What does it take to be a merit scholar?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
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<p>Just curious! I'm a high school junior, OOS. UNC is one of my top schools, without a doubt. I believe I have a chance at being accepted, but I'm only trying to be positive, so who knows!</p>

<p>Anyway, is there anyone who could give a little insight as to what credentials qualify one for either the Carolina Scholars Awards or Richardson scholarship? To my understanding, this is something that is granted to you without separate applications or extra effort. So UNC chooses..who? The very top of the admitted class?</p>

<p>I would love to hear from anyone who has information on these scholarships, especially if you perhaps ARE one of these scholars. Is there a lesser chance for OOS students to get these? And am I correct to believe that these scholarships mean a full ride for OOS'ers? </p>

<p>Carolina Scholars:
"Recipients from North Carolina receive renewable awards of $7,500 per year; those from out-of-state will receive an award equivalent to the cost of tuition, fees, room and board."</p>

<p>William Richardson Davie:
"For N.C. recipients, these competitive scholarships provide a $5,000 award. Out-of-state recipients receive the equivalent of tuition, fees, room and board."</p>

<p>Basically any information or clarification is welcome and appreciated! Again, I'm only asking out of curiosity. Oh, and if I've missed any past posts on this topic then please direct me to them!</p>

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<p>I'd do a search of all 'merit aid' 'honors' 'scholarship day' 'robertson' 'morehead' stuff. When I get a little more time I'll get back to you with a real answer!! :)</p>

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<p>"And am I correct to believe that these scholarships mean a full ride for OOS'ers?"</p>

<p>Yes, that's correct. ^</p>

<p>This link might help:
<a href="http://studentaid.unc.edu/studentaid/type/ssa_scholarships.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://studentaid.unc.edu/studentaid/type/ssa_scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>Cloying here is a Carolina Scholar, I'm an OOS Pogue, and we were both Robertson Finalists. I can answer any of your questions, and I'm sure cloying can too. :-)</p>

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<p>Huge congratulations to you both, and thanks to the three of you for the responses! Wow, a full ride, that must be incredibly exciting and rewarding.</p>

<p>I did find a post a few pages back about this topic, from a person who some of you might recall as the one who referred to UNC (and a full ride) as a backup?</p>

<p>It was an informative post, definitely. But I was hoping someone could go a little more into detail for me on the process of actually getting the scholarships and what it means.</p>

<p>GetOuttaBuffalo, if either you or Cloying wouldn't mind posting some of your stats or scores, that would be really helpful. I understand if you'd rather not, but I am interested to get a feel for the caliber of the Pogue/Carolina/Robertson scholars (is it Robertson? Why did I think it was Richardson?). Doubtless you guys are amazing, so I guess it doesn't matter if you post your scores or not! I suppose what I'm curious about is..how much above the average OOS admitted students were you?</p>

<p>And anything about what differentiates you from the average Carolina student as a scholar would be great to know, too. Is it more individual attention, research opportunities, recognition, that kind of thing?</p>

<p>Lastly, what's the difference between the William Richardson Davies and the Carolina Scholars? Is being a Carolina Scholar a higher level of distinction? I only ask because they appear to receive the same benefits, but the UNC web site makes the Carolina Scholars one out to be more prestigious.</p>

<p>I have too many questions!</p>

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<p>Carolina Scholars comes with additional mentoring and advising and has some classes reserved for them. Those classes may be taken by others in the Honors program with permission of the professor.</p>

<p>Prior to changes in scholarships last year when OOS major scholarship winners weren't entitled to in-state tuition as they are now, the Davie was less money...about half tuition where the Carolina Scholars was full tuition. Now they are essentially the same from a financial perspective for an OOS student. That issue is a major "can of worms" ...with good reason.....since the instate students don't fare quite as well. You can look at archived posts regarding that from last year after the changes were made.</p>

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<p>I'm writing this as I have one 8 page paper left to write. It is MY VERY LAST HIGH SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT. I'm actually pretending like it's my high school Honors Thesis for whatever reason, hoping that'll get my creative juices flowing a little bit more. Whoo for trying to establish a connection between Emerson and Maslow via Frederick Douglass.</p>

