University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, often shortened to UNC, is a public research university in, you guessed it, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. UNC offers over 70 courses of study to its just over 20k undergrads. The school is one of the oldest public universities in the US and conducts over $1 Billion in research annually. From research to basketball to its beautiful location, there is a lot to like about UNC. However, it is hard to get into, especially for out-of-state students. Last year, the in-state acceptance rate was about 42%, while the out-of-state rate was only about 10%.
Many schools maintain a waitlist, and UNC is one of them. Every year, schools accept more applicants than they need. They do this because they know that not every student they accept will choose to attend their school. The rate at which this happens is called the yield. They are usually fairly good at guessing what their yield will look like. However, they are not perfect. If they have a lower-than-expected yield, they will have available seats. This is when they start to pull from the waitlist.
UNC’s waitlist is competitive, and where you live will affect it. UNC is thankfully very upfront about publishing data and FAQs about their waitlist. Last year, they accepted 27 instate applicants off a waitlist of 1632 and 9 out-of-state applicants from a list of 3,001. These numbers are very low—the odds of being taken off the waitlist in 2023 were under 2% for in-state students and 0.2% for those out-of-state. These numbers can fluctuate. For example, in 2022, the rate was 3.8% for in-state students and 8.7% for out-of-state students.
While the numbers vary, they are always fairly low. We aren’t going to sugarcoat it; your chances of getting off the waitlist aren’t great, but they aren’t zero. Plus, there are some steps that you need to take if you are hoping to get off the waitlist.
This process isn’t fun and can be confusing, especially with multiple waitlist offers. If you need help, reach out. We can help you navigate!
Get on the Waitlist
Really, the first step is deciding if you want to be on the waitlist. If you want to be on the waitlist, you must accept your spot. You can do this through the MyCarolina portal. If you applied Early Action, you need to accept your spot before March 1, and if you applied during Regular Decision, you need to accept by April 26. However, we would suggest accepting earlier if you are interested. Accepting quickly won’t move up your rank (they don’t rank their waitlisting at all), but waiting until the last minute is never a good look and opens you up for forgetting or missing the cut-off.
If you are on the fence, don’t worry. You can always take yourself off the list through the MyCarolina portal if you decide you no longer want your place.
Line up a Backup
Getting off the waitlist is hard, especially with UNC’s low numbers. You want to set up a plan b that you are happy with. Once you are on UNC’s waitlist, you want to look at the other schools you have been admitted to and choose the one you would be most excited to attend. Accept your place at that school and put down a deposit by their deadline (usually May 1st).
This will ensure you have a school to go to in the fall. If you get off the UNC waitlist, you must tell the other school and forfeit your deposit. We know this is not ideal, but it is necessary. We will cross our fingers for you to get off the waitlist, but statistically, you need to be realistic. If you don’t have other acceptances or are unsure about picking a backup, we can help.
Follow Instructions
UNC explicitly asks that students not send additional information materials. They state:
“Unfortunately, we will not be able to interview our waiting list candidates, nor do we encourage you to submit additional letters of recommendation. Should spaces become available, our review will focus primarily on your original application and on any additional grades you may submit.”
Listen to them. We know it’s tempting to try to send them additional letters of recommendation or a letter of continued interest, but they have asked you to refrain. That being said, there is something that you should send them: your most updated grades. You can upload your grades through the MyCarolina portal. If your school ends before their final decision, you should also have your school send them your official transcript directly. Other than that, they do not recommend sending them any more information.
Be Patient
Unfortunately, a big part of the waiting list is waiting. UNC will notify students if they have gotten off the waitlist before June 30. However, they might have news earlier. Make sure you are checking your email and MyCaroline portal, especially after May 1st. Sitting tight is hard, but you can do it! We know you can.
Navigating the waitlist isn’t easy, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to set yourself up well for the best-case scenario. Being waitlisted forces you to have patience and confidence… and, honestly, be okay with being a little uncomfortable. We know it isn’t ideal, but we are happy to help if you need us!
If you’re struggling to navigate a waitlist, get in touch.