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.