Transfer Application
If you’ve taken any college coursework after graduating from high school, you’ll apply to Carolina as a transfer student.
Around 900 transfer students choose Carolina each year, and our transfer students travel many roads to get here. Your academic record should show us all the challenges you’ve taken on and the ways you’re prepared to succeed at Carolina.
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 2025 admission)
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- 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. - 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. - Application Fee or Fee Waiver
You’ll also submit a non-refundable application fee is $85. If you can’t pay the fee right now or are an active-duty member of the military, please complete the fee waiver request form and send it to us at [email protected]. The bottom line: whether you apply with a fee or a waiver, we’ll be grateful to receive your application, and we’ll consider you with care, appreciation, and respect.
- Extracurricular Activities
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- Letter of Recommendation
You’ll need one letter of recommendation – ask the person writing your letter to submit it on your behalf. - Official Transcripts
Submit transcripts by secure electronic delivery from your high school and 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. - SAT or ACT Scores
On May 23, 2024, the Board of Governors of the UNC System updated the minimum admissions requirements to apply to any of the UNC System constituent institutions.- For students applying for the 2024-2025 academic year, students are not required to submit a test score.
- For students applying for the 2025-2026 academic year, students with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above (on a 4.0 scale) are not required to submit a test score. Students with a weighted GPA below 2.8 (on a 4.0 scale) are required to submit either an ACT or SAT score.
- For students applying for the 2026-2027 academic year and beyond, students with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above (on a 4.0 scale) are not required to submit a test score. Students with a weighted GPA below 2.8 (on a 4.0 scale) are required to submit either an ACT score of 17 or higher or an SAT score of 930 or higher.
- For the full UNC System policy, please visit www.northcarolina.edu/students/admission/.
- Most successful applicants (domestic and international) to Carolina have very strong grades in their core academic coursework and have well above a B+ average in their courses. If your school does not provide a weighted GPA on a 4.0 scale, but you have above a B+ average in your courses (weighted if applicable), you will not be required to submit an ACT or SAT. If you are an international student in a Cambridge-based or similar educational system, we consider your grades made in A-level or external exams for the purposes of this UNC System GPA-based testing requirement.
- At Carolina, 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 self-report test scores on your application, we will use them in your application review process, and if you are admitted, and choose to enroll, we will require that your official scores be sent directly from the testing service. If you self-report test scores from multiple testing dates, we will “superscore”, considering your highest score for each section among all of your testing dates.
- Letter of Recommendation
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Apply for Financial Aid
Submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and CSS Profile. Learn how to submit both on our Financial Aid website.
Keep in Mind
- If you’re a North Carolina resident, you’ll need verify your residency with Residency Determination Services.
- 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 [email protected] 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 uploaded through MyCarolina.
Helpful Deadlines
| Deadline | Transfer |
|---|---|
| Application and Fee or Waiver | February 15 |
| Residency | February 15 |
| Supporting Materials and Test Scores | March 15 |
| Financial Aid* | March 15 |
| Admissions Decisions Available | April 15 |
| Enrollment Confirmation if Admitted | May 15 |
*Financial Aid: If you’d like to receive an aid offer shortly after you receive your admissions decision, submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile by March 15. For more information about aid and key dates, visit studentaid.unc.edu.