Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Senior Schedule Changes

As students move deeper into their senior year and they begin to receive admissions decision back from UNCW we often receive phone calls from both the high schools and the students regarding schedule changes. UNCW would like to deliver a consistent message before your second semester begins about senior schedule changes.


We wish that we could tell you that it doesn’t matter to UNCW when a student drops a class scheduled for spring, but unfortunately, it does. Because the competition for admission is so fierce, an applicant’s program, both current and planned, plays a significant role in an admission decision. Our response to students and guidance counselors asking to drop a course is always “no” unless the student plans on replacing the course with one that is greater in rigor (an AP or IB, for example). As you might guess, it would be grossly unfair to applicants denied admission based on a weaker schedule, to allow those already admitted to make changes.


We hope this rationale makes sense as you enter into your spring semester. Please feel free to contact our office should you have any questions.

Early Action Decisions

The UNCW Office of Admissions has been busy reading Early Action applications and making decisions. Some students have begun to receive admissions but we have many more to continue to send out. Please keep in mind that if you have not received your admissions decision, and your application is complete and ready for review, you will receive your admissions decision on or around January 20th by US Mail. Please log onto your SeaLevel account to check the status of your application.

If you have received a letter admit to UNCW, congratulations! You should have received a Teal Ticket in your admission packet that will help outline the steps you should be taking next. You might also find the Admitted Student? What Next? website helpful.

If you have received a letter of deferral from UNCW, we have given you an opportunity to have the admissions committee reevaluate your application. We will be considering any new test scores or transcript updates that you send in. We will mail a final decision notification letter no later than April 1, 2010. We encourage you to refer to the Frequently Asked Questions sheet that was enclosed in your letter from UNCW.

If you have received a letter of rejection from UNCW, unfortunately your application did not quite meet all of the criteria the admissions committee set forth for the entering class of 2010. Once an admissions decision has been made, it is final and students do not have the ability to reapply in the Regular Decision round. If you still find UNCW as one of your top choices we encourage you to explore the transfer process a year from now after you have gained educational experience at another institution. Please visit the Transfer Admissions website for more information.

If you still have any lingering questions once you have reviewed ALL of the information in your packet from UNCW, then we welcome your phone calls and emails. Our contact information can be found here.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Can't Visit Campus?

If you are having trouble finding time to make the trip to Wilmington, its OK! Head to the following website and check out our YOUniversity campus video. This video will give you an insiders look at the Wilmington area and the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Important Things to Remember About your Application

REMEMBER the Early Action deadline is fast approaching on November 1; your application must be SUBMITTED before or on November 1 to be considered for the Early Action Round.
  • As long as your actual application with essay and application fee is submitted online, or postmarked before or on November 1, you will be considered for the Early Action deadline. All other materials (your transcripts, test scores, and letter of recommendation or counselor statement) may arrive after the deadline. Please remember that your application will not be complete and therefore we will be unable to review it until these materials arrive, so it is helpful if you send them in as soon as possible.
  • It may take a few weeks for us to process items that you submit, and we ask that you please have patience and allow us plenty of time to process your materials that we receive by mail. As we mentioned above, these items do not need to be submitted by November 1, so there is no need to worry.
  • Materials such as recommendation letters and transcripts that you mail in before you submit your application will not show up on your SeaLevel account until after you submit your application. These items are not matched up with your application until after it has been submitted.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

College Fairs

UNCW has hit the road for the start of our travel season! While we encourage you and your family to make a trip to the UNCW campus for an official tour, sometimes the most convenient way to get your questions answered and meet an admissions representative is in your hometown. Check with you High School Guidance Office to see when UNCW might be at your school or in your neighborhood for a college fair.

North Carolina Travel:
  • September 8-11 Gaston & Rutherfordton counties
  • September 14-18 Greater Wilmington area
  • September 21-25 Surry, Wilkes & Watuga counties
  • September 20-25 Wake & Alamance counties
  • September 28- October 1 Western NC
  • September 28- October 2 Lumberton counties
  • October 4-9 Metro, Cabarraus & Iredell counties
  • October 4-9 Wayne, Duplin & Lenoir counties
  • October 12-16 Lee, Harnett & Moore counties
  • October 11-16 Cumberland county
  • October 19-23 Rowan, Davidson & Randolph counties
  • October 19-23 OBX, Elizabeth City & Roanoke Rapids area
  • October 25-28 Stanley & Union counties
  • October 26-30 Pitt, Wilson & Nash counties
Out of State Travel:
  • October 5 Long Island, NY
  • October 13-19 Northern Virginia
  • October 26-30 Tidewater Virginia
  • October 5-6 Ft. Lauderdale, FL
  • November 16 Philadelphia, PA

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Freshman Application Open !

