how many essays does unc chapel hill require

Application Essays

What this handout is about.

This handout will help you write and revise the personal statement required by many graduate programs, internships, and special academic programs.

Before you start writing

Because the application essay can have a critical effect upon your progress toward a career, you should spend significantly more time, thought, and effort on it than its typically brief length would suggest. It should reflect how you arrived at your professional goals, why the program is ideal for you, and what you bring to the program. Don’t make this a deadline task—now’s the time to write, read, rewrite, give to a reader, revise again, and on until the essay is clear, concise, and compelling. At the same time, don’t be afraid. You know most of the things you need to say already.

Read the instructions carefully. One of the basic tasks of the application essay is to follow the directions. If you don’t do what they ask, the reader may wonder if you will be able to follow directions in their program. Make sure you follow page and word limits exactly—err on the side of shortness, not length. The essay may take two forms:

• A one-page essay answering a general question
• Several short answers to more specific questions

Do some research before you start writing. Think about…

• The field. Why do you want to be a _____? No, really. Think about why you and you particularly want to enter that field. What are the benefits and what are the shortcomings? When did you become interested in the field and why? What path in that career interests you right now? Brainstorm and write these ideas out.
• The program. Why is this the program you want to be admitted to? What is special about the faculty, the courses offered, the placement record, the facilities you might be using? If you can’t think of anything particular, read the brochures they offer, go to events, or meet with a faculty member or student in the program. A word about honesty here—you may have a reason for choosing a program that wouldn’t necessarily sway your reader; for example, you want to live near the beach, or the program is the most prestigious and would look better on your resume. You don’t want to be completely straightforward in these cases and appear superficial, but skirting around them or lying can look even worse. Turn these aspects into positives. For example, you may want to go to a program in a particular location because it is a place that you know very well and have ties to, or because there is a need in your field there. Again, doing research on the program may reveal ways to legitimate even your most superficial and selfish reasons for applying.
• Yourself. What details or anecdotes would help your reader understand you? What makes you special? Is there something about your family, your education, your work/life experience, or your values that has shaped you and brought you to this career field? What motivates or interests you? Do you have special skills, like leadership, management, research, or communication? Why would the members of the program want to choose you over other applicants? Be honest with yourself and write down your ideas. If you are having trouble, ask a friend or relative to make a list of your strengths or unique qualities that you plan to read on your own (and not argue about immediately). Ask them to give you examples to back up their impressions (For example, if they say you are “caring,” ask them to describe an incident they remember in which they perceived you as caring).

Now, write a draft

This is a hard essay to write. It’s probably much more personal than any of the papers you have written for class because it’s about you, not World War II or planaria. You may want to start by just getting something—anything—on paper. Try freewriting. Think about the questions we asked above and the prompt for the essay, and then write for 15 or 30 minutes without stopping. What do you want your audience to know after reading your essay? What do you want them to feel? Don’t worry about grammar, punctuation, organization, or anything else. Just get out the ideas you have. For help getting started, see our handout on brainstorming .

Now, look at what you’ve written. Find the most relevant, memorable, concrete statements and focus in on them. Eliminate any generalizations or platitudes (“I’m a people person”, “Doctors save lives”, or “Mr. Calleson’s classes changed my life”), or anything that could be cut and pasted into anyone else’s application. Find what is specific to you about the ideas that generated those platitudes and express them more directly. Eliminate irrelevant issues (“I was a track star in high school, so I think I’ll make a good veterinarian.”) or issues that might be controversial for your reader (“My faith is the one true faith, and only nurses with that faith are worthwhile,” or “Lawyers who only care about money are evil.”).

Often, writers start out with generalizations as a way to get to the really meaningful statements, and that’s OK. Just make sure that you replace the generalizations with examples as you revise. A hint: you may find yourself writing a good, specific sentence right after a general, meaningless one. If you spot that, try to use the second sentence and delete the first.

Applications that have several short-answer essays require even more detail. Get straight to the point in every case, and address what they’ve asked you to address.

Now that you’ve generated some ideas, get a little bit pickier. It’s time to remember one of the most significant aspects of the application essay: your audience. Your readers may have thousands of essays to read, many or most of which will come from qualified applicants. This essay may be your best opportunity to communicate with the decision makers in the application process, and you don’t want to bore them, offend them, or make them feel you are wasting their time.

With this in mind:

• Do assure your audience that you understand and look forward to the challenges of the program and the field, not just the benefits.
• Do assure your audience that you understand exactly the nature of the work in the field and that you are prepared for it, psychologically and morally as well as educationally.
• Do assure your audience that you care about them and their time by writing a clear, organized, and concise essay.
• Do address any information about yourself and your application that needs to be explained (for example, weak grades or unusual coursework for your program). Include that information in your essay, and be straightforward about it. Your audience will be more impressed with your having learned from setbacks or having a unique approach than your failure to address those issues.
• Don’t waste space with information you have provided in the rest of the application. Every sentence should be effective and directly related to the rest of the essay. Don’t ramble or use fifteen words to express something you could say in eight.
• Don’t overstate your case for what you want to do, being so specific about your future goals that you come off as presumptuous or naïve (“I want to become a dentist so that I can train in wisdom tooth extraction, because I intend to focus my life’s work on taking 13 rather than 15 minutes per tooth.”). Your goals may change–show that such a change won’t devastate you.
• And, one more time, don’t write in cliches and platitudes. Every doctor wants to help save lives, every lawyer wants to work for justice—your reader has read these general cliches a million times.

Imagine the worst-case scenario (which may never come true—we’re talking hypothetically): the person who reads your essay has been in the field for decades. She is on the application committee because she has to be, and she’s read 48 essays so far that morning. You are number 49, and your reader is tired, bored, and thinking about lunch. How are you going to catch and keep her attention?

Assure your audience that you are capable academically, willing to stick to the program’s demands, and interesting to have around. For more tips, see our handout on audience .

Voice and style

The voice you use and the style in which you write can intrigue your audience. The voice you use in your essay should be yours. Remember when your high school English teacher said “never say ‘I’”? Here’s your chance to use all those “I”s you’ve been saving up. The narrative should reflect your perspective, experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Focusing on events or ideas may give your audience an indirect idea of how these things became important in forming your outlook, but many others have had equally compelling experiences. By simply talking about those events in your own voice, you put the emphasis on you rather than the event or idea. Look at this anecdote:

During the night shift at Wirth Memorial Hospital, a man walked into the Emergency Room wearing a monkey costume and holding his head. He seemed confused and was moaning in pain. One of the nurses ascertained that he had been swinging from tree branches in a local park and had hit his head when he fell out of a tree. This tragic tale signified the moment at which I realized psychiatry was the only career path I could take.

An interesting tale, yes, but what does it tell you about the narrator? The following example takes the same anecdote and recasts it to make the narrator more of a presence in the story:

I was working in the Emergency Room at Wirth Memorial Hospital one night when a man walked in wearing a monkey costume and holding his head. I could tell he was confused and in pain. After a nurse asked him a few questions, I listened in surprise as he explained that he had been a monkey all of his life and knew that it was time to live with his brothers in the trees. Like many other patients I would see that year, this man suffered from an illness that only a combination of psychological and medical care would effectively treat. I realized then that I wanted to be able to help people by using that particular combination of skills only a psychiatrist develops.

The voice you use should be approachable as well as intelligent. This essay is not the place to stun your reader with ten prepositional phrases (“the goal of my study of the field of law in the winter of my discontent can best be understood by the gathering of more information about my youth”) and thirty nouns (“the research and study of the motivation behind my insights into the field of dentistry contains many pitfalls and disappointments but even more joy and enlightenment”) per sentence. (Note: If you are having trouble forming clear sentences without all the prepositions and nouns, take a look at our handout on style .)

You may want to create an impression of expertise in the field by using specialized or technical language. But beware of this unless you really know what you are doing—a mistake will look twice as ignorant as not knowing the terms in the first place. Your audience may be smart, but you don’t want to make them turn to a dictionary or fall asleep between the first word and the period of your first sentence. Keep in mind that this is a personal statement. Would you think you were learning a lot about a person whose personal statement sounded like a journal article? Would you want to spend hours in a lab or on a committee with someone who shuns plain language?

Of course, you don’t want to be chatty to the point of making them think you only speak slang, either. Your audience may not know what “I kicked that lame-o to the curb for dissing my research project” means. Keep it casual enough to be easy to follow, but formal enough to be respectful of the audience’s intelligence.

Just use an honest voice and represent yourself as naturally as possible. It may help to think of the essay as a sort of face-to-face interview, only the interviewer isn’t actually present.

Too much style

A well-written, dramatic essay is much more memorable than one that fails to make an emotional impact on the reader. Good anecdotes and personal insights can really attract an audience’s attention. BUT be careful not to let your drama turn into melodrama. You want your reader to see your choices motivated by passion and drive, not hyperbole and a lack of reality. Don’t invent drama where there isn’t any, and don’t let the drama take over. Getting someone else to read your drafts can help you figure out when you’ve gone too far.

Taking risks

Many guides to writing application essays encourage you to take a risk, either by saying something off-beat or daring or by using a unique writing style. When done well, this strategy can work—your goal is to stand out from the rest of the applicants and taking a risk with your essay will help you do that. An essay that impresses your reader with your ability to think and express yourself in original ways and shows you really care about what you are saying is better than one that shows hesitancy, lack of imagination, or lack of interest.

But be warned: this strategy is a risk. If you don’t carefully consider what you are saying and how you are saying it, you may offend your readers or leave them with a bad impression of you as flaky, immature, or careless. Do not alienate your readers.

Some writers take risks by using irony (your suffering at the hands of a barbaric dentist led you to want to become a gentle one), beginning with a personal failure (that eventually leads to the writer’s overcoming it), or showing great imagination (one famous successful example involved a student who answered a prompt about past formative experiences by beginning with a basic answer—”I have volunteered at homeless shelters”—that evolved into a ridiculous one—”I have sealed the hole in the ozone layer with plastic wrap”). One student applying to an art program described the person he did not want to be, contrasting it with the person he thought he was and would develop into if accepted. Another person wrote an essay about her grandmother without directly linking her narrative to the fact that she was applying for medical school. Her essay was risky because it called on the reader to infer things about the student’s character and abilities from the story.

Assess your credentials and your likelihood of getting into the program before you choose to take a risk. If you have little chance of getting in, try something daring. If you are almost certainly guaranteed a spot, you have more flexibility. In any case, make sure that you answer the essay question in some identifiable way.

After you’ve written a draft

Get several people to read it and write their comments down. It is worthwhile to seek out someone in the field, perhaps a professor who has read such essays before. Give it to a friend, your mom, or a neighbor. The key is to get more than one point of view, and then compare these with your own. Remember, you are the one best equipped to judge how accurately you are representing yourself. For tips on putting this advice to good use, see our handout on getting feedback .

After you’ve received feedback, revise the essay. Put it away. Get it out and revise it again (you can see why we said to start right away—this process may take time). Get someone to read it again. Revise it again.

When you think it is totally finished, you are ready to proofread and format the essay. Check every sentence and punctuation mark. You cannot afford a careless error in this essay. (If you are not comfortable with your proofreading skills, check out our handout on editing and proofreading ).

If you find that your essay is too long, do not reformat it extensively to make it fit. Making readers deal with a nine-point font and quarter-inch margins will only irritate them. Figure out what material you can cut and cut it. For strategies for meeting word limits, see our handout on writing concisely .

Finally, proofread it again. We’re not kidding.

Other resources

Don’t be afraid to talk to professors or professionals in the field. Many of them would be flattered that you asked their advice, and they will have useful suggestions that others might not have. Also keep in mind that many colleges and professional programs offer websites addressing the personal statement. You can find them either through the website of the school to which you are applying or by searching under “personal statement” or “application essays” using a search engine.

If your schedule and ours permit, we invite you to come to the Writing Center. Be aware that during busy times in the semester, we limit students to a total of two visits to discuss application essays and personal statements (two visits per student, not per essay); we do this so that students working on papers for courses will have a better chance of being seen. Make an appointment or submit your essay to our online writing center (note that we cannot guarantee that an online tutor will help you in time).

For information on other aspects of the application process, you can consult the resources at University Career Services .

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Asher, Donald. 2012. Graduate Admissions Essays: Write Your Way Into the Graduate School of Your Choice , 4th ed. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press.

Curry, Boykin, Emily Angel Baer, and Brian Kasbar. 2003. Essays That Worked for College Applications: 50 Essays That Helped Students Get Into the Nation’s Top Colleges . New York: Ballantine Books.

Stelzer, Richard. 2002. How to Write a Winning Personal Statement for Graduate and Professional School , 3rd ed. Lawrenceville, NJ: Thomson Peterson.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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College Essays

If you're applying for admission to UNC Chapel Hill , you'll have to write a total of three essays as part of your application. Your UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays are a great way to tell the admissions committee more about yourself while also showing your interest in UNC and your dedication to your education.

In this article, we'll break down what the UNC essay prompts are, what you should talk about in each, and offer tips for writing great UNC supplemental essays.

What Are the UNC Essay Prompts?

UNC Chapel Hill uses the Common Application for its admissions process. As a first-year applicant, you'll be required to write a total of three essays: one Common Application essay and two UNC-specific essays.

The UNC supplemental essays are two 200-250 word essays that respond to UNC-specific questions. There are a total of four UNC supplemental essays to choose from; you get to pick whichever two you would like to answer.

Here are the four UNC essay prompts:

• Describe an aspect of your identity and how this has shaped your life experiences or impacted your daily interactions with others?
• Describe a peer who is making a difference in your school or community. What actions has that peer taken? How has their work made a difference in your life?
• If you could change one thing to better your community, what would it be? Please explain.
• Former UNC-Chapel Hill employee, community service member, and civil rights activist Esphur Foster once said, “We are nothing without our history.” Her words are memorialized on the Northside Neighborhood Freedom Fighters monument. How does history shape who you are?

In the next section, we'll talk about how to answer each of the UNC supplemental essays.

UNC Supplemental Essays, Analyzed

Each of the four UNC essay prompts asks you to share about something in your life that the admissions committee wouldn't know from reading the rest of your application. The key to writing great UNC supplemental essays is to be personal and specific.

Let's take a look at what the admissions committee wants to know in each prompt.

Describe an aspect of your identity and how this has shaped your life experiences or impacted your daily interactions with others? (200-250 words)

To answer this prompt, you'll have to do three things. First, you need to identify a peer who's active in your community and making a difference. You can interpret the word “peer” loosely here if you want to. It could be someone your age or someone from your school, or just another person in your social group you’ve seen making a difference. 

No matter who you choose, you'll have to briefly explain who they are and what they're doing. This will help your readers contextualize why this person is important! And, as usual, it's even better if you can do this in a story format. Maybe you volunteered with someone from your dance class who also happens to be one of the most outspoken advocates for climate change in your city. Telling a story about your personal experience with them would take your essay to another level.

Finally, you need to be very specific about how the community builder you've chosen has impacted your life. While it's great if you have a close relationship with this person, you don't have to in order to write a great essay! Maybe your school’s student body president organized a group that cleans litter out of neighborhoods. While you don't know her personally, her group's hard work makes your life cleaner, and it helps people have more pride in their city.

Keep in mind that even though you're talking about another person, this essay should still showcase something about you. Pick a person who inspires you or shares your values, and explain why you think their work matters. Don't miss the chance to help admissions counselors get to know you better!

Describe an aspect of your identity (for example, your religion, culture, race, sexual or gender identity, affinity group, etc.). How has this aspect of your identity shaped your life experiences thus far? (200-250 words)

To answer this prompt, you're going to have to do a little introspection. The admissions counselors want you to write about one aspect of who you are , then explain how it has impacted your values, ideas, and experiences.

The good news (and maybe bad news?) is that there are tons of facets to your personality. The prompt gives you a few big areas you can focus on, but the trick is going to be to pick an element of your identity that you can tell a story about.

Let's say you identify as trans. That's probably a huge part of who you are! To write this essay, start by telling a story about how your trans identity has shaped you. Maybe you were elected homecoming queen after you transitioned, and it showed you how accepting yourself was the first step in being accepted by others. Whatever the case may be, using a story will be key to connecting with your audience.

And of course, don't forget to answer the second part of the prompt about how this part of your identity has shaped you as a person. Make sure you're making the connection for your reader! Don't just say you're the child of Palestinian immigrants. Explain how that has solidified your commitment to humanitarianism and economic equality.

If you could change one thing to better your community, what would it be? Please explain. (200-250 words)

While this prompt may seem serious, it doesn't have to be. You don't need to do in-depth research into your neighborhood and your city's politics, but you do need to pick a change that has personal meaning for you.

For instance, maybe you and your neighbors don't know each other well and you'd like to have a greater feeling of community with the people you live nearby. That reason has nothing to do with legislation, but would still make a big impact!

The key here is to identify the thing you would change, then explain why you would make that change. Going back to our example about neighborhood community, maybe the "why" is because it would help you support one another. Your neighbors could help each other with yard work, child care, and maybe even after school tutoring! By bringing people together, not only do you take some of the burden off of individuals, but it would form the bonds that help make neighborhoods happy, healthy, and safe places to live.

The last crucial detail you need to discuss in your response is how you would contribute to this change. Don't be afraid of dreaming big! You can easily integrate your explanation of how you’d contribute into your description of the change that you want to see. 

To the extent that you can, give concrete details about what you’d do to support this change . As much as this prompt is asking about your community, it’s even more interested in finding out how you perceive your role in your community--and whether you take that responsibility seriously. 

Former UNC-Chapel Hill employee, community service member, and civil rights activist Esphur Foster once said, “We are nothing without our history.” Her words are memorialized on the Northside Neighborhood Freedom Fighters monument. How does history shape who you are? (200-250 words)

This prompt is asking you to show your awareness of your place in the world beyond the things that are local to you, like your family, school, and hometown. Understanding how history has shaped who you are helps you be an ethical citizen and member of your communities--qualities that UNC is looking for in its applicants!

But “history” seems a little broad, right? The good news about that is that you can bring your own interpretation of the term “history” to your response here. You could look reflect on aspects of U.S. history, world history, or the history of a set of religious beliefs. You could write about something more personal, like your family history, or something pertaining to your academic interests, like the history of women in computer science!

The key here is to make sure you explain how a specific piece of history has shaped who you are --your identity and your views of the world. To do this effectively, you won’t be able to summarize the entire history of the United States or the legacies of second-wave feminism. You’ll have to incorporate one or two historical details into your story and dive deep into how they have shaped who you are. Because as the prompt says, we are nothing without our history!

3 Tips For Mastering Your UNC Essays

Hoping to write two amazing UNC supplemental essays? Follow these key tips to do so!

#1: Use Your Own Voice

The point of a college essay is for the admissions committee to have the chance to get to know you beyond what's featured in other parts of your application. Your admissions essays are your chance to become more than just a collection of statistics—to really come alive for your application readers.

Make sure that the person you're presenting in your college essays is yourself. Don't just write what you think the committee wants to hear or try to act like someone you're not—it will be really easy for the committee to tell you're lying.

If you lie or exaggerate, your essay will come across as insincere, which will at best diminish its effectiveness and at worst make the admissions committee think twice on accepting you. Stick to telling real stories about the person you really are, not who you think UNC wants you to be.

#2: Avoid Cliches and Overused Phrases

When writing your UNC essays, don't use cliches or overused quotes or phrases. The college admissions committee has probably seen numerous essays that state, "Be the change you want to see in the world." You can write something more original than that!

Each of the UNC essays asks you something specific about your experience or background. Your essay should be 100% you—you don't want the admissions committee to think, "Anyone could have written this essay."

#3: Check Your Work

Your UNC essays should be the strongest example of your work possible. Before you turn in your UNC Chapel Hill application, edit and proofread your essays.

Run your essays through a spelling and grammar check before you submit and ask someone else to read your essays. You can seek a second opinion on your work from a parent, teacher, or friend. Ask them whether your work represents you as a student and person. Have them check and make sure you haven't missed any small writing errors. Having a second opinion will help your work be the best it possibly can be.

Final Thoughts

Your UNC supplemental essays are your chance to show the admissions committee what makes you special and different from the other tens of thousands of students applying for admission at UNC.

In your essays, make sure you are authentic, well-spoken, and polished so you give the admissions committee the best possible understanding of who you are as a person.

What's Next?

Need more help with your scholarship search? Read our expert guide on how to find college scholarships .

Need help writing your Common App essay? Our tips will show you how to write a Common App essay guaranteed to make you stand out from other applicants!

How does UNC's selectivity compare with those of other top colleges? Get the answer in our guide to the most selective schools in the nation !

Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.

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Undergraduate Admissions

Admission requirements, items necessary for a complete application, transfer of credit, programs with limited admissions, health program majors, appeals of admissions decisions, confirmation of acceptance, admission of international students, return to carolina, nontraditional readmission, admission as a summer school visitor, admissions confidentiality, intra-university transfer, admission as a part-time, non-degree student , admission as a part-time, degree-seeking student , new student orientation and course registration.

In evaluating candidates for admission, the University seeks an entering class whose collective strengths will foster excellence within the University community; enhance the education of everyone within it; provide for the leadership of the educational, governmental, scientific, business, humanistic, artistic, and professional institution of the state, nation, and world; and enrich the lives of all the people of North Carolina.

The University evaluates individual candidates rigorously, holistically, and compassionately. The members of the admissions committee seek to assess the ways in which each candidate will likely contribute to the campus community and enable the University to fulfill its mission. The qualities we seek include intellect, talent, curiosity, and creativity; leadership, kindness, and courage; honesty, perseverance, perspective, and diversity. Although we expect each successful candidate to demonstrate strength in many of these areas, we do not expect every candidate to be equally strong in all of them. Just as there is no formula for admission, there is no list of qualities or characteristics that every applicant must present.