<p>Disregard that! </p>

<p>I think a big misconception people have is that scores mean everything. Maybe they do for some schools. There is a certain rival school of ours that I'm convinced often disregards the 'character' section of the application while considering its applicants. At any rate, I'm happy to share my stats. What would be the point of these forums if you couldn't get some stats!
(copy pasted from previous thread)</p>

<hr>

<p>In State, Carolina Scholar, Robertson Finalist
Stats
680M/720R/730W
School doesn't rank (45 kids in my senior class)
3.74 unweighted (5 Bs 9th grade year, two afterward)
5 APs taken freshman and sophomore year (5,5,4,4,3)
Junior and Senior year, all classes taken at a local four-year college</p>

<p>ECs
President and Founder of a canned food donation club, President of our Model Congress team, Student Court senior justice, FIRST Robotics head of marketing, newspaper, NHS, speech & debate, etc.
Out of school activities - lots of orchestral stuff, volunteer at a fair trade store
Without counting work in school service clubs, over 500 hours of community service</p>

<p>Essays: long essay- of my choice, wrote about my violin teacher, spent a very long time on it, short essay- narrative, presented a juxtaposition... where my grandfather was when he died versus where he had been (mainly described him looking out his window). I still feel that both of them are the best essays I wrote for any application last fall.</p>

<hr>

<p>I did really well at GWU, UMiami, and UNC with these, if that helps.</p>

<p>My suggestions if you want honors/merit aid -
- apply Early Action. Do not apply Regular. Early. Action.
- Have those essays POLISHED. Don't just jot down whatever you're thinking and click send. Take a lot of time to formulate what you'd like to tell them. Carolina is huge on their essays.
=>During Robertson Finalist weekend I was able to talk with one of the dudes who's the overseer of the selection for Honors and merit scholarships and I was shocked at how candid he was. We got a peak into how it all went down! Interesting essays with solid to strong statistics are forwarded to a special committee. Essays are reread and then the top one percent of UNC's early action applicant pool is selected to go to Scholarship Day. They basically have predetermined who will probably get what scholarships, but that's where they select the Carolina Scholars, Davie Scholars, etc. At the day you participate in a group discussion with a faculty mentor and later are given a bluebook and thirty minutes to respond to the group discussion. I took the day really seriously, and had my eyes on the Carolina Scholars Award. My mom still laughs at me telling her I was going to 'get the big money' in the car afterward. I can be a little too cheeky sometimes. Though I'd say it's really hard to get selected to go to Scholarship Day (what you've done during high school is now out of your hands), once there I found the whole process to be pretty relaxed and easy. But I was surprised at how many kids that day kept repeating ideas/didn't respond too much to the questions. My guess is around 15 kids that day probably got the Carolina Scholars Award, because they have a Scholarship Day again in the spring for RD applicants.
=>A current Robertson I met had also gotten the Carolina Scholars award. She informed me that in her blue book she wrote about two pages and then drew a heart that said, "I love UNC!" in it. So. I don't really know how to respond to that. I wrote ten pages. That's all I could say when she told me that. It made me feel kind of crummy about my award, but the best way I can rationalize it is they probably picked her to receive it before the Scholarship Day even began. She was definitely a really cool person.
- If you are athletic, go for the Morehead. If you had to pause and question whether or not you're athletic, forget about it. If you like service and have done some neat things in high school, apply for the Robertson by filling out the supplement. Do not hope they pick you. Fill out the form. I was reading back on someone giving advice to pre-applicants, saying, "I'd say to wait to fill out the supplement after they select you." That's assuming they pick you. Don't risk things like that! I talked to one kid who actually went on to get the Robertson who'd made several Cs in high school and said, had he not filled out the supplemental materials, he didn't think he'd even be a semi-finalist.
- My guidance counsellor this year is really amazing, especially compared to in years passed. She wrote in my recommendation that I was interested in the honors program and would be a great candidate for it. I'd ask your counsellor to do something similar. My recs were also written by a prof of mine who really likes me, on a personal and academic level, so they came from the heart. Go to your favorite teacher now and ask them if they can write a glowing review for you! Don't wait until the last minute.</p>

