Hey what are things that will make me more likely to be accepted in to this dream school of mine
I am African-American I have a 4.125 I have all A’s and B’s and 1 C(84) in Spanish 1 i am a junior I have not taken the act or the sat yet I am my church keyboard player i usher at church sing on choir i have a some volunteer hours. I attending UNC-Chapel Hill Heels for Success program hope to attend project uplift I am in beta club and I take all honors and AP classes I go to a small poor rural high school in a town called Burgaw. I played football my freshman year and currently the basketball team manger. I have a uncle aunt and cousin who attended here but neither of my parents went to college I really want to get in and I would be crushed if I didn’t any suggestions, statements or comments.
Work extra hard these last years, all A’s if possible, especially if you are OOS. And take both the SAT and the ACT to figure out which you are better at, and give yourself enough time to take your better one 2 or 3 times. Study using practice tests.
“Some” volunteer hours are likely not going to be enough. You need more ECs, both timing-wise (more hours) and subject-wise. It’s good to show you have a focus, like music or a language or animal rights or whatever.
Ace your essays when the time comes. Write often to get in the habit, and visit the Essay Hell website for inspiration. Also, start thinking about teacher(s) you want for letters of rec, and be super nice and friendly and talkative and enthusiastic with them.
OOS means “out of state” which you are not. ONC takes 75% of its students from in state so that is very good for you.
UNC lists race and first generation as “Considered” rather than “Very Important” but they will help. See section C of this document: http://oira.unc.edu/files/2015/05/cds_2014_2015.pdf
They list work and volunteerism as “Important.”
No one can chance you without test scores. I would recommend that you start taking the SAT as soon as possible. Don’t send them the scores yet. Figure out where you need to improve and either get a study guide or find a class to get your scores as high as possible.
Start counting your volunteer hours. It would be helpful if you kept them to mainly one or two organizations. You only have ten EC spots to fill on the application. Join a club at school related to your major interest or do volunteer or paid work related to the interest. Make yourself a folder and record all your activities and awards and jobs so you won’t forget anything at application time.
Find a couple of safety schools. Don’t be crushed if you don’t get in. You can excel anywhere. NC has some great colleges.
collegebound1516 gave excellent advice. Resist the urge to slack off during senior year. Study and prep for SAT/ACT test. Do not go into the test cold to see how you do. It generally is not a good idea. It is better to be well practiced. Consider trying a practice test for both types under actual test conditions to get a feel for which test you will score better on. The more you practice the better your time management should be on the actual test. Leave plenty of time to be able to retake the test if necessary.