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High school seniors apply to UNC, reflect on process

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Smith Smith, a Hickory Ridge High School senior, shares a smile for a picture. Smith reflected on her high school achievements and hopes to attend UNC in the fall. Courtesy of Smith Smith.

UNC is known for its highly competitive admissions, with the 2024-25 Common Data Set showing a roughly 15.6 percent acceptance rate, leaving prospective students reflecting on their high school experiences and resulting resumes. 

UNC first-year early action applicants will receive an admissions decision by Jan. 31 while regular decision applicants will hear from the University by March 31. 

“I think, obviously I could have done more, gotten better grades maybe freshman or sophomore year,” Janey Charles, a senior at Jordan High School, said

Despite this concession, Charles said she is pretty confident in her application and proud of how far she’s come. 

“Overall, I took the best of what I could do, and the best of my circumstances, and used it to my advantage,” she said. "I really liked going to public school. I think it's a great way to meet a lot of different people and expose yourself to a lot of different environments."

Charles said she decided to apply to UNC because her parents are alumni, and she was also drawn to the atmosphere of the campus.

High school senior Aureli Dominguez also fell in love with UNC’s campus and sports culture during several visits with her cousin, a recent UNC graduate. She applied early action and said she hopes to major in journalism and public relations. 

As a first-generation college student, she had a unique experience navigating the application. 

“I’m the first in my family to fill out these applications, so I didn’t have any help,” Dominguez said.

Like Dominguez, Harper Daniels also grew up with a connection to UNC. Raised in Chapel Hill, Daniels frequently visited Franklin Street and the University's campus with her dad, a UNC alumnus. Passionate about journalism, theater and volunteering, she said she is relieved that the college application process is now over. 

“I always think that, you know, you could be doing more," she said. "So there are probably some other things that I could have done to make my application stronger, but I'm not unsatisfied with it.”

Smith Smith, a lover of art and music at Hickory Ridge High School, was captivated by the unique academic culture. 

“I feel like there's not just academics, but an academic community that I feel like could really push me forward in what I want to do,” she said. 

Smith said their perspective and skills can differentiate her from UNC’s large pool of applicants. She said she approached some service projects in a creative and passionate way.

“We wanted to do something involving the students at our school with bands and bringing music to them," they said. "So I came up with a unique idea for that, to do performances for the students per request.”

In high school, Joshua Mills was part of the track team, volunteered extensively and went on a mission trip to Honduras. Mills said he hopes that his well-rounded experiences will help him stand out in his UNC application.

“I'm like a decathlete with life," he said

Similar to Mills, Beck Hughes engaged in a variety of activities in high school. This school year Hughes became vice president of his school’s National Honor Society chapter and president of the chemistry club. He also started an esports club. Hughes plans to major in music and take his self-taught musical talents to the next level. 

“I think being taught in a professional setting will really help me expand my horizons,” he said. 

Unlike other students, Hughes didn’t prioritize the University over his other choices. 

“I have heard horror stories from people who really dedicate themselves to a top-choice school and then kind of freaked out when they didn’t get in,” he said. “So, I try to give myself a couple of options so I don’t worry myself too much if I don’t get in.” 

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While many high school seniors offered various reasons to apply to UNC, Mills was interested in a famous basketball star. 

“I thought it was cool that Michael Jordan went there,” he said.

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