More than 6,000 candidates from a record first-deadline pool of 16,987 have been offered admission to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s 2014 first-year class. The pool was 12 percent larger than last year, marking the second year in a row that Carolina has set a record for the number of first-deadline applicants.
A total of 31,209 students (first and second deadline) have applied for first-year admission, marking the ninth consecutive record number of first-year applications at UNC-Chapel Hill. Decisions for second-deadline applicants will be released by the end of March. The University expects 3,990 new first-year students to enroll in August.
“The students we’ve admitted are capable and talented, and they’ve already made a difference in their schools, their communities and beyond,” says Stephen Farmer, vice provost for enrollment and undergraduate admissions. “We’ve enjoyed reading their applications and imagining how they will contribute to the University, and we look forward to welcoming them to Chapel Hill next fall.”
Accomplishments by the 6,036 students admitted last week include:
- Founding programs to encourage recycling in communities
- Creating organizations to combat bullying and increase self-esteem in schools
- Raising funds to help communities in Panama, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nepal and Sri Lanka
- Earning scholarships from the U.S. State Department’s National Security Language Initiative
- Conducting research at the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center, UNC and Stanford University
- Winning regional and state athletic championships and awards for acting, writing, reporting and editing
- Using musical and artistic talents to raise funds to fight hunger
“We’ve tried our best to evaluate all our candidates individually, rigorously and sympathetically,” Farmer says. “Although we’ve paid careful attention to grades and test scores, we’ve also tried hard to go beyond them. These students are more than their numbers, and we haven’t admitted or denied anyone on the basis of a single score or grade. The personal qualities of our admitted students are as impressive as their academic credentials, and we look forward to working with them to make the University and the world a better place.”
Eighty-five percent of all admitted students who reported a rank are ranked in the top 10 percent of their class. The average SAT score rose 18 points, from 2026 to 2044. The average ACT score, 31, did not change.
Admitted students hail from 94 North Carolina counties, 48 states and 27 countries (including the United States). Of those students who reported race or ethnicity, 18 percent identified themselves as American Indian, African American or Hispanic; and a total of 33 percent identified themselves as students of color. One hundred seventy-five are international students, representing a 35 percent increase over last year. Thirteen percent will be the first generation of their family to graduate from college.
“Our decisions get more difficult every year. We sympathize with the thousands of students we’ve disappointed,” Farmer says. “If we may help them in any way as they complete their college searches, we will be honored to try.”
Since July 2013, the admissions office welcomed nearly 23,000 prospective students and family members for an information session and student-led tour. During this same time period, recruitment staff visited 164 high schools and attended 219 college events across the state, 108 high schools and 52 college events across the nation and 44 college events in nine additional countries. In September, the office unveiled a new website and enhanced its outreach through social media to engage prospective students online.
Published February 5, 2014.