In evaluating each candidate’s academic record, the admissions committee considers not only the student’s grades but also the courses attempted. Although each candidate’s academic record and standardized test scores, if submitted, are important elements in the admissions decision, the candidate’s essays, letter(s) of recommendation, accomplishments outside the classroom, and personal qualities are also carefully considered. We understand that students travel many different roads to get to Carolina, and we celebrate the variety of interests, backgrounds, and aspirations that they bring with them. At the same time, it's fair to say that we seek excellence. We consider everything that a student submits as part of their application to try and understand not only their achievements and potential, but the context in which those achievements occurred and potential forged.

By their anticipated date of enrollment, candidates for admission must have graduated from secondary school or have their GED or high school equivalent diploma.

First-Year Admission

In addition to the completed application, which includes the nonrefundable application fee (or approved fee-waiver), accomplishments and activities outside of the classroom, and required essays, students are expected to submit the following materials:

• Official transcript(s) from all secondary schools attended, including summer sessions and including any online or distance-education classes. Transcripts must be sent directly from the educational institution to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
• Applicants must self-report college-level coursework and grades not reported on an official high school transcript. Official college transcripts are required from all enrolling students. Transcripts must be sent directly from the educational institution to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
• School report and one teacher recommendation (If the candidate is in his or her first year at a new school, a recommendation from the previous school is suggested.)
• University of North Carolina system institutions, which include the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, have a standardized testing waiver in place through fall 2024. First-year applicants have the option to self-report SAT and/or ACT scores with their application. If a student chooses to self-report their test scores, the student is admitted and chooses to enroll, then the student is required to have the testing service send their official scores to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by the stated deadline.
• Applicants who plan to claim North Carolina residency are also required to submit a residency application with the North Carolina Residency Determination Service (RDS), and to provide a Residency Classification Number (RCN) .
• Enrolling first-year students may also need to submit and complete a background check as required by UNC System policy.
• Any additional items or information requested in the application or by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

As part of the first-year application, students have the option of expre ss ing interest in being considered for Carolina Global Launch (CGL) in the case that we will not be able to offer admission for the fall semester. Expressing interest in CGL does not impact that student’s consideration for fall admission. CGL provides the opportunity to study abroad during the fall semester and then have guaranteed enrollment as a transfer student to Carolina for the spring semester upon successful completion of CGL .

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions, at its discretion, may deny admission to students who submit completed applications but who do not provide one or more of the materials listed above.

In addition to these materials, applicants may submit information that will enhance the University’s understanding of their background and preparation for college.

Transfer Admission

Students are considered transfer applicants if they have attended one or more post-secondary institutions after graduating from secondary school or who are active-duty service members or military veterans. Students who are graduating from a Cooperative Innovative High School in North Carolina (commonly referred to as Early College Programs) and who are simultaneously earning a high school diploma and an associate degree may apply for either first-year or transfer admission. Students may apply for transfer admission by following the instructions available at the Office of Undergraduate Admissions .

In addition to the completed application, which includes the nonrefundable application fee (or fee-waiver request), accomplishments and activities outside of the classroom, and required essays, students are expected to submit the following materials:

• Official transcript(s) from all colleges attended, including summer sessions and including any online or distance-education classes, regardless of whether college credit was earned or will transfer. Transcripts must be sent directly from the educational institution to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
• Official secondary school transcript(s) or GED or a high school equivalency diploma. Transcripts must be sent directly from the educational institution to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
• The fall and, if applicable, winter grades should be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions as soon as they become available. An application will be considered incomplete without them.
• Any items or information requested by programs requiring additional material for admission.
• Recommendation letter (academic, personal, or professional)
• University of North Carolina system institutions, which include The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, have a standardized testing waiver in place through fall 2024. Transfer applicants have the option to self-report SAT and/or ACT scores with their application. If a student chooses to self-report their test scores, the student is admitted and chooses to enroll, then the student is required to have the testing service send their official scores to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by the stated deadline.
• Applicants who plan to claim North Carolina residency are also required to submit a residency application with the North Carolina Residency Determination Service (RDS) , and to provide a Residency Classification Number (RCN) .
• Enrolling transfer students may also need to submit and complete a background check as required by UNC System policy.
• Any additional items or information requested in the application or by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions, at its discretion, may deny admission to students who submit completed applications but who do not provide one or more of the additional materials listed above.

Standardized Testing

In accordance with University policy, as well as procedures approved by the Advisory Committee on Undergraduate Admissions, members of the admissions committee evaluate each candidate rigorously, holistically, and compassionately, with an eye towards assessing the candidate’s capacity to contribute to the campus community that will enable the University to fulfill its mission. If the evaluation includes the results of standardized testing, these results do not constitute the sole or main criterion for admission. There are no cutoff or threshold scores — outside of the minimum admission requirements (MAR) set by the UNC system — that is, no scores below which candidates are automatically denied admission, and no scores above which they are automatically offered admission. Instead, results from standardized testing represent one factor among many. For more about the role of tests in admissions, please see the Office of Undergraduate Admissions .

High School Course Requirements

Students interested in attending the University should pursue a challenging high school curriculum. Such a curriculum will typically include at least five academic courses during each year of high school — preferably one each in the core disciplines of English, mathematics, social science, natural science, and foreign language. We also encourage our candidates to take at least five of the most rigorous courses available to them, including college-level courses offered through programs such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge, dual-enrollment, or other college-level programs. In evaluating academic performance in such a curriculum, we pay less attention to class rank and grade point average than we do to grades and to trends and patterns in grades.

To be eligible for admission, a student should present a minimum of 16 units of high school coursework within the five traditional academic areas – English, mathematics, physical and biological sciences, social sciences, and foreign languages. To be eligible for admission, a student needs to meet the UNC System's Minimum Admissions Requirements (MAR) and Minimum Course Requirements. Admission to Carolina is competitive, and successful applicants typically go far beyond these minimum requirements.

Students who challenge themselves with the rigorous courses available to them, such as Advanced Placement (AP), Dual Enrollment (DE), International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge, and other advanced or college-level work, tend to be more prepared to succeed in college.

All students will be expected to have completed the pre-university curriculum (e.g. A Levels, Baccalaureate) in their country prior to enrolling at Carolina. Because we receive applications from students applying from high schools across the world, we see a variety of curriculums and grading scales. We do not convert grades into a standard scale. Instead, we review each application individually and consider how each student has challenged themselves within the context of their school and how they have performed in those courses.

We do not have a preference on what type of college-level curriculum students take; we encourage you to take the courses that best align with your academic journey. We encourage students to ensure they are getting a solid grounding in each of the core curricular areas (English, mathematics, natural science, social science, and foreign language).

Since admitted students will take placement exams in foreign language , candidates should consider continuing in advanced foreign language courses during their final year in high school even if they have already met the minimum requirements.

Placement in certain courses during students’ first semester at the University will be based on their performance on placement tests. Students may also receive credit for University courses based on dual-enrollment courses taken during high school. Although the student will take placement exams in some subjects at the University before the first semester begins, it is to the student’s advantage to take placement tests in high school, especially those accepted by the University for placement purposes. For mathematics placement, the Department of Mathematics strongly recommends that enrolling students arrange to take the Aleks placement exam through the Mathematics Department, ACT, AP, or IB exams; although these tests are not required for admission, many majors at Carolina require a quantitative reasoning course for which a mathematics placement score is necessary. Foreign language placement may be based on University placement, AP, or IB exams. For English placement, students are required to take either English 105 at the University, or present an equivalent transferable course from another college or university. Students are also encouraged to take standardized tests that are recognized for placement in other subject areas.

Dual Enrollment at UNC–Chapel Hill for High School Students

All courses attempted at UNC–Chapel Hill, including but not limited to summer session courses and dual-enrollment courses attempted while a student is still in secondary school, will be included in the student's UNC-Chapel Hill grade point average.

N.C. Cooperative Innovative High School (Early College) Graduates

Students who graduate from a Cooperative Innovative High School (also known as “Early College”) in North Carolina and who are simultaneously earning a high school diploma and a qualifying associate degree may apply either as first-year or as transfer candidates. For more information, please see the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Home-Schooled Students

The University welcomes applications from students schooled at home and imposes on those students no special or additional requirements for admission. At the same time, since the credentials of home-schooled students may lack some or most of the contextualizing information typically found in the credentials of students schooled in more traditional settings, many home-schooled students take steps to contextualize and clarify their achievement and potential.

In recent years these steps have included taking courses at local colleges or community colleges; joining community organizations; providing samples of academic projects (for example, essays or research papers) and detailed descriptions of courses; sending recommendations from non-family members who know candidates well and can comment specifically on their capacity for advanced academic work; and taking and submitting optional supplemental exams recognized by the University.

College Board Placement Tests

The University recognizes, for placement and degree credit, satisfactory scores on the College Board Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and certain global exams, such as Cambridge A-Levels, offered across the world. For more information, please visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions .

Transfer Candidates

Applicants’ eligibility to return to previous institutions may be considered in their evaluation. Students who have less than a C average (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) may complete courses at another university to raise their grade point average to the point where they may be considered for transfer admission to the University. Courses attempted through any academic program at UNC–Chapel Hill cannot be used to increase a student’s grade point average for the purpose of establishing transfer eligibility.

Once an applicant is admitted as a transfer student, all course credits taken at UNC–Chapel Hill, including summer courses taken prior to fall enrollment, become part of the student’s official transcript, and grades received are included in the grade point average.

Transferred Semesters

The University calculates transferred semesters based on the number of transfer credit hours accepted by UNC-Chapel Hill, not based on the number of semesters in which the student was enrolled at other colleges. For each 15 hours transferred upon enrollment, the student is considered to have completed the equivalent of one UNC-Chapel Hill semester. Excluded from this calculation are transfer hours awarded for courses taken concurrent with high school, summer enrollment at UNC-Chapel Hill immediately before the first semester of full-time degree-seeking enrollment, and any credit awarded by exams, such as Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams. 

Although all students at UNC–Chapel Hill are expected to graduate within eight total semesters of post-secondary enrollment, transfer students who enter with two transfer semesters (30 or more transferable hours) may enroll in up to 10 total semesters. For additional information, see “Calculation of Transferred Semesters Based on the Number of Transferred Credit Hours” in the Credit and Evaluation section and Undergraduate Degree Requirements .

Specifically:

• A new transfer student with fewer than 15.0 transferable credit hours will be regarded as having completed no semesters and will have first-year standing upon enrollment at UNC–Chapel Hill.
• A new transfer student having between 15.0 and 29.9 transferable credit hours will be regarded as having completed one semester and will have first-year standing upon enrollment at UNC–Chapel Hill.
• A new transfer student having between 30.0 and 44.9 transferable credit hours will be regarded as having completed two semesters and will have sophomore standing upon enrollment at UNC–Chapel Hill.
• A new transfer student having between 45.0 and 59.9 transferable credit hours will be regarded as having completed three semesters and will have sophomore standing upon enrollment at UNC–Chapel Hill.
• A new transfer student having between 60.0 and 75.0 transferable credit hours will be regarded as having completed four semesters and will have junior standing upon enrollment at UNC–Chapel Hill.

Offers of admission typically are extended before an applicant’s transfer credit can be fully evaluated. As a result, while transfer students are advised of their likely classification at the point of admission, this classification is provisional until confirmed by notification of transfer credits earned.

The University will award credit for a course from another college or university when the student has earned a grade of C or its equivalent and when a similar course is offered by the University. Courses whose grades are reported on a scale other than A-F, such as pass/fail, will earn credit only if the transferring institution verifies that the passing grade represents achievement at the level of C or higher. Courses with final grades of C- or below (or the equivalent, if reported on a scale other than A-F) will not earn credit and will not satisfy University requirements. Courses completed in units other than semester hours will be converted to semester hours.

Students may receive no more than 75 total semester hours of credit for courses transferred from other colleges or universities. Credits earned by exam through Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and similar programs are not included in this limit. However, test credit only can be used to fulfill a maximum of 5 Focus Capacities in the Ideas in Action curriculum. Remaining hours can fulfill other requirements such as course prerequisites.

When a student has completed more than 75 transferable semester hours, credit will be awarded in this order:

• For courses that equate directly with specific courses in the UNC–Chapel Hill curriculum;
• For courses that do not equate directly with specific courses but are comparable to elective courses offered by UNC–Chapel Hill departments.

Courses that equate directly with specific courses in the UNC–Chapel Hill curriculum will fulfill the same course requirements as their equivalents at UNC–Chapel Hill, unless specifically identified otherwise at the time of the initial awarding of credit. Other transferable courses may not fulfill course requirements but may count towards the total semester hours required for graduation.  

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions reviews and awards transfer credit to enrolling students based on their official transcripts. The admissions office typically cannot award credit for professional courses or courses taken from non-accredited colleges and universities. The admissions office may be able to award credit to enrolling students for courses from colleges and universities outside the United States, provided the college or university is recognized by the appropriate higher-education authority or government agency, and provided students submit their official transcripts and evaluations of those transcripts from World Education Services (WES®).      The Office of Undergraduate Admissions cannot award credit to currently enrolled UNC–Chapel Hill students for courses taken while participating in an exchange or study-abroad program. Credit for such courses must be approved before the program begins by the UNC Study Abroad Office or the UNC school sponsoring the program, and credit will be awarded after the program ends and official transcripts have been received. The admissions office may be able to award transfer credit to students for study-abroad courses they completed before enrolling at UNC–Chapel Hill, provided they completed the courses while attending colleges and universities in the United States, and provided the courses are reported on the official transcripts of their U.S. institutions.

An enrolling or enrolled student may request a review of transfer credit awarded or denied by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by submitting course descriptions and syllabi through the ConnectCarolina Student Center no later than the last day of classes during the student’s second semester in residence at the University. In those rare instances when a later change in transfer credit will enable a student to graduate on time, the student must appeal to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. In the absence of such a request by a student, the University will not review or change transfer credit that has been awarded by the admissions office after the first day of the student’s first semester in residence, except to correct clerical or other errors that may negatively affect the student.

Reverse Transfer (UNC–Chapel Hill and the NC Community College system)

The University honors the official Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) with the North Carolina Community College System. Students who transfer to UNC–Chapel Hill from a North Carolina community college may transfer credit earned at UNC to fulfill their degree requirements at the community college. They may subsequently use the associate degree to fulfill all of the University’s lower-division general education requirements, Ideas in Action , with the exception of Global Language, Research and Discovery, Lifetime Fitness, Communication Beyond Carolina, Campus Life Experience, provided they complete the steps below:

• Consult with an academic advisor at their North Carolina community college to identify UNC–Chapel Hill courses that will satisfy the remaining requirements for the associate degree in accordance with the reverse transfer program;
• Meet with their UNC–Chapel Hill academic advisor during their first full-time semester at UNC–Chapel Hill to discuss their intent to fulfill the University’s general education requirements through reverse transfer;
• Provide proof from the community college of the associate degree before the beginning of the third semester of full-time enrollment at UNC–Chapel Hill, whether fall or spring.

  For more information on Reverse Transfer please visit the UNC System Office website .

The University will consult two publications when settling questions concerning the transfer of credit: Transfer Credit Practices, published by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, and Accredited Institutions of Post-Secondary Education, published by the American Council on Education.

Military-Affiliated Students

We welcome applications from veterans of the United States military, active-duty servicemen and women, and their dependents. Veterans and those who remain on active duty may earn University credit for their military education and training, depending upon their experience. Military veterans or those on active duty will be eligible to have the application fee waived and may qualify for the military tuition benefit, which allows them to attend the University at the in-state tuition rate. Students who are eligible for GI Bill or other veteran education benefits must apply directly to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for these funds.

For more information, please visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions .

Application and Notification Deadlines

First-year applicants may apply for admission by choosing one of two deadlines, neither of which is binding. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions does its best to evaluate applications similarly across the two deadlines but cannot guarantee complete consistency between the two, since earlier decisions are made before the size and strength of the entire applicant pool is known.

Decisions will be posted securely online for all applicants. For the latest first-year admission deadlines and notification dates, please visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions .

The application deadline and notification dates for sophomore and junior admission to the College of Arts and Sciences and the Hussman School of Journalism and Media are available at the Office of Undergraduate Admissions . The admission deadlines and notification dates for transfer applicants to the professional schools with programs in business administration, clinical laboratory science, dental hygiene, human development and family studies, information and library science, nursing, public health: biostatistics, public health: environmental health science, public health: health policy and management, public health: nutrition, and radiologic science vary by department. Please contact the specific department for additional information.

Only a small number of transfer students will be admitted to programs with limited admissions such as biomedical engineering, business administration, and computer science. Students interested in one of these fields may wish to consider another major as a second choice; however, even if admitted to an alternate program, students cannot be guaranteed subsequent admission to their first choice of major. In addition, notification of acceptance to these programs could be later than for other programs.

Early applications for these programs are encouraged. After completion of the fall semester, a transcript of that semester’s work should be submitted. Applicants should also contact the specific department for additional application materials and specific program requirements.

Junior transfer applicants for the pharmacy program must apply directly to the School of Pharmacy. Junior transfer applicants also must provide Pharmacy College Admission Test scores as part of the application. Sophomore students must apply directly to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

For information on appealing an admissions decision, refer to the Admissions Appeal Procedure in the Admissions Policy section of this catalog.

The University requires a nonrefundable enrollment deposit, due by May 1 for first-year admission and Carolina Global Launch admission or May 15 for transfer admission, or within two weeks of receipt of the admission decision for students admitted after these dates.

Degree-seeking students who wish to start their studies during the summer must pay their fall term enrollment deposit and then complete the process for requesting a summer start through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Information on enrolling in summer school prior to starting at Carolina in the fall can be found on the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website. Students enrolling in Carolina Global Launch are not eligible to take summer classes prior to participating in Carolina Global Launch.

International students are considered for admission on the same basis as other candidates and must provide the same information required of all other applicants. All non-US citizens and non-permanent resident students for whom English is not their first language must submit test scores to demonstrate their English proficiency. We will accept the TOEFL or IELTS. Our TOEFL code is C182.

• TOEFL or TOEFL iBT Home Edition – Strong applicants typically score 100 or higher.
• IELTS Academic – Strong applicants typically score 7.0 or higher.

We do not waive this proficiency requirement based on grades in English courses or SAT/ACT scores. However, we may waive this requirement if you meet one of the following conditions by the time you would enroll at Carolina:

• You will have lived for at least four years in a country where English is the primary language.
• You will have attended a school for at least four years where English is the primary language of instruction.

To request this waiver, please complete the request form, which you can access at https://mycarolina.unc.edu/register/englishexamwaiver . Waivers are granted on a case-by-case basis.  

As a condition of enrollment, all entering students who have completed coursework from a foreign college or university that is not accredited within the United States must have their official transcripts evaluated by World Education Services (WES®).

United States immigration law requires proof of financial support for the student’s entire program of study. Before UNC can issue an I-20, admitted students must provide documentation that they have sufficient funds in a bank to cover the first year of tuition and living expenses. See Finances and Financial Aid in this catalog for information on expenses. The University will issue the necessary visa documentation to those students who are formally admitted to the University. International students should not leave their native country intending to enroll at the University until they have received a formal letter of acceptance and appropriate visa documents.

Questions concerning international student life on the UNC–Chapel Hill campus should be referred to International Student and Scholars Service .

After their first enrollment as a degree-seeking student at UNC–Chapel Hill, students who withdraw, fail to complete, or do not enroll in one or more fall or spring semesters must submit the Return to Carolina survey to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions when they are ready to return to the University. The Return to Carolina survey should be submitted as soon as possible and no later than the stated deadline on the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website. Students who plan to claim North Carolina residency are also required to submit a residency application with the North Carolina Residency Determination Service (RDS) .  

Returning students who have holds on their records — such as academic eligibility, medical, student conduct, or financial — may need to complete additional steps before they can be reenrolled and register for courses. For additional information, refer to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Returning students may also need to submit and complete a background check as required by UNC System policy.

International students who will require either an F1 or J1 visa should submit the Return to Carolina survey at least one month before the deadline for the term in which the student wishes to return in order to allow adequate time to process the student’s visa.

The University’s policy requires returning students to be academically eligible. However, the University recognizes that individuals can gain personal and intellectual maturity over time. In such cases, the University may choose to evaluate students on the basis of their current academic promise rather than their earlier academic performance. Under this policy, the University will review students who have not been enrolled full time in a formal educational program for at least five years and who, by their life experiences, might be considered nontraditional students. Reenrollment in the College of Arts and Sciences under this policy requires the approval of the associate dean for advising or the appeals committee of the college. Reenrollment in a professional school under this policy requires the approval of the professional school to which the student is seeking readmission.

Advising and degree-granting bodies within the University will monitor the performances of all individuals reenrolled under this policy. The monitors will provide up-to-date guidance and counseling and ensure that each student fulfills the requirements for continued enrollment as specified in the letter from the student’s dean’s office. Students who fail to meet these requirements and who lose their academic eligibility must then restore their eligibility before they will be permitted to continue their enrollment at the University. A nontraditional return to the University is granted only once.

Any student who has not been regularly enrolled or has not been admitted for a fall semester in any school in the University can obtain an application for admission as a visiting summer student through the Summer School. Applicants (undergraduates and high school students) who plan to claim North Carolina residency are also required to submit a residency application with the North Carolina Residency Determination Service (RDS).

