PSA for anyone who has been wait listed

So, I was wait listed last year, and this year I was accepted as a transfer student. Because of this, I have had to jump through every ring and had so much undue stress because of UNC’s FA office. Here are some things I wish I would have known:

  1. If you get a financial aid to-do item called “Aid App but Not Yet Admitted” ignore it. It’s description says something like, “We have your FA package, but you are not admitted to the University.” Google tells you nothing, and UNC will have you worrying that your admittance was a clerical error or a mistake. In truth, this is just because UNC labels their FA years in an odd way, and that message is left over from last year, even if it took a hot minute to officially show up.

  2. Your laptop grant and Carolina Covenant status will not be accurate the first time. You will have to talk to financial aid and get it fixed. This is because some box was ticked, either when you applied or when you were waitlisted, that tells their automated software that you are not a first time student there. That is required for both the laptop grant and to be eligible for Covenant status.

For whatever reason, they cannot just tick a box and fix every issue. As they arise, you will have to work with FA with every problem and explain to them that you applied last year, and that’s why these issues occur.

I just wanted to post this for anyone who was freaking out like I was, or anyone who has been waitlisted this year and plans to apply again next year.

I applied this year and got waitlisted as a rising junior transfer, I really want to attend UNC, should I reapply next year as a rising senior transfer?