<p>Phew. So I know that's a lot of information and the readability might be a little low. To sum things up, be on your A game. Take the app seriously. Be genuine in your essays. Don't sweat it if your fill in the blank answers aren't dripping with intellectualism.</p>

<p>GetOuttaBuffalo can tell you all about the Pogue!!</p>

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<p>Nice summary, cloying. With reference to the 2 page essay (plus heart!) vs the 10 page essay -- the phrase, "it's quality, not quantity," probably works here. ;)</p>

<p>A few years ago, we were told at an information session, that the top 500 applications (which must mean, at that point I'm guessing-- GPA, most rigorous courseload your high school offers (and excellent grades within those courses), test scores, excellent essays-- are pulled aside. These 500 are then looked at more carefully and considered for merit scholarships and honors. I am assuming this is the way it's still done. </p>

<p>And regardless of that story about the kid who claimed he had C's on his transcript and still got the Robertson, well . . . I wouldn't use that as a guide. This person may have made a C or two as a freshman (and, perhaps, in some difficult courses), but I'd be very surprised if he had any past 9th grade. At any rate, I wouldn't naturally assume that would be okay.</p>

<p>In terms of doing the Robertson supplemental, I do remember that person posting that comment--that one should wait. The idea, as I remember, is that if you're nominated, you still have to complete it (if you didn't before). So this person thought that one might do a much better job of answering the questions at the later date, than in late November of your senior year (when you're probably also in a rush to finish up multiple applications, essays, etc). I also suspect one's ideas might change somewhat, too. Plenty of applicants are nominated who do not complete the supplemental for that Dec 1 deadline, though.</p>

<p>Cloying gave some great inside information there, but you might want to also look at the Morehead and the Robertson pages on the UNC website, which gives more detail on their Scholarships and the caliber of students they nominate and award. The other link, provided above, tells you more about the other merit scholarships, too.</p>

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<p>I'd like to add to cloying and jack's thoughts. My d got honors program and Carolina scholar-in state. She is National Merit Commended student; SAT 680M, 730CR, 750W; ACT 33. #1 in class of 330+. Mostly honors and AP classes throughout H.S. 5 APs last year: 4s & 5s on all AP exams. 8 AP classes (full load) this year; 1st in county school system to do so. (some taken online or ind. study) All A's; GPA over 5.?
At Carolina 101, which we attended last spring they talked about looking for people with a passion. Looking at the kids who did and who didn't get accepted to Carolina at her school, it seems that they do really search for people who are unique, and demonstrate character and passion. My d's passion is foreign language; she is fluent in Japanese and is studying Chinese in her free time. She persisted and got school to offer beyond Japanese 1, 2, & 3. She took Japanese 4 as ind. study and is taking AP Japanese 5 this year. She is very involved with the Japanese community in our area and helps with cultural events and education/tutoring. She and her teamates competed successfully at the National Japan Bowl in D.C. 2 years in a row. She founded the Japan club at her school. She did a homestay summer program in Japan. She wrote about her experiences in an essay.
Beyond her foreign language passion, she has been year round competitive swimmer for many years, and on H.S. team all 4 years. She has been a volunteer swim instructor for "drown proof" classes at an elementary school and in the community. She's VP National Honor Soc.; Pres. Beta Club, Pres. Japan Club; At school volunteers peer tutoring; Relay for life. Many school and community academic honors.
Unlike cloying, she applied R.D.; she felt was so busy with other scholarship nominations, interviews, other app's last fall (she made it through Morehead semi's+ UVA's Jefferson, and W&L) that she couldn't give her Carolina app and essays the time so they would be "polished". Since birth, Carolina has always been her 1st choice. (she asked all her English teachers 9-12 grade, +Japanese teacher read & give feedback on her essays)
As for applicants with less than top grades, I agree with Jack. One girl from my d's school did get into Carolina (no honors or scholarships, however) she began her H.S. years with poor grades and hanging with wrong crowd. Somehow she was reached by a mentor and she totally changed her life around. She went from Cs in regular classes in 9th grade, to As and Bs in honors and AP classes in 10, 11, 12 grade. She because of her 1st year grades, she is not near the top of the class but she wrote about her life changing experiences in her essays. I believe Carolina saw the growth of her character in her grades and essays. Other than someone with that type of story (or illness) I can't see how anyone (outside of a great athlete) would be accepted to Carolina, with such grades, much less earn a scholarship. One girl who is in the top of my d's class who did not get accepted to Carolina, according to classmates did everything Carolina said NOT to do in her app. At Carolina 101, the admissions guy said flat out, "Do not write about your experiences on a church mission trip!" They get tons of essays on that topic; "a dime, a dozen" he said. Also, write the "optional" essay; from experiences around our area, it's not really "optional".</p>

