What are the requirements for UNC Chapel Hill?

Hi guys, UNC Chapel Hill is one of my dream schools. I'm wondering about the academic and extracurricular requirements for admission. Do they value community service or leadership roles more? Do I need to be in the top percent of my class? Thanks in advance.

UNC Chapel Hill, like many top universities, practices a holistic approach in evaluating aspirational students, which means they look at your grades, course rigor, test scores (although they are currently test-optional), extracurricular activities, essays, and recommendation letters altogether.

In terms of academic preparation, they do place a strong emphasis on high school coursework. They want to see that you've challenged yourself within the offerings of your school. The majority of successful applicants will have taken advantage of AP, IB, or Dual Enrollment courses if offered by their schools. While UNC Chapel Hill has not officially disclosed a cutoff for class rank, if we look at their freshman profile, a significant portion of UNC Chapel Hill's admitted class ranks within the top 10% of their high school class.

With regards to extracurriculars, UNC Chapel Hill values both depth of involvement and leadership positions. They are interested in seeing students with a "spike," which means that you have pursued one or two interests in depth and shown significant achievement or leadership in those areas. They would also be interested in community service, especially if you've shown dedication over a long period or have leadership positions within the organization. However, it's not necessarily about favoring community service over leadership roles or vice versa; it's how you've involved yourself in these roles and what that tells about you as a person.

UNC Chapel Hill is currently test-optional due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This means it is entirely at your discretion whether you wish to submit SAT or ACT scores as part of your application.

Lastly, don't forget about your application essays and recommendation letters. These are opportunities to let UNC Chapel Hill know more about who you are as a human being beyond just grades and test scores, so be sure to budget plenty of time for these as well.

Overall, demonstrating a record of academic excellence, a deep commitment to your extracurricular activities (whether they be in leadership or community service), and a genuine desire for learning will make you a strong candidate for UNC Chapel Hill. Best of luck with your application!