Students who are enrolled at the University will register for a summer session through Connect Carolina in spring.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will protect the privacy of all students seeking admission through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions by soliciting and receiving all academic and nonacademic records obtained for the purpose of admission and selection for scholarships and special opportunities, on the condition that they be held in confidence by the University. No information obtained through the admissions process will be shared with individuals, internal or external to the University, other than the chancellor, the provost, vice provost of enrollment, and members of the Advisory Committee on Undergraduate Admissions and its subcommittees.

Though current federal legislation allows students enrolling at the University access to their files, candidates do not have access to their applications.

Exceptions to this confidentiality policy will be made only at the direction of the chancellor, the provost, or the vice provost of enrollment.

Students who wish to transfer from one school or college to another within the University may be required to submit an intra-university transfer application. For additional information, refer to the individual program.

UNC Digital and Lifelong Learning provides advising and student services to non-degree students, including local high school students. Part-time students may register for a maximum of eight credit hours per semester. Courses are open to non-degree students as space permits.

Students are required to submit a Part-Time Classroom Studies application and a nonrefundable application fee through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.  

Admission as a non-degree student is limited and does not constitute admission to a degree program at the University. Part-time non-degree students wishing to pursue a degree must submit a degree-seeking application to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. 

Enrolling part-time, non-degree students may also have to submit and complete a background check as required by UNC System policy.

UNC–Chapel Hill admits a limited number of part-time, degree-seeking undergraduates. Part-time students may register for a maximum of eight credit hours per semester.

To be eligible, students must have been away from a traditional school setting for at least 12 months and must have graduated from a secondary school. Admission is also available to UNC–Chapel Hill faculty and staff employees. Traditional students who have been denied full-time admission to the University are not immediately eligible for enrollment through Part-Time Classroom Studies.  

Students who want to enroll as a part-time degree-seeking undergraduate are required to submit a Part-Time Classroom Studies application.

All students admitted as prospective degree candidates must meet minimum University requirements for admission. In considering prospective part-time degree-seeking candidates for admission, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions shall use comparable admissions criteria that it uses to evaluate comparable full-time, degree-seeking students applying to the University. For information about those criteria, please see the sections on first-year and transfer admission above.

Admission to Part-Time Classroom Studies as a degree-seeking student does not constitute admission to a full-time degree program at the University. Part-time degree-seeking students who want to enroll in a full-time degree-seeking program must present evidence that they are prepared to make satisfactory progress towards the degree.

Enrolling part-time, degree-seeking students may also need to submit and complete a background check as required by UNC System policy.

First-Year Student and Family Orientation

All newly admitted undergraduate first-year students are required to attend one of the summer First-Year Orientation sessions prior to the start of their first term. Sessions are designed to introduce first-year students to the University.  

During this two-day program, new first-year students will be acquainted with the academic opportunities and skills needed to take personal responsibility for their academic achievement and persistence, introduced to the programs and services available for UNC students, made aware of University traditions, and connected to their peers and other ways to broaden their Carolina community. First-year students also receive information about their course registration process. Family members and guests are invited to attend the First-Year Family Orientation program, which runs parallel to the student program.  

The transition process continues when students arrive to campus with a variety of programs and events during Weeks of Welcome (fall semester) and Winter Welcome (January).

Carolina Global Launch Student and Family Orientation

All newly admitted undergraduate students enrolling in Carolina Global Launch are required to attend a virtual pre-departure session, an in-person UNC Orientation session in Chapel Hill, and an in-person session at their Carolina Global Launch host institution prior to beginning courses. Students are then required to attend an in-person Orientation session in Chapel Hill in January prior to beginning courses. Sessions are designed to introduce students to UNC and their host institution.

During these programs, students will be acquainted with the academic opportunities and skills needed to take personal responsibility for their academic achievement and persistence, introduced to the programs and services available for Carolina Global Launch students, made aware of University traditions, and connected to their peers and other ways to broaden their Carolina community. Students also receive information about their course registration process. Family members and guests are invited to attend the virtual and Chapel Hill programs. Orientation sessions at the Carolina Global Launch host institutions are for participating students only.

The transition process continues when students arrive to campus with a variety of programs and events during Winter Welcome (January).

Transfer Student and Family Orientation

All newly admitted undergraduate transfer students are required to attend one of the summer Transfer Orientation sessions prior to the start of their first term. Sessions are designed specifically for transfer students to learn about life at Carolina.  

During this one-day program, new transfer students meet and interact with faculty, staff, and other new transfer students. Students attend formal sessions about UNC policies and services and have the opportunity to learn more about areas of interest to them individually. To help ensure the availability of preferred courses, transfer students should register for fall classes as soon as registration is open. To register for courses, transfer students are required to pay their enrollment deposit, create their ONYEN and UNC Heelmail accounts, and complete the online academic advising module within Sakai. Family members and guests are invited to attend the Transfer Family Orientation program, which runs parallel to the student program.  

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Admissions Policy

Admission to the first-year class, admission by transfer, part-time classroom studies admissions, graduate school admissions, professional school admissions, summer admissions, admissions appeals, appendix a: admissions appeal procedure.

• All qualified persons are welcome to seek admission to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and all persons may apply for and accept admission confident that the policy and regular practice of the institution are not to discriminate in offering access to its educational programs and activities on the basis of age, gender, race, color, national origin, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. (See  University and Administrative Policies ).
• by the capacity of the institution to meet the instructional and other needs of students in the colleges, schools, departments, curricula, or other programs to which applicants seek admission and
• by enrollment levels approved for budgetary or other appropriate purposes.
• recognition of the institution's special responsibility to residents of North Carolina and
• the institution's judgment of the applicant's relative qualifications for satisfactory performance in the specific college, school, department, curriculum, or other program to which the applicant seeks admission.

Provided that the criteria set forth hereinafter are met, this policy of competitive admissions shall not prevent the admission of selected applicants:

• who give evidence of possessing special talents for University programs requiring such special talents,
• whose admission is designed to help achieve variety within the total number of students admitted and enrolled, or
• who seek educational programs not readily available at other institutions.

In seeking variety within the total number of students admitted and enrolled, the University shall affirm its commitment to achieve excellence, to provide for the leadership of the educational, governmental, scientific, business, humanistic, artistic, and professional institutions of the state and nation, and to enrich the lives of all the people of North Carolina.

Admission of persons to the specific colleges, schools, curricula, or other programs of the institution shall be governed by the provisions set forth below.

Admission of undergraduate students to colleges or schools to pursue programs leading to a baccalaureate degree shall be the responsibility of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. The Admissions Office shall apply policies and procedures that, not inconsistent with policies adopted by the Board of Trustees, are approved by the Advisory Committee on Undergraduate Admissions.

In the application of the provisions set forth in the section above, preference for admission shall be given to qualified residents of North Carolina; however, in recognition of the educational and other values accruing to North Carolina students, to the institution, and to the state from participation of nonresident students in the programs of the institution, nonresidents may be admitted in the entering first-year class at levels deemed appropriate by campus leadership and in accordance with UNC system office policies.

Admission of undergraduates shall be to the first-year class, to other classes by transfer after satisfactory completion of college-level work in some other institution(s) of higher education, or to Part-Time Classroom Studies.

Admission and enrollment of persons who are candidates for financial aid for which athletic ability is a consideration shall be conditional upon compliance with applicable regulations of the Atlantic Coast Conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Admission to and enrollment in the first-year class shall be conditional upon graduation from secondary school (or equivalent) with such units of secondary school academic course credit that, at minimum, meet the UNC System's Minimum Admissions Requirements (MAR) and Minimum Course Requirements (MCR) , and any additional requirements specified by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. However, if all other criteria are met, the Admissions Office may make exceptions to MAR and/or MCR in accordance with procedures approved by the Advisory Committee on Undergraduate Admissions.

Criteria employed for determination of each applicant's qualifications for admission may include:

• satisfactory evidence of scholastic promise based upon the applicant's previous academic record, recommendations from schools previously attended, scores on selected tests of scholastic aptitude or achievement, and the applicant's written application for admission,
• e vidence of the app licant’s ability to thrive at and contribute to the university community, and  
• satisfactory evidence of the applicant's ability to succeed academically and personally within the University community.

Admission and enrollment by transfer from another institution shall be conditional upon a satisfactory academic record of work undertaken in all other institutions attended, the applicant's written application for admission, and satisfactory recommendations from institutions previously attended. Applicants’ eligibility to return to previous institutions may be considered in their evaluation. Other factors include evidence of the applicant’s ability to thrive at and contribute to the University.

Eligibility for admission to Part-Time Classroom Studies shall normally be limited to individuals living within commuting distance of Chapel Hill.

Admission to Part-Time Classroom Studies of an applicant who does not hold a baccalaureate degree shall be the responsibility of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Such admissions shall be either:

• For credit, applicable toward fulfillment of degree requirements: The minimum requirements shall be the same as those for admission to degree programs and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions shall review each applicant using comparable admissions criteria as for other degree-seeking students applying to the University; OR
• For personal benefit and enjoyment: The applicant may be exempted from the qualitative requirements for admission to degree programs. Notwithstanding this exemption from qualitative requirements, the applicant must have graduated from an approved or accredited secondary school or equivalent and must demonstrate the capacity to cope with the demands of University life.
• For applicants currently enrolled in secondary school : admission will be considered only if the applicant :

a. seeks to enroll in a University course for which there is no comparable course at the student's secondary school and

b. demonstrates adequate preparation for the course in which the student seeks to enroll.

Admission to Part-Time Classroom Studies of an applicant who holds a baccalaureate degree shall be the responsibility of UNC Digital and Lifelong Learning . Such admissions shall be for personal benefit and enjoyment, for the satisfaction of prerequisite requirements for professional or graduate programs, or for transfer of credit to a postbaccalaureate degree program, in which case the applicant may be exempted from the qualitative requirements for admission to degree programs.

For information on Graduate School admissions, refer to catalog.unc.edu/admissions/graduate/.

Admission of students to the professional degree programs in schools other than The Graduate School and to nondegree programs in the schools of the Division of Health Affairs shall be, in each of these schools, the responsibility of its established committee on admissions, which shall apply policies, procedures, and requirements, not inconsistent with the provisions of this policy, adopted by the faculty of the school and approved by the Chancellor or his delegate.

Admission of applicants to any summer session shall be the responsibility of:

• The Office of Undergraduate Admissions with respect to those who wish to begin in the summer an undergraduate program of study that will continue into the following academic year or that is intended to lead to a baccalaureate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as those undergraduates previously enrolled at this institution who would like to return for undergraduate work in the summer.
• The Graduate School with respect to those who wish to begin a degree program of graduate study in the summer, as well as those graduate students already enrolled in this institution who wish to return for graduate study in the summer
• Part-Time Classroom Studies in the Friday Center with respect to those who wish to begin in the summer on a part-time basis as a postbaccalaureate nondegree student, as well as those postbaccalaureate nondegree students who wish to return for part-time study in the summer

Admission to Summer School by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, The Graduate School, and Part-Time Classroom Studies shall be in conformity with the provisions set forth in this policy for other undergraduate and graduate admissions.

Admission as a Summer School visitor by the dean of Summer School shall be in conformity with policies, procedures, and requirements adopted by the Administrative Board of Summer School. Each such admission shall terminate as of the last day of that summer term and shall include no commitment, stated or implied, for admission of the student to any subsequent semester or session of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Appeals concerning individual admission, or admission rescission, decisions shall be governed by the admissions appeal procedure contained in Appendix A.

* This policy adopted by resolution of the Board of Trustees on September 3, 1976.

* Amended by Board of Trustees, August 24, 1984.

* Amended by Board of Governors, March 14, 1986.

* Amended by Board of Trustees, May 27, 1994.

* Amended by Board of Trustees, effective January 1, 2006.

* Amended by Board of Trustees, effective January 23, 2014.

This document sets forth the procedures to be followed with respect to the appeal of a negative admissions decision, including a decision to rescind an admission that has already been granted.

• a provision set forth in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill admissions policy ("admissions policy") has been violated or
• the decision not to admit the individual or to rescind admission resulted from a material procedural error in the admissions process. An applicant’s omission of relevant information from the original application for admission will not ordinarily constitute grounds for an appeal; nor will academic or personal circumstances that changed after the submission of the application. Such an appeal shall be lodged by the applicant with the administrative officer (the director of undergraduate admissions, the dean of The Graduate School, the dean of the professional school concerned, or the dean of Summer School) whose office had responsibility for the admission in question (hereafter the "admissions officer") within 30 days after the University posts the applicant's online decision. The appeal shall be in writing and shall set forth the grounds for the appeal. Upon receipt of the appeal, the admissions officer or the admissions officer’s designee shall review the applicant's file and appeal letter and shall communicate his or her decision to the applicant in writing.
• a provision set forth in the admissions policy has been violated or
• the decision not to admit the individual or to rescind admission resulted from a material procedural error in the admissions, or appeal, process.

An applicant’s omission of relevant information from the original application for admission or from the appeal to the admissions officer will not ordinarily constitute grounds for an appeal; nor will academic or personal circumstances that changed after the submission of the application or the appeal to the admissions officer. Such an appeal shall be lodged with the provost by filing a letter of appeal specifying the grounds for the appeal within 15 days after the appellant has received the letter communicating the decision of the admissions officer. The provost may designate the review of these appeals within his or her immediate office.

The appeal shall be reviewed by the provost or the provost's designee. Following the review, the provost or designee will communicate the decision to the applicant in writing. The decision of the provost is final, and no further appeal is available.

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University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | UNC

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• Essay prompt

Want to see your chances of admission at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | UNC?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | UNC’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Community short response.

Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. This could be your current community or another community you have engaged.

Academic Interest Short Response

Discuss an academic topic that you’re excited to explore and learn more about in college. Why does this topic interest you? Topics could be a specific course of study, research interests, or any other area related to your academic experience in college.

Global Programs Short Response

Why do you want to participate in the global opportunities you’ve selected, and in what ways are you hoping to grow through the experience(s)?

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

UNC Chapel Hill Guide

The Ivy Scholars guide to UNC’s culture, admissions, and other essential information for prospective students and their families.

Location: Chapel Hill, North C arolina

Mascot: Rameses the Ram

Type: Public Research Institution

Population: 30,000 (19,000 undergrads)

Jump to Section:

Statistics  

Natl. Rankings  

Admissions Info

Academics  

Special Programs

Student Life  

Financial Info  

Fun Facts     

About UNC Chapel Hill

Among the nation’s oldest and most prestigious state universities, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the only public institution to grant a degree in the 18th century. With a strong program of academics, a proud athletic tradition, and a commitment to research, UNC is one of the South’s preeminent institutions.

UNC Chapel Hill Statistics

Year Founded: 1789

4-Year Graduation Rate: 81%

Gender Distribution: 58% female, 42% male

Acceptance Rate: 24%

Residency: 85% in state, 10% out of state, 5% international

Location Type: College Town

Schedule System:  Semesters

Student/Faculty Ratio: 13:1

Average Class Size:  20

Demographics: 62% Caucasian, 11% Asian, 11% Other or Unknown, 8% Black, 8% Hispanic

Need assistance with the college admissions process?

National rankings.

US News Rankings:

• #5 Top Public Schools
• #8 Undergraduate Business Program
• #10 Best Value Schools
• #29 National Universities
• #42 Undergraduate Research
• #61 Best Undergraduate Business Programs
• #63 Most Innovative Schools

Independent Rankings:

• #8 Public Colleges per Forbes
• #13 Best College Newspaper per The Princeton Review
• #19 Best Value Colleges per Forbes
• #21 Best Value Colleges per The Princeton Review
• #33 National Universities per The Times of Higher Education
• #45 Top Colleges per Forbes
• #54 World Universities per The Times of Higher Education

UNC Chapel Hill Admissions Information

Application Deadlines:

• Early Action: October 15th
• Regular Decision: January 15th
• Transfer Deadline: February 15th

Notification Dates:

• Early Action: End of January
• Regular Decision: End of March
• Transfer Deadline: End of April

Acceptance Rates:

• Transfer: 34%

Average Applicant Pool: 39,700

Average Number of Applicants Accepted: 9,700

Average Number Enrolled: 4,400

Application Systems: Common App

Average GPA: 3.83 weighted

SAT Scores: 25th% – 1450, 75th% – 1560

ACT Scores:  25th% – 33, 75th% – 35

*Test mandatory. Writing sections are not required.

Demonstrated Interest:

UNC does not consider demonstrated interest.

Recommendation Letter Policies:

One recommendation from a counselor and one from a teacher in an academic subject are required.

UNC Chapel Hill Essay Prompts:

• Common App Personal Statement (650 words)
• Expand on an aspect of your identity  – for example, your religion, culture, race, sexual or gender identity, affinity group, etc. How has this aspect of your identity shaped your life experiences thus far?
• If you could change one thing about where you live, what would it be and why?
• Describe someone who you see as a community builder. What actions has that person taken? How has their work made a difference in your life?

UNC Essay Writing Tips

Special Notes:

• Students applying as Music or Dramatic Arts majors are required to audition.
• State law requires at least 82% of each year’s admitted class be from North Carolina.
• Students choose and apply to their major after their first year, including applications to schools beyond the college. All schools beyond the college may only be applied to by transfer students or current UNC students.
• Around 800 transfer students are admitted each year, and must enter as juniors or seniors.
• Students must use the Common App.
• Transfer students must submit official transcripts from high school and every college attended. They must answer the same short answer prompts as first-year applicants.
• The school does request standardized test scores. They also require one letter of recommendation, although they will allow for an additional one to be included.
• The school does not offer interviews.
• Professional Schools have additional transfer requirements.

UNC Chapel Hill Admission Strategy

Admissions Criteria:

The criteria the school considers very important are: course rigor, test scores, essays, extracurriculars, recommendations, talent, character, and state residency.

The criteria the school considers important are: GPA, class rank, and volunteering.

The criteria which are considered are: legacy status, first-generation status, and race/ethnicity. Chapel Hill considers legacy status more than most other state schools, and around 17% of students are legacies. This does not mean admission is automatic for legacies, but it is a leg up.

Recruited athletes do have an advantage in admission, although this does depend on level of talent and how heavily they are recruited.

What is Chapel Hill Looking For?

The school uses holistic admissions, and every application is read and considered in full before a choice is made on it. They have no automatic cutoffs or thresholds for grades or test scores which will cause automatic acceptance or rejection, although it is much harder to get in with poor academic performance. They discuss this admissions philosophy here on their website.

They are looking for smart, motivated, and curious students, who will both benefit from and add to the community at the school. They want students who will succeed and contribute both in and outside the classroom, and stellar academics alone are not enough to gain admission. That said, 41% of in-state students who apply were accepted last year, while only 13% of out of state students were.

Out of state students are capped at 18% of the student body by law in North Carolina, thus leaving the school very little flexibility in admitting out of state students. It is therefore much easier to gain admission for in-state students, although they are still held to the same academic standards. The school also attempts to ensure students from around the state are admitted, meaning it is easier for students from less inhabited counties than those from more urban areas.

The school has an ongoing commitment to increase the number of low-income students admitted, both via recruitment and new scholarship initiatives. Race and socio-economic status are both considered when admissions decisions are made, although neither is generally the deciding factor. They also have a new commitment to enrolling and supporting veterans or their dependents.

Chapel Hill Strategy:

For in state students, ensuring you are one of the top students in your school is very helpful for your application chances. The school does compete with elite schools around the country for the best students from North Carolina, and their 41% yield rate reflects that. Being a competitive applicant to top colleges generally and a resident of the state makes your chances of admission much higher.

For out of state students, it is much more difficult, but not impossible, to gain admission to the school. Only one letter of recommendation from a teacher is accepted, so if you are requesting letters from multiple teachers, carefully select which one will provide the best view of you as a student and a person. They want to see who you are in a classroom, and what your impact is, in order to understand academic success and potential.

For the essays, authenticity is one of the traits they look for most. The essay should sound like you, and be unique enough to not get lost in the crowd of other essays. The more personal and less generic the essay is, the better it will be received. 

Recruited athletes have the best chance of out of state students, but this is a small demographic generally, and only students who truly excel in a sport should consider this a viable approach.

UNC Chapel Hill Academics

• College of Arts and Sciences
• Gillings School of Global Public Health
• Kenan-Flagler School of Business
• School of Education
• School of Information and Library Science
• Hussman School of Journalism and Media
• School of Nursing
• Eshelman School of Pharmacy
• Students may only enter the College of Arts and Sciences. They may enter other schools after their first year by filling out an additional application. This requires a meeting with an advisor.

Core Requirements:

• Courses taken in four areas outside of the major: Foundations (6 courses), Approaches (8 courses), Connections (8 courses), and Supplemental General Education
• Comprehensive General Education Information

Courses of Study: 

• 71 Majors Offered
• Option to double major
• Popular majors include Communications, Biology, Psychology, Economics, and Health & Physical Education
• Changing a major within a school is relatively simple, changing majors into a different school requires applying to that school, and may be contingent upon being able to meet all graduation requirements in time.
• Minors Offered
• Course Catalog

AP Credit Policies:

• UNC awards credit for scores of 3, 4, or 5 on most AP exams and scores of 4 or above on most IB higher-level exams.
• Comprehensive AP Credit Information

Honors Programs:

• Honors Carolina All incoming students are automatically considered for the honors program with no additional information needed, while current students are able to apply to join the program. The program allows access to honors classes, seminars, and research and mentorship opportunities, plus graduation honors.
• Departmental Honors (contact individual departments for more information).
• Graduation Honors Students may earn distinction or highest distinction based on GPA
• Academic Honors Societies

Research Availability:

• The Office for Undergraduate Research serves to connect students with research opportunities on campus.

