unusual one!

Can I make a dental appointment with you?

As much as we believe in dental hygiene, we regret that our office is unable to make appointments for this service. However, every call is important to us and if you call our office, we're happy to share what we do know. And the great news is that the UNC School of Dentistry does offer student clinics for preventive and other dental care. Read more about Becoming A Patient at the UNC School of Dentistry. 



I am a transfer applicant but did not submit my application by February 15. Is it too late to apply?

No. If you have started your application and didn't quite make the deadline, that's okay. As long as we receive your application within the next few days, that should be fine. As a reminder, only your portion of the application, your payment method, and your UNC Supplement (if you're applying via the Common Application) must be submitted for your application to be in the running. Other materials, such as your official transcript and test scores (if applicable), may arrive after the deadline but please arrange to have them to us no later than March 1.

I'm still having trouble submitting my midyear grades. What can I do?

Please read a list of FAQs regarding midyear grades. You may find your answer there.

I never received the email with instructions on creating my Guest ID and can't submit my midyear grades or check my To-do list. 

After you submitted your application, you received an email from us to the email address we had on record for you with these instructions. Are you still using that email address? If so, please check your spam or junk folders as those instructions may have gone into those folders.  If you have checked your email account and do not see these instructions, please email us at unchelp@admissions.unc.edu from the email address that you used when you applied and we will resend them to you. If you are no longer using the email address that you provided in your application, please call us at 919-966-3621.


I am an admitted student, and I want to register for Explore Carolina or Carolina Bound. What do I do?

• Go to MyCarolina 
• Choose "View My Event Invitations"
• Choose the event you wish to attend
• Click on "Register" and proceed with the registration questions

What if I want to change my Explore Carolina or Carolina Bound date?

• Go to MyCarolina
• Choose "View My Event Invitations"
• Select the event for which you previously registered
• Choose "Decline"
• Choose the new date and proceed with the registration questions as above

We regret that we are offering only one session of Carolina Bound (April 19), so if you decline your registration to Carolina Bound, it's not possible to select another date for Carolina Bound. The good news is that if any of our dates are not convenient for you, we encourage you to schedule a visit at any other available time. Except for major holidays, we offer daily information sessions and student-led tours Monday-Friday.

Admitted Students: Have You Registered for Explore or Carolina Bound?

If you haven’t registered for one of our two main admitted student events, Explore Carolina or Carolina Bound, please see the agendas for Explore or for Carolina Bound to determine which one is best for you. Our first one is tomorrow, Monday, February 18!

Carolina Bound

Already know you want to be a Tar Heel? Then join us for Carolina Bound! You'll get a jumpstart on Orientation by exploring the opportunities available through Student Housing, Study Abroad, and other student services. If you have your enrollment deposit in by April 12, you can even get your new student ID. And you'll also have a chance to learn the fight song, so you'll be ready to cheer on the Tar Heels next fall!

Explore Carolina

Trying to decide if Carolina is right for you?  Explore Carolina offers more than 50 sessions to choose from including academic departments, student and parent panels, and sessions including departments such as Undergraduate Research and Study Abroad. You’ll also enjoy lunch with your future classmates at either Ram’s Head Dining Hall or Granville Towers.

To learn more and to RSVP, please log into MyCarolina.  Click on “View Your Event Invitations” and then select the event to see the list of available dates.

We wish you the best as  you make plans to continue your education. 

Now We Have An App For That!

We're thrilled to unveil our first-ever mobile tour app, which you can download to your iPhone, iPad, or Android right now - just search "Tour Carolina" in Apple and Android app stores! We're excited to share our beautiful campus and the opportunities available here at Carolina with prospective students and visitors no matter where you are – from New York to New Zealand, from the lobby of our office to the comfort of your home. And did we mention that the app is free?!

We know that not all interested students and families can make it to our campus for an actual tour or information session, but with our new app, you can still experience all that Carolina has to offer on you own. All of the points of interest covered in our student-led campus tours are included in the app, so if we miss you on your next visit to campus, this app can serve as your virtual tour guide! Of course, we still recommend attending a regular information session and tour if you can, but this app is definitely a nice option if you can't make it for the real thing.

