Deferred from UNC Chapel Hill?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
1

Hi everyone,
I applied early action to UNC with what I felt like was a well-rounded application. However, I did fall right on the verge of their average GPA and ACT scores. Because of that, I was prepared for my decision to go either way, but I was ultimately deferred. If anyone has feedback on my application, might know my chances of being accepted the next time around, or knows stats about other students who get deferred and then accepted, I would greatly appreciate it!

Gender: Female
Race: White
Applying: In-State
Intended Major: Biology (BS)

Class Rank: 75 / top 20% (highly competitive high school)
UW GPA: 3.7
W GPA: 4.58
ACT: 32
SAT: 1370 (hoping they’ll focus on ACT but I sent both)

APs: 3 (6 upon graduation)
-AP Music Theory - 5 (aural subscore - 4, nonaural subscore - 5)
-AP US History - 4
-AP Psychology - 5

Senior Year Schedule:
-Honors Anatomy & Physiology
-Honors English IV
-AP Statistics
-Honors German IV
-Wind Ensemble (honors credit)
-AP Environmental Science
-AP Biology

Extracurriculars:
-Wind Ensemble (grades 10, 11, 12)
-Concert Band (9, 11)
-Marching Band (9, 10, 11, 12)
-Varsity Swim Team
-Spring Musical Pit Orchestra (11)
-Chamber Orchestra (10, 11,12)
-Tri-M Music Honor Society (10, 11, 12)
-German Club (9,10, 11, 12)
-German Honor Society (11, 12)
-National Honor Society (12)

I hear UNC considers a special/main talent or ability that their applicants have to be important in the decision process. Band (trombone) is pretty obviously my thing.

Achievements:
-Governor’s School West - Instrumental Music (11)
-National German Exam Level II - Gold Medal (10)
-AP Scholar Award (11,12)

Work Experience:
YMCA Full Time (about 40 hrs/week) Lifeguard in the summer of 2015 (sophomore year)

Volunteering:
Jericho Brass - a volunteer church brass choir that rehearses and performs regularly at two local Presbyterian churches

Leadership:
Marching Band Tenor Brass Section Leader (12)

Recommendations:
It just so happens that the two teachers that know me best are UNC alums.

My core teacher recommendation was from my German teacher for the last three years. She knows me decently well and knows of my work ethic and capability. I have done pretty well in all three of her classes (two As, one B) and I think my gold medal on the National German Exam reflects well on me .

The optional one was from my band director. I have had 7 classes with him in my four years of high school, and I’ve been in the marching band under his direction for all four years. He likes me quite a lot, and I’ve impressed him over the last four years with my musical accomplishments. He is the teacher that knows me the best by far, and has written plenty of other good recommendations for me before.

I’m sorry that this was so long! I wanted to be sure I offered as much info as I could. If you can offer me any insight on my weaknesses, why I may have been deferred, or what my chances might be of getting in when I hear back again, I would be happy to hear it. I would especially like to know stats and averages of previous UNC applicants who were deferred then accepted.
Right now I think my GPA is the main thing holding me back. The good thing is that UNC wants to see midyear grades, and mine were all As (improved from my rough junior year), which ups my UW GPA to 3.73 and my W GPA to 4.6.

Thanks so much!

2

Did you have any leadership roles in any of our extracurriculars?

3

@peterin1 unfortunately no, Section Leader was my only one.

4

Perhaps that may have been detrimental to your applications. In addition, I think because your applications had little to reflect upon your biology major that your apps may have been deferred. IMO

5

I’m really surprised that you did not get accepted considering that you have a pretty high ACT score and that you are also in state.

6

@peterin1 Thanks for the feedback. You’re probably right about lack of leadership, but from what I’ve read UNC doesn’t consider your intended major when reviewing applications. I know two people there for biology who didn’t have anything but AP Bio on their applications, which is the same as I have. I wonder. Thanks again!