Study Abroad: 

• Study Abroad Options

Business Options: 

• The business school offers a single major, but students may choose up to two areas of emphasis within that to explore fields of business that interest them.
• There is also a minor , which is open to students who are not in the business school but wish to pursue business.

Pre-Med Options:

• While there is no dedicated pre-med major, the majors offered by the School of Public Health try to prepare their students for medical or other professional schools. Students may also major in various scientific fields.
• Pre-Health Advising

Pre-Law Options:

• Pre-Law Advising Program
• Philosophy Department Pre-Law

Computer Science Options: 

• The Department of Computer Science offers both a BA and a BS in the field, with BS aimed more towards continuing studies and the BA for students who wish for CS to be a second major or focus.
• They offer a combined BS/MS program which allows students to graduate with both degrees in as little as 5 years.
• CS Student Organizations

Additional Specialty Programs: 

• Baccalaureate Education in Science and Teaching (UNC BEST)
• Inter-institutional Programs
• Joint Biomedical Engineering Program
• Robertson Scholars Program
• APPLES Service Learning
• Dual Degree Programs

Programs for High Schoolers:

• Summer School allows high school students to apply for and take courses at UNC during their Summer term.
• Summer Enrichment Institutes are short programs which allow students to experience what life is like at UNC.
• Summerfuel is a pre-college program which prepares high school students for the transition to college life.

Student Life at UNC Chapel Hill

School Motto: Light and Liberty

Mission and Values:

• Mission: Our mission is to serve as a center for research, scholarship, and creativity and to teach a diverse community of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students to become the next generation of leaders. Through the efforts of our exceptional faculty and staff, and with generous support from North Carolina’s citizens, we invest our knowledge and resources to enhance access to learning and to foster the success and prosperity of each rising generation. We also extend knowledge-based services and other resources of the University to the citizens of North Carolina and their institutions to enhance the quality of life for all people in the State.
• Values: Boldness, Excellence, Responsibility, Service, Relationships, Diversity, Leverage, and Improvement
• Additional Information
• Student Testimonials: ( Niche , Unigo , Grad Reports )

Residential Housing System:

There are 32 residence halls across campus, which are grouped into 15 communities. First years are required to live in first-year-experience halls. Upperclassmen may choose from a variety of halls or living learning communities, which focus on various academic or social aspects. There is some apartment style housing available to upperclassmen as well.

Housing Statistics:

• 94% of freshmen live on campus
• 46% of undergraduates live on campus at any given time.

Campus & Surrounding Area :  

• Dominated by two large quads, the campus is divided into three: North, Central, and South campuses. The campus has a lot of green and open spaces.
• Located in the college town of Chapel Hill, points of interest include the Morehead Planetarium , a lively downtown , and a number of fine restaurants . 
• Safety information: ( UNC , College Factual )
• Virtual Visit

Transportation:

• Commuting students are able to forgo a parking pass to receive a free bus pass . The school also offers other commute alternatives .
• Shuttle system for transit around campus.
• Parking Information

Traditions:

• Rushing Franklin – Students rush onto Franklin street in a joyous mob to celebrate sporting victories, often starting bonfires as well.
• Dance Marathon – A 24 hour no-sitting no-sleeping marathon held every Spring in order to raise money for a children’s hospital.
• Old Well Magic – Legend states that drinking from the old well before your first class of the year will bring good luck, and even a 4.0.
• Arts Everywhere Day – One day in Spring campus is filled with art installations, performances by more than 60 student groups, and interactive art activities.

Student-Run Organizations:  

• Organization Database
• Sample Organizations ( Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies , Clef Hangers , Residence Hall Association )
• D1 Athletics Athletic Coast Conference (Good Men’s Basketball and Women’s Soccer)
• Intramural Sports
• Club Sports
• Main Rival: Duke University

Greek Life:  

• 18% of undergraduates participate in greek life, including social, academic, and service organizations.
• There’s frequent live music in town.
• The town of Chapel Hill has a small but vibrant nightlife scene, and many bars and restaurants . 
• Sporting events are also social events, with tail-gating and afterparties being quite common. 
• Frat and apartment parties are a common weekend occurrence, although Chapel Hill isn’t as prominent a party school as some state schools.

Financial Information

Yearly Cost of Attendance:

• Total: $51,970
• Tuition and Fees: $36,000
• Room & Board: $11,526
• Books: $972
• Personal Expenses: $3,472

Financial Aid:

Around 47% of students receive financial aid, with the average award being $19,000. Students are required to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS profile to be considered for aid. While financial aid applications will not be processed until after a student is admitted, they recommend starting early. All incoming students are automatically considered for need-based grants.

Additional Financial Aid & Student Loan Information

Scholarships: 

There are additional merit based scholarships available, some of which require additional applications. These include the Morehead-Cain and Robertson scholarships. The school also accepts outside scholarships, and offers work-study opportunities to help students cover personal expenses.

• The first dormitory in the US was built at UNC in 1795.
• UNC was the first publicly chartered university under the US constitution, was the first state-sponsored university, and is one of three universities claiming to be the oldest public university in the US.
• The university was forced to close during reconstruction due to the number of casualties suffered during the Civil War among the student body and the town of Chapel Hill.
• The university’s honor code for academic violations is entirely student run and adjudicated.
• The ram mascot, named Rameses, dates back to 1924, when a student brought a ram to a football game, and the kicker rubbed its head for luck before kicking the winning field goal.
• The school keeps changing their main rival, as the fortunes of their rival schools change. It has been Duke, UVA, and NC State.
• President Jame Polk and 13th Vice President William King both graduated from the school.
• Notable alumni include Michael Jordan and Mia Hamm.

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• January 14, 2022

How To Write the UNC-Chapel Hill Supplemental Essays (2021-2022)

Welcome to the UNC-Chapel Hill supplemental essay prompts for the 2021-2022 college application cycle! Here’s everything you need to know to write the best supplemental essays possible.

UNC-Chapel Hill is a top-notch school that is getting even more difficult to get into, especially for a school in a state system. Because of its highly-ranked academic programs, it is considered a Public Ivy, or a public institution that offers an academic experience similar to that of an Ivy League university. That’s why it’s getting increasingly hard for applicants, particularly out-of-state applicants, to be admitted since no more than 18 percent of out-of-state first-year undergraduate students may enroll on UNC campuses.

But one way you can stand out in your applications is through your essays. UNC-Chapel Hill states that they “aspire to build a diverse and inclusive community at Carolina and believe that students can only achieve their best when they learn alongside students from different backgrounds.” It’s important that you keep this in mind while you write your supplemental essays, which include 2 short answers and 4 fill-in-the-blank questions.

Short Answer Prompts

You’ll choose two of the following prompts to respond to in 200-250 words:

Describe a peer you see as a community builder. What actions has that peer taken? How has their work made a difference in your life?

This is a good chance to show admissions officers about what you admire in others and the goals that you potentially have for yourself. What does a “community builder” look like to you? How do you define your community? What kind of work do you consider to be most impactful? All of these questions will help admissions officers understand what you will contribute to the UNC-Chapel Hill community. Share a story or share an anecdote about a time a peer’s work made a difference in your life, and use specific, vivid details to help bring this story to life.

While many students write about a peer they met through community service (and highlighting service can have a positive effect on a student’s chances of admission), there are many different activities and roles you can talk about. Maybe a soccer teammate stepped up to lead you to victory this year, or a friend in your dance class always stayed afterward to help other students rehearse. How do they inspire you to follow in their footsteps?

Describe an aspect of your identity (for example, your religion, culture, race, sexual or gender identity, affinity group, etc.). How has this aspect of your identity shaped your life experiences thus far?

This is kind of a variation on the “diversity” essay that many schools ask for i.e. how you would contribute to their school’s diverse student body. It also sounds similar to this popular Common App prompt: ​​“Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, please share your story.”

While answers you’ve previously written for similar questions can be repurposed here, you’ll want to tailor it more for the school. Research what UNC-Chapel Hill values in its community. Read their mission statement , comb through different extracurricular groups, and see what kind of school spirit they foster in students. Write in bold detail about the part of your identity that has shaped your life so far, and then look forward to how you can make unique contributions to UNC-Chapel Hill’s diverse student body.

If you could change one thing to better your community, what would it be? Why is it important and how would you contribute to this change?

Again, another essay asking about your impact on a community — it’s not an accident that the instructions say that they “hope to learn what being a member of such a community would mean to you.” And even though they’re asking you to look ahead and discuss what you might do in the future, this is still a good time to mention your past contributions to your community.

What is a problem you see in your school, town, state, or country? What have you done so far to address it, and what work is left to be done? Why does it matter to you so much, and what is your personal relationship to this community? Show them how passionate you are about making a difference in the lives of others. Even though this idea of “community” can be vague, your job is to be specific so that your story and point of view come to life on the page.

Former UNC-Chapel Hill employee, community service member, and civil rights activist Esphur Foster once said, “We are nothing without our history.” Her words are memorialized on the Northside Neighborhood Freedom Fighters monument. How does history shape who you are?

This could become an essay that’s very similar to the identity essay above, so keep that in mind if you select both prompts. But “history” can be interpreted to mean many different things — your family history, the history of the place where you grew up, the history of your religion or culture. Think about larger trends and ideas that have been passed down for generations. Is there a piece of wisdom that is still shared in your family today? How does this kind of history impact what you want to do with your life?

Fill-in-the-blank Responses

You’ll complete all four of the following fill-in-the-blank responses in 25 words each:

One family tradition I cherish:

Think back to your family holiday celebrations and the things you looked forward to the most. Even if your family doesn’t have traditions, consider writing about the lessons that your family members have taught you and how you may pass this down to future generations.

This I believe:

Interpret this in the way that makes the most sense to you. Whether it’s a quote that has inspired you over the year or a religious/moral belief, try to concisely describe how the belief has shaped your life.

The quality I most admire in myself:

Take pride in your abilities and accomplishments, but make sure it doesn’t come off as too braggy. How can you use this quality to help others and make a positive difference?

The protagonist I most identify with:

This gives readers an insight into the stories that have been important in your life. Think about the characters that embody what you value most — selflessness, bravery, confidence, etc. Choose a character in a book that actually resonates with you, instead of a character that you pick just because it “sounds good.”

Looking for some help in writing your UNC-Chapel Hill supplemental essays? Schedule a free consultation with one of our college application consultants today.

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UNC Chapel Hill Supplemental Essays 2023-24 – Prompts and Advice

July 28, 2023

Those hoping to enter the Tar Heel Class of 2026 faced tougher competition than at any previous time in UNC Chapel Hill history. To quantify this assertion, there were 57,219 first-year applicants for the Class of 2026 and the overall acceptance rate was just 16.8%–less than half the figure seen two decades ago. North Carolinians continue to enjoy a sizable advantage. In fact, in-state applicants were accepted at roughly a 40% clip while out-of-state applicants experienced just a 10% admit rate. The mid-50% SAT range for North Carolinians was 1340-1500 while the range for out-of-staters was a more intimidating 1400-1540. For all applicants, the UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays will be of great importance.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill? Visit our blog entitled: How to Get Into UNC–Chapel Hill for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

If you want to have your strongest shot at one day donning the Carolina blue and white, you’ll need to find ways to stand out on your application. Through its two short answer prompts, the UNC-Chapel Hill supplemental section still affords an opportunity to showcase what makes you uniquely qualified for admission. Below are the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill’s supplemental prompts for the 2023-24 admissions cycle along with tips about how to address each one.

UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays: Short answer prompts 2023-24

You’ll respond to each of the following two prompts in 200-250 words:

1) Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. This could be your current community or another community you have engaged.

This essay starts with an invitation to share a personal quality that you feel is essential for the admissions committee to know about. Next, you need to take that personal quality, situate it in a true story that involves the larger world, and explain how you made a positive impact on others. You may wish to “work backward” on this one. Think about how you positively helped a community in your life and then try to nail down which quality of yours ultimately had the most impact. This way, the audience will be able to clearly see your favorable quality in action versus you just explaining that you are empathetic, versatile, loyal, trustworthy, resilient, etc.

Additionally, as you consider your approach to this essay, it’s important to look at “community” as a broadly defined concept. Community can encompass anything from your high school, your neighborhood, a place of worship, your family, or even a club or sports team. Some words of warning with this one: this doesn’t need to be a grandiose vision. For example, you single-handedly solved the climate crisis and eliminated global poverty. You don’t have to be the lone hero in this tale!

UNC Supplemental Essays (Continued)

2) Discuss an academic topic that you’re excited to explore and learn more about in college. Why does this topic interest you? Topics could be a specific course of study, research interests, or any other area related to your academic experience in college.

Here, Chapel Hill is asking you to share your story of how you became interested in your selected discipline. You can structure the narrative of this essay as a soup to nuts chronicling of your entire journey toward your discipline of interest. Contrarily, you could share one or two vignettes that illustrate your burgeoning passion for engineering, history, French, computer science, business, psychology, etc. As you begin the prewriting phase, you may want to ask yourself the following questions:

• What is your first strong memory relating to your future area of study?
• What fills you with wonder?
• What books have you read on the subject?
• Do you consume podcasts or documentaries related to your passions?
• Have certain online or print publications helped to fuel your interests?
• What subtopics of your prospective discipline most intrigue you?
• Did a teacher excite you about this topic or was it a parent/relative or outside mentor?

How important are the UNC Chapel Hill supplemental Essays?

There are eight factors that UNC Chapel Hill considers as “very important” and the essays are among them. In addition to the essays, UNC-Chapel Hill gives the greatest consideration to the rigor of one’s academic record, standardized test scores, recommendations, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, character/personal qualities, and state residency.

UNC Chapel Hill Supplemental Essays – Want Personalized Essay Assistance?

Lastly, if you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your UNC supplemental essays, we encourage you to get a quote today.

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Transfer Application

If you’ve taken any college coursework after graduating from high school, you’ll apply to Carolina as a transfer student.

Around 700 transfer students choose Carolina each year, and our transfer students travel many roads to get here. Your academic record should show us all the challenges you’ve taken on and the ways you’re prepared to succeed at Carolina.

I’m an International Student

Complete Your Application

Apply online through the Common Application.   Your application and application fee or fee waiver are due by February 15. Then, be sure to have your supporting materials sent to us, which will help us gain a fuller understanding of you as a student and the contributions that you make in the classroom.

Some majors and professional school programs at Carolina have additional application requirements.

What’s on the Common Application?

• Extracurricular Activities
• Essay and Two Short Answers
• Application Fee or Fee Waiver

What supporting materials are required?

• Letter of Recommendation
• Official Transcript
• SAT or ACT Scores (optional for 2024 admission)
• Application Fee or Fee Waiver You’ll also submit a non-refundable application fee is $85. If you can’t pay the fee right now or are an active-duty member of the military, please complete the fee waiver request form and send it to us at [email protected]. The bottom line: whether you apply with a fee or a waiver, we’ll be grateful to receive your application, and we’ll consider you with care, appreciation, and respect.

Apply for Financial Aid

Submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and CSS Profile. Learn how to submit both on our Financial Aid website.

Keep in Mind

• If you’re a North Carolina resident, you’ll need verify your residency with Residency Determination Services.
• Check your email regularly. If we need materials or more information as we’re reviewing your application, your email is where you’ll hear from us.
• If you need to add information to your application after you’ve submitted it, you’ll be able to send it to us using MyCarolina. If a school official or recommender has additional information, please ask them to email us at [email protected] and include your full name and date of birth.
• If you believe your academic progress has been affected by disability-related issues, we encourage you to share this information with us. Learn more about submitting disability-related documentation.
• We require all applicants (including students offered admission) to disclose any new school-based disciplinary incidents or criminal charges that occur after the application was submitted within ten days of the occurrence. The student’s written explanation as well as any required corroborating documentation (from a school official or legal representative) can be uploaded through MyCarolina.

Helpful Deadlines

How to Get Into UNC-Chapel Hill

Reviewed by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 10/16/23

Are you interested in learning how to become a UNC Tar Heel? If so, read on to learn how to get into UNC-Chapel Hill.

UNC-Chapel Hill has been a top choice for several hopeful applicants for a number of years. Commonly referred to as the first public university in the United States, it has a long history as a leading university in various subjects. UNC-Chapel Hill was first established in 1795 and has played an important role in many US historical eras, including the Civil War.

UNC students are commonly referred to as “ Tar Heels ,” which pays homage to North Carolina’s history of supplying materials to the US military. Today, the name is used in a positive light to represent the university’s pride in the military and state.

UNC-Chapel Hill continues to be recognized as a leader in innovative teaching and groundbreaking research. If you’re thinking about becoming a UNC Tar Heel, this guide will tell you everything you need to know. 

UNC-Chapel Hill Application Requirements & Admissions Stats 

UNC-Chapel Hill holds its students to high academic standards. By scoring a 1500 on the SAT or a 33 on the ACT, you’ll set yourself up for admission success. You should also maintain a GPA of 3.75 or higher. To stand out from the crowd, engage in meaningful extracurricular activities that showcase your interests and strengths.

UNC-Chapel Hill looks for a special type of applicant who engages with the world around them while staying true to themselves. As a result, they are particular when it comes to the admissions process. We’ll list some admissions statistics and application requirements for your consideration below.

Your application to UNC-Chapel Hill will be divided into two different segments. The first involves submitting your application online through Common App . 

This is where you’ll be expected to include information about the extracurricular activities you participate in, provide your admissions essay and two short answers, and any optional components, like applications for Global Opportunities ( Global Gap Year Fellowship and/or Carolina Global Launch ) or Honors Carolina . You’ll also have to pay a $85 application fee. 

The second segment of the UNC-Chapel Hill application is sending in your supplementary materials. This will help the admissions committee to further understand who you are as an applicant. It will provide a full picture of your achievements as a student, and the contributions that you have made in the classroom. We’ll explain each application requirement in detail below.

UNC-Chapel Hill Acceptance Rate

If you’re thinking about applying, you might be wondering: “how hard is it to get into UNC-Chapel Hill?” The answer to this question can be found by looking at the UNC-Chapel Hill acceptance rate . About 16.8% of students who apply to UNC-Chapel Hill are accepted each year, making it highly selective.

‍ Take our interactive quiz below to find out how likely you are to get into UNC-Chapel Hill .

SAT/ACT Requirements

There is no specific SAT or ACT requirement that you must meet to gain entry at UNC-Chapel Hill, as the school recognizes that a high test score is only one piece of the puzzle that makes up an applicant. 

However, you’ll want to be as competitive as possible to measure up with the sea of applicants UNC-Chapel Hill receives yearly. And because of the school’s popularity and prestige, the bar for competition between applicants is quite high. 

Over time, the average SAT score for accepted applicants has been between 1310-1500, and the average ACT score has hovered around 29-33. The incoming class at UNC-Chapel Hill had the following score ranges:

• North Carolina residents : 1340-1500
• Out-of-state students : 1400-1540
• All students : 1400-1540

Successful applicants who wrote the ACT have had their scores converted into the stats above. 

GPA Requirements

While UNC-Chapel Hill states that applicants need a minimum 3.0 GPA to apply, you will need a higher GPA to compete with the many applicants that UNC sees yearly. As such, the average GPA of successful applicants is 3.75 and over.

For reference, 92% of the most recent class were in the top 20% of their high school class , whereas 74% of applicants were in the top 10%. 

Official Transcript with Completed Minimum Course Requirements

To get into UNC-Chapel Hill, you will need to have completed the following courses:

• Four units of English
• Four units of college preparatory mathematics (including algebra, geography, and one higher level mathematic course in which algebra II is a prerequisite)
• Two units of a single foreign language (can include American Sign Language)
• Three units in science (including one life/biological science, one in physical science, and one laboratory course
• Two units of social studies (one in United States History)

If you cannot meet all of these requirements, you can still apply. However, you will have to note in detail what prevented you from completing the courses outlined above.

Letter of Recommendation

UNC-Chapel Hill only requires one letter of recommendation per application. It’s advised that the letter comes from a teacher who taught you in a core academic area (math, science, social science, or world language), and can vouch for your academic achievements, personal story, and potential.

Make sure to build strong relationships with your teachers throughout your high school career. When the time comes to ask for a letter of recommendation , your teachers will be more likely to write one for you if they know you and your academic skills well.

UNC-Chapel Hill Application Deadlines

Here are the deadlines you will need to follow to submit your UNC-Chapel Hill application on time. UNC accepts early applications for those that have the school as their first choice; it’s recommended that you meet these deadlines for a better chance of acceptance.

Source : UNC-Chapel Hill

Make a special note of these dates—you don’t want to miss them!

UNC-Chapel Hill Essays

As a part of the secondary application for UNC-Chapel Hill, you will be expected to include two essay responses . You will have a choice of selecting two of the following prompts , and answering each in 200-250 words:

1. Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. This could be your current community or another community you have engaged.

2. Discuss an academic topic that you’re excited to explore and learn more about in college. Why does this topic interest you? Topics could be a specific course of study, research interests, or any other area related to your academic experience in college.

Remember to be clear and concise, regardless of your chosen prompt. You’ll want to make every word as meaningful as possible while aligning with UNC-Chapel Hill’s values. This is also an opportunity for UNC-Chapel Hill, the admissions committee to hear your story, in your own words, so be sure to also remain authentic and true to yourself.

Since UNC-Chapel Hill is a big believer in diverse and inclusive communities, be sure to include examples of how you can best contribute to making that community stronger.

