apply for honors program

[cloying]

<p>That's so weird - there's no way that's right, and if it is, I need to give them back my scholarship. I bet what happened is that they used to have a minimum and maybe now they don't. Or maybe they use a minimum on the new scale, but I only made a 2130, which isn't impressive. I think my SAT score was one of the lower ones in the Carolina Scholars (which makes me insecure in no way shape or form :), not being sarcastic).</p>

<p>I talked to Peter Kaufman is this is what he told me (I'm running out the door so I'll put this in a nut shell, sorry for my brevity, though it seems that that's always my style here):</p>

<p>Certain people are tagged during the application process as having really great extracurriculars, stellar academics, and above all, interesting essays. Essays are what get you 'nominated' within the admissions committee. Then they choose the top 1% of applicants to come to scholarship day. They also flag several application that they think will result in Carolina Scholars.</p>

<p>So basically, before Scholarship Day even happens, they have a few people pegged out for the rewards they'll give.</p>

<p>There are two Scholarship Days, and at each one they pick at most 20 or so for the Carolina Scholars program based off of one's application, their essay written that day, and their performance in group discussion. I'm pretty sure that everyone at Scholarship Day gets into the Honors program, but anyway, if you do become a Carolina Scholar, you're automatically placed into Honors, and get all the added benefits of that (so far I've encountered many, but I'll go ahead and say that class sizes and interesting discussions are the best part).</p>

<p>So. Once you are a Carolina Scholar, all the cool stuff happens. So far we've had a few meetings, the best of which was in Padgett Station, this neat fair trade/organic little cafe down Franklin, where we talked about all the opportunities we'll have over the next four years.</p>

<p>As a Scholar you're in a group of around 15 kids in your class. We'll go white water rafting together, go to Raleigh for plays together, the list goes on. Then what we also do is work to get speaker series going (we're having Eric Drexler come this Spring, basically the dude who coined the term 'nanotechnology,' and all the scholars get to meet with him more personally if we want. We can also design courses, go on some special study abroad opportunities (one man the other night mentioned going to Australia to check out coral reefs, the same man talked about riding horses around Europe, ahhh I'm so pumped!), the list really goes on. It's sad that the Carolina Scholars aren't as touted as the Robertson or the Morehead, but that's okay because everyone's considered for it so no harm done.</p>

<p>They've already started getting us in touch with some Carolina Scholar alumni, and they all have their games together and seem like really fun and energetic people!</p>

<p>I'm late now but I hope that this was enough information, feel free to PM me about this and my source is Peter Kaufman and thus adequate in its entirety!</p>

<p>(btw, when people refer to the 'scholars,' they're saying either the Carolina, Pogue, or Davie. Although Moreheads and Robertson are also scholars, they're typically referred to as the Moreheads or Robertsons. They're all super duper wonderful so be happy if you get anything!)</p>

[eadad]

<p>I do know that those numbers were the baseline qualifiers for OOS students a few years back because my S's roommate from Georgia was/is a Davie and was told he was something like 15 points shy of the Carolina Scholar requirement. There was also another CC poster two years ago from New Jersey whose S had the same thing happen to him. They may not require instate students to score as high to qualify; it IS the University of North Carolina after all...and its primary obligation is to the residents and tax payers of the state.</p>

[jack]

<p>
[quote]
They may not require instate students to score as high to qualify;

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I believe about 180 merit scholarships are awarded each year to freshmen. They are very competitive, and the criteria is the same-- whether one is in-state or not. </p>

<p>Although SAT scores are certainly considered, a minimum score has never been required (to my knowledge). I did read once that the "average" SAT of Carolina Scholars is something like 1520 (old SAT), and considering that many more Carolina Scholars are actually in-state students, your theory would be incorrect.</p>

<p>The link below lists the criteria for each of these scholarships. Under Carolina Scholars, it states:</p>

<p>
[quote]
Carolina Scholars Awards Program represents the most academically competitive of scholarships sponsored by the University. In addition to superior academic achievement, self-direction and motivation for learning are the chief criteria for selection. The program provides recipients with faculty mentors, leadership experience, and other academic enrichment opportunities. Recipients from North Carolina receive renewable awards of $7,500 per year; those from out-of-state will receive an award equivalent to the cost of tuition, fees, room and board.