The fall 2010 freshman application is now available online! Students can log in to their SeaLevel account and begin their application at any time. If a student does not have a SeaLevel account they can create one online at the same time they wish to begin the application.

The application deadlines are as follows:
November 1 - Early Action
The Early Action round is a non binding admissions decision. If submitted by this date you will receive an admissions decision on or around January 20.

February 1 - Regular Decision
The Regular Decision round is the final application deadline. If submitted by this date you will receive an admissions decision on or around April 1.

Monday, August 10, 2009

ONE simple question...

We want to know why. Why UNCW?
Why do you have a passion for science or business?
Why education; what teacher inspired you?
How do you know that the UNC Wilmington campus is the home you crave for the next four years of your life?

The admission counselors at UNCW want to know who you are, and why you have found your fit with our University. We read over 10,000 applications during any given application season, and the admissions essay is our one way to learn more about you, your passions, and your goals. Spend more time on your admissions essay for UNCW than you do cleaning your room or doing laundry; this is important. A well written admissions essay can help bump you into the incoming freshman class, but a poorly written essay filled with errors can bump you out. Take your time, find a teacher or parent to review and help edit your essay.

Be confident in your writing… we’re waiting; ready to read.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Soaring to Greatness



For months the UNCW students, faculty, and staff heard the buzz about the "worlds largest seahawk" being created for our university. On May 21 the handmade, and beautifully sculpted copper Seahawk was installed at the front of campus.



The Seahawk, created by Wilmington artist Dumay Gorham, towers over our UNCW family with its 20-foot wingspan and 10 foot height. Gorham painstakingly welded thousands of copper feathers to the sculpture to give it a more realistic look. Hundreds of hours of work have gone into the construction and finishing of the copper structure and its base.



The UNCW Seahawk was commissioned by Charlotte philanthropist Ike Belk as a personal gift to the University. Mr. Belk also has donated to facilities such as Belk Residence Hall, and Morton Hall/Auditorium.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Need 2 Lead

On May 14 – 17, the Office of Admissions welcomed our second class of students for our annual Need 2 Lead (N2L) program. N2L is a an intense leadership weekend created and organized by the UNCW Office of Admissions and is designed for action-oriented rising high school juniors who want to make a difference in their communities. The program aims to enhance the students’ leadership skills and help them establish a community service project of their choice. One hundred and fifty students were nominated and 15 students and 5 UNCW mentors were selected to participate by an application process.


Each participant was assigned to a UNCW mentor for the weekend experience and the academic school year following the program. Students and mentors attended leadership workshops which included conflict resolution, self esteem, public speaking, fundraising, networking and many more! On Friday, we participated in a low outdoors course. During the course, we learned that each of our participants and UNCW student mentors had many different leadership qualities but all contributed to the challenges, creating an instant N2L team. We also had the opportunity to practice our networking skills at a business social and let loose on the dance floor afterwards… yes even the admissions staff can learn a few dance moves! The program ended with a closing ceremony that included the N2L students, their families, UNCW mentors and staff, some of the leadership presenter and even guest speaker Mayor Bill Saffo. Many of the N2L students are interested in returning to UNCW and have asked for a N2L reunion at next years leadership symposium.

The 15 students chosen for N2L were not only are they the top students in their high schools, but many of them are more involved in their communities than I ever imagined being when I was their age not too long ago. They dance, they sing, they act and more importantly, they are completely aware of the world outside of their home. These students are rising stars and UNCW looks forward to working with them throughout the following year.


If you are interested in becoming part of N2L next spring, please visit the Need 2 Lead website for more information.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Meet the staff

Welcome to the start of another warm Seahawk summer! Like the seasons in Wilmington, the latest “need to know” information from the UNCW Office of Admissions is always changing. We hope that this blog allows you to keep track of where we are in the admissions process, where our counselors are on the road near your schools, and what our current Seahawks are excelling in on and off campus.


We would like to take this opportunity to introduce the UNCW First Year Admissions staff. This Seahawk staff will be connecting with you throughout the year.

