University Of North Carolina Admission Essay Writing Guide

Contents

How to Write an NC State Application Essay

Acceptance into NC State is competitive. The university has a 54% rejection rate. This means that more than half of the people who apply every year don’t get it. Reliance on grades alone won’t do the trick for NC State. This is one of the best universities in the world. This is why your essays are important.

You need to prepare for NC State supplemental essays and application essays. How well you perform on these two weighs heavily on whether you get admission. The following pointers will help you in writing a stellar application essay:

Know what they want

University of North Carolina supplemental essays revolve around two questions ‘why did you choose us?’ and ‘why do you want to study that course?’

These questions seek to test your intentionality about studying the course you chose at NC State. Looking at the thousands of applicants hoping to get the same admission you’re applying for, is it worth giving you?

Before you write the essays, write down your reasons and motivations. If the ones you have are not strong enough, sit back and look at what stands out for you in the institution. That could give you the pointer you need.

Be clear and precise

You have 250 words to work with for your NC State supplemental essays. Use them wisely. You want to focus on the question in the prompt. Your ability to provide direct and clear answers will tell the examiner that you know what you’re doing.

If you’re asked about your reason for pursuing an academic program, you’re expected to highlight your career goals and your passion for something in that line.

Do your research

NC State is a research-first institution. Throughout your interaction with the institution, research will be a recurring theme. So, you should start now. Learn about the institution: the vision, the values, the community, and goals. In your essay, being able to highlight and align yourself with these will go a long way.

For instance, when NC State was founded, it has the purpose of teaching “agriculture and mechanic arts.” Thus, the premium it places on cutting-edge research.

How will NC State contribute to your career?

Always have it in mind that you’re practically telling the examiner why you chose to pursue that program and why you want to do it at NC State. To answer this, research has to come in. What’s unique about the faculty offering that program? Have they produced notable alumni? Do they provide world-class teaching at that faculty?

These are questions that will help you provide the right answer. After all, you could have gone to any of the other 84 colleges and universities in North Carolina if proximity to where you live is your major reason.

What are you going to contribute to NC State?

This is a common NC State supplemental essay question. It’s okay to come and learn, but is that the only thing you’ll do for your years at NC State?

Volunteering, community participation, and the desire to contribute to knowledge are themes the examiner sets out to see here. This is another reason why research is important. Knowing what students are doing will give you a direction on how to play your part in contributing to NC State.

What are the broader applications of the program?

The admission board of NC State doesn’t want to give you admission because your parents insisted that you major in Finance; they want to know if the program is a well-thought-out decision.

Here, state your career plans in your application essay. Do you wish to work with investment banks, or do you want to enter the stock market as a market analyst? With a well-defined career plan, the university would be more than happy to be part of it.

Admission requirements for NC State

To get admission into NC State, you need to ensure that you check all the boxes. The rejection rate at this university is 54%, which means that the university is highly selective. So, you need to do more than the usual to get into NC State. It needs to be said here that your grades are important.

The average SAT score for an NC State admission is between 1230 and 1410. The average for this stands at 1335. For ACT, you need an average score of 27 - 32. Anything below this may greatly affect your chances of getting admission into NC State.

The average GPA at NC State is highly competitive. It stands high on the spectrum at 3.8/4. This requires you to be at the top of your class. For a GPA lower than this, you will need to have a high SAT score to compensate for this.

The average SAT breakdown for NC State is as follows:

  • Maths - 680
  • Reading + Writing - 655
  • Composite - 1335

For graduate school requirements:

For students seeking admission into NC State Graduate School, here are the requirements you need to take note of:

  1. A minimum GPA of 3.0
  2. GRE scores usually fall in the top 80 percentile
  3. Foreign students must score at least 85 on the online TOEFL test
  4. Must already have a four-year baccalaureate/bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited post-secondary institution.
  5. Three letters of recommendation for academic sources
  6. Official or unofficial undergraduate transcripts
  7. A 2 to 3-page personal goals statement
  8. Must pay a non-refundable $75 application fee