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<p>I am so angry that I accidentally just deleted my response. I'll summarize</p>

<p>jack - I think you're right about a few things. 1) the selection process, I seem to remember Kaufman saying that they pull aside around 500 candidates and then from there pick who'll be invited to scholarship day. 2) there are definitely advantages to doing the supplemental form later rather than sooner, though I still wouldn't feel comfortable with that gamble. 3) The kid with Cs definitely seemed to be the exception rather than the rule. I can't tell you how many people I met at the weekend who'd been accepted into HYPS. That seems to me nearly impossible with Cs.</p>

<p>I do have to add in that this kid was truly amazing. He exuded this genuine personality and after talking to him for a little bit found out that he basically single handedly organized this community changing event last year. It didn't surprise me that he had made some Cs (he did make it sound like they were more recent), because he was such an active person.</p>

<p>In regards to the quantity vs. quality... I am hoping you're right, though she said a few times "that day was a joke, I didn't take much seriously." I can't agree with her saying that, but it does make me feel like maybe her essay wasn't too serious. I know I felt pretty proud of mine. It wasn't ten pages of rambling, it was good thinking going on! I think it helped that the topic was very interesting to me. At any rate, she did say similar things about the Robertson selection process, which you and I both know definitely is NOT a joke. :)</p>

<hr>

<p>uncwife, your daughter sounds very interesting! I can't wait to meet more people like her who are interested in Japanese. My biggest regret in high school is that I didn't find my love for Asian culture and language until only recently. All the time I've been wasting! :)</p>

<p>I have to echo what you said about the girl in your daughter's school. I feel like she and I are similar. In 9th grade I did little more than play violin and date my now ex-boyfriend. I was lucky that I never made a C, but five Bs definitely hurt me. Last year by an accident of our guidance counsellor I saw my ranked percentile and it was absolutely terrible. My school is pretty competitive, so one B makes the difference between being in the top ten, maybe even top twenty percent of my class.</p>

<p>Over the summer before 10th grade something pretty insignificant made me care about school again. Got rid of the boyfriend, and signed up for five APs. I feel like Carolina was one of the only schools who really gave me enough room to show them who I am now, who I've become, and why that isn't the same person who made 5 Bs in 9th grade. I think that's one of the reasons why I love the school. They look at you as a dynamic person, not as a sheet of paper.</p>

<hr>

<p>In general, I've witnessed my fair share of interesting acceptances into Carolina. A friend of mine who, though she is a friend, is pretty lazy when it comes to her studies and extracurriculars, was a Morehead finalist. She's on a competitive tumbling team, but other than that she goes out partying pretty frequently and made her fair share of Cs throughout high school. That's just one example that makes me stop to scratch my head. I honestly didn't even think she'd get into Carolina, much less be a finalist for one of their top scholarships.</p>

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<p>cloying: Sometimes, I think people like to downplay their accomplishments--especially those who receive major scholarships, where the competition is so tough. Just to get nominated for one of these is a real honor and an accomplishment. </p>

<p>So, I would take what this girl said about her essays, Scholarship Day, etc as being a 'joke," with a grain of salt. I've often found that the people who act like everything was a "breeze," and they didn't do anything special, or didn't take this or that very seriously-- even those who look like they're not working very hard (ie, appear "pretty lazy" when it comes to studies and ec's, and "party frequently") are, in fact, working like crazy-- they just don't want people to know it. Again, I would be very surprised if someone who got nominated for the Morehead had accumulated a "fair share of C's." In fact, I'm not sure I'd believe it, unless I saw the report card first hand.</p>

