Tips on Applying?

I am interested in applying to UNC Chapel Hill and while my gpa is an unweighted 3.92 and weighted 5.5, my scores does not reflect what is typically suggested. I also have more than 10 extracurriculars and avidly volunteer in several organizations in my community. Thus, are there any tips on how to make my application more appealing of an Early Action acceptance?

I would focus on my essays and letters of recommendation. UNC has a YouTube video about essays which you might find helpful. Are you in-state or OOS?

I will be an OOS applicant.

If your standardized test scores are low, I’d suggest a retake. As you know, admission from out of state is very very competitive.

What are your scores?

Acceptance for OOS students is very difficult, as you know. It’s hard to predict your chances. You will need to focus on your essays and letters and show them that you are a good fit for the school.

27 ACT.

27 is low for OOS. My advice is to really focus on the other parts of your application and to retake the ACT in September.

It’s been mentioned OOO is very competitive but to put it in context for you UNC is held to a NC state requirement which will only permit them to accept 18% of OOS students. It makes getting accepted as an OOS student even more competitive. You’d need to get the ACT up a few points. Your essays and recommendations will need to be strong.but also need to stand out by emphasizing something you are passionate about or unique to you. Just don’t get too caught up in one school because there are many wonderful schools out there. Good luck!

To follow up on the above comments, not only does UNC-CH admit OOS applicants in numbers that are calculated not to exceed 18% of an entering freshman class, see “Undergraduate Admissions” on Page 2, here: http://www.admissions.unc.edu/files/2013/09/Admissions__Policy.pdf; but the overall admissions rate for OOS first-year applicants is rather low. For example, the entering Class of 2020 had a 15% acceptance rate for OOS applicants: http://admissions.unc.edu/apply/class-profile-2/.

The UNC-CH Common Data Set, under Part C7, states that standardized test scores, application essay(s), letter(s) of recommendation, and the rigor of your high school record are “very important” academic factors considered for freshman admission, whereas GPA and class rank are “important” academic factors considered for freshman admission. Extracurricular activities, talent, and character/personal qualities are considered as “very important” non-academic factors. Further, Part C9 of the Common Data Set for UNC-CH gives the median 50% for both SAT and ACT scores, as well as the percentage of the entering first-year class falling within certain ranges of SAT and ACT scores.

Your 27 ACT is relatively low in an area that UNC-CH considers to be “very important”; so this does not work in your favor. If you are a URM (“under-represented minority”), recruited D-1 athlete, first-generation college student, OOS legacy, or can claim a disadvantaged socioeconomic status, then UNC-CH may cut you some slack in regards to your low ACT score; but I wouldn’t necessarily count on it.

In addition to trying to bring up your ACT score (and have you taken the SAT?), I would make sure that your essays and LORs are top-notch (as they are “very important” academic factors). I would also elaborate on your leadership abilities and examples of leadership in your ECs, which relate to the “very important” non-academic factors of character/personal qualities, as part of your overall application; mere participation in ECs is not necessarily a good thing, especially if your participation doesn’t evidence leadership attributes.

I don’t know whether your high school has Naviance or any similar program that gives information about how students at your high school have done in applying to colleges and universities; if so, you might peruse that data. I would also try to meet with a guidance counselor at your school early in the Fall semester to discuss application strategies for UNC-CH; if any former students from your school have been admitted to UNC-CH recently, the guidance counselor may be able to give some insight into how and why such student(s) were successful.

Good luck!