So now we need you to download our mobile tour app and review the initial version of it – play around, explore, and enjoy! But most importantly, please share any and all feedback – good and bad. Seriously! We want to know what you think, and based on your suggestions, we'll tweak the app to improve the experience for future users.

Thanks in advance for your comments, and we hope you’re as excited about this as we are!

Midyear Grade FAQs

We thank all of those students who have reported their midyear grades, which is a requirement for all first-year applicants by tomorrow, Friday, February 15. Unfortunately, we're hearing that some of you have experienced trouble while attempting to do this. We hope the FAQs below will help address the questions we've received.

I receive this message when attempting to report my grades:

"Get of Midyear Grades Update Component failed (0,0 NC_DERIVED_ADM.NC_SS_SUBMIT.FieldChange  PCPC:1400  Statement:21"

We're very sorry for the error message you're receiving, but our technical team is looking into it and we hope to have it corrected very soon. For now, please exit the system and try again in 30 minutes. Make sure you're using Internet Explorer or Firefox. We understand that this has worked for some students.

I have submitted my grades, but this item is still on my To-do list. What can I do?

This is a simple fix. Please make sure to check the certify box and click on the submit button to submit your grades.  If the certify box is already checked, please uncheck it, check it again and the submit button should appear. 

My school does not report midyear grades. What should I do?
No worries. Just submit your first quarter or first trimester grade. For example, just submit your first quarter grade in the box and in the comment field add a comment that says: "This was my first quarter grade. My second quarter grade is (your grade)."

I sent you a transcript with my midyear grades. Why won't this work?
We're very sorry for the inconvenience, but we must ask you to self-report your own grades. We cannot accept them from a transcript or from a report from your counselor. The only way to report your grades is to submit them yourself using the midyear grade form on your to-do list. We appreciate your cooperation and continued interest in Carolina.

Read more FAQs.

School of Public Health Senior Helps Young Girls Get Healthy

Camille McGirt has never been one to simply bury herself in books. Even in high school she rounded out her studies by participating in sports and student government – even dabbling in environmental health research at Carolina. True to her nature, this health policy and management major has taken advantage of opportunities inside and outside the classroom and has been able to put what she has learned into practice at Carolina and beyond.

It started with her internship at the White House and on Capitol Hill during the 2010-2011 academic year.

"I met so many inspiring people," the Gillings School of Global Public Health senior said. "I participated in several service projects and even helped with the First Lady's Let's Move campaign."

This Durham native says she has long appreciated the value of staying healthy and being physically fit. But when Camille returned to Carolina – a junior at the time – she was already enterprising her own plan to spread the "Let’s Move" message and help curb childhood obesity in the community. "I felt like it was my moral duty to come back and do something meaningful," she said.

And that is exactly what she did. In 2011, Camille established Healthy Girls Save the World, a hands-on program that promotes healthy lifestyles for 8- to 15-year-old girls in the Chapel Hill area. "Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled," she said. "In North Carolina, the numbers are even more alarming."

Through the program, Camille organizes free events and a summer camp where girls can interact with college athletes and learn about nutrition, physical activity, and positive relationships . The organization reached close to 100 girls in just one year, and parents report having more conversations about what it means to be healthy and the importance of physical activity because of it.

"It’s bigger than I ever thought it would be. It’s a way to help girls gain confidence while learning how to be healthy," she said. "Carolina has provided me with the resources to make it happen and gave me the support and encouragement to make all of this happen."

Camille’s ingenuity and compassion certainly haven’t gone unnoticed. Last fall, she was one of 17 college students across the state to receive the Community Impact Award from the North Carolina Campus Compact. The award recognizes college students who make significant, innovative efforts to address local community needs. She also received a certificate of appreciation for her public service from former N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue.

"When I was applying to schools, I never would have imagined a project like this – my vision and the work of so many others – would have been possible," she said. "The Tar Heel family is so welcoming, and I’ve gained so much from my peers and the faculty in the [Gillings School of Global Public Health]. The undergraduate experience is what you make it, but at Carolina, it seems the sky is the limit."