<p>I'm always reminded of the type of people you see in high school or college, who "appear" pretty laid back-- don't talk about working much, and you only see them at parties or hanging out. They never seem like they're struggling or losing sleep. Then . . . graduation day comes, and there they are-- graduating with honors, and picking up more awards than you can believe-- academic and otherwise. </p>

<p>So, I'm always just a little skeptical when it appears people are breezing through and not doing much, and they act like they don't take things seriously . . .</p>

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<p>cloying</p>

<p>Regarding the friend who made finalist....the key is that she didn't win though, did she? If she is instate she could have slipped through with strong references from her school and a good application especially if the school has a history of good applicants. The interview process at finalist weekend is pretty thorough and even though scholarship is only one of the four criteria, they do take it very seriously and would have been able to see through what was on paper versus the real person. If there wasn't the depth of character that they are looking for it would have and probably did come out.</p>

<p>I've heard stories from my S about candidates that they really felt didn't fit. Part of what the hosts and hostesses at finalists weekend also do is look for those inconsistencies and are asked to report them. Since they all have a pretty good feel for their fellow Moreheads they can also spot someone who just won't fit in, be it for personality or other reasons. My S once had an individual in the group he hosted who would not take part in any of the optional activities including watching the UNC-Duke B-Ball game with the other finalists or any other optional group activity. He instead chose to stay in his hotel room alone. This was certainly a red flag. On another occasion, a candidate came equipped with numerous letters of recommendation in hand from "important" leaders political and otherwise and was so full of himself that no one could stand to be around him all weekend. The interviewers saw through him and he too wasn't offered the scholarship.</p>

<p>The process of getting there may not always be perfect, but once at finalist weekend, they do a pretty good job of culling out and selecting the winners.</p>

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<p>eadad: Completely agree.^</p>

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<p>Wow, there is so much information here! </p>

<p>Cloying, thank you so much for the in-depth post - you really gave me a great view of the Carolina Scholar experience. Your stats are super impressive, and your essay topics are inspiring; I can tell that they are beyond the typical, which is surely what every school hopes for in its applicants. The pressure is on for me to write a unique college essay, so I'm a little nervous about that, but I will most certainly work it and re-work it to make it as flawless as possible. There is absolutely NO doubt in my mind that I will apply to UNC early action - I think that is a fabulous feature and I will be chiseling away at the application all summer. As for my teacher rec, I've already approached my favorite teacher, who I am close to on a personal level and who I know will write me something good. But Carolina is just so selective, and my being OOS does not help! I can only hope to get in -- a scholarship would be a dream. </p>

<p>I haven't taken my SATs yet (this weekend!), so I don't have those scores to gauge my likeliness at acceptance at this point. I did get commended for a National Merit Scholarship, I think. At least, I got the letter that said I am in like the top 3% and can have it reported..etc, etc.</p>

<p>Anyway, my biggest goal is just to get in. Only for the Robertson scholarship would I have to apply w/ a supplement, correct?</p>

<p>Also, cloying, what was the topic of your discussion that day? I would be so nervous! Thirty minutes seems like a fair amount of time to respond to the discussion, though.</p>

<p>Congratulations again on your achievement, and thanks so, so much for the great post!</p>

<p>Uncwife, your daughter sounds really incredible! Her activities and extracurriculars really showed a passion for learning outside of the classroom and whatnot, and you've demonstrated that that is huge at UNC, so I'm not at all surprised that she got in w/ honors! I think the most interesting point of your post is about the guy who said "Don't write about your experiences on a church mission trip!" This makes it obvious that you really need to think out side of the box and yet still show your passion for the things you have accomplished. What did your daughter write her essays on? </p>

<p>Thanks everyone for the replies. :]</p>

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<p>FINNNALLLY I have time to post. :-D Cloying I love that you're procrastinating with your post...so am I! AP exams? PSSSH. lol jk</p>

<p>I have some hesitation about putting my stats on the public boards (vs PM-ing) but I know when I was practically dyyyyiiinng to find out if I'd even get ANY scholarship money from UNC, I scowered the boards for info about Pogue and Robertson, being insanely jealous reading about kids who got these, and I only wished they had posted more info about themselves. Now that I somehow <em>miraculously</em> became one, I'll give you guys the "lowdown" haha. </p>