For bachelor’s degree requirements

For students seeking admission into NC State undergraduate school, these are the requirements you should take note of:

  • SAT score of 1230 at the minimum
  • ACT score of 27 - 32
  • Pay the non-refundable application fee of $85
  • Select your major. You should select 2 different majors so that if you don’t qualify for one, you can be considered for the other.
  • Students applying for a studio-based major (Architecture, Art & Design, Fashion & Textile Design, Graphic Design, Industrial Design) must submit a 10-piece portfolio and design essay.
  • Report your test scores (this is optional) before application deadlines.
  • Complete the essay prompts provided by the Common App or Coalition App. You will be required to write a 650-word essay.
  • Provide answers to the short answer questions
  • Comment on your view of NC State’s culture of diversity and inclusiveness

For the Honors and Scholars Program, answer the required additional questions

Submit your transcript.

For Scholarships

NC State has several scholarship programs. Some of them are:

  1. Zaxby’s Zolarship
  2. A. Gordon and Patricia L. Neville Animal Science Scholarship
  3. A.J. Haynes Scholarship
  4. A.M. Fountain Award
  5. A. Tab Williams, Jr. Endowed Scholarship
  6. A.B. Parker, Jr. / Parker’s Landscape Services Agricultural Institute Scholarship
  7. Adam Brent Jackson Memorial Scholarship
  8. Adams Oldcastle Werner-McQueen Architecture Scholarship Endowment
  9. Alamance Kennel Club Scholarship
  10. Alan D. Metts Memorial Scholarship

Various Faculties at the University

NC State offers more than 300 undergraduate and graduates degree programs through its colleges and 68 departments. Some of the colleges are:

College of Agriculture

This college hosts 13 departments, each focusing on several aspects of agriculture.

College of Design

This college is divided into five departments: Architecture, Art + Design, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Landscape Architecture, and Environmental Planning.

College of Education

This college focuses on preparing students for the world for a career in academics. From K-12 to post-secondary, each aspect of the journey is given its focus.

College of Engineering

This college awards undergraduate and graduate degrees across traditional and new-age cutting-edge engineering disciplines.

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

From communication to public policy, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences provides the requisite education to the already existing field and the rapidly emerging ones.

College of Natural Resources

This college sees sustainability as the culture and focus, and this reverberates in its three departments of Forest Biomaterials, Forestry and Environmental Resources, and Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management.

About the University

North Carolina State University was founded in 1887. The university campus sits halfway down the East Coast of the United States. From its inception, NC State has repeatedly proven to be one of the best in the world. Today, the university is ranked in the top 1% of universities in the world.

In the state of North Carolina, there are 85 colleges and universities. However, on ranking, NC State ranks Number 2. This is not surprising as the research-first university prefers to blaze the trail in every aspect.

NC State is one of the 15 carefully selected universities in the world ranked for undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship programs by the Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine. In the Southeastern region of the United States, NC State ranks number one for its entrepreneurship program.

If you plan to attend NC State, you must learn about the Centennial Campus. This is NC State’s globally-famous research campus. It hosts private, public, and non-public partners – and the university's students in their thousands.

Now, it needs to be said here that NC State rejects about 54% of applicants every year. This translates into a 46% acceptance rate. So, asides from your grades, you need a stellar NC State application essay.

Conclusion

There is so much talk about grades and academic records, but those don’t define the totality of who you are. Your essay gives the examiner a fresh perspective of who you are. Here, you’re telling your story. Your story is unique.

The examiner wants to read about your experiences and background, they want to see what motivates you, and they’re looking for that element that stands you out.

This is why your NC State essays must be stellar. Not everyone can get a 3.8 GPA, but everyone has a unique story. And it is okay if you find it hard to write it yourself. This is why we exist.

We understand that writing is not everyone’s forte, but we believe everyone should have a shot at a world-class education, so we write application essays for you. We produce stellar NC State supplemental essays that tell your stories in a unique way.

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