In addition to answering two essay prompts, you will need to answer these fill-in-the-blank style responses, limited to 25 words each:

• One family, friend, or school tradition I cherish
• If I had an extra hour in every day, I would spend it
• If I could travel anywhere, near or far, past, present or future, I would go
• The last time I stepped outside my comfort zone, I
• People who meet me are most likely to notice, and least likely to notice

Being prompt while showing your personality and values is key for these responses. Make sure you practice your answers beforehand and refine them so that the admissions committee at UNC-Chapel Hill can better understand who you are in a short amount of words.

Tips for Getting Into UNC-Chapel Hill

If you’re looking for ways to strengthen your UNC-Chapel Hill application, take a look at these keytips!

Challenge Yourself Academically by Taking Advanced Placement Classes

UNC-Chapel Hill looks for applicants who consistently challenge themselves and strive to improve academically. 

Enrolling in Advanced Placement classes , the International Baccalaureate program , or other college-level courses over the summer is an excellent way to show to the admissions committee that you have the drive to challenge yourself.

Participate in Extracurricular Activities

When UNC-Chapel Hill reviews candidates, they prefer individuals who significantly impact their community and engage in activities they are passionate about. 

Look for extracurricular opportunities that will make you stand out and demonstrate that you care about making a difference in serving the community that you live in . Examples of this can include being a Big Brother or Big Sister or working exclusively with non-profits.

For context, the recent admitted class had 74% of their applicants volunteering in service activities .

Be Yourself in Everything That You Do

One of the most important things you need to show in your application to UNC-Chapel Hill is your individuality. 

The admissions committee wants to accept students who leave their mark in everything that they do and make it uniquely them. Participate in opportunities, like passion projects , that will show UNC-Chapel Hill you exemplify individuality and authenticity, and they will surely provide you with an acceptance to their school.

Get In Touch with the Carolina College Advising Corps

To align with their duty of providing service to the communities that surround UNC-Chapel Hill, the school has a unique outreach program known as the Carolina College Advising Corps .  

This program recruits current UNC-Chapel Hill students to act as representatives and visit high schools across North Carolina. Their role is to assist students in every step of their college search and application, whether at UNC-Chapel Hill or not. They are there to meet one-on-one with potential applicants and answer any questions they may have about the admissions process, tuition, and more. 

If you are a North Carolina resident, getting to know your Carolina College Advising Corps and building a relationship with them is a great idea. They will guide you firsthand into best practices for admission to UNC-Chapel Hill.

FAQs: How to Get Into UNC-Chapel Hill

Now that we’ve gone over the basics of how to get into UNC-Chapel Hill, you may still have a few lingering questions about the admissions process. Take a look at our responses to these frequently asked questions to find your answers. 

1. What GPA Do You Need to Get Into UNC-Chapel Hill?

Because UNC-Chapel Hill is a prestigious school with many applicants per year, you must aim for as high of a GPA as possible. Typically, successful UNC-Chapel Hill applicants have a GPA of 3.7 or higher.

2. How Hard Is It to Get Into UNC-Chapel Hill?

With an acceptance rate of 23%, it comes as no surprise that receiving admission to UNC-Chapel Hill can be challenging. However, it’s certainly not impossible. By following the tips outlined in this guide, you can get there!

3. Can You Get into UNC-Chapel Hill with a 3.5 GPA?

Yes, you can be admitted with a 3.5 GPA . However, keep in mind that this is lower than normal. As such, you’ll want to supplement for a lower GPA by committing to receiving high SAT or ACT scores, challenging yourself with advanced courses and strong extracurricular activities, and more.

4. Is Duke or UNC-Chapel Hill Harder to Get Into?

Duke University and UNC are prestigious schools that have rivaled each other for many years, largely due to their campus’ close proximity. Duke is harder to get into considering its low acceptance rate of 6% , compared to UNC-Chapel Hill’s 25.7%.

Final Thoughts

UNC-Chapel Hill is an institution with a strong reputation for academic excellence. Since the start of its legacy over 200 years ago, its values and curriculums in each school have pushed students and alums to achieve great accomplishments.

While gaining acceptance to UNC-Chapel Hill can be challenging, by following the tips we’ve outlined in this guide, you’ll know exactly how to get into UNC-Chapel Hill and be well on your way to becoming a Tar Heel. Best of luck!

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How to Respond to the 2023/2024 UNC Supplemental Essay Prompts 

Ginny Howey is a former content writer at Scholarships360. Ginny graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2022 with a degree in Media and Journalism (Advertising/PR focus) and minors in Entrepreneurship and Spanish. Ginny’s professional experience includes two summers as a writer intern at global creative consultancy BCG BrightHouse. More recently, Ginny worked as a content marketing intern for Durham-based software engineering bootcamp Momentum, where she gained SEO skills. She has also written freelance articles on emerging tech for A.I. startup Resultid.

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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the country’s oldest state university. Apart from its star-studded basketball program, UNC Chapel Hill is known for offering top-notch academics. If you want to become part of the next class of Tarheels, focus on crushing your UNC supplemental essays. Your responses should convey your distinct voice and why you are a great fit for the school. Keep reading to learn more about how to best respond to the prompts! 

The UNC supplemental essay prompts

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill wants to know how you’d contribute to the campus community. They ask that you respond to the following two prompts in up to 250 words each. 

Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. This could be your current community or another community you have engaged.

Ultimately, this question is asking you to discuss any community service you have done. This could include a wide array of activities ranging from typical community service such as picking up litter around your neighborhood to starting a club at your high school. This prompt also specifies that it can be any type of community that you have engaged in, so feel free to get creative! Some examples of communities can be your high school, your neighborhood, a place of worship or a sports team. Think about any group you have aided and what exactly you did in order to help them. Be sure to pick a story, anecdote or memory that paints you in a positive light and reveals a lot about you as a person! Remember, ultimately UNC asked this question in order to know more about you and your personality so be sure to have it shine through in this response! Once you have described your story and how it impacted your community, take it one step further by detailing how you hope to change your future UNC community in a similar fashion. For example, if you discuss starting a recycling club at your high school, you can end your response with detailing how you hope to start a similar club at UNC to help reduce the environmental impact the university will have. Connecting back to UNC will give you some bonus points with the UNC admissions officer reading over your response! Overall, be sure that you are painting a picture in your response rather than just stating your contributions to a community. 

Questions to consider

• What have you done or participated in in order to benefit your community?
• What do you hope to bring to UNC to help better the UNC community?
• How did helping your community make you feel? Would you do that action again? 

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Discuss an academic topic that you’re excited to explore and learn more about in college. Why does this topic interest you? Topics could be a specific course of study, research interests, or any other area related to your academic experience in college.

Upon first glance of this prompt, it seems like the perfect opportunity to dive into why you selected your major and what you are passionate about within that field! However, it is encouraged to discuss your major but it is not required! Rather, you can discuss an interest beyond your major. Ultimately, it is a personal preference on what you decide to write about! When selecting a topic to write about, you should try to be as specific as possible. Do not just say “psychology” rather say “developmental psychology, specifically nature vs nurture in children.” Being specific allows you to truly showcase your passion and can allow you to discuss specific UNC classes, clubs and professors that relate to this specific niche interest in a field. Remember, one of the best ways to describe your passion for a subject is through a story! So, provide a natural and captivating response that details your passion through a narrative. Once you complete this narrative, you should then be connecting back to UNC. Try to choose 1-2 UNC resources you are interested in taking advantage of such as a specific club, research lab or professor’s class that connect to your academic interest. 

• What are you academically passionate about? What are you hoping to major in in college? 
• Why are you interested in this field of study? Is there a personal connection? 
• What resources are available that you are excited about at UNC? 

Final pointers for acing the UNC supplemental essays

To know which essays to choose, consider brainstorming bullet points for each question. Strive to share compelling personal anecdotes and also reveal key pieces of your identity not shared elsewhere in your application. With these tips, you should have a great start on nailing your UNC-CH supplemental essays! 

Additional resources

Once you have completed your UNC supplemental essays and revised them to tell your stories succinctly, read up on how to choose a college. Supplemental essays are just one component of the college application process. Scholarships360 has plenty of resources to help with other aspects, such as our articles on everything you need to know about work study   and navigating different types of student loans.   While you are applying to colleges (and before and after too!), make sure that you apply for all the scholarships you are eligible for! 

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Strong UNC Chapel Hill Essay Example

UNC Chapel Hill is a pretty selective school, especially for out-of-state students, so it’s important to write strong essays to help your application stand out. In this post, we’ll share an essay a real student has submitted to UNC Chapel Hill. (Names and identifying information have been changed, but all other details are preserved).

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Read our UNC Chapel Hill es say breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

Prompt: If you could change one thing about where you live, what would it be and why? (200-250 words).

Sitting behind the loaded plates on our dinner table, I predicted my mom’s first question with 100% accuracy: “So, how did you do on the trigonometry test today?” Notorious for failing math classes, my brother paused from chewing his chicken wing. 

I knew he’d be in trouble. 

Indeed, after hearing his grade, my mom scolded: “Look at our neighbor’s kid; then look at you! She never gets anything below a 90!”

There it is again: “the neighbor’s kid,” a Chinese concept that I wish would serve a different purpose. Upon learning about their children’s unsatisfactory academic performance, Chinese parents often bring up a so-called perfect neighbor’s kid for comparison. It saddens me to see individuals raised under the shadow of “the neighbor’s kid” not able to simply enjoy exploring knowledge. They toil through years of schooling for good grades and a prestigious college’s acceptance letter at the cost of their mental well-being. Worse, some measure their self-worth by grades alone: my brother believes he’s not good enough, despite all his admirable traits outside of academics. 

Instead of “the neighbor’s kid who got a good grade” at the dinner table, I suggested my parents discuss “the neighbor’s kid who sells bracelets to raise money for charity”  or “who had a hot discussion with the teacher about whether animals have consciousness.” I look forward to a more vibrant and colorful dinner conversation, where families talk about their roses and thorns of the day, rather than a neighbor’s kid defined by numbers.

What the Essay Did Well

This essay does a great job of opening with a strong anecdote and seamlessly transitioning the anecdote into an answer to the prompt. The reader feels the suspense of sitting at the dinner table with the student and their family waiting for the response to their mom’s question, and might even relate to hearing the student’s parents complain about their grade. It’s a simple and quick story, but everyone can find something in it they relate to, which makes the reader want to keep reading.

The essay was also successful at transitioning from a personal anecdote to a broader topic that addresses the prompt. The anecdote is connected to the larger issue the student has with their home environment and provides context for their reasoning that growing up surrounded by this mentality is harmful. The use of the anecdote bolsters the entire essay by perfectly setting up the student’s response to the prompt, rather than being an out-of-place inclusion to add some empathy or imagery, which is a common mistake with anecdotes.

Another positive aspect of this essay is how the student’s passion for the issue shines through. The reader learns a good deal about the student’s family life and familiarity with the “the neighbor’s kid.” The student’s expressed sadness and disapproval at not being able to enjoy learning because the immense amount of stress their parents place on them to get good grades is evident when they said, “ They toil through years of schooling for good grades and a prestigious college’s acceptance letter at the cost of their mental well-being.” The inclusion of the student’s brother also shows how close this issue is to the student’s heart because they are watching stereotypes harm someone they love. The details and direct language included provide strong evidence for why the student wants to change this aspect of where they live, which is the most important part of the prompt to address.

What Could Be Improved

For the most part, this is a great essay. The one thing that could be improved is the last paragraph that explains what the student wants to change. As far as the reader knows, the suggestions the student makes to discuss “the neighbor’s kid who sells bracelets” or “the neighbor’s kid who had a hot discussion with the teacher” are random topics the student chose to contrast with the idea of valuing a kid for a numerical grade. Since these appear as random topics, it distracts from other qualities the student and their brother might possess and want to showcase to their parents.

In an essay that is focused on changing the norm of equating worth with a grade, it would reveal more about what the student wants to be recognized for if they mentioned topics of conversation that related back to their interests. For example, if the student liked to ice skate and play the trumpet they could say: “Instead of the dreaded question about my grades, my parents would ask about how my axel is coming along or what new song I’m considering for the winter concert.” An ending more like this, that discusses the student’s interests rather than randomly mentioning other students, still achieves the same goal of the student not wanting to solely be measured by a number, but conveys the idea while also providing more insight into the student and what they value.

Where to Get Your UNC Chapel Hill  Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your UNC Chapel Hill essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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How to Write the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Supplement 2023-2024

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It’s a local school with a global perspective and impact. In 2022, new students arrived on campus from 86 countries, and yet 40% of the 4,440-strong incoming class hailed from rural counties. UNC also has a massive national impact, and is consistently ranked as one of the best public universities in the country while also having an iconic athletic tradition. Nearly half of all students ranked among the top 10 students in their graduating high school class. The overall acceptance rate is 16.8%, and the acceptance rate for North Carolina residents is 43.1%.

UNC’s Global Guarantee provides all Carolina students with access to global education opportunities, and all students start on the same playing field in the College of Arts and Sciences before applying for majors and courses of study as they progress. The top two majors are Biology and Business, and specialized programs are very competitive, so applicants who are certain of their path should consider the Assured Enrollment Program . This program empowers students to apply for a commitment from UNC to accept you into a program that you otherwise may have to wait to get into, or may not get into at all simply due to demand and space constraints, such as the business, education, pharmacy, and environmental health sciences tracks.  

As you work on your application, give a lot of thought as to whether to submit your SAT or ACT scores. While UNC is test optional , submitting self-reported scores is encouraged.

If you want to attend one of the best public universities in the country, send us an email . UNC at Chapel Hill is an outstanding academic institution with the culture to match.

The UNC Chapel Hill supplement has two short-answer questions. They start the supplement, though, with a bit of encouragement and explanation.

We’re proud of the Carolina community and how each student makes us better through their excellence, intellect, and character.  We’d like to know how you’d contribute to the Carolina community and ask that you respond to each prompt below in up to 250 words.  Your essay responses below should be different from your common app essay response.

So, before you even start drafting, sit in this guidance for a moment. They want new stories, not anything you’ve written about already, and they want to leave your supplement knowing how you are going to contribute to their community. This isn’t just about what you want to get, but also what you will give.

Prompt #1: Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. This could be your current community or another community you have engaged. (250 words)

First, create a shortlist of words that you feel describe you. You may have had to do this for another supplement prompt for a different school already. If not, ask friends, family, and mentors if you are stumped. Come up with three words that you feel are qualities central to who you are. Then, pair a story with each of the three words that illustrates how it plays into your life 

For example, if you are resilient, you might pair that with a story of when you faced hardship or challenges and had to bounce back quickly. If you are elastic and flexible mentally, you might pair that with a story of when you had to expand your worldview rapidly to incorporate new information. Whatever trait and story you pick, though, needs to have a tie in to community as they’ve made it clear that community really what this prompt is about — how do you use your strengths to help others?

We should clarify what they mean by community, though. Really, they are defining community as whatever it means to you. You could go big or small, or anywhere in between. You’re part of many communities, from your town to your block, your school to a sports team, a faith community, or an extracurricular club. Whichever community you pick should be one that you’ve been a member of for at least one year, and ideally one that you are still active in.  

Prompt #2: Discuss an academic topic that you’re excited to explore and learn more about in college. Why does this topic interest you? Topics could be a specific course of study, research interests, or any other area related to your academic experience in college. (250 words)

This is a “why us” with an extra dose of curiosity. Start by immersing the reader in a microcosm of something you care deeply about. You love toads? Make the reader love toads. Zoom in on a tiny detail of toad biology and show your enthusiasm and passion through that detail. Obsession, here, is a good thing.

Then, pivot outwards. What drew you to this passion, and why do you want to pursue it at the University of North Carolina? You’ll need to be very specific here. Specify your prospective major (which must be linked to the obsession you started with), two classes within the major you’d like to take, and a professor you would like to study under. UNC is a major research university, so you should also mention a research track or program you’d like to participate in.

As you work on this supplement, focus on the academic reasons why you want to go to UNC, not the landscaping, clubs, or social life. They want you to show them what you want to study, why, and how you are going to do it.

If you select global education and scholarship opportunities such as the Global Gap Year Fellowship, Russian Language Flagship Program, or Carolina Spring Forward: Why do you want to participate in the global opportunities you’ve selected, and in what ways are you hoping to grow through the experience(s)? (250 words)

This prompt is not part of the required supplement, and is only for students who express interest in one of the global education and scholarship opportunities. For many students this prompt gets relegated to the bottom of their priority list, and they rush an answer. You should not be part of that group. Don’t waste the opportunity by answering this prompt with a straightforward and clear-cut “this is why I want to do this program, and this is what I want to learn.” Answering that way isn’t objectively wrong or incorrect, but it would be a bad call.

Instead, tell a story. Frame why you want to do a program through the lens of a story. This shouldn’t be a story about a trip you took that made you fall in love with travel, but a story about values, about passion, about academic interest, and about community. It could take place as close to home as spinning a globe in your childhood bedroom listening to planes fly overhead and wondering if you’d ever get to go on one, or as far away as a place you saw in a documentary and then (literally) dreamed of inhabiting.

UNC Chapel Hill is an amazing school with a high bar. It’s research dominant, centered on a culture of leadership, and rooted in the South while maintaining a global perspective.

If the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sounds like it might be your dream school, send us an email . We support outstanding student in getting into equally exceptional schools.          

UNC Supplemental Essay Examples

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the top public universities in the United States.  Many students wonder how to get into UNC. Undoubtedly, the UNC application process is competitive, requiring—among other things—strong supplemental essays. In this article, we’ll provide UNC supplemental essay examples like the ones you’ll need to write.

By analyzing UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples, we’ll provide insight into strategies for UNC Chapel Hill essays that worked. Our UNC supplemental essay examples address various prompts to better prepare you to write your own essays . With some careful planning and thought, you can write UNC supplemental essays that are authentic and compelling.

Does UNC Chapel Hill have supplemental essays?

Located in the charming college town of Chapel Hill, UNC’s rigorous academics , diversity, and relatively affordable tuition attract many of the nation’s best students. Still, UNC’s ranking of #29 in the nation means gaining admission is competitive. Indeed, the UNC acceptance rate is an average of 19%. For out-of-state applicants, the UNC acceptance rate is closer to 10%.

Admissions at UNC is competitive but holistic , meaning UNC admissions officers evaluate you as a whole person, not just by grades. To do this, they use essays. Though there are many parts to a successful UNC application, the essays are a place for your unique voice and experience to shine.  We’ll share UNC supplemental essay examples in this article. But first, we need to situate the UNC essay examples within the entire application. 

In total, you’ll have to write three essays and answer five fill-in-the-blank responses on your application. The first essay is the personal statement, also sometimes referred to as the Common App essay . The personal statement is a 350–650 word essay that introduces you to UNC admissions officers.

School-specific essays

In contrast, UNC supplemental essay examples are school-specific . This means that they are only sent to UNC; they encourage students to think about and express their connections to UNC values . Like supplemental essays for other colleges, these allow students to expand on their personal narrative and make their case.

Lastly, the five UNC fill-in-the-blank responses are intended to provide space to further showcase your personality and have some fun. You can briefly let the school know who you are in response to specific questions. Responses to these questions are limited to 25 words in length, so you must be concise.

In this article, we’ll focus on the school-specific questions. Specifically, we’ll provide UNC supplemental essay examples and describe what makes them strong. 

What are the UNC supplemental essay prompts?

Before we look at UNC Chapel Hill essays that worked, let’s break down the prompts for the short answer questions. First, good UNC supplemental essay examples get specific about how the writer would fit into the UNC Chapel Hill community. All the questions center around the values of identity, diversity, inclusion, and community. As such, you’ll notice that all three of the UNC supplemental essay examples we provide touch on these themes.

There are four possible questions you may respond to for the UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays. You must choose two of them and write 200–250 words.

Here are UNC’s 2023 supplemental essay prompts: 

UNC Supplemental Essay Prompts

• Describe an aspect of your identity and how this has shaped your life experiences or impacted your daily interactions with others.
• Describe a peer who is making a difference in your school or community. What actions has that peer taken? How has their work made a difference in your life?
• If you could change one thing to better your community, what would it be? Please explain.
• Former UNC-Chapel Hill employee, community service member, and civil rights activist Esphur Foster once said “We are nothing without our history.” Her words are memorialized on the  Northside Neighborhood Freedom Fighters monument.  How does history shape who you are?

The prompts can change from year to year. In fact, the UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples we provide do not reflect these exact prompts. However, strong UNC supplemental essay examples still have important lessons in essay writing. Their lessons can help you to write your own highly effective UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays.

Now, you may be wondering which of the four prompts to choose for your UNC supplemental essays. Next, we’ll discuss how to choose which questions are the best fit for you. 

Choosing the right Essay Prompts for You

As we shared above, there are four UNC supplemental essay prompts to choose from. You must choose two of them and write no more than 250 words in response. This begs the question: which two are best to write about? 

The short and simple response is that there are no two prompts that are better to respond to. The right choice will depend on your individual circumstances and the person you want to present in the admissions process. To begin making your choice, try the following approaches:

Notice which prompts jump out at you

Read through the UNC essay prompts a few times. Do you find yourself gravitating towards one? Does an idea or a memory pop into your head? Trust that impulse and don’t overthink your choice. As long as you start early enough, you’ll have time to choose a different prompt if necessary. In fact, ideas or even drafts for one prompt may become material for a different prompt later. Nevertheless, you must choose something to start with.

