Almost 1,000 high school students and their families explored campus during the university’s two open houses, known as Discovery Days, held this fall, a key experience in the college search process that often leads students to apply, and if accepted, enroll.
Campus continues to come alive in the spring with additional visit opportunities. High school juniors can begin their college search at Junior Preview Days planned for Feb. 29 and March 21, 2020, while accepted students can experience the university first-hand at Admitted Student Days.
And for students who know UNC Asheville is their first-choice university for its quality faculty and academic and co-curricular opportunities, two new Early Decision admission application options offer priority consideration for acceptance.
The university is also making sure that those in our own backyard have access to a quality liberal arts and sciences education. During North Carolina’s Countdown to College Week, admission counselors visited high schools in Asheville and surrounding counties to give seniors one-on-one guidance in completing their applications. To demystify the financial aid process, the admission and financial aid team assisted families with submitting their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) during a FAFSA Day on campus.
Community college students who want to pursue a bachelor’s have more options for transferring to UNC Asheville, too. Two new direct-entry admission agreements with local community colleges A-B Tech and Blue Ridge Community College offer students with an associate’s degree a seamless transition to UNC Asheville.
Through A-B Tech’s CORE Scholarship, students receive full funding to attend A-B Tech for two years to earn their associate’s degree and for two years at UNC Asheville to complete their bachelor’s degree. In addition, members of the Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society for transfer students can qualify for merit-based scholarships.
Transfer students also have different needs than first-year students, so Assistant Director of Admission Lindsey Prather meets them where they are—which is often at their community college.
“We strive to reduce all barriers to applying, and since transfer students are more likely to have jobs and families, it’s important that we meet them where it’s most convenient for them. The office hours we hold at A-B Tech are probably the most visible and directly impactful way we serve transfer applicants,” Prather explains.
From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the coast, Prather has visited 25 community colleges across North Carolina this fall, including Isothermal, McDowell Tech, Wake Tech, Western Piedmont, Central Piedmont, and Cape Fear.
This in-person availability is creating meaningful connections, Prather says. “I was tabling at Blue Ridge Community College a few weeks ago and spoke with a very excited Early College student. I sent him information on his top programs, along with the liaison contact info for each department. Three more students came to speak with me because he told his friends how helpful UNC Asheville is.”
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