<p>First, I live in state and I am an African-American. I go to a school based on engineering and biotechnology and have taken four engineering classes (Digital Electronics, Civil Engineering and Architecture, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, Principles of Engineering) and they are all AP weighted and I got B's in all of them if this means anything. Considering the fact that I am a minority living in state would that help me get into Chapel Hill.</p>
<p>Currently a Junior
Played 2 years of Varsity football
Member of the key club (Community Service Club)
Taking dual enrollment (community college) courses in high school
I will also be the vice president of my Senior class
Taken 2 AP classes </p>
<p>SAT Scores:
Reading: 480
Math: 560
Writing: 530
Overall: 1570 </p>
<p>Unweighted GPA: 3.3
Weighted GPA: 3.94 </p>
<p>ACT Score: 24 </p>
<p>Class rank is in the top 30% </p>
<p>It is hard to judge your chances.</p>
<p>Positives: In-state, URM, what appears to be a rigorous schedule.
Negatives: Standardized test scores (Current class SAT 1,780 for the 25th percentile, 28 for ACT) and Class Rank (78% of incoming first years are in top 10% of their class) and GPA (4.5 weighted is a good place to be).</p>
<p>Hre are a few things to consider:
- Will you be obtaining an Associates Degree from the community college or receive college credit for those classes? UNC has a good transfer opportunity for early college graduates.
- Is your school successful at placing students at UNC?
- Will your GPA stats rise after your junior year?
- Do your interests lie in engineering given the courses taken. If so, is UNC the place for you since there are few engineering options at Carolina compared to NC State or UNCC.
- Your application would need strong essays that tell your unique story. You will have to “sell” yourself to the admissions team. Standing out amongst 10,000 other in state applicants will be key.
- I would suggest taking a review class for the SAT and bring your scores up a couple hundred points at least.</p>
<p>It’s hard to predict, but UNC Chapel Hill would be a high reach for you, as your scores and grades are not in range of students who are typically selected. Your high school experience is interesting, and with your strong background in engineering- I wonder if you are interested in continuing that? If so, UNC may not be the right school for you. NCSU and UNCC were mentioned. NCSU engineering college is also very competitive and would be a reach at the moment. </p>
<p>I realize that not all African-American students are interested in HBCU’s, but if you would consider it, then there are two in NC that are strong in your academic background. NC A&T is recognized for engineering and NCCU has a strong biomedical/biotechnology department. If you can retake the ACT/SAT and raise your scores some, and apply early to both of them you may be eligible for some merit aid and possibly their honors programs. If you have not visited these campuses, I would urge you to visit, see the facilities, meet with faculty and students in your areas of interests, and get information about the research and other opportunities on these campuses.</p>
<p>Students in NC are fortunate to have great schools in state. UNC is a great college, but sometimes the other colleges are shadowed by UNC’s popularity. However, many of them are quite strong in certain areas and are worth taking a look at. </p>
<p>Hey! I’m also an African-American in North Carolina and I’m applying to UNC! I think your GPA and Test scores are pretty low for the school in all honesty (which you already know). Here are the stats straight from Carolina’s website:
25th-75th percentiles
—SAT Critical Reading 590-710
—SAT Math 610-710
—SAT Writing 580-690
—ACT Composite 28-33</p>
<p>I also got a 24 on the ACT, but my SAT is a 1930 so that saved my butt lol. I would up your GPA with some summer classes and maybe add another AP class. The average weighted GPA for UNC is a 4.47, so try and get yours into the 4.0+. UNC will be a stretch for you, but certainly not impossible. Get your SAT into the 1700s (1800s would be ideal) and write some killer essays. Good luck! I know its hard!</p>