UNC-Chapel Hill: Audrey

How College Solutions Helped

Audrey enjoyed attending her large high school and was interested in going to a larger public university not too far from home in North Carolina. After creating a list of schools to which she was interested in applying, her College Solutions counselor helped frame which schools would be the most realistic for her to expect admission–and those that were less likely.

Although initially discouraged to see her top school, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as one of the two most difficult to get into, Audrey recognized an opportunity to put in some extra effort. “To hear that I might not get in was kind of scary for me,” she said, “but then I realized, I’ve really got to lock in. And I spent a lot of time on that application, specifically.”

Audrey was motivated by the challenge and focused her summer months on her applications, especially UNC. With a weekly touch-base from her "accountability partner” (her College Solutions counselor), Audrey dedicated herself to completing the many application requirements with a goal of submitting all her materials by mid-August. It wasn’t easy, she recalled: “Over the summer, I struggled to find the motivation, but my counselor helped accommodate for family vacations and helped me find that buffer period to still enjoy my summer but also stay on top of things.”

In regard to one of the most challenging parts of the application process, essay-writing, Audrey worked closely with her College Solutions counselor and writing coach to showcase her unique strengths and personality. “My writing coach was insanely helpful with helping me curate these essays that helped set me apart from other applicants,” she reflected.

One additional area where College Solutions provided Audrey with specialized guidance was related to standardized testing. While Audrey’s ACT score was strong in most subjects, her math score wasn’t as impressive. Her College Solutions counselor helped advise her where to submit her scores and, perhaps more importantly, where not to. “I ended up submitting my scores to all my schools except for Carolina,” she recounted. “If I had to go through that process alone, I would have worried, ‘Am I about to ruin my chance of getting into the school?’ My counselor was very helpful with giving me peace of mind that I was making the right decision by not submitting.”

Result

With a lot of discipline, and some expert advice from her counselor and writing coach, Audrey completed all of her applications before the beginning of her senior year in August. She was thrilled to gain admission to every school to which she applied and will attend her dream school, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, this fall.

What Audrey Had to Say

“Overall, I just loved working with my counselor. I feel like she valued my future and really cared about how I did. Every time I would update my College Solutions portal about whether I got into a school, she would always send me a text: ‘So proud of you! Congratulations!’ Just knowing that she was watching me throughout the whole process even after I was ‘done’, she was still checking in on me.”

what Her Counselor Had to Say

“Working with Audrey was a true reminder of why I love this work. She brought such positivity and dedication to the process, and we genuinely had fun along the way. She put tremendous effort into her applications over the summer before senior year, and it absolutely paid off! I couldn't be happier for her.