Director of Admissions: Jan Rockwell

Jan serves as the admissions counselor for all students in the New England states. She received her B.A. in French and Secondary Education from Gettysburg College followed by a M.Ed. in Guidance and Psychological Services from Springfield College. Jan is a great leader and is our office’s biggest cheerleader. The one thing Jan struggles with is Ping Pong. She proudly displays her SECOND place trophy in the office that she once lost in a bet of Ping Pong talents.

Associate Director of Admissions: Marcio Moreno

Marcio serves as the admissions counselor for all students in the Eastern portion of North Carolina. Marcio is originally from Panama where he received a M.A. in English as a Second Language from Universidad Autonoma de Chiriquí. His second M.A. is in Spanish from our very own UNC Wilmington. In his so called “spare” time, Marcio serves as a UNCW instructor for introductory Spanish courses where he joins the ranks of other friendly and helpful professors.

Assistant Director of Admissions: Camille Morgan

Camille serves as the admissions counselor for our students in the Northeastern part of the United States; more specifically, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Camille is one of Wilmington’s finest; born, raised and educated in our town. She enjoyed the UNCW energy and sense of community so much, that after finishing her B.S. in Business Administration she decided to work for her Alma Mater.

Assistant Director of Admissions: Mr. Keryn Vickers

Keryn serves as the admissions counselor for students in the Northern and South Central portions of North Carolina (Fayetteville, Durham, etc.). Keryn received his M.A. in Recreation and Sports Management from Indiana State University. Although Keryn is not originally from Wilmington, he has enjoyed being a part of the unique blend of dedicated faculty, staff, and administrators at UNCW.

First-Year Admissions Coordinator: Hannah Brown

Hannah serves as the admissions counselor for students in the Western portion of North Carolina. Hannah moved to Wilmington from Boone, the same area she now travels and recruits from. She received her B.A. in English from UNCW and although we have a few less hills and are a little lacking in the mountain department, Hannah is proud to call UNCW her home and Alma Mater.

First-Year Admissions Coordinator/International Recruitment: Linda Byrnes

Linda serves as the admissions counselor for students from the Southeastern states of the United States and for students outside of the United States. Linda received her B.S. in Sociology from Georgia Southern University, and is currently working on her Master's in Liberal Studies at UNCW. Linda’s interest and involvement with the Office of International Programs has helped to contribute to the fulfillment of a UNCW’s Strategic Goal: to create an educational environment that prepares our students to be global citizens.

First-Year Admissions Coordinator: Laura Moore

Laura serves as the admissions counselor for the Piedmont area of North Carolina (Winston-Salem, Greensboro, etc.) She received her B.A. in Communication Studies and a minor in Leadership Studies from UNCW in 2005. Laura is one of three advisers for the UNCW Student Ambassadors organization. The Ambassadors help with campus tours, visitation days, and a variety of other events on campus. The Ambassadors are Laura’s “children”… all 60 of them.

First-Year Admissions Coordinator: Larry Pakowski

Larry serves as the admissions counselor for the Mid-Atlantic region for the United States- specifically, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, DC, and West Virginia. He finished his B.A. in Communication Studies in three years from UNCW. Larry loves to proudly recall his days as the UNCW mascot, “Sammy C. Hawk”, and continues to be a part of UNCW Athletics by announcing for a variety of our NCAA Division 1 sports.

First-Year Admissions Coordinator: Lauren Scott

Lauren serves as the admissions counselor for the greater Wilmington area. She finished her B.A. in Psychology, and is currently working on a Master of Public Administration, both from UNCW. Lauren serves as our link to the UNCW Alumni Association, being an active member on the UNCW Alumni Board of Directors. Although Lauren has no formal training, her Ping Pong skills are to be reckoned with… ask Jan.

First-Year Admissions Coordinator: Alex Wadsworth

Alex serves as the admissions counselor for the Capital area of North Carolina; Wake and Orange counties. He is the newest UNCW Alumni in the office, proudly holding the “rookie of the year” title all year long. He finished his B.A. in History with UNCW in 2008. Alex was very involved with the UNCW community as a student, his role as an on campus Resident Assistant topping his list. Alex is excited to see current students, his past residents included, pushing the student involvement to record numbers with over 200 student led organizations. One of Alex’s goal before next academic year is to begin a club Ping Pong team for UNCW; it is one of his newest passions… since the win.

If you find yourself with questions or comments, we encourage you to join in on the conversation. Welcome to our Seahawk family, and welcome to our blog.