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APPLYING FOR ADMISSION : INTERNATIONAL
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Applying as a First-Year International Student

Thank you for your interest in The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  This page is designed to help you find the information you need. 

The application deadlines are as follows: 

First Deadline November 3 mid-January
Second Deadline January 15 mid-March


We admit new students for fall semester only (beginning in mid August).  We do not admit new students in the spring semester. 

All applicants must apply for a full degree program.  We are sorry, but we have no provisions for part-time study or visiting students (unless you attend a university that has already established an exchange program with UNC-Chapel Hill. For more information on studying at UNC on exchange, please visit Study Abroad). Each year, about 1% of our enrolling first-year class is international. We consider international students as those who do not hold US citizenship or permanent resident status in the United States.  Admission to UNC-Chapel Hill is competitive.  There is no "required" GPA or test score;  however, the most successful applicants have taken challenging courses and have excellent grades.  The average SAT-I score of admitted international students is about 1390 (on the critical reading and math sections of the SAT) and we consider a competitive TOEFL score to be 250 (or 100 on the internet-based TOEFL or 600 on the paper-based TOEFL). We will also accept an IELTS score as an alternative to the TOEFL. We consider a competitive IELTS score to be a band 7.0 or higher.

We are honored and pleased to accept applications from students around the world who are interested in our undergraduate programs. 

We require applicants to submit:

  • International application or our online application
  • A letter of recommendation from the secondary school (evaluation report)
  • Official transcript of grades from secondary school 
  • Official SAT-I or ACT scores 
  • Official TOEFL or IELTS score (if English is not your first language) 
  • Personal essay 
  • A financial certificate, bank statement, and parent/sponsor letter
  • A check for $70 in US dollars drawn on a US bank that is listed on the check. Please make sure that the check includes a routing and transit number at the bottom. Also, please include your date of birth.

We are able to consider international students for a very limited number of merit scholarships. There is no separate application for these scholarships; we will consider your admissions application for any available merit scholarships.

Students attending one of the 12 United World Colleges are eligible for the Davis Scholars Program. The Davis Scholars Program will award up to $10,000 to matriculating United World College graduates who are able to demonstrate financial need. In addition, UNC-Chapel Hill will provide the remaining costs of attendance to include full tuition, fees, room/board, and some travel costs. UWC students should complete the Financial Need Analysis to be considered for the Davis Scholars Award. Please send the Financial Need Analysis Worksheet to the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid by March 1. 

All international students (students that will require I-20 documentation to receive an F-1 visa) must submit the 2009-2010 Financial Certificate (this form will be available by mid-September) and bank statement verifying funds available. The total cost for one academic year (mid August through early May) is approximately US$37,400.  These costs are subject to increase. 

To learn more about the academic programs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, please check our web site at www.unc.edu. You may also find the information about UNC's International Center especially helpful. 

Please be aware that certain programs are NOT included in UNC-Chapel Hill's curriculum:  architecture, agricultural sciences, applied design, and veterinary medicine.  We do NOT have an ESL program or other English language institute.  If you are interested in learning English, you may wish to check with the ESL Institute at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (a separate campus about 150 miles away). 

For information about transferring to Carolina from a post-secondary institution outside the United States, please visit our Transfer page.

Thank you again for your interest in The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the oldest state university in the United States. We hope you consider applying for admission and look forward to hearing from you. 

Click here to apply online.

Click here to download the International Application.





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Office of Undergraduate Admissions
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
CB #2200, Jackson Hall
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-2200
Tel (919) 966-3621
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E-mail unchelp@admissions.unc.edu
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