Applying as an International Transfer Student

If you’re a student without U.S. citizenship or Permanent Resident status, you’ll be applying to Carolina as an international student. When you apply, we’ll consider everything we learn about you from reading your application. You’re a unique individual, and we want to treat you as you deserve to be treated — with care, appreciation, and respect.

If you’re a Ukrainian citizen living in North Carolina, we’d like to offer you additional support as you’re applying. Please email us at unchelp@admissions.unc.edu with the subject line ‘Ukraine’ so that we can connect.

Complete Your Application

Apply online through the Common Application. Your application and application fee or fee waiver are due by February 15. Then, be sure to have your supporting materials sent to us, which will help us gain a fuller understanding of you as a student and the contributions that you make in the classroom.

Some majors and professional school programs at Carolina have additional application requirements.

What’s on the Common Application?

Extracurricular Activities
Essay and Two Short Answers
Application Fee or Fee Waiver

What supporting materials are required?

Letter of Recommendation
Official Transcript
SAT or ACT Scores (optional for 2024 admission)

- - Extracurricular Activities
    On your application, you’ll tell us about how you spend your time outside the classroom and why it’s important to you.
    
    TIP We know you’re engaged in meaningful activities, and we hope to hear your story through these experiences. Whether you’re developing a new app, working to put food on the table, serving as president of an organization, playing second string on a team, caring for siblings or grandparents, or starting a non-profit, we can’t wait to learn about you.
  - Essay and Two Short Answers
    Your personal essay and short answers give us the chance to hear your voice and see you as a whole person, not just a student. When you respond, we hope you’ll be yourself and sound like yourself.
    
    TIP We’re working to build a talented and inclusive community at Carolina, and we hope you’ll take this opportunity to share how you’d contribute to that community.
  - Application Fee
    The non-refundable application fee is $85.

- - Letter of Recommendation
    This letter should come from a teacher who taught you in a core academic area, like English, math, science, social science, or world language.
    
    TIP Choose a teacher who knows you well and can tell us your story, focusing both on your academic potential and your unique personal qualities.
  - Official Transcripts
    We’ll ask you to submit both your secondary or high school transcripts and all university transcripts.
    - University Transcripts
      Submit transcripts by secure electronic delivery from all colleges and universities attended, regardless of whether you received credit. This can include but is not limited to: online coursework, non-degree coursework, coursework you enrolled in but later withdrew from, coursework you enrolled in for personal enrichment, and coursework you do not believe will transfer and/or you do not intend to transfer as academic credit to UNC-Chapel Hill.
      
      Transcripts from international universities must have official English translations.
    - Secondary or High School Transcripts
      Please ask your school to send us your official transcript, including an official English translation, by secure electronic delivery. To be considered for admission, we need the official transcript for your secondary (and, if applicable, higher secondary) schoolwork. Middle school transcripts are not required for admission.
      
      All students will be expected to have completed the pre-university curriculum (e.g. A Levels, Baccalaureate) in their country prior to enrolling at Carolina. Please also send exam scores if your country has these (e.g. GCSEs). We understand that curricula differ from country to country, and we’re sensitive to those intricacies as we’re reviewing applications from international students.
  - SAT or ACT Scores
    Testing is optional for fall 2024 admission. The UNC System will determine at a future date whether testing is required for future years. This waiver means that you may apply whether or not you’ve taken either test, and if you do take a test, you can choose whether or not to share your scores and have us consider them. Whether or not you ultimately share test scores, we will consider you carefully and comprehensively for admissions, scholarships, and other opportunities. For us, testing is always one factor among many — always viewed alongside those many other factors, and never the sole or dominant reason we make our decisions. If you share your test scores, are admitted, and choose to enroll, we will require that your official scores be sent directly from the testing service.
    
    TIP Self report scores on your application or through MyCarolina. Even if you send us official scores, your self-reported scores will be the only ones we use in our evaluation.
  - English Proficiency Exams
    If you do not hold U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status, we’ll ask you to share your English proficiency exam scores when you apply. We accept TOEFL (our code is C182), IELTS, Duolingo, Cambridge English C1 Advanced and Cambridge C2 Proficiency. These exams show us that you’ll be ready to jump into coursework taught in English. Strong applicants typically score the following, though please note that these are not minimums and testing is always one factor among many, and never the sole or dominant reason we make our decisions:
    - TOEFL or TOEFL iBT Home Edition – 100 or higher.
    - IELTS Academic – 7.5 or higher.
    - Duolingo – 130 or higher.
    - Cambridge English C1 Advanced – 185 or higher.
    - Cambridge English C2 Proficiency.
    We’re able to waive this score requirement if you have lived in an English-speaking country for four years or if you have attended an English-speaking school for at least four years. Request this waiver.

Keep in Mind

International students aren’t eligible to receive need-based financial aid, so you’ll want to be prepared to pay the full cost of attendance for non-resident students.
Check your email regularly. If we need materials or more information as we’re reviewing your application, your email is where you’ll hear from us.
If you need to add information to your application after you’ve submitted it, you’ll be able to send it to us using MyCarolina. If a school official or recommender has additional information, please ask them to email us at uncsubmit@admissions.unc.edu and include your full name and date of birth.
If you believe your academic progress has been affected by disability-related issues, we encourage you to share this information with us. Learn more about submitting disability-related documentation.
We require all applicants (including students offered admission) to disclose any new school-based disciplinary incidents or criminal charges that occur after the application was submitted within ten days of the occurrence. The student’s written explanation as well as any required corroborating documentation (from a school official or legal representative) can be shared through MyCarolina.

Helpful Deadlines

Deadline	Transfer
Application and Fee	February 15
Residency	February 15
Supporting Materials and Test Scores	March 15
Admissions Decisions Released	April 15
Enrollment Confirmation if Admitted	May 15

Apply Now

Applying as an International Transfer Student

Complete Your Application

What’s on the Common Application?

What supporting materials are required?

Keep in Mind

Helpful Deadlines

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions

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