Choose the prompts that showcase your strengths

The college application process is challenging in part because every student has limited space to showcase who they are. A strong application showcases a student’s strengths with clarity and precision. When you read the UNC essay prompts, do you see a space for your strengths to shine? For example, prompt #3 may be a great fit for a service-oriented and compassionate person. If you’re struggling to think of strengths, look at your activities list, considering skills you’ve demonstrated in your extracurriculars.

Brainstorm and get feedback before you choose

Consider spending 15 minutes brainstorming for each of the prompts. Present those ideas to a trusted mentor, teacher, or friend who has knowledge of the college process. Ask them which ideas are most compelling, and which stories would represent you the best on the page. Getting feedback early in the process can help you write highly polished UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays. These people may also be able to give feedback during the revision process once you have completed drafts.

Whichever essays you choose, make sure you write from a place of authenticity and embrace your unique voice. Later on in this article, we’ll discuss how to respond to each of these prompts successfully.

UNC Essay Examples

In this section, we’ll introduce some UNC Chapel Hill essays that worked. Keep in mind that the prompts for these UNC essay examples are slightly different from the current ones. Even so, there is a lot to be learned from these UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples. Strong college essays all share a few core traits, many of which we’ll explore and explain in this article.

The first of our UNC supplemental essay examples is responding to the following prompt:

UNC Essay Prompt:

Tell us a story that helps us better understand a person, place, or thing you find inspiring., example #1: a story about inspiration.

When I was told that because of a fracture in my spine, I had been paralyzed, at first I experienced curiosity. Why is it that any other cell can be regenerated except for the cells in the spine? 

Slowly, through hundreds of questions and hours of searching through the resources available at the hospital, I learned that the neurons in the spinal cord responsible for delivering messages to the brain are so complex, it is almost impossible for the cells to be recreated by the body. Essentially, the spinal cord is like an electrical cord, delivering electrical signals from the body to the brain and back. During a spinal cord injury, this cord is severed. 

However, through further research and independent exploration, I discovered that what the world had once believed about the nervous system and its ability to regenerate was not completely true. Neuroplasticity, for example, may allow victims of neural injuries to regain function by “training” other sections of the brain. 

The possibilities for discovery, especially in relation to human biology and the nervous system, inspire me. Whenever I get to a point where I think I may understand a topic, a new idea emerges that challenges me to ponder new aspects again. There is so much to learn, and I know I will never stop uncovering new topics. I hope to continue this exploration at Chapel Hill, embarking on an endless path of learning. 

Why this UNC Essay Worked

One feature of all successful UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays is clearly answering the entire prompt. This prompt asks for a story about something you find inspiring. The writer describes how they are inspired by learning about scientific discoveries because of a severe injury they have. They packed a lot of detail about themselves, their injury, their thoughts, and their future aspirations into a 250-word response.

Secondly, UNC Chapel Hill essays that worked are usually personal, and always individual. That is to say, they talk about the writer’s unique experiences and background, sometimes in a vulnerable way. Strong UNC supplemental essay examples also avoid the trap of talking about someone else and forgetting to showcase the writer. Instead, this author uses their experience of being injured to reveal how they are curious and persistent. The reader can see this writer is resilient, curious, and hopeful for the future.

Effective UNC supplemental essay examples also successfully relate the writer’s experience back to UNC Chapel Hill, even if subtly. All of our successful UNC essay examples demonstrate specific reasons the student is a good fit for UNC. This writer was able to demonstrate how they value UNC’s values of research, diversity, and service. As such, they make a strong case for why they should be admitted.

The second of our UNC supplemental essay examples is responding to this prompt:

University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill Essay Prompt:

What do you hope will change about the place where you live, essay #2: a change in your community.

“Really, surgeries are so much less painful than what I experience every day due to inaccessibility or people’s stereotypes.” 

My friend was paralyzed before she was a year old. She has been through dozens of surgeries, surgeries with the possibility of leaving her blind, even dead. She is the strongest person I know. So, when she told me that the most significant cause of her pain was due to society and not her physical barriers, I was shocked. 

Through my experiences after my spinal cord injury, I started to notice new aspects of the world. Stairs instantly became blockades when I had never even noticed them before. Sometimes, there were cars parked in front of the ramps, making it impossible for me to access the building. When I talk to my peers or school officials regarding issues such as these, I am often met with the same response, “Oh, I never noticed.” 

Repeatedly confronted with these answers, I realized that if I didn’t share my experiences, really, no one will ever notice. In addition to this, if no one is confronted about the stereotypes that one holds against a certain group in society, these biases will continue to be held. 

Today, much of society is inaccessible. It’s just a fact. Also, stereotypes remain a significant obstacle to the development and success of minority communities. However, I hope that through my life, I am able to spread awareness about these issues, helping to bring in greater understanding and accessibility. 

Like all successful UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples, this essay shows, rather than tells, the author’s main idea. Rather than jumping straight into accessibility issues, the author tells us details about their friends’ life and their own life. Through these details, the author gives context for their concern about this issue. 

Despite the prompt asking writers to look outward, this author doesn’t miss the opportunity to share about themself. After all, strong UNC supplemental essay examples really showcase the applicant’s personality, character, values, and goals. In this essay, we get a clear sense that the author is persistent, caring, brave, justice-oriented, and hopeful. These traits make them an appealing candidate for UNC Chapel Hill.

Many impactful UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples open with a strong hook, and this essay is no different. A hook is critical because it catches the reader’s attention, inviting them to stay focused throughout your essay.

While this author uses dialogue, other hooks include setting a scene (i.e., “I stood at the edge of the diving board”). It could be something rare about yourself (i.e., “I’m the only teenager in my class who loves waking up early”).  This essay’s use of dialogue leaves the reader wondering who is speaking, what they meant, and how it relates to the author. Most great UNC supplemental essay examples contain a hook that draws the reader in.

The third and final of our UNC supplemental essay examples responds to the prompt: 

UNC Application Essay Prompt:

Most of us have one or more personality quirks. explain one of yours and what it says about you. , essay #3: personality quirk.

I am a person of more than one personality quirk, some of which can be beneficial and others “not so much.” One of my main quirks, however, is the need for constant movement. Whether it is volunteering to demonstrate a mathematical problem in front of the class or bouncing my knee during a test, I believe that I perform best when I am active. 

Delving further into understanding “my little quirk,” I stumbled upon the label of kinesthetic learner. In other words, I want to experience what I am learning by being a part of the process as opposed to merely hearing about the process. During my high school career, I have found that the knee-bouncing, pencil-tapping, etc. subsides when the opportunity presents itself to participate actively in real life simulations. For instance, as a part of the Academy of Emergency Medical Sciences at Pine Forest High School, I participated in strapping fellow classmates to back boards and transporting them from place to place while maintaining proper alignment of the cervical vertebrae. Of course, when performing this task, my knee-bouncing ceased, and I was completely engrossed in the mission at hand.

My hands-on learning may stem from my more than fourteen years of gymnastics training and dance lessons that required continuous movement to learn. I do not consider this process of learning to be a disadvantage but rather a positive influence. It has allowed me a unique ability to focus, creating a sense of discipline as well as the drive and motivation to succeed. This drive is also evident in my active participation in clubs such as Trojan Mentors and National Honor Society, organizations such as The Dance Theatre of Fayetteville, and community involvement. The enjoyment which comes from working and learning hands-on and helping others is why I am drawn to the field of medicine.

As a kinesthetic learner, I learn what I practice and practice what I learn; therefore, I work well solo and as an active participant in group settings. In my preparation to attend a pre-medicine program, I sense that this type of learning will be a positive attribute to my studies. In a clinical setting, one cannot depend on theory alone but rather the practical application of skills. Although the theoretical understanding of material is of utmost importance, it is during those moments that the knee-bouncing will come in handy, proving “my little quirk” to be beneficial, allowing me to accomplish the task before me.

Without a doubt, these UNC essay examples reveal how you can write about any topic in a compelling manner. Often, when students read essay prompts, they spotlight the most outlandish, rare, and dramatic aspect of their life. In this essay, the student talks about their quirk of needing constant movement. Almost all of us know someone like this, but the student writes about this quirk relative to personal accomplishments and goals.

Secondly, while successful UNC supplemental essay examples don’t necessarily need to list accomplishments, this author folds theirs in seamlessly. Indeed, the Common App has a designated space to list extracurriculars and accomplishments. However, if your activities are thematically coherent and support your essay’s point, by all means, include them. Just be careful to choose accomplishments that relate to your topic and strengthen your arguments, rather than relisting a resume.

A third and final compelling aspect of this essay is the author’s deep understanding of their behaviors and motivations. The writer uses their tapping reflex to segue into an exploration of their passions and dreams. They also reveal that they can turn a challenge into an opportunity, a skill immensely helpful in a college setting. Strong UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples paint the author in detail and in a positive light.

How to answer UNC supplemental essays?

Although these UNC supplemental essay examples don’t respond to the exact prompts used today, they demonstrate the core qualities of good essays. In fact, these students wrote clearly and specifically about how their experiences prepared them to be great UNC undergraduates. They also likely used some key tips to be able to write a strong essay.

Here are some tips for how to write a great essay just like the UNC Chapel Hill essays that worked:

Start Early

Since there are two supplemental essays and five fill-in-the-blank responses in addition to the personal statement, it’s important to start early. The final products of essays usually represent multiple hours of brainstorming, writing, and revising. As such, you need time to process your thoughts and get feedback from many sources.

When planning your timeline for the application season, you should factor in plenty of time, especially if you’re still researching schools. Not only do you need to write several essays , but you should revise several times before submitting. This can mean editing alone, but ideally, you’ll ask trusted friends and mentors to provide feedback.

Answer Authentically and Specifically

As we noticed in the UNC supplemental essay examples above, students wrote about personal experiences that were important to them. To write a successful essay, you don’t have to make up stories or exaggerate your life. You can simply be yourself, and tell stories with specificity. 

For example, in our second example, the student showed how simple everyday tasks like climbing the stairs became impossible after getting injured. Rather than saying “My life got harder,” they showed us how it changed. Narrative details can enliven your writing while still conveying key details. This combination of specificity and authenticity will make your essay shine and stand out amongst the crowd.

Relate Your Experiences to UNC

When students wonder how to get into UNC, they should first understand why they want to go to UNC. Since UNC doesn’t have a “why school” essay, writers must base their essays on experiences, not UNC facilities or offerings. In each of these UNC supplemental essay examples, writers demonstrated how their life experiences and personality traits align with UNC’s values. While they spoke about themselves, their examples ultimately made it clear that they are a good fit for the school. Since the UNC acceptance rate is relatively low, it’s important to make sure your application is a clear fit for the school.

In the next session, we’ll dive into other ways to make your UNC application stand out.

What does UNC Admissions look for?

As we’ve shared, the UNC admissions is holistic in nature. This means that admissions officers are looking at many aspects of your application, not just your UNC supplemental essays. It also means that they are hoping to see whether your whole application shows you’re a good fit for UNC. 

Indeed, the UNC Chapel Hills essays that worked above demonstrate core personality traits like self-awareness and commitment to building community. Other aspects of your application have the potential to do the same. For example, your extracurricular activities are one of the most important indicators of your interests and commitment to growth. A student with a track record of community service and taking on new roles demonstrates not only their compassion but their leadership. 

UNC Core Values

Addressing core UNC values is a good sign for admissions officers. Commitment to community, understanding of one’s own identity, and a passion for learning are strong positives. Effective UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples we provided demonstrate some or all of these attributes. 

Finally, but just as importantly, admissions officers are looking for academic excellence as well. Without a doubt, UNC is looking for high-achieving students who can excel in their rigorous coursework. As such, they have a GPA minimum of 2.5 just to apply. However, the average unweighted GPA is closer to a 4.0—mostly As with some Bs. Strive to achieve the highest GPA possible to overcome the competitive UNC acceptance rate.

Watch the video below for more insight into what UNC Admission wants to see in your essays this application cycle.

Other UNC Chapel Hill Resources from CollegeAdvisor

Hopefully, reading UNC Chapel Hill essays that worked has helped you better understand how to get into UNC. Ultimately, the process is an incredibly individual one and every student’s application will look very different. However, CollegeAdvisor has several resources that can help you write amazing essays like the UNC supplemental essay examples here. 

First, check out this guide to getting into UNC. It examines the UNC application in further detail and provides tips on making yourself stand out on the application. Wondering what SAT scores you’ll need? Curious about when to apply? This guide will outline all of those details so you feel prepared and confident throughout the process.

UNC Supplemental Essays 2022-2023

If you want to read more about the UNC supplemental essay topics, this article discusses each prompt in depth. With this resource, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of what the prompts want, how to approach them, and potential topics. This resource also provides insights into how to respond to the five fill-in-the-blank questions. If you’re trying to hone your strategy for the UNC essays, this article is a great resource.

UNC is one of the top schools in North Carolina. Take a look at our map of other best colleges in North Carolina, below!

Finally, for more examples of successful college essays for other schools, read our article on the best college essays. You’ll begin to see the breadth of types of essays that exist as well as the similarities between successful ones. We also have resources about writing a strong personal statement , essential for any school that takes the Common App.

UNC Supplemental Essay Examples- Final Thoughts

In this article, we dove deep into UNC supplemental essay examples. We looked at what makes these UNC supplemental essay examples strong responses to the prompts. In addition to specific strengths, we offered more general advice for writing effective UNC essays.

Additionally, it’s important to put in the time and thought as the students who wrote these UNC supplemental examples did. Ultimately, your UNC essay can only be written by you—individuality and authenticity are crucial to supplemental essays. Nevertheless, these UNC essay examples may offer inspiration for your own unique, compelling responses. 

Identifying strong essays

Our UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples show there are as many similarities among strong essays as there are differences. The UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay examples, while specific to UNC, are in many ways similar to many successful college essays. As such, you might choose to use parts of your UNC essays for other schools on your college list . This can be very helpful when trying to meet tight application deadlines . 

Undoubtedly, getting into UNC is an ambitious goal. UNC Chapel Hill is not only one of the best schools in the state of North Carolina but in the nation. At CollegeAdvisor, we have the expertise, resources, and commitment to help you accomplish your dreams and get the education you deserve. Looking for individual support in the UNC Chapel Hill application process? You can take advantage of CollegeAdvisor’s one-on-one application support by scheduling a consultation today.

Senior advisor, Courtney Ng wrote this article. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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12 UNC Chapel Hill Essay Examples (2023)

If you're trying to get into the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2023, you'll need to write college essays that make you stand out from the crowd.

In this article, I've gathered 12 of the best essays that got students admitted into UNC so that you can improve your own essays and ultimately get accepted to UNC.

What is UNC Chapel Hill's Acceptance Rate?

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the top public universities, which means every year it's more difficult to get accepted into UNC.

Last year over 53,775 students applied to UNC. UNC at Chapel Hill had an overall admit acceptance rate of 19.2%.

University of North Carolina Acceptance Scattergram

What are the unc chapel hill writing prompt for 2022-23.

UNC Chapel Hill requires all applicants to write two short essays of 200-250 words each and answer four fill-in-the-blank questions.

The UNC application also notes: " Carolina aspires to build a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that students can only achieve their best when they learn alongside students from different backgrounds. In reading your responses, we hope to learn what being a member of such a community would mean to you. "

Short Answer Questions

There are four UNC short answer questions to choose from for this year, of which each student must choose two prompts to answer.

Each essay must be between 200-250 words in length.

Describe an aspect of your identity and how this has shaped your life experiences or impacted your daily interactions with others?

Describe a peer who is making a difference in your school or community. What actions has that peer taken? How has their work made a difference in your life?

If you could change one thing to better your community, what would it be? Please explain.

Former UNC-Chapel Hill employee, community service member, and civil rights activist Esphur Foster once said “We are nothing without our history.” How does history shape who you are?

Fill in the Blank Questions

Instructions: Please complete these short fill-in-the-blanks in 25 words or less .

One family, friend, or school tradition I cherish…

If I had an extra hour in every day, I would spend it...

If I could travel anywhere, near or far, past, present or future, I would go…*

The last time I stepped outside my comfort zone, I...

People who meet me are most likely to notice...and least likely to notice...

12 UNC Chapel Hill EssaysThatWorked

Here are 12 of the best essays from admitted students from UNC.

Check out these answers to the UNC short answer questions, as well as several successful Common App personal statement essays , and get inspired.

UNC Chapel Hill Essay Example #1

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Prompt: Describe a peer you see as a community builder. What actions has that peer taken? How has their work made a difference in your life? (200-250 words)

I only had one class with Tom, but his soapbox made an appearance almost every day. In every class conversation, he would always have a strong opinion that he would vocalize with no fear of judgment. It astonished me. Though I poured much time into developing my own opinions, I had nowhere near the confidence he had to throw them around freely. I doubted if they could hold up to questioning, and if not, how I would be perceived.

As the year progressed, I was validated in that not all of his opinion stood up to scrutiny. However, I also realized that the only way to amend my own ideas was to put them on the line. The only way to withstand discord was to engage in it. And when coupled with my growing dedication to understanding others’ beliefs, I not only reflected on my own, but shared them, so others could internalize mine. Since then, I consistently draw on his intellectual confidence and the tempered thoughtfulness I have always possessed, to strike a balance between dialogue and introspection. Not until he came along had I realized the absolute importance of sharing imperfect ideas. As I have grown to recognize, my engagement in intellectual discourse not only works to refine my views but also works to constructively challenge those of others, fostering a mutually beneficial discussion, which though occasionally contentious, is always underpinned by tact and respect.

In elementary school, multiplication tables were the ultimate conquest. Each day, students would take their seats, filled with either anticipation or dread of the timed multiplication practice they would inevitably receive. To me, these worksheets were a challenge- an opportunity for me to prove to myself and others that I had mastered the art of third-grade math. However, I did not realize that a fellow classmate would motivate me to achieve ambitions beyond multiplication. Every day, this classmate expertly completed his multiplication with time to spare. As the year progressed, the teachers noticed his mathematical skill and allowed him to attempt the next step—division.

I jealously watched as he attempted division while I continued working through the same monotonous problems, and eventually realized that if he could master multiplication, I could too. I began to practice my multiplication tables at home, and, at school, every timed quiz brought me closer to excellence. Finally, after what seemed like years of hard work, my teacher allowed me to progress to the division worksheets with my classmate. Without realizing it, this classmate pushed me to work my hardest and take my learning outside of the classroom. He motivated me to learn and inspired me to be the best version of myself. Because of this classmate, I work harder in school, always push myself, and, above all, believe that anything is achievable if I try my hardest.

Julia (I’ve changed her name) had always sat behind me in calculus. We traded snippets of our lives in the five minutes between math problems. One Friday night, I answered an unexpected FaceTime from Julia. She told me about her family, how her dad had committed suicide after her mom threatened to leave him. She described how her brother had physically abused her, leaving her bloody on the bathroom floor. She recounted calling the police after her boyfriend threatened to jump off a window ledge. I was left speechless.

The next morning, I remembered the classic Freudian glacier diagrams with only 10% of a person residing above water. Julia was an avid artist, a budding mathematician, yet she was living with pain most adults would find unbearable. Looking at the jeans she had painted herself in Starry Night’s likeness, basking in the warm glow of her wit, there was simply no way of knowing what obstacles she had to overcome. I had always taken having a supportive family for granted, rarely ever considering that for many, home was a punishment and not a sanctuary. While the mild success I had enjoyed in school existed primarily because of my ever-encouraging parents, hers existed in spite of them, making everything she had accomplished all the more remarkable. My respect for Julia is immeasurable. She taught me not only resilience by example, but never to assume, to never disregard what most likely lies just beneath the surface.

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I opened my email on the first day of junior year to these words: “Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Chess Club has returned once more to bless our Halls”. The sender was Donald Hasler, one of the most remarkable people I have ever met. Don and another student decided to revive the dormant Chess Club. Don, however, wanted it to be about much more than chess; he hoped to create a place where all types of students could unite. He succeeded in this goal through a weekly series of hilarious emails and constant outreach to the student body, from the most reserved students to the most rambunctious. A few months into school, Chess Club was not only the most popular club but also one of the most welcoming communities. Regardless of their knowledge of chess, students of different ages and interests come together once a week to play.

Don has become, for me, a model of the take-charge attitude essential to success in today’s world. He has taught me to emulate his leadership with nothing more than determination, a sense of humor, and an open mind, in order to develop a collaborative and cohesive group of students. Over the past year, I have helped bring a host of high school underclassmen into Math Team, helping them find a unique extracurricular interest and a group of fun, caring peers and role-models. Math Team has now joined Chess Club as the only clubs in the school with 100 members.

I am a Democrat, and Jack is as Republican as they come. True friendships are not possible between people with vastly different ideologies. At least that’s what I had originally thought. We have played basketball, done homework, gone out to lunch, laughed at memes, mourned bad grades, gossipped about teachers, and done everything that most friends do.

We have also had some of the most interesting political discussions; passionate, but without rancor or judgment. In the process I have learned many things. All it takes is a mutual willingness to listen intently and not constantly think of a repartee. Productive dialogue is more important than the instant gratification of defeating someone’s argument. The mutual respect Jack and I have for each other’s disparate political opinions is something most people wouldn’t imagine possible.

My political beliefs have only become stronger through our friendship, but so too has my understanding of divergent perspectives. I think that milk should go in before cereal, and that Lebron James is clearly better than Kobe Bryant; but it’s not a big deal if someone disagrees with me. So why is politics an exception? If friendships can only be formed between like-minded people, then democracy is in peril. Let us build that bridge. Jack and I did. It makes a difference.

