What are my chances of getting into UNC Chapel Hill?

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

I am a junior in high school as well as a resident of North Carolina. My top choice right now is UNC Chapel Hill with my secondary choice being NC State University. I´m very nervous that I wont get in when I apply next year to either of these schools. I also dream of going to very hard schools that I know I don´t have a shot at such as Notre Dame or Duke. I am a white male and my ACT and SAT scores are not very good at all.

My unweighted GPA is a 3.98 (it may go down due to a B in APUSH but my unweighted wont be lower then a 3.93 by the time I apply)

My weighted GPA is a 4.7 and will most likely be a 4.9 or higher by the time I´m applying

I am currently 27 out of my class of 540 and hopefully my rank will be even better when this year ends

I have only taken the SAT once (without studying) and made a score of 1150 which I know is extremely low but I am planning to focus on studying for the SAT heavily before retaking again. I will take it at most 2 more times before I apply.

My ACT score is a 29 and I plan on studying and retaking this test again as well

My freshman year I took all honors classes and made above a 95 in all classes.
By sophomore year I took honors classes as well but also took my first AP class (AP World History) which I got my lowest A in that year which was a 92. (My school is on a 10 point grading scale)
This year I am taking 5 AP´s which include AP US History, AP Psychology, AP Micro, AP Macro, and AP English III. I am also taking Chemistry honors and Pre-calculus honors. I have around a 93 in all my classes this year except APUSH which I plan on making a B in. Next year I am planning on taking AP Calculus ab, AP English IV, AP Biology, Spanish 3 honors, AP Statistics and possibly AP Physics or AP Chemistry.

I have been on the varsity lacrosse team since freshman year and I am members of Key club, Amnesty club, Spanish club, as well as a member of our schools National Honors Society.

I have many volunteer hours due to these clubs and I also work at Pinehurst resort which is a very top-end resort club in North Carolina.

Next year I plan on running for vice president of National Honors Society and vice president of our schools SGA. I will most likely get these positions.

What are my odds? And if I dont have a shot what schools

2

And if I don´t have a shot what schools do you recommend I look into?

3

^ What do you want to study in college? Do you want to stay in North Carolina for college? Is money going to be a major consideration for where you go to college?

4

Since you’re in state, you should be good. I think it’s worth retaking the ACT to try to bump your score a little, but even with a 29 your odds are good. Obviously, make sure to do your best work on the essays, keep your grades up. etc.

It seems to me that you should focus your time on the ACT - you don’t need to submit both the SAT and ACT so focus on the test you’re better at. Don’t spread yourself too thin - you’ve probably got a lot on your plate.

If you want suggestions for backup schools besides NC State, an indication of your academic interests would help. Without knowing more, I’ll point out that Clemson, U of South Carolina and Alabama all have academic recruiting scholarships for which you should qualify for a partial scholarship given your ACT score.

5

I may want to study biology or engineering. It doesn’t matter to me if I stay in North Carolina or not but money may be slightly an issue if it is too much. I hope to get scholarships.

6

I would hopefully like to go into biology or engineering or even biomedical engineering.

7

If you are interested in engineering, you may wish to focus on NC State; UNC doesn’t have a college of engineering, and has only a joint biomedical engineering program with NC State: https://www.bme.unc.edu/.

8

Can someone please chance me?

  1. Education: a. Terry Sanford High School b. GPA Weighted: 4.96

SAT: 1240

  1. AP Coursework: a. 2013-2014: i. AP Psychology b. 2014-2015: i. AP Human Geography ii. AP Computer Science A iii. AP Environmental Science c. 2015-2016: i. AP Calculus AB ii. AP Calculus BC iii. AP English Language and Composition iv. AP Biology v. AP United States Government and Politics d. 2016-2017: i. AP English Literature and Composition ii. AP Statistics iii. AP Art History iv. AP Physics v. AP United States History
  2. Honors and Awards: a. Academy of Scholars (2015-present) b. Global Studies Academy at Terry Sanford HS (2013-present) c. National Honor Society d. 2x Presidential Service Award winner e. Rotary Youth Leadership Award f. 2nd place in Engineering Design and Biotechnology at TSA State Competition. (2015 and 2016 respectively) g. 6-7 medals in various events such as Astronomy, Write it Do It, Dynamic Planet etc. h. 2 state medals in Experimental Design (7th and 9th)
  3. Activities: a. Science Olympiad b. Mu Alpha Theta c. National Honor Society d. Academy of Scholars e. Key Club f. Technology Student Association (TSA) g. Interact Club h. Youth Group i. Tutor for NCVPS, Peer Tutoring j. Math Honor Society k. American Red Cross
  4. Leadership: a. President, VP, Secretary, and Treasurer of Interact b. President, VP, Secretary, and Treasurer of Youth Group. c. President of Red Cross chapter d. Sergeant at Arms of TSA chapter e. Lead Peer Tutor (Group Leader) of my NCVPS Peer Tutor team.
  5. Volunteering: a. Interact: We organize projects to benefit people around the community and the world. In one of our projects we held a program to raise money to sponsor schools in rural India. To sponsor each school for one year it was $365. Each school supported 30-40 kids. In just one night, we were able to raise about $16,000 dollars! We have been doing this program for the last three years and have supported 100+ schools. We also volunteer at various Veteran’s homes and nursing homes. We also take clean up and fix historical sites around Fayetteville. Its part of the Rotary Organization, which you might have heard. b. In Youth Group we organize local projects to raise money for Relay for Life. This is an organization that uses the money to sponsor cancer treatment and cancer research. We also make food for the poor every other week, including sandwiches, fruits etc. c. Tutoring: I have tutored with NCVPS through their peer tutor center since the 9th grade. I have accumulated over 200+ hours doing so and have received 2 presidential awards so far. I am planning to get my 3rd award by the end of this year, I have already volunteered about 70 hours so just 30 more for my presidential award. d. I also volunteer with the American Red Cross organizing blood drives etc. e. Key Club, Mu Alpha Theta, and NHS we organize drives for the poor.
9

@adepani3112, don’t piggyback on someone else’s thread, please. If you would like to, start your own.

That said, however, I think you have a very strong chance. Your weak point is your SAT score, although I suppose there isn’t much you can do about that if you are a senior at this point.

10

I’d be shocked if you don’t get in. Yes SAT is a little low but your ACT is within the range, and your GPA and ECs look great.