Do I have a shot at Chapel Hill, or should I just go to Community College?

<p>Hey guys, I'm having a rather tough time trying to figure out where to go from here and could use some help from those who are familiar with the admission standards of NC schools such as UNC-Chapel Hill. I made a post about a week ago explaining my situation, so I'm just going to do a quick cut-paste of the important part.</p>

<p>I'm a 26 year old resident of NC. I dropped out of High School halfway through my junior year due to some family struggles. I'll try to save some space by not getting too far into the details with that situation. Prior to that, I had maintained excellent grades, took AP classes, was an Honor Society member, etc. </p>

<p>I moved to NC from MN in 2006 where I continued to postpone my education until this past year. I enrolled in my local CC's Adult High School program, buckled down, and graduated this past May with honors.</p>

<p>Anyway, my current stats are as follows:</p>

<p>Freshman-Junior year HS:
3.68 Cumulative G.P.A
Top 22% of my class
5 AP classes</p>

<p>Adult High School:
Straight A's (unfortunately, they don't calculate GPA or class rank)
Member of the National Adult Education Honor Society</p>

<p>I realize that due to my history I'm not their "ideal" student, per say, but is it even worth applying? If not, what schools should I be applying to? The other option would be to attend CC for a year or two in hopes to make myself a little more "attractive" and then apply as a transfer. Only downside to that, as others pointed out to me in my previous thread, is that I wouldn't be able to take advantage of freshman funding. My head is all over the place, if it isn't obvious.</p>

<p>If anyone has any experience with other NC schools, please feel free to chime in with your experience too. Thanks!</p>

<p>If I were an admissions officer I would likely welcome some non-trad that put its act together in an adult high school. But how many years did you spend in adult high school? And then I could give you a target score for Chapel Hill.</p>

<p>Also, what ECs or jobs did you do in high school, or in your time away from school?</p>

<p>Well the only way to know is to apply and find out. UNC is very selective, but your grades are good and you may get accepted.</p>

<p>UNC claims to meet full need, but some of the other state colleges may be affordable as well.</p>

<p>Do you have SAT/ACT scores? </p>

<p>The other NC schools are different in character and location. Perhaps if you post your academic interests others can make suggestions.</p>

<p>Catria- I spent about 7 months in the AHS program. As far as EC’s go, that part has crossed my mind and concerns me a bit, as I’ve had very little. A couple part-time jobs post-high school, but that’s all. I was honestly thinking they would not take into account EC’s because of my age. I’ve been care-giving for a family member the last couple of years, which has kind of held me back.</p>

<p>Pennylane- I do not have ACT/SAT scores. However, I have contacted UNC and was told they would not be needed in my situation. As far as academic interests go, I’m interested in science (biology/medicine in particular), but am still not completely decided on which career path I’d like to take. </p>

<p>I contacted NC State and one of the counselors told me that my chances of freshman admission were slim. Although I never even mentioned grades or anything. I guess she just took it at face value without considering other criteria.</p>

<p>Thanks a ton, guys.</p>

<p>That’s interesting. I did not know they could tell you this without considering your specific information, and I wonder why there is an issue with you applying as an adult student. I believe that the “freshman funding” discussed is merit aid, and this would be awarded to top students, and may also require test scores (ACT/SAT). Need based financial aid is determined each year according to income. After age 26, I believe it is based on your income, not your parents. Attending CC will not change your need based financial aid.
I see where some programs were suggested to you on the other thread.</p>

<p>I think the best advice about UNC would come from their admissions office. If this is not favorable, then it is possible to attend CC for 2 years, and once accepted at UNC, need based financial aid can be met. This may still be an affordable option. The admissions office can clarify this.</p>

<p>Thanks for the info. Yea, the counselor at NC State said that I would apply as a freshman, but that my chances were not that great considering the incoming freshman I would be competing with. Not sure how she determined my chances without me even providing academic history. I haven’t specifically asked Chapel Hill about my chances. I kind of just wanted to see what people here had to say.</p>

<p>I really just want to see where I stand. Who I should be considering, etc. Also, I do not HAVE to complete a two year associate degree to transfer, one year would be sufficient if I chose to do CC first. Correct?</p>

<p>You can apply in the first year but pay close attention to the requirements, and also be sure to take classes that will transfer over.
<a href=“https://admissions.unc.edu/apply/transfer-students/[/url]”>https://admissions.unc.edu/apply/transfer-students/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;