7

There’s no telling why you were deferred. Nothing stands out as a concerning issue. Some kids have EC leadership and aren’t holding down a 40 hr/ week job during the school year. The process is unpredictable so don’t spent too much energy trying to figure it out. Based on the info provided, you are a qualified candidate. The missing component is the essays. There is no way anyone on cc can tell why you were deferred. Good luck to you in the RD round and with your other apps.

8

I’d say you have a pretty good chance at getting accepted RD - I was accepted EA with a very similar application and GPA/test scores. It doesn’t seem to me like you have any “weaknesses”, unless maybe the essay fell short? Unfortunately I think undergrad admissions can be a bit of a toss-up, so it doesn’t necessarily mean that you had anything wrong with your application. Good luck! :~)

9

Thank you! This makes me feel better about my chances. I did feel pretty confident about my essays for UNC, but you never know. Congrats on your acceptance and thanks for your response. :slight_smile:

10

I am also surprised you didn’t get in EA. Good Luck!

11

@emnuss - Don’t feel bad, and there is still hope. It’s very competitive and very arbitrary. Especially if you come from a competitive high school. There are certain “feeder” schools, I believe my son’s is, and they can only take so many. His senior class was hugely competitive this year, he was ranked #83 with a weighted 4.6 gpa.

My daughter does to Chapel Hill, she’s a junior. She had an unweighted GPA of 3.8, and weighted was 4.15 when she submitted her application (I believe at the end of senior year it was a 4.5). She volunteered for an animal adoption organization, played clarinet for years, but only one year of high school, worked about 20 hours a week her senior year and was involved in NHS, Art NHS, STRIDE and Science Decathalon (or something like that, I can’t remember). Her only leadership was Class VP in 9th grade.

My son, who had the same ACT - 33, and a higher GPA when he applied this year, was deferred. He is an Eagle Scout, played JV and Varsity Soccer, as well as Club soccer, snowboard team, winter track, and works 16-40 hours a week at his job (obviously 40 was during the summer), planned and executed an Eagle project, as well as has participated in monthly service projects for the last 10 years in scouts, held leadership positions in scouts and earned Order of the Arrow and Eagle. He’s also volunteered at the high school’s summer soccer camp every summer for 4 years and at the school for various NHS and Science NHS events. He is in DECA, Math Club and angular physics club. He did have a weak year in 9th grade, but worked his butt off, has all Honors and AP classes and by earning straight A’s for the last two years, has managed to salvage his GPA with a current 4.6 weighted, yet a 3.6 unweighted. (higher weighted than his sister, but lower unweighted.) Plus he has a sister that already goes there, which they ask about in the application. He never has a spare minute, and still manages to have a decent GPA. He’s up until 2 a.m., like so many of you, doing homework and projects.

Still, he was deferred. His girlfriend and others, with slight;y higher GPA’s, but significantly lower ACT scores (29) were accepted.

Taking nothing away from those that got in, or my son who was deferred, it’s all about what they university is looking for any given year. Sometimes they are looking for certain majors, sometimes community service, it changes every year because they want diversity - a well rounded student body. You still need to meet the criteria, high gpa, high test scores, leadership, community, etc. - but it’s that extra thing that makes you different from what they already have that catches their eye any given year.

My son was deferred by Carolina, but was accepted into the honors program at Northeastern. His girlfriend was accepted by Carolina, and accepted to NU - but not to the Honors Program. My son was accepted to Emory University, his girlfriend was not. They were both denied by Boston University. The whole process is unpredictable and arbitrary.

Congratulations on all that you have accomplished - be proud no matter what. If you make it in, I hope you like it. It’s an amazing school and a beautiful campus.Good luck to you - we are still waiting, as you are. Just know that whether you make it or not this year, you are definitely Carolina material, they were just looking for something different this year.

12

Thank you so much for your kind words! You’re right, schools like Carolina can be very unpredictable. Your children both sound incredibly accomplished, and it is interesting and helpful to know how both of their applications were recieved. I wish your son the best of luck in the next round of desicions!

13

You sound like a great student. I hope you heard good news yesterday?