<p>Just wondering if anyone else got the explore carolina invitation...especially those who either received the phone call are infamous likely letter.</p>
<p>good look to all rd's</p>
<p>humbucker87: My child received the likely letter some time ago and the subsequent phone call just last week...but I have never even heard the phrase, 'explore Carolina,' (nor have I ever seen an 'explore Carolina invitation'), until someone mentioned it on this UNC board. Since that person was from out-of-state who originally posted it, is this just for out-of-state students, I wonder? Did you receive an actual 'explore carolina invitation?' I'm not even sure that phrase was used in the likely letter she received, but I'd have to dig it up now to find out for sure.</p>
<p>First of all I am an in state student...but also I am sorry for being a little misleading. My letter never said straight forward that there was an explore carolina event. I found the event invitation on my admissions homepage where I submitted my online app. Hopefully one will await your child also.</p>
<p>humbucker87: Ah...I see. Thanks for the clarification!</p>
<p>Again wishful thinking, my son did receive the invite on his home page as well, does this imply merit $$???</p>
<p>Do the parents as well stay in a dorm room? My son definitely will, but I'm debating hotel since we will prob. make a long week-end out of it from NJ .</p>
<p>Also just noticed the date for Explore Carolina on my son's home page says 3/22, and they describe events for Thurs and Friday, but 3/22 is a Tues. So is it Thurs 3/24 and Friday 3/25???.</p>
<p>2sonmom...we saw it, but if you read the online invitation, it says, "..all admitted students are invited to Explore Carolina..." which sounds pretty inclusive to me, so I doubt this is connected in any way with possible merit money. Just my thought.</p>
<p>You're prob. correct Jack, but like I said wishful thinking on my part plus what the likely letter stated:</p>
<p>"We also hope to see you at one or more of the special events we will be hosting in March and April for students of exceptional promise."</p>
<p>Did you get the same date 3/22 which is a Tues??</p>
<p>2sonmom: I'm not sure we can even locate the likely letter at this point, but did the online invite say that, too? That quotes the March 22 date, I think. But I do suspect that they don't make that phone call to everybody. When we went to the informational session there some time ago, the admissions person said that obvious admits (exceptionally high test scorers, high gpa's (with toughest course load in your high school)--that those applications will automatically be set aside and looked at for merit money. I assume that's true at many places...but that's what we understood. Guess it all depends on how many of those high scorers/high gpas are in the UNC pool. Again, I have always heard (for years) that much of that merit money is saved for out-of-state students, but that may be nothing more than a rumor that got started decades ago. Who knows.</p>
<p>Jack, i think the Explore Carolina on our kids home page is basically generic to all who received it. </p>
<p>It will certainly sweeten the pot if merit is included, but I guess we will eventually find out. I guess as they say Patience is a Virtue, but it sure would be nice to know sooner. I am hoping any reward letters will come prior to the Explore Carolina week-end.</p>
<p>By the way where are u from?</p>
<p>2sonmom: Yes, I'm sure what's on the home page is 'generic,' but I'm not sure the likely letter was...though that would take a lot of effort on someone's part to make it different. From NC...can't you tell? That's why I find it troublesome about the rumor I often hear--that the majority of merit money goes to out-of-staters... There are plenty of NC students who are competitive in every way with the 18% out-of-state students who are accepted, and I think NC should recognize that, and pay to keep those students in-state.</p>
<p>2sonmom: You might also be interested in knowing--if you don't already--that since 2003, students from NC School of Science and Math get a full ride to any UNC system school, should they choose to go to one, which I find appalling. There are some top high schools in NC, where many students could easily get in to NCSSM, but choose to remain in their own (often better) high schools. I think if NC is going to do this for NCSSM students, then they need to make that offer available to other top NC students. How about simply offering it to National Merit Finalists--easily done--hell, the list is already made up for them. Or how about those Presidential Scholar nominees? To make this full ride offer to students from NCSSM, and to no other top NC students, is bogus--at best.</p>
<p>I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the seniors graduating from NC School of Science and Math are offered only "free tuition," not a "free ride" and it's at any of the 16 North Carolina state schools, not just Chapel Hill. Granted, I don't think that's very fair either, and the NC legislature is going to be looking at this again because a lot of the lawmakers don't think it's right either.</p>
<p>jacksongrl: Yes, as I said, they can go to any UNC system school--which I meant included any of 16 NC state schools. But you are absolutely correct...full tuition, not "free ride." I have no idea how Sen. Kay Hagan got this bill through...but I'm wondering if she had teenage children at the time and if any of them attended NCSSM.... At any rate, I find it especially disturbing now as UNC-CH is going to raise in-state and out-of-state tuition again... yet this free tuition to NCSSM students is currrently costing the state $700,000, because 80% take them up on it.</p>
<p>Wait so I am a liitle unclear on who exactly received the invite to the explore carolina event? Was it everybody? likely letter? thanks for the clarification.</p>
<p>Humbucker87: I'm not sure; I guess you'd have to survey everyone to find out for sure. Sounds like everybody who got the likely letter and was subsequently accepted, also received the invite, though.</p>
<p>Anybody else note that 3/22/05 is a Tuesday, yet actvities as such are planned for a Thursday and Friday????</p>
<p>That's because in North Carolina, March 22 is on a Thursday.</p>
<p>Cute Chocoholic, should I just assume a typo on unc's part??</p>
<p>I really don't know. I will ask my D to check (as she has the homepage with the invite). However, in the UNC calendar,Mar.14-18 is Spring Break, and then Mar.25 is marked a s a Spring Holiday, all offices and classes closed.</p>
<p>And no, parents don't get to stay in a dorm room. You will need to make other arrangements. Maybe if we are there at the same time, we can share? :)</p>