[/quote]
</p>

<p><a href="http://studentaid.unc.edu/studentaid/text/type/ssa-text_scholarships.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://studentaid.unc.edu/studentaid/text/type/ssa-text_scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>So, while NC students are not receiving a full-ride, like their out-of-state counterparts, the criteria for being awarded one is the same. As you can see, "superior academic achievement" is considered, but no mention of any required minimum SAT score, no matter your state of residency.</p>

<p>Here's another link on UNC- merit-based scholarships, FAQ's:
<a href="http://studentaid.unc.edu/studentaid/text/faq/ssa-text_scholarship_faq.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://studentaid.unc.edu/studentaid/text/faq/ssa-text_scholarship_faq.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>This is the link that mentions the 1520 average SAT score, and that "awards are not subject to a minimum SAT score or class rank" (again, regardless of your state of residency). That said, most of the in-state students I know who have received Carolina Scholars have had SAT scores well over 1500 (old SAT). Clearly, though, that's not a requirement-- for any student.</p>

<p>
[quote]
What is the typical academic profile of a scholarship recipient at UNC-Chapel Hill?</p>

<p>Since scholarship criteria vary depending on the scholarship, awards are not subject to a minimum SAT score or class rank. Because of the limited number of scholarship awards, and given the selectivity of the University, competition for scholarships is very stiff, and recipients automatically tend to be at the top of their high school classes and have very high SAT scores. For example, the average SAT combined score for Carolina Scholars is 1520.

[/quote]
</p>

[logosprincipal]

<p>From the information I've seen, the average stats for in-state and out-of-state UNC scholarship awardees are similar. I would emphasize that, while there are minimum stats that get your application looked at for scholarships, the selection committee uses subjective criteria to select awardees, and they primarily make their decisions based on essays and activities. There are students from both in-state and out-of-state who have perfect test scores, perfect GPAs in the most challenging classes, many extracurricular activities with leadership positions, and great recommendations & essays who are not offered any scholarship--even a token one. The scholarships that UNC awards are not primarily based on academic aptitude, and, even if a student has the whole package, if they don't "grab" the selection committee, they'll not receive a scholarship. Unfortunately, what it takes to do that is not communicated.</p>

[jack]

<p>logosprincipal makes a good point. When we attended an information session 3+ years ago, I remember the person leading that session said that high SAT scores, GPA, class rank would initially get an application pulled aside for merit scholarship consideration. After that initial culling, though, other factors were then more seriously viewed.</p>

<p>Just adding to my post above, too, if anyone ever looks at a UNC "factbook," UNC doesn't have a problem finding in-state students with equally high SAT scores as their OOS counterparts. For example, in the 2006 incoming freshman class, a total of 595 in-state students scored in the 1400's and above (old SAT), compared to a total of 232 out-of-state who scored in the 1400's and above. (in-state: 467 scored in the 1400's; 121 scored in the 1500's; 7 scored a perfect 1600, for a total of 595. For OOS, 174 scored in the 1400's; 56 in the 1500's; and 2 scored a perfect 1600, for a total of 232).
<a href="http://oira.unc.edu/facts-and-figures/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://oira.unc.edu/facts-and-figures/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Obviously, the number of OOS attending UNC is fewer than in-state, but based on these figures, I don't think UNC has a problem finding qualified in-state students for their merit scholarships. They obviously don't need to have lower qualifying scores than their OOS counterparts! ;)</p>

[eadad]

<p>jack</p>

<p>I never intended to imply in any way that instate students were in any way less qualified for merit awards and by now I hope you know that I don't feel that way. What I was trying to say is that it would make sense IF there was a double standard since the mission of the school is to serve the residents of North Carolina and making the awards more readily accesible to more in-state students makes perfect sense to me.</p>

[jack]

<p>eadad: Well, regardless of what you really meant, the mere suggestion of a "double standard" for in-state merit scholars, especially the idea of "lower qualifying scores," is not only incorrect, it's also a bit patronizing and demeaning. To correct that misconception-- especially on a public board such as this-- is important, I think, and of value. </p>

<p>So, I was simply pointing out, along with the supporting links, that (1) there is (nor never has been, to my knowledge) a required minimum SAT score for any UNC merit scholarships--for any student; and (2) since more in-state students are actually named Carolina Scholars, Davie, and Pogue than out-of-state (and, in fact, up until 2006--I believe--the Pogue had previously been an in-state only scholarship), there would be no reason to try to make any of them "more readily accessible" to in-state students. They already are. </p>

<p>In addition, there would be no reason for a "double standard," as UNC seems to have plenty of high-scoring in-state students--nearly triple the number of OOS high-scoring students, as pointed out above. That was only for the 2006 entering freshman class, but you can look up the figures for any entering class, and those figures would be similar.</p>

<p>While you are correct that the primary "mission" of the UNC system to ensure an affordable education for its residents, that does not extend to merit scholarships, which are [mostly] funded by private endowments anyway.</p>