Monday FAQs

Happy Monday! If you have emailed our office recently, we thank you very much, but we must ask your patience as we do our best to answer your inquiries as quickly as possible. We are also experiencing higher than usual phone call volumes. To help, we hope that the list of FAQs below might be of some assistance to you. These address the vast majority of the emails we're currently receiving. 

I never received the email with instructions on creating my Guest ID and can't submit my midyear grades or check my To-do list. 

After you submitted your application, you received an email from us to the email address we had on record for you with these instructions. Are you still using that email address? If so, please check your spam or junk folders as those instructions may have gone into those folders.  If you have checked your email account and do not see these instructions, please email us at unchelp@admissions.unc.edu from the email address that you used when you applied and we will resend them to you. If you are no longer using the email address that you provided in your application, please call us at 919-966-3621.

I received an email from you stating that my application is missing required credentials. What am I lacking?

Please go to MyCarolina  and log into your Connect Carolina Student Center with your Guest ID to view the missing items in your To-Do List.  If no items are listed, then we received your credentials within the last day; therefore, no further action is necessary at this time.

If the missing items were sent to us on or after February 1, there is no need to send them again or call about them at this time.  Please allow two weeks for your To-Do List to be updated to reflect the status of these items.  If the missing items were sent to us before February 1, we apologize that we must ask you to send them to us again.  However, if you sent your missing items through the Common Application, Naviance, Docufide, or CFNC, and your To-Do List still shows these items as missing, please contact us, and we will assist you.

If we have not received your missing items by February 15, the Admissions Committee will review your application on the basis of the information that is available and may, at its discretion, either deny you admission or withdraw your application from further consideration.

I'm trying to pay my enrollment deposit, but I would like to change my payment method. What should I do?
Please call us at 919-966-3621, and we will assist you.

Carolina and the Grammy Awards

Are you watching the Grammy Awards show tonight? We've got our eyes on three notable groups dear to our hearts. 

Steep Canyon Rangers, nominated for Best Bluegrass Album, features two Chapel Hill alumni. Woody Platt and Charles R. Humphrey III studied as undergraduates at Carolina, where the Steep Canyon Rangers was formed.

The Avett Brothers, nominated for Best Americana Album, includes cellist and Chapel Hill alumnus Joe Kwon. Read more.

Carolina Chocolate Drops, nominated for Best Folk Album, is based in Durham and just played at Memorial Hall on Friday night — a tremendous concert by all accounts. 

Senior Sitdown: Journalism



Senior Sitdown: Journalism


Want to know more about majors, study abroad, housing, dining, and a host of other student life aspects here at Carolina? Then our new series, Senior Sitdown, was made just for you! Now that they have nearly four years under their belts, seniors are giving you the inside scoop on all things Carolina that you just won't find anywhere else!

First up in the series is Senior Sitdown: Journalism, where you'll get to hang out with Meghan, Charnelle, Colin, Emma, Moe and Jane – six amazing J-Schoolers representing a variety of concentrations, from Business Journalism to Public Relations. Not only will they discuss why they chose journalism, but they'll also offer some advice and share a bit about the awesome things they do with their summer vacations. So grab a seat, and click here!

Stay tuned to see who we'll sit down with next!

Transfer Deadline Reminder and FAQs

Good morning! The final application deadline for transfer students is right around the corner! Below are some of the questions we've been getting lately; just let us know if there's anything else we can answer.

Which application should I submit?
All transfer applicants, except those wishing to transfer directly into the School of Nursing as juniors, may apply through the Common Application. We also accept transfer applications submitted through the College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC), but please note that certain majors must apply through the Common Application. Click here to find out which application you should use.

What must be submitted by the deadline?

Only your portion of the application, your payment method, and your UNC Supplement (if you’re applying via the Common Application) must be submitted by the deadline. Please note that you don't need to submit the UNC supplement if you're applying through CFNC. Other materials, such as your official transcript and test scores (if applicable), may arrive shortly after the deadline if necessary. 

How do I determine my standing?

To be eligible for transfer admission, you'll need to have graduated high school at least 12 months prior to the semester you wish to enroll. If you have fewer than 15 transferable hours, you'll be classified as a transfer student with first-year advanced standing. Appropriate consideration will be given to your college-level work.

