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Top 5 Things That NC Universities Look for on Your Application

  • 1 day ago
  • 3 min read

College applications and high school in general may feel overwhelming, but by including these few factors in your high school career, and ultimately, your college application, you could even get into your dream college.


1. Course Rigor

Two students walk through a quiet library reading room with long wooden tables, lamps, and stacks of books.
Study session

Many universities, including Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill, rank course rigor as one of the highest subjects in the admissions process. Course rigor means taking AP and Honors classes, essentially, taking challenging classes.

Many students may think that course rigor means they must take all of the most challenging classes. So what the question really is is this: how much rigor should students incorporate into their class schedule?


In 2013, UNC Chapel Hill conducted a study in which they found that students who took more than 5 APs in high school didn't have a higher GPA than students who took 5 APs or less. Because of this discovery, UNC Chapel Hill recommends at least 5 APs in high school, but taking more than that does not give students a boost in the admissions process.

Class rigor isn't the same for everyone. The amount of rigor in one student's schedule may not be the same as their friend's: that's because the number of challenging classes a student should take is based on their own capacity.


2. GPA/Class Rank

GPA and class rank is very important in order to be a competitive candidate when applying to NC colleges. This is majorly because a student's GPA reflects what they have done and how hard they have worked in their 4 years of high school. Taking AP and honors classes, which are weighted higher than regular CP classes, can help boost students' unweighted GPAs.


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Giorgio Trovato via Unsplash

While there is no strict minimum GPA or class rank for many schools in NC, as most of them are very competitive, many successful applicants tend to have relatively high unweighted GPAs and ranks. For example, successful applicants to Duke University averaged at a 4.2 unweighted GPA, a 3.9-4.0 weighted GPA, and a class rank at the top 5%. Successful applicants to Chapel Hill had an average weighted GPA of 4.0.


3. Extracurriculars

While academics are very important when it comes to college applications, joining a variety of extracurriculars are also very important. This is because colleges like well-rounded students. Taking part in clubs, sports, and volunteering in high school can be very beneficial when it comes time to apply to college.

Team of volunteers in white VOLUNTEER shirts stacking hands
Service

Along with being an important factor in college applications, students can also use extracurriculars as a creative outlet because students can choose to do something they like as their extracurricular.

There are many options when it comes to extracurriculars including sports, clubs like speech and debate, HOSA, or DECA, and volunteering opportunities in the community.


4. College Essays

No pressure!

College applications are all about standing out, and college essays are a great opportunity to do just that. While grades and extracurriculars strengthen students' college applications, college essays allow students to show universities who they really are as a person.


There are many different types of college essays, but one is usually a personal essay in which students are essentially explaining who they are to the admissions office, while the other essay is usually an essay written on a pre-selected topic. When you write, it is important to pay very close attention to them as they can make or break your college application. It may even be worth it to write some practice college essays before writing the real thing.


5. Standardized Test Scores

While standardized test scores tend to be secondary to many of the other factors in the admissions process, they are still very important and can even land you a merit-based scholarship. Some NC Colleges, including Duke University and Davidson College, are test optional schools, and UNC Chapel Hill and UNC Charlotte are test optional for students who have a weighted GPA of 2.8 or higher.

Encouragement

Similar to GPA and class rank, NC colleges do not have required minimum SAT or ACT scores, but as many of these schools are extremely competitive, they tend to encourage including SAT scores in order to be considered. For example, at Duke University it is encouraged to have a 1520 SAT score as an applicant.


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