I have been blessed with so many fantastic friends. I was going to write about my best friend in this essay. But no friendship has taught me more than the one Jack and I share.

Prompt: Describe an aspect of your identity (for example, your religion, culture, race, sexual or gender identity, affinity group, etc.). How has this aspect of your identity shaped your life experiences thus far? (200-250 words)

Thanksgiving is a special time for many in America. It is a celebration of American traditions. Growing up, with parents from Bangladesh, we never celebrated Thanksgiving – my parents always told me it was an American holiday, and we weren’t Americans. Now, we do celebrate Thanksgiving, albeit different from the traditional American holiday that most celebrate.

The cuisine we eat is unique to us – the turkey has spices such as turmeric, giving it a hint of the perceptible Bengali flavor. The mashed potatoes in our house aren’t topped with gravy – they are topped with curry. There are slight nuances to everything we have at the dinner table that combines the essence and cultures of the traditional American style with our own Bengali culture.

I believe that these meals, and our Thanksgiving, describes me personally. The combination of the American society in which I live and Bengali household I reside have a strong influence in my whole being. This clash of cultures blended together for me is something I would in turn contribute to the UNC community.

I also believe that my background gives me a unique perspective on social justice, which allows me to contribute to conversations that others might struggle to contribute to. Because of our Thanksgiving and how it shapes me, I will carry that with me to college where it will provide a model for myself and my peers at UNC.

Prompt: If you could change one thing to better your community, what would it be? Why is it important and how would you contribute to this change? (200-250 words)

As a global citizen and more literally an American citizen, I hope we find common ground. World affairs, as I understand them, veer wildly between extremes. Though this change can occur over decades, the world as a whole, and our country specifically, experiences radical swings between populism and elitism, far left and far right doctrine.

The natural reaction to an extreme ideology is the rise of its opposite: the process is cyclical. This extreme swing means constant division; one group vehemently fighting to keep their ideas in power and the other willing to sacrifice anything to destroy them. Rarely is their moderation, rarely is their compromise.

This lack of general balance in a countries dogma means little long-term change. Substantive action from one group is later demolished when the other gains power. Nationalism is used to attack the opposition, not to unify the country, and simulated existentialism disenfranchises many. For the good of us all, it’s time for change.

Admittedly this is idealistic, and amending this issue is not in the power of any one world-leader or bureaucrat. But I’m optimistic. In The United States, there is a vocal minority urging compromise, and though their voices are in danger of being drowned out, they have a far more compelling argument than those advocating the extremes. I hope for this change with the understanding that my community is rational and reasonable, and that with mutual respect and moderation, we can make the practical changes that best serve our world.

New England. Apple Cider, Lobster Rolls, Clam Chowder, Fall Foliage. Dead Leaves, N’oreasters, Blizzards.

The unique corner of America where I live raises conflicting feelings in me. New England is a place where beautiful colors envelop you when autumn appears but also where bitter blizzards leave you in despair when winter takes hold. A place with strong values rooted in its deep history but also where change is often rejected in favor of tradition.

As much as I love the possibility of a white Christmas, I despise the sight of muddy slush on the roadside as I drive to school. There is nothing I would love more than to be rid of the biting cold and terrible snowstorms. Of course, we couldn’t do that without discovering some outrageous new technology to shut down Earth’s natural phenomena. But that would create bigger problems, so maybe we should stay away from that idea and just hope for some forgiving weather this year!

Blizzards aside, one of my biggest issues with New England lies in its lack of decent public transportation. Our weather is worse than that of many parts of Europe, but Europe solves this problem with phenomenal public transportation including modern metros, efficient bus systems, and high-speed rail networks. One day, I hope we can emulate that level of interconnectedness and convenience in New England and throughout America. I hope this historically significant region might serve as a catalyst for technological and infrastructural change throughout America, changing history once more.

There aren’t many places where everyone is free from prejudice. One exception is a basketball court. The first time I stepped on a basketball court, I was expecting the usual joke about my race or the judgmental questions about my culture. But they never came. Everyone I met had unique perspectives on everything, from basketball itself to politics, and they were open and willing to share.

I began to open up more about my background – how I couldn’t tie my own shoes until I was 10 and that I’m the only person in my family who loves hip-hop music. I was willing to share my experiences because there were no judgments made about me. Despite living in an ethnically homogenous area, on the court, I met and connected with people who have different backgrounds and interests. Coleman, now one of my best friends, who is in love with Greek architecture, or Gavin, who is the only member of his family who isn’t a Packers fan.

The culture of unity and acceptance that is fostered is not due to the courts themselves, but due to the common goal everyone shares. I hope my community will find ways to build more places that promote what I have experienced on the basketball court – areas where everyone is respected for their perspectives rather than judged by their race, religion, or beliefs.

“Kings have riches widely lain, Lords have land, but then again, We have friends and song no wealth can buy.” - “Here’s to Song” by Allister MacGillivray

Whether it was french horn, singing, or piano, music has been integral to my mental development, and has provided me an enriching outlet to immerse myself in outside the classroom. Sadly, 1.3 million American elementary school students lack access to music classes due to funding cuts. Music should not belong solely to children in privileged, affluent schools; during my college experience, I aim to tackle this issue.

During my UNC visit, I fell into conversation with a current student, Evan Linnett, about Musical Empowerment, an organization that he leads. UNC’s commitment to equipping the next generation with the power of music is inspiring; my vision is to take this a step further. Aspiring applicants attend college-run summer programs for the experience of staying on campus; however, almost all of these programs are academic.

I envision a service-based UNC Music summer program, one that fills up dorms over the summer, provides a service opportunity to high school students from all over the country, and free basic music education to children in the RTP area, who perhaps can’t afford summer camp or music lessons. As a musician, I feel that it is our duty to use the opportunities we have been blessed with to make music accessible to children of marginalized communities across the country.

This isn’t an RTP problem; it’s a national problem. But it starts with one.

Prompt: What is one thing that we don’t know about you that you want for us to know? (200-250 words)

Sharp ambition recedes to a dull afterthought under the vast blue sky. There is nothing to prove, only a trail to be hiked. Human worries have no place here, are as alien as concrete and WiFi. Thoughts of chemistry competitions, English essays, and college loans fade into nonexistence. A stream gurgles nearby, white noise in the greenest of places. Surrounded by unassuming simplicity, I am home.

I started hiking before I could read the trail signs. I’ve been skiing for 12 years. Nature presents an opportunity not just for individual tranquility, but for being with family free from modern distractions. A tradition as ingrained as making cozonac at Christmas, the commitment to spending time outdoors is a rare source of common ground for my family. After eight hours on the trail, we eat at the same cafe, our legs streaked with dried mud. My mom predictably orders the Reuben while my dad orders salad and steals our fries. There is something warmly comforting in our routine; no matter the arguments that inevitably arise after four of us are stuffed in a car together, everything else recedes away once we step outside, slowly disappearing with the fading whoosh of cars on the highway.

I’ve trekked hundreds of miles in the mountains of upstate New York, fished in the cold, salty waters of Talkeetna, marvelled at the sun setting over Arches National Park. No matter the landscape, be it red rocks or blue ocean, I am continually humbled by the natural world and its capacity for fostering human connection.

Prompt: We hope you’ll share with us the activities that you’ve found especially worthwhile. We also hope you won’t feel compelled to tell us everything you’ve ever done or, worse yet, to do things that mean little to you just because you think we expect them.

Low-profile pursuits can be just as meaningful as ones that draw more attention, and fewer activities can be just as good, and sometimes even better, than more activities. For example, although starting a new club can be a great experience and helpful to others, so can caring for siblings, parents, or grandparents, working outside the home to put food on the table, or being a good and caring friend.

For these reasons, although we’re glad to receive complete résumés, we don’t require or encourage them. Instead, if you choose to submit something that goes beyond what you’re providing through your Common Application, keep it brief; focus less on including everything and more on choosing and explaining the things that have meant the most to you; and upload it here. (650 words max)

Everywhere I looked, I saw a sea of white coats and scrubs; there was constant beeping of the heart monitors, and the smell of disinfectant was strong.

There I stood - a diminutive, awkward high school kid - lacking in experience and confidence, ready to begin volunteering at Vidant Medical Center. Perhaps the very same qualities that made me nervous were what put patients at ease. Many patients, especially younger ones who were uncomfortable speaking with medical professionals, seemed much more comfortable in my presence. I have learned this quality is how I have been able to make a difference - by connecting with many of the younger patients who were nervous just like me. I’ll always remember the two eight-year-old brothers who were waiting as their father got an MRI.

In some ways, they were also like me - they loved sports, and had an interest in math and science. As they were waiting, we talked about everything, from who they thought would win the NBA championship title to me giving them tips on how to remember their multiplication tables. This interaction put them at ease and kept them from becoming restless.

Every time I step into the hospital, I strive to connect with people. I find that I am able to make a difference not strictly due to my tasks of escorting and discharging patients but because of connection and rapport that I establish with them.

My initial nervousness about whether or not I would be able to assist sick and injured patients soon gave way to relief and gratification as I learned that I was indeed able to help them, by bringing a smile to those I escort, discharge, or deliver meals . I’ve met people I might never have met otherwise, and we’ve shared our thoughts and talked about our experiences. I have come to look forward to their company, who, despite their conditions, are still able to smile every day and enjoy engaging in conversation with me - and vice versa.

Even when volunteering in areas of the hospital where I’m not in contact with patients as often, such as doing food preparation, I always make sure to visit the patients I escort after my shift, to talk to them and uplift their spirits. Volunteering at a hospital reminds me every day how fortunate I am to be in good health and of the rewards of helping those who aren’t. While my job as a volunteer at the hospital may not result in the discovery of a cure for cancer, I am happy to have had an opportunity to contribute to improving the experiences of the children and young adults coping with their hospital stays.

What Can You Learn From These UNC Chapel Hill Essays?

Getting into UNC Chapel Hill in 2022 is difficult, but you can maximize your chances of acceptance by writing essays that help you stand out.

These 12 UNC essays that worked show exactly how real students got accepted into UNC recently by responding to the UNC short answer questions and Common App personal statement.

What did you think of these UNC Chapel Hill essays?

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Princeton Admitted Essay

People love to ask why. Why do you wear a turban? Why do you have long hair? Why are you playing a guitar with only 3 strings and watching TV at 3 A.M.—where did you get that cat? Why won’t you go back to your country, you terrorist? My answer is... uncomfortable. Many truths of the world are uncomfortable...

MIT Admitted Essay

Her baking is not confined to an amalgamation of sugar, butter, and flour. It's an outstretched hand, an open invitation, a makeshift bridge thrown across the divides of age and culture. Thanks to Buni, the reason I bake has evolved. What started as stress relief is now a lifeline to my heritage, a language that allows me to communicate with my family in ways my tongue cannot. By rolling dough for saratele and crushing walnuts for cornulete, my baking speaks more fluently to my Romanian heritage than my broken Romanian ever could....

UPenn Admitted Essay

A cow gave birth and I watched. Staring from the window of our stopped car, I experienced two beginnings that day: the small bovine life and my future. Both emerged when I was only 10 years old and cruising along the twisting roads of rural Maryland...

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How to Write the UNC Chapel Hill Supplemental Essays: Guide + Examples 2023/2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What are the unc chapel hill supplemental essay prompts.

• How to write each supplemental essay prompt for UNC Chapel Hill
• Prompt #1: "Community" essay
• Prompt #2: "Why major?" essay
• Prompt #3: Global Opportunities Prompt

The UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essays give you a few different ways to help the school understand what you bring to the campus and community and why the two of you belong together.

Want to get a better sense of what UNC Chapel Hill is looking for before you start writing? You’ll find an extensive, by-the-numbers look at its offerings, from enrollment and tuition statistics to student life and financial aid information, on its Common Data Set . For deep insights into how this public research university envisions student success (and how it wants to grow and evolve), read its strategic priorities . Reading through this will give you a strong idea of UNC Chapel Hill’s values.

UNC Chapel Hill Supplemental Essay Prompt #1

Discuss one of your personal qualities and share a story, anecdote, or memory of how it helped you make a positive impact on a community. This could be your current community or another community you have engaged. (250 word limit)

UNC Chapel Hill Supplemental Essay Prompt #2

Discuss an academic topic that you’re excited to explore and learn more about in college. Why does this topic interest you? Topics could be a specific course of study, research interests, or any other area related to your academic experience in college. (250 word limit)

UNC Chapel Hill Global Opportunities Prompt

Why do you want to participate in the global opportunities you’ve selected, and in what ways are you hoping to grow through the experience(s)? (250 word limit)

( Note: This short answer question is only available to students who select to participate in "Global Opportunities" in the CommonApp)

How to Write Each Supplemental Essay Prompt for UNC Chapel Hill

Unc chapel hill supplemental essay prompt #1.

As a public university, UNC Chapel Hill puts a lot of value in people and the diverse experiences they bring to the table. School officials want to understand how you relate to and engage with the world around you. The Common App personal statement offers an opportunity to help schools see a big part of who you are as a person, while supplemental prompts like these give you a chance to show another side of yourself, something else you bring to the table with the college. 

For a full guide to community essays , check out that guide. Here’s the short version:

General Tips:

Don’t repeat what’s in your personal statement. The prompts are explicitly asking you to talk about something new. Take advantage of the opportunity to do so.

Brainstorm a list of communities and see which ones you would be the most excited to write about. Here are different ways to approach the idea of community:

Place: Groups of people who live/work/play near one another

Identity: Groups of people who share a common race, sexuality, ethnicity, or other marker of identity 

Action: Groups of people who create change in the world by building, doing, or solving something together (ex.: Black Lives Matter, Girls Who Code, March for Our Lives)

Interest: Groups of people coming together based on a shared interest, experience, or expertise

Circumstance: Groups of people brought together either by chance or external events/situations

Get specific. Share specific moments, experiences, and actions. Be creative and use details that give you a distinctive/memorable voice.

Use the space they give you. You only get about 250 words per answer, so try to use it all up. If you don’t have 200-250 words to say about something, consider writing about something else.

When you can, try to make your answers school-specific. Because it’s a big public school, UNC Chapel Hill receives a ton of applications. The more you can do to demonstrate that you’ve done your research, the better chance you have of standing out. Universities want to feel wanted. While the prompt doesn’t explicitly mention UNC, you have the option of adding a bit of “Why us?” at the end, showing how you want to engage with the UNC  community.

With community, clarify impact. Why does impact matter? It helps the reader understand why they should care. Hopefully, the topic you’ve chosen is something you’re already pretty jazzed about. The key here is getting your reader to be just as jazzed as you, and showing impact is the way to do it. Here are some ways to think about impact:

Numbers. Perhaps what you choose to talk about has a particularly shocking statistic. Maybe your interest in that topic inspired you to do something that had a significant numerical effect. Consider adding specific numbers to bolster your claims and give your readers a sense of magnitude.

Anecdotal evidence of impact, or quotations. Impact doesn’t have to be quantitative to convey urgency, importance, or power. The more of you that you put in your essay, the better.

Personal impact (on you, the author) in the form of lessons learned, skills gained. It’s especially interesting to note if these skills transferred to other areas of your life. 

Write it long first, then cut it. In our experience, this tends to be easier than writing a very short version and then trying to figure out what to add.

Here’s a great example essay.

You wouldn’t think an American Asian Affinity Space would be diverse, after all its whole premise is centered around one specific identity. However, members of the affinity space at my high school come from several different grades, genders and ethnicities. The group included a sophomore from China, a junior from Pakistan, and members from Korea, Japan, and even Israel. We each had unique stories of living as an Asian-American, yet, we had all chosen to come to this affinity group. As we spent time together, we were able to find shared experiences, like our parents preparing packed lunches for us from our country and being too embarrassed to bring them to school. Whether eating humbow or biryani, we all knew what it was like to feel out of place.  My work with the AAAS got me thinking about what diversity can look like, and what it means to embrace diversity. On the one hand, you can find diversity even when people appear to be alike. By exploring our differences, we can continue learning from each other even when it seems we have shared backgrounds and values. At the same time, people who seem really different may have shared human experiences, feeling like the "other" or being embarrassed by their parents, that can bring them together. Moving forward, I want to learn about people’s differences, hearing their stories and learning about their backgrounds while also creating spaces for people to have shared experiences that bring people together. — — —

Tips + Analysis

Challenge a misconception or generalization. This applicant does a great job of subverting expectations when it comes to her American-Asian identity. She highlights how her affinity group was more diverse than one might generally expect. By doing this, she demonstrates a compelling ability to self-reflect and see nuance within important cultural spaces. The idea that diversity is more than what meets the eye is a mature and complex insight that makes this essay stand out. This is a prompt that allows you to show off your ability to “see behind the curtain,” so to speak, when it comes to a specific community or identity. Acknowledging an assumption and then challenging it is an excellent way to do this.

Highlight growth. When you answer this prompt, it’s great if you can create a narrative arc by showing how you developed within a specific identity. In this case, the author talks about her growing ability to find common ground with other members of her affinity group. In this way, she’s showing her values of inclusion, culture, and diversity. Although this is a short essay, having a “story” is very helpful. Think of the narrative arc as a rope that you can use to pull your reader through your answer. Showing how you changed over time or learned more about yourself compels people to keep reading.

Use paragraph structure to clarify your main points. The author here uses her first paragraph to expand on a part of her identity (being Asian American) and the second paragraph to expand on how that part of her identity has shaped her values and perceptions. She also touches on how this ties into her ongoing interest in creating inclusive spaces and embracing difference. This is a really nice way to answer the prompt because it’s very clear which part of the question she’s answering in each paragraph. The first paragraph sets the scene of the past, and then the second one speaks more to the present and future. Having a paragraph break also gives the reader a chance to breathe before moving right into the second half of the answer. Try to use the structure of your piece to amplify your content.

Connect to the future. As we mentioned, the author does a nice job of segueing into how the lessons she learned from her American Asian Affinity group have inspired her interest in creating more inclusive spaces. This is something you should do in your essay too. You don’t have to be super specific about what you want to do (although you definitely can!), but giving your reader a sense of how this aspect of your identity would impact what you do or who you’d interact with in college helps them better understand what kind of student you’d be.

And here’s another example essay:

When I met Bella, my ears didn’t work. I could hear, but not listen. When I conversed with friends, we were in our own universes. There was little empathy, just interruptions and distractions. And because nobody around me seemed to have the desire to listen, I gave up on it too. From the moment Bella and I were crowned co-winners of a middle-school cup-stacking competition, each winning half of a coveted cookie cake, things changed. I soon realized how perceptive Bella was to people’s feelings.  Our chats morphed into meaningful conversations and fits of laughter. She was the first friend I came out to as bi. After telling her, I waited nervously for the uncomfortable acceptance and frantic search for other conversation topics. But instead, she looked me in the eye and said she loved me no matter who I loved. Then, she asked curious questions rather than trying to ignore my identity. And I was there for Bella too. When she told me about the emotional distance she felt growing up far away from her dad who lives in South Korea, I supported her, not trivializing her pain with dismissive reassurances. Since our cup-stacking battle, we’ve been strong for each other. Bella unplugged my ears. That’s why she was the first person I interviewed for my podcast, Portraits, about people in my life. I know that as an empathetic listener, I am more vulnerable now, but, thanks to Bella, I understand how to communicate love. (246 words)  — — —

Tips + Analysis:

Consider starting with a punchy first line. This author’s first line is super strong. All she says is, “When I met Bella, my ears didn’t work.” This raises lots of questions. Who’s Bella? What do you mean your “ears didn’t work?” How did you meet this Bella person? This is the best kind of hook because it elicits more questions than answers. It’s also short and to the point. It’s not overly convoluted. And don’t worry, it’s okay to disorient your reader a bit in the first line. It intrigues people and makes them want to keep reading, particularly when the essay focus isn’t directly on yourself.

Highlight your values. Though this essay does focus some on another person, the author shows us that she cares about empathy and open dialogue. You’ll need to talk about other people to some degree for this prompt. Just remember to be sure that, ultimately, you’re still the main character here.

Embrace vulnerability. This essay is chock full of vulnerability. The author talks about her sexuality and her journey toward a greater sense of empathy. A great essay isn’t just about showing off all your great accomplishments. In fact, reflecting on how you’ve changed over time shows that you’re introspective and adaptable. Nobody is perfect, and oftentimes it works to your advantage to embrace that. A great question to ask yourself if you’re writing for this prompt is: How did this community/experience help me grow? Think of the answer to that question as the frame for your essay and fill the details in with the words you have left.

And here’s another example.

My earliest memory of orchestra wasn’t about the orchestra, but what happened after. I was ten, and a kind retirement community resident was so enamored by our performance, she invited my family to her apartment for cookies. This was a glimpse of what was to come: standing ovations, the tears in my neighbor’s eyes when my music reminded her of her hometown, the community my fellow string members and I formed over nervous glances before the curtain went up. I knew my peers could benefit from these rewards, so I started a strings club at my high school. The school band teacher agreed to conduct, and I spread the word through social media and flyers. The club started off as a small-but-mighty group of four, but grew as we tutored beginner violinists. At the end of our first concert, I was moved by the shared hugs, the high-fives, and the satisfaction on the students’ faces as they saw a teary family member in the audience.  I’m proud of our strings club, but I still have the nagging sense that it isn’t enough. Our school was only the third out of thirty in the county to begin an orchestra club, so there are still hundreds of students who can benefit from being a part of the orchestra community. It would require school administrators to recognize the impacts orchestral music can have on teens’ growing brains, but I hope to one day see many more string clubs at schools across our county. — — —

Be positive about a negative. This applicant skillfully addresses the need for orchestral music while not criticizing administrators or bashing the school for not having a strings club. She paints positive pictures of cookies with a retiree, students bonding over high-fives, and the tearful support of parents. Depending on your topic, it can be useful to acknowledge what’s already good or working, then frame your experiences or actions as a way to make your community even better.  

