Hey parents and prospective students. I’m a current UNC student. If you guys need any help with the admissions process or anything else related. Feel free to ask!
MODERATOR’S NOTE: Anyone can ask or answer questions in this thread.
I’ve got a lot, feel free to answer as many as you’d like. How easy is it for freshman to get involved with research, specifically neuroscience (I know they don’t offer it as a major)? What do students do on a typical weekend? Are there a lot of weed out classes, specifically for pre-med? How well do you think unc prepares one for med school? What is the weather like during the winter? How is the cafeteria food? Are the dorms nice? What has been the most difficult thing for you to transition to at unc? What are your favorite things about unc?
You can easily get into contact with Med School students, especially during labs. UNC offers a lot of opportunities for students to become involved with information and experience relating to their major. Since UNC is one of the best universities when it comes to balance of social and academic life, most people go out to parties/bars/houses on weekend nights and study during the day. I’m not pre-med so I can’t answer a lot of your questions about science/med classes, but I know that they are very rigorous through my roommate. I think the most difficult thing about transition was not having any high school friends because I am OOS, but the people here really nice and amicable. UNC is awesome, I love everything about it and I’m not saying that just because I go here.
@sinjbad, are you more interested in neuroscience coming from a psych angle or bio angle (or are you not sure…that’s ok too)? There are plenty of opportunities on campus…I graduated a few years back with a psych major (but very neuroscience oriented) and am now doing an MD/PhD in neuroscience (elsewhere)…so feel free to PM me and I might be able to help you out.
(sorry don’t mean to hijack your thread @parryc96 )
@phonyreal98 I’m very interested in the biology of psychology (hence my interest in neuroscience), however, if I must choose, the psychology side of neuroscience. But like I said, I love both biology and psychology, so if UNC has a better program for one over the other, than I would be more than happy to “switch” my angle of interest.
@parryc96 Thanks for your response.
Is it better to take AP credit (such as AP Chem) or retake the 101 classes?
^I think the answer/strategy depends on your intended major, goals and aspirations. I personally took 35 credits of AP credit and took more advanced courses. Specific to Chemistry 101, a lot of people find that specific course challenging at UNC. I skipped it and 102 and went right into Analytical and did fine, but Chem is a strength for me.
@NewYawk I guess I’m average at Chem, I only got a 3 on the AP exam. Would it be better for me to review my note over the summer and take 102? I intend to be premed
That is exactly what I did before taking Chem 241 and I still managed an A.
A lot of premed students here do retake 101 courses because they are hoping to pad their GPA while reinforcing material covered on the MCAT. Also, while this is increasingly becoming less of a concern, Med schools do vary on their policies regarding their willingness to accept AP credit for admissions pre-reqs. So, some prefer to error on the side of caution and assume they won’t leverage any AP credits for Med school admissions. This is typically a non-issue if you are planning to take enough credit hours in more advanced courses in that same subject matter, as they will usually accept that instead.
Retake is a perfectly good strategy. However, if you chose that route, you must still take the course seriously. Do not make the mistake that intro = easy and have the retake strategy backfire on your GPA. UNC intro science courses can be surprisingly challenging. Depending on who your professor is, it is not uncommon for a class to have a grade distribution of <10% A and A-. Before that scares you, keep in mind that the intro classes tend to be large (so 10% is also large) and with most majors having a science Gen Ed requirement, students taking a 101 course might not necessarily be strong in the sciences and can struggle. You can look at the website www.blinkness.com for UNC grade distributions by course and professor. Best of luck.
How the heck do I find a roommate? I have friends who are also attending UNC but I want to break out of my high school social circle and meet new people. I tried roommate finder and all I can see are people who are already in and trying to find roommates for apartments. Any help?
How hard is it to get into Kenan-Flagler after you’ve been admitted EA to the Honors Program?
@californiagirl97 Are you using the roommate finder on the unc housing website?
@betatech The KF admission rate for UNC applicants is approx 50%.
@NewYawk Thanks, I’ll keep this in mind
How does the school system work? Like Kenan-Flager etc? I have no clue about the different schools but they are definitely something to consider!
@CollagePls , for Kenan-Flaglers and other programs, I believe Public Health (Gillings) is another one, you must apply after during your sophomore year. For Kenan-Flagler, as @NewYawk mentioned, the acceptance rate is 50%. As far as credentials go, your GPA is highly regarded, lingering around a 3.5 GPA…though of course there’s people with lower and higher cumulative GPAs (from freshmen year and first semester sophomore). I hope this helps!
@CollagePls , for Kenan-Flaglers and other programs, I believe Public Health (Gillings) is another one, you must apply after during your sophomore year. For Kenan-Flagler, as @NewYawk mentioned, the acceptance rate is 50%. As far as credentials go, your GPA is highly regarded, lingering around a 3.5 GPA…though of course there’s people with lower and higher cumulative GPAs (from freshmen year and first semester sophomore). I hope this helps!
The largest part of UNC is the College of Arts and Sciences. Most majors fall within that school. Additionally, there are several professional schools, Kenan-Flager being one of them. As noted above, they typically have separate admissions processes. For KF admissions there are also admission pre-req courses that need to be completed while still in A&S as well as an admissions interview. The other professional schools may have comparable requirements.
Hey I was wondering what your stats are. If I have a 4.5 gpa, 2200 sat score, and decent ecs will I get in, btw im instate. Can you also tell me your stats and the stats of others that were accepted?