Admitted Students

Welcome, newly admitted students! We are excited that you are joining our graduate community at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill!

Printable checklist for newly admitted studentspdf icon

What to do upon admission:

  1. View your admission offer. Log in to the online application website and view your admission offer. Make a note of your 9-digit Personal Identification (PID) Number.

    UNC-Chapel Hill supports the Council of Graduate Schools' Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees and Assistants, which states that you are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15.

  2. Accept your admission offer and pay your deposit. To accept or decline your offer of admission, please complete the Reply to Offer of Admission form located on your application student status page in the online application website. If you are accepting your offer of admission, a link to pay the non-refundable $250 enrollment deposit will become available on your application student status page. The enrollment deposit is applied to your tuition payment for your first semester and is not an additional fee. The enrollment deposit is non-refundable and may not be waived.

  3. Create your UNC ID login. Your UNC ID login name is called your Onyen, which stands for the Only Name You'll Ever Need. You will use your Onyen to access the online student center (ConnectCarolina), your UNC email, and other services.

    To create your Onyen, visit Onyen services and click on “Create an Onyen.” Enter your 9-digit Personal Identification (PID) Number from your online admission offer, your first and last name, date of birth, and gender. If you do not know your PID, you can find it here: What's My PID? An Onyen will be created for you and you will be asked to create a password.

  4. Create your UNC email address. Once you have created an Onyen and Onyen password, you need to manually signup for the email service by visiting the Email Self Service Tool.

    For more information, visit Office 365 Email Setup or contact the ITS Help Desk.

    We will send all official university correspondence to your UNC email.

  5. Enroll in Microsoft Office 2-Step Verification. 2-step verification helps protect your accounts from hackers and phishing. You will need to use 2-Step verification from Microsoft Authenticator to access your UNC email account (Heelmail).
    Get started with 2-Step for Office 365

  6. Register for Carolina Key. Carolina Key is a passwordless login option. When used along with your Onyen, Carolina Key eliminates the need to use both your password and two-step with many of the University’s systems while improving the University’s digital security. Register for Carolina Key.

  7. Are you an international