Show your advocacy or activism streak. This prompt is an invitation to all those with drive to serve a cause. Maybe you’re an advocate for the environment—have you pushed for safer crosswalks or more bike racks to encourage pedestrian traffic? Think about ways you’ve engaged to better your community. What do you care about that hasn’t been addressed elsewhere in your application? Whatever you choose, whether it stems from a cause or a hobby, expressing genuine interest by flexing your values and conveying your enthusiasm will make the reader care too.

UNC Chapel Hill supplemental essay prompt #2

This is a pretty standard “Why Major” prompt. For a larger guide to the “Why Major” essay, click here . Below is a condensed version.

One possible approach:

Think of this as a quick origin story.

Step #1: Imagine a mini-movie of the moments that led you to your interest and create a simple, bullet-point outline.

Step #2: Put your moments (aka the “scenes” of your mini-movie) in chronological order, as it’ll help you see how your interests developed. It also makes it easier to write transitions.

Step #3: You’ll likely want to include a specific thesis that explicitly states your central argument—in this case, what you want to study and why. This thesis can come at the beginning, middle, or end of your essay.

Once you have those pieces, you have a few structural options:

A. A quick hook that thematically sets up where you’ll take us, and, ideally, shows an aspect of your intellect/personality (If you do this, it can be stylistically effective to bookend—to end the essay by linking back to what you opened with.)

B. An initial moment that sparked your interest

C. Your thesis

Body (but to clarify, this essay can be a single paragraph if you choose)

The moments of your mini-movie, illustrating both the development of your interest and some of your core values

One option: Go narrower—perhaps link to specific aspects of Yale that will help you continue on your path toward a future goal.

Another option: Go wider—name the road you hope to follow (for example, career path, organizations you’d like to work with, the greater value/implications of studying what you want to).

And last, a quick tip: Be sure this essay is consistent with your personal statement if you’ve mentioned aspects of your major/career there.

Here’s an example essay (written for a Why Major prompt with a smaller word count) to point you in the right direction.

After attending a three-week summer camp researching epigenetics, I knew that molecular biology was what I wanted to study as the next step towards a research-oriented biotech career. However, research for research’s sake isn’t what I’m interested in. Molecular biology has huge implications for human health, with the ability to alter gene expression or protein function as a possible avenue for the treatment of almost any disease.   Because of these potential impacts, molecular biology is a field that’s ripe for unethical exploitation, as seen in Gattaca or Brave New World. I want to make sure that research is conducted with everyone’s best interests in mind, so that the benefits from discoveries will be able to help more than just those that can afford it, and so that they can be used safely and effectively. — — —

Identify the relevant movie moments. This student’s “movie moment” is their time at summer camp, when they knew they wanted to study molecular biology. Note that it can be useful to get even more detailed and cinematic, but you’ll want to avoid simply repeating the activities list. And with the prompts fairly small word count, spending less time on the what allows for more word count space to focus on why this is important to them.  

A step towards a larger goal. This student writes about how they want to study molecular biology as a next step towards a research-oriented biotech career—a great, direct reason for their why. If you already know what you want to pursue careerwise, a great way to frame it is by talking about how a certain major will help you achieve those goals. If  you don’t know what you want to do in or after college, you can still take inspiration from this by talking about how this major will help you achieve a different goal, like learning about something you’re curious about or exploring an issue that matters to you. 

Discuss larger scope, impact, and your role in it. While already within the first sentence/paragraph, we know the what and why (step towards research-oriented biotech career), the rest of this essay goes into greater depth to explain this direction, especially in relation to research. They talk about the big picture for how molecular biology can impact human health, but the golden nugget is when they talk about where they see themselves fitting into that picture: making sure that research is beneficial to everyone and discoveries can be used safely and effectively. 

Sprinkle in points of connection. This wasn’t necessary, but definitely a nice touch—this student sprinkled in references to Gattaca and Brave New World, which does a few things: (1) tells us a tiny bit more about the student and maybe some of the media they like to engage with, (2) that they’re able to make connections between things they’ve read/watched and what they’re learning about in real life, and (3) creates an aha moment for the reader, especially if they’ve read/watched these things; it creates even more of a visual without the student having to explain exactly what those unethical exploitations are.

Here’s another example from an applicant with an impressive depth of exploration:

Over the past summer, I conducted research as a full-time intern at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The primary purpose of my research was to engineer a more efficient halogenase enzyme. This enzyme was designed to decrease costs and increase the yield of halogenated products used to create a novel biomaterial for F-35 aircraft. Applying all the knowledge I’d gained throughout high school to figure out this problem was an incredible introduction to the world of multidisciplinary science. I built on my years spent studying organic chemistry, biochemistry, and microbiology, both in school and Science Olympiad, with a focus on utilizing engineering principles in order to create a product. Throughout the summer, I enjoyed being able to apply my knowledge collaboratively, pulling from a vast range of scientific fields. It’s this experience that has greatly influenced my decision to continue applying myself interdisciplinarily and continue my undergraduate studies in biomedical engineering. — — — 

And as a bonus, here’s a good example of a strong Why Major essay that was written for Yale but offers a solid framework to emulate (note, though, that you’ll get over double the space for your Why Major).

Storytelling has shaped me. At four, I read The Lion King until I’d memorized it. I’d snuggle in bed as my dad read Wilderness Champion or Tom Sawyer. Later, I found audio and visual storytelling, mesmerized by This American Life and Whiplash. Now, I create my own stories through newspaper satire, podcasting, and locally-broadcasted radio.  My major at Yale would be the next chapter in my life of storytelling. I’d explore past narratives and how they can be digitally innovated. Whether exploring media’s disfiguration of truth, developing screenplays, or analyzing mise-en-scene, I hope to pioneer new networks of connection. (99 words) — — —

Why do you want to participate in the global opportunities you’ve selected, and in what ways are you hoping to grow through the experience(s)? (250 word limit) (Note: This short answer question is only available to students who select to participate in "Global Opportunities" in the CommonApp)

In the Common App portal, UNC offers several opportunities for students to engage in what they call “Global Opportunities.”

Here’s what they say:

Carolina’s Global Guarantee provides access for all Carolina students to a transformative global education, with opportunities to learn from cultures and societies around the world—and to learn about the ways our world is interconnected. Whether through study abroad or through rich global content and experiences incorporated into the Carolina curriculum, our students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills fundamental to their success as they become the next generation of global leaders. Your selections won’t affect your admission to the University in any way and there is no limit to the number of programs you can express interest in in this section. If we are able to offer you one of these opportunities, it will appear in MyCarolina at the same time as your admissions decision.  More information can be found at https://admissions.unc.edu/apply/special-opportunities/

We’ll list out the different programs below. For general guidance, you can treat this essay essentially as a combo “Why Major/Why X Subject Area” and “Why us?” essay—show what in your academic or personal background connects to the program, and how it will help you to continue on your path.

For the “Why Major” aspects, you’ll find a step-by-step guide to writing this essay at this link , but here’s the short version:

Step #1: Imagine a mini-movie of the moments that led you to your interest and create a simple, bullet point outline.

Step #2: Probably put your moments (aka the “scenes” of your mini-movie) in chronological order, as it’ll help you see how your interests developed. It also makes it easier to write transitions.

For the “Why Us?” aspects, spend some time further researching what the program offers, and show why and how those opportunities connect to your interests and values.

Global Gap Year Fellowship

The Global Gap Year Fellowship allows students to defer their enrollment at Carolina to complete a year of service abroad. The fellowship includes mentoring, global networking, and an $8,000 stipend to help students complete their service commitment.

Joint Degree Program with National University of Singapore

The Joint Degree Program allows students to expand their global network and gain cultural awareness through two to four semesters in Singapore while earning a dual degree from the National University of Singapore and Carolina. This program requires students to major in Economics, English Literature, Geography, History or Political Science. 

Russian Language Flagship Program  

The Russian Language Flagship Program provides students a competitive edge for their career through opportunities to develop a professional level of proficiency in Russian, a language deemed critical to U.S. national security. Beyond coursework, students can participate in individualized tutoring and cultural programming, spend a summer of intensive Russian language study in a Russian-speaking country, and complete a Capstone academic year in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Summer Study Abroad Fellowship  

The Summer Study Abroad Fellowship provides students with a one-time award of $5,000 to fund study abroad experiences after their first, second, or third year of study at Carolina in over 80 programs offered by the UNC Study Abroad office as well as programs with course credit offered through academic departments. 

Carolina Spring Forward

Carolina Spring Forward provides the opportunity to study abroad in Costa Rica, Ireland, Scotland, South Korea, or Spain with other Carolina students during the spring semester of their first year. Students will take pre-approved courses that fulfill UNC requirements and will be eligible for scholarship funding.

Want advice on dozens of other supplemental essays? Click here

Special thanks to Jon for writing to this post

Jon (he/him) knows the value of writing from a place of personal truth. As a classically trained theater artist, he is committed to crafting authentic stories that reflect the range of human experience. 

Top Values: Mindfulness | Adaptability | Self-Expression

UNC Chapel Hill Supplemental Essay Prompts and Advice for 2022–23

Even among public colleges, it is uncommon to find one with an annual tuition sum that is only four digits long. It is even more uncommon to find a university that offers a prestigious undergraduate education along with multiple well-recognized academic programs for such a low cost. One of the best college offerings in the US is UNC-Chapel Hill. Being accepted as a state resident is comparatively simple compared to being an out-of-state or international student, yet you must be at the top of your class to be given serious consideration.

You must identify ways to stand out on your application if you want to have the best chance of one day donning the Carolina blue and white. The UNC-Chapel Hill Supplemental Section still gives applicants the chance to highlight their unique qualifications for admission through its two brief answer prompts and four fill-in-the-blank options. The supplemental prompts for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s 2022–23 admissions cycle are described below, along with advice on how to respond to each one.

UNC supplemental essays: Short answer prompts 2022-23 You’ll choose two of the following prompts to respond to in 200-250 words:

Describe an aspect of your identity and how this has shaped your life experiences or impacted your daily interactions with others?

Some students may believe that there isn’t anything particularly fascinating about their own identity in any one of those categories, while others may feel that there is a compelling and profoundly personal tale to share about their racial/ethnic identity, sexual/gender identity, or religious identity. Be aware that UNC Chapel Hill leaves the option open for someone to discuss their membership in an affinity organisation as well. Maybe you can’t image your life without your participation in an affinity group focusing on volleyball, chess, drawing, supporting a sports team, or any other activity you can think of. If so, you’ll probably fit right in with this essay.

Just a quick reminder: if your primary Common App essay addressed one of these, don’t repeat the same thing in your supplemental essay.

Describe a peer who is making a difference in your school or community. What actions has that peer taken? How has their work made a difference in your life?

The majority of college essay questions need you to brag about yourself, which is a task that some people like much more than others. The fact that this essay isn’t primarily about you is a fascinating aspect of this prompt. This is your chance to discuss the traits of a peer you admire and, perhaps, the qualities of a community builder you aspire to. Just remember that the prompt encourages you to discuss a classmate in your neighbourhood rather than the deeds of a well-known adult.

It’s crucial that you respond to the question, which asks how the person’s actions have affected your life. Perhaps this person encouraged you to develop greater empathy and understanding for some social issues or causes. Your account should be authentic, intimate, and indicative of your maturing moral compass.

If you could change one thing to better your community, what would it be? Please explain.

If you already selected the previous prompt, you probably wouldn’t want to select this prompt. Both of these responses deal with steps done to better one’s community, but in this one, you take the place as the main character.

It’s crucial to view “community” as a notion that may be defined in a variety of ways as you plan your approach to this essay. Your high school, your neighbourhood, a house of worship, your family, a club, or even a sports team can all be considered as parts of your community. This doesn’t have to be a grandiose vision, just a word of caution. Keep in mind that the question asks how you would “contribute” to the transformation in your neighbourhood. Thus, you are not required to act as the lone hero.

Former UNC-Chapel Hill employee, community service member, and civil rights activist Esphur Foster once said, “We are nothing without our history.” Her words are memorialized on the Northside Neighborhood Freedom Fighters monument. How does history shape who you are?

There are primarily two approaches to writing this article. You can start by discussing how your own personal or family history has affected your present-day life. As an alternative, you may discuss a historical occurrence or period of time and how it relates to your own current situation.

If you choose the first option , you might be talking about your parents, grandparents, or other family members. Make sure, though, that the anecdote still reveals something new about you. Make sure to spend a significant amount of the essay talking about how a historical choice ultimately affected your life. If you choose the second option, the trick is to strike a balance between providing enough background information to ensure that the reader fully understands the story you are telling and still giving yourself enough room to relate the historical anecdote to your current situation.

UNC-Chapel Hill: Fill-in-the-blank responses 2022-23 You’ll complete all four of the following fill-in-the-blank responses in 25 words each:

One family, friend, or school tradition I cherish:

If applicable, this may be a spiritual, religious, or other tradition. It is equally acceptable to discuss a regular board game night, a yearly camping trip, or a silly, original tradition that is specific to your family, circle of friends, or school.

If I had an extra hour in every day, I would spend it:

What excites you? What is something that makes you tick? What makes you feel alive, in the moment, and in flow? Which interests keep you awake at night? You are on the right road with this essay if you can answer at least one of these questions. The best essays are those that are real and honest about the subject matter, which should be your favourite pastime.

If I could travel anywhere, near or far, past, present or future, I would go:

Ideally, this response will be somewhat in-depth. This does not imply that to stand out, you must choose a remote location. Instead, your motivations for travelling should reveal something personal about you. Additionally, you have the choice of selecting a historical era or event. It might allude to a well-known incident covered in a standard history textbook. But it might also have a deeper personal meaning for you.

The last time I stepped outside my comfort zone, I:

Your response to this essay can demonstrate that you are a truth-seeker, a mature thinker, and not someone who is content to adamantly cling to an ideological viewpoint that is firmly ingrained. The problem can have global repercussions or it might be a private or familial matter involving you and another person. It’s important to demonstrate your ability to grow and be open-minded.

People who meet me are most likely to notice, and least likely to notice:

This is a unique addition to the collection of supplemental essays at UNC-Chapel Hill. Consider this an opportunity for introspection. When others connect with you, what do you believe they see? What do you desire additional exposure for? The “least likely to notice” part of the prompt can be rephrased using the latter question.

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Solar Eclipse 2024: North Carolina’s forecast and coverage

by: Justyn Melrose , Floriana Boardman , Alex Schneider , Dolan Reynolds

Posted: Apr 8, 2024 / 07:02 AM EDT

Updated: Apr 8, 2024 / 06:00 PM EDT

GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — Grab your eclipse glasses! Excitement is building in North Carolina as we start the countdown to this rare celestial phenomenon.

On Monday, April 8, the moon will pass directly in front of the sun, temporarily blotting out the daylight. The path of totality, within which viewers will see the sun entirely blocked by the moon, runs through Indianapolis, Indiana; Cleveland, Ohio; Buffalo, New York; and Burlington, Vermont.

North Carolina will experience a partial eclipse, and exactly how much coverage and the timing depends on where you are in the state. North Carolina will see between 75.5% and 88.5% coverage, and the eclipse will reach peak coverage between 3:07 p.m. and 3:20 p.m.

The Piedmont Triad will see about 82% to 83% coverage, peaking at about 3:14 p.m. The whole experience, from the first sliver of the eclipse to the last, should stretch from about 2 p.m. to about 4:30 p.m.

We will be streaming the solar eclipse live from a location within the path of totality. Check back this afternoon to follow along.

According to FOX8 Meteorologist Emily Byrd, skies won’t be entirely clear, but you should still be able to see the eclipse — using, of course, protective eclipse glasses.

“We’re expecting mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies today,” Byrd said. “Should be a pretty good day for the viewing. Not completely clear like it was yesterday, but still decent viewing here in North Carolina.”

At about 2 p.m., the moon will begin to cover a small sliver of the sun. The temperature will be about 70°.

“Winds are going to be a bit breezy today out of the southwest between 8 and 12 mph, but it’s going to be gusting up to 20 mph, so hang on to those pinhole cameras,” Byrd said.

Peak coverage is going to be at about 3:14 p.m. Around 3 p.m., the temperature is expected to reach 73° with mostly sunny skies.

At 4 p.m., expect partly cloudy conditions with temperatures approaching the high of 74 today.

What will we see?

Here in North Carolina, Tapoco to the west is set to see the highest eclipse magnitude at 88.5%, and Bald Head Island to the east will see the least at 75.5%, according to Eclipse2024.org . Everyone in between will see a partial eclipse within that range.

The eclipse will reach its peak in Tapoco at 3:07 p.m. and in Corolla at 3:20 p.m., but you can find out exactly when to expect the eclipse to reach peak magnitude and what that magnitude is expected to be using the map and table below.

The table below includes information for the top 500 most populace communities in North Carolina. You can use the search bar to find the closest city to you.

Eclipse Viewing Parties

Elon university.

Elon University's Department of Physics will host an eclipse viewing from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The university will also provide up to 500 pairs of eclipse glasses to the campus community.

Greensboro Science Center

The Greensboro Science Center invites the public to come out for this free event from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The center will have special telescopes set up to see the eclipse.

Members from the Greensboro Astronomy Club will also be at the event to talk about the rare phenomenon.

The event will take place in front of the science center, located at 4301 Lawndale Drive.

Guilford Technical Community College

Guilford Technical Community College and the Cline Observatory will host a viewing party at the college's Jamestown campus.

From 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., GTCC plans to have solar-filtered telescopes set up to witness the eclipse, as well as other safe viewing devices.

The college has eclipse glasses available for purchase at the bookstore for $2.

Surry Community College

The Surry Community College Library will host a free viewing event from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. near the library on the Dobson campus. Glasses will be provided to attendees for watching the eclipse.

Where can I get eclipse glasses?

While you can have the opportunity to use special eclipse-viewing tools at the eclipse parties above, some businesses will also be selling and giving away eclipse glasses.

Warby Parker

This eyewear company is offering two pairs of ISO-certified eclipse glasses per family from April 1 to 8.

There is a Warby Parker in Friendly Center in Greensboro at 3326 W. Friendly Ave #117. There are also locations in Cary, Charlotte, Durham, Hunterville and Raleigh. Find a store on the Warby Parker website.

Smoothie King

From March 27 to April 8,  Smoothie King  is giving away one free pair of eclipse glasses with each purchase of its promotional Eclipse Berry Blitz drink. It’s made with bananas, wild blueberries, apples and blue spirulina, along with blueberry, white grape, lemon juice and protein blends.

Sonic Drive-In

Sonic Drive-In  released a themed Blackout Slush Float drink that comes with a free pair of eclipse glasses. The black drink is made to resemble the darkness of the eclipse, with cotton candy and dragon fruit flavors. 

Naturally, this space-themed brand has its own offer. MoonPie released a Solar Eclipse Survival Kit, which includes four chocolate mini MoonPies and two pairs of glasses. You can buy the kit at  Dollar Tree  nationwide and select  Walmart locations .

Grocery and Department Stores

Some grocery and department stores are also selling eclipse glasses while supplies last. You can check Harris Teeter, Walmart, Lowe's, Kroger, Wegmans and Staples among others.

A Public Library

Public libraries across the country are offering eclipse glasses for free.

School's out

While not every school plans to let students out early, some in the Piedmont Triad plan to end classes for the day early in honor of this special occurrence.

Alleghany County high schools will release students at 11:45 a.m. and elementary schools will release at noon.

Thomasville City Schools will release elementary schoolers at noon with middle and high schoolers released at 12:45 p.m.

Insight from GTCC Professor of Astronomy

Seeing a total solar eclipse is a once-or-twice-in-a-lifetime experience.

We spoke with Guilford Technical Community College Astronomy Professor Tom English, who said an eclipse of this coverage level will not happen for about another 20 years in the continent U.S.

"There will be a few not-quite-so-much-coverage partial eclipses in the intervening years," he said. "There's one coming up in just a few years. But, for a big show like this, it's going to be a while."

English says the next total solar eclipse that will come close to the Piedmont Triad will be in the year 2078.

Asked about what we can expect to see Monday from our vantage point in North Carolina, Enligh said, "Just a little before 2 o'clock., the moon will start to encroach upon the sun, so you'll see a little notch out of the sun as the moon sides slowly across. Then, by about 3:14, we'll have maximum coverage, and the sun will look like a crescent moon really in the sky, except it's a bright glowing sun.

"Of course, you shouldn't stare at the sun. You can damage your eyesight."

What cities and states will experience totality? 

Many from all across the U.S. will be traveling for a chance to see the eclipse at peak coverage in the totality path. 

Here’s a list of all the states in the path of totality: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Vermont. 

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The closest state to North Carolina that will experience totality is Tennessee. However, the only city in Tennessee where totality will be visible is Bessie in the far northwestern corner of the state. Google Maps says it’s nearly a 10.5-hour drive from the Triad!

You’d be better off driving to Paducah, Kentucky, which is only a 9-hour drive! Another “closer” location if you'd want to get in the car is Erie, Pennsylvania, which is about an 8.5-hour drive. 

Some of the major cities that are in the path of totality include San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo, Little Rock, and Burlington, Vermont. Several cities on this list will experience totality for over 3.5 minutes. When that occurs, they’ll likely experience a brief drop in temperatures and even some bugs may emerge thinking it’s nighttime. 

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