<p>First of all, make sure you FILL OUT THE SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATION for the Pogue and Robertson. They are the only two that require a separate app. DO IT. I didn't do the Robertson supplemental and wanted to kick myself once I read about the program. I was one of a privileged, blessed, and very very few who were picked out of the application pool to be considered for the Robertson. Most were picked based on their supplemental which is basically like they nominated themselves (which is SMART! Don't take the chance on being nominated by admissions...its so hard to stand out in that kind of applicant pool). </p>

<p>For more info on the Robertson, check out <a href="http://www.robertsonscholars.org%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.robertsonscholars.org&lt;/a>, go to scholars, and look at their profiles. This will give you some idea of the level of accomplishments these kids have. Lemme tell ya, Robertson weekend was sooo intense. Almost every finalist had multiple Ivy-League acceptances and the majority started their OWN projects and organizations. Pretty cool, but intimidating!! </p>

<p>For the Pogue, fill out the app as best as you possibly can and PRAY. Haha...they only pick 15 out of about 350 out-of-state applicants to even INTERVIEW for it, and then only about 5-7 actually get it. And no, you don't HAVE to be a minority. I'm Irish-Italian American and blonde. Haha. Not exactly your typical minority. But, I'm from a lower socioeconomic bracket and neither of my parents went to college. This is something they state right on the front page of the Pogue app...they are looking for first generation college students. If you happen to be one, that's a good indication you might have a better shot at it then someone else who happens to be wealthy. Along with some nice solid stats and significant community service and leadership positions, you'll be lookin' good. If not, emphasize your potential for success on campus, as well as what you've done. They also take into consideration if you held a job during high school.</p>

<p>My stats...um, for basic academic things... 96.02/100 unweighted GPA, 1490/2230 SAT, 10/247 in my class, top 4%, 6 APs by graduation, 4s and a 5. Academic awards: maxima cum laude and silver medal on the national latin exam, AP scholar, national honor society, won several state and national essay contests, been published in some magazines and anthologies...my writings a big thing with me. i love it and i really showed that in my app. that also helped in being able to write very creative, well-written essays. WORK on those essays (on your general UNC app and the pogue and robertson app). they are soo important!</p>

<p>Leadership and service stuff: I was president of my class freshman year after having moved from a small private school not knowing anyone, i'm now president of SADD--- started a program to help transition middle schoolers to high school, started an annual anti-smoking campaign, brought a panel of speakers who overcame drug addictions for a schoolwide assembly after our school had 3 ODs in the beginning of the year, i've been co-president of Environmental Club for 2 yrs-- directed a $5,000 beautification project, started a recycling program...umm, served on student congress executive board, 4-year member of principal's advisory council, youth voting member on our town board, some general 150+ service hours, part of a youth consortium in our town to speak to middle schoolers about staying away from drugs and alcohol, and i was the keynote speaker at the junior national young leaders conference at the beginning of my junior year..spoke to like 300 kids about leadership, etc. um and then some random leadership awards: kodak young leaders award, HOBY rep my sophomore year, can't remember some other stuff... </p>

<p>some other kids started their own non-profit organizations, rallied their communities around an issue, lobbied their state legislatures, did some volunteer work in other countries, and on top of it all, came from really cool backgrounds (some native americans, some recently moved to the United states, some even homosexual who tried to make that more accepted in their communities). read the scholar profiles if you want some inspiration.</p>

<p>Remember, it's not too late to start anything or to follow your passion in a really unique and creative way. Take what you're already doing to the next level. Don't shy away from opportunity and be a leader! </p>

<p>And...work on those college and scholarship essays. They really are THAT important. :)</p>

<p>Best of luck guys!! Heck, if I can do it, anybody can!! I'm just little ol' me from Buffalo! I didn't cure cancer (although I wish I did, for those of you who may know more about me...) and I didn't travel the globe before age 15. Just work hard and pray and wonderful things can happen. :)</p>