• First-year transfer: Fewer than 15 transferable hours
• Sophomore: 15–50.9 transferable hours
• Junior: 51 or more transferable hours

No more than 75 hours from a four-year school and 64 hours from a two-year school can be transferred to the University and applied toward the hours necessary for graduation.


Do you require essays?
We ask transfer students to submit one essay. Here is the prompt: Please provide a statement of 250 – 500 words that addresses your reasons for transferring and the objectives you hope to achieve.

You'll also have the option to submit an additional statement if you feel there is any other information you'd like to provide that hasn't already been covered in other parts of the application.

Do I need to send a letter of recommendation?
We don't require letters of recommendation for transfer applicants. However, if you'd like to submit one, you can have your teacher/professor email it to us at uncsubmit@admissions.unc.edu.

**If you're applying to one of the professional schools, you'll want to check their application instructions for any additional requirements.**

Check out our website for more information on applying as a transfer student .

Monday FAQs

Happy Monday! Below are some of the questions we've been getting over the phones and via email recently.

When will I receive my official decision letter?
Decision letters were mailed late last week. If you haven't received it already, you should in the coming days.

I'm admitted student. When will I receive my admissions packet?
Our brochure for admitted students was mailed with the letters of admission. Since decision letters were mailed late last week, you should receive yours in the coming days if you haven't received it already. You can also view our admitted student brochure online.

I received an email asking me to report my mid-year grades, what do I do?
You must self report your mid-year grades, so please don't ask your counselor to send us an updated transcript. Follow the steps below to self report your grades.

1. Log into MyCarolina.
2. Click on ConnectCarolina Student Center.
3. Go to your To-Do List.
4. Click on the "Midyear grades" link in your To-do List, and follow the online instructions.
   Review the email you received or click here for additional instructions.

When I log in to report my grades, why are some of my courses listed twice?

If you reported on your application that you're enrolled in a year-long course, then that course will be listed twice when you log into your ConnectCarolina Student Center. Please don't delete the duplicate listing. Just enter your first-semester grade in one of the class listings and use the comments box to explain that it's a year-long course in progress. For the second listing, leave the grade box blank (because you don't have your second-semester grade yet) and again use the comments to explain that it's a year-long course in progress.

When is orientation? 

All first-year students who plan to join us in the fall are required to attend one two-day orientation session this summer. The dates are listed below. Click here for additional information.

Monday, June 3 – Tuesday, June 4

Monday, June 10 – Tuesday, June 11

Monday, June 17 – Tuesday, June 18

Thursday, June 20 – Friday, June 21*

Monday, June 24 – Tuesday, June 25

Thursday, June 27 – Friday, June 28

Monday, July 8 – Tuesday, July 9

Thursday, July 11 – Friday, July 12

Monday, July 15 – Tuesday, July 16

Thursday, July 18 - Friday, July 19

Monday, July 22 – Tuesday, July 23

Thursday, July 25 – Friday, July 26

Tuesday, July 30 – Wednesday, July 31

Thursday, August 15 – Friday, August 16**

*The June 20-21 orientation session is for students who have been invited to Honors Carolina. All Honors Carolina Students will receive a special invitation to attend this designated session that is specifically tailored to the Honors Carolina student population. Only Honors Carolina students and parents/families will be in attendance.

** The August 15-16 orientation session is a make-up session. Students must request to be placed into this session after finding that none of the June or July dates are available.

Black History Month at Carolina

Carolina is celebrating Black History Month with a wide variety of activities, and the entire campus is involved. The Black Student Movement will start off the festivities with a kickoff on February 1. UNC Dining Services will feature a month of themed cuisine — from African to Creole to homestyle southern — that will culminate in a Black History Month celebration dinner on February 27.

Student Stores is offering 20% off all books in the African American Studies section and 20% off all fiction books by African American authors for the entire month. If you would rather watch than read, head over to Paul Green Theater to catch Lorraine Hansberry’s legendary play, "A Raisin in the Sun." And the Stone Center will host a reception on February 7 for Los Angeles artist Toni Scott’s exhibit, "Bloodlines."

Other Black History Month activities include a forum on the roles of African American men and women, a lunch and movie series, and a feature on African sky legends at Morehead Planetarium. Follow UNC Black History Month on Twitter for the most up-to-date information.