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<p>Ok, so, I got the Pogue too however I'm less impressive since I got it IS and I got to a school where 200/249 of the senior class got accepted to UNC with two Morehead winners, A Robertson, and three Parks (same thing as Morehead at NC State) along with two other people from my school that got the Pogue (Of the two that didn't get the Pogue from my school, one got a full ride to Cornell and the other didn't want to go to UNC). So I'm kind of a dull person compared to the rest of my class but I come from a school which is impressive in and of itself which helps. </p>

<p>Having rigorous curriculum your senior year is important for things like merit scholarships. There's a girl on my residence hall who got $35 thousand from Duke per year and didn't even get honors at UNC with only 40pts from having a perfect SAT score with a 800 on Math II. You really need to be a well rounded person to impress UNC.</p>

<p>Myself, I am involved in a lot of random things but I'm not half as impressive as GoB so I really do think it depends on how you convey yourself to your interviewers and even before that through your application. I only did 80 hrs of community service at a local literacy group for At Risk children and only because my school required it for graduation. I am in a bunch of clubs but I'm not the president for any of them (Student Activities Board, Pep Band 2 yrs, Marching Band 2 yrs, Symphonic 2 Yrs, Poetry club, Service learning club, GSA, Cheese club and such) But I think my big thing is that I'm an RLA on my hall which is the high school version of a college RA so I think that's what was the most impressive about me. Also, I'm the first person in 5 generations on my mother's side to go to a University and she came over as an illegal immigrant but is now a legal alien (from Mexico).</p>

<p>My GPA is a 5.134 or so weighted and my school offers a variety of very difficult classes with many graduated seniors claiming their first year of college was easier than their first year at college. Annnnyways, I just think you have to show who you relaly are as best you can through your essays and interviews should be lucky enough to get that far and Good luck in the process!</p>

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<p>Wow!!!! Where in NC do you go to school? I didn't know we had such good schools! My d's in-state school only had 11 out 330 admitted to UNC, and she's the only honor's + merit scholarship to UNC (Carolina Scholar) from the school this year? Is it a public school? I'm ready to move there for my younger daughter!!!! Congrats!</p>

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<p>rlajen you are INCREDIBLE!! im so glad we're pogues together!! yayyy
um, whos the robertson from ur hs, btw?</p>

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<p>RLAJen: Congratulations! Very impressive. You must go to the NCSSM?</p>

20

<p>My school is called the North Carolina School of Science and Math and if you live in NC you've probably heard of it. It is public however you have to apply your sophomore year in order to attend. It's State funded and, for the moment, if you graduate from NCSSM you get a full tuition grant to any UNC system school. (Not to mention NCSSM just became a part of the UNC system which is pretty cool since it's a high school) If you want to know more about the admissions process, I recommend going to the website and looking around for a while: <a href="http://www.ncssm.edu/admissions/index.php%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.ncssm.edu/admissions/index.php&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p>

<p>The girl who won Robertson from my school is Amanda Johnson and is also an RLA on a difference residence hall here. She's a really sweet girl but she was very surprised about getting the Robertson at all and is happy to be going to UNC next year.</p>

<p>Another comment about my school... We have around 325 seniors but of the 249 that applied at least 200 were accepted, just wanted to clarify that not my entire senior class applied to UNC.</p>

<p>I'm not too incredible, I kinda feel like a nobody because since I was little I've wanted to go to Cornell (I just knew it was pretty, not that it was an Ivy since I lived half an hour away from Ithaca) My grandmother worked there and my Aunt did grad school there so when it was fall I'd go and get apples from the orchard to make cider ^.^ I lived in a tiny hick town called Groton next to Ithaca then moved to Liverpool thennnnn down to NC where I had no idea why it was called the tarheel state and wondered why the state was so pretentious as to have it's own color <em>Carolina Blue</em> So I'd have to say it took me a while to appreciate the existence of UNC and the advantage I had by living in state. </p>

<p>I think having a diverse background and an interesting if not stylistic way of conveying that through your essays and various supplementals is really a good way to start on the path of merit scholarship winnings!</p>

<p>(Edit:: I tried to post this before Jack but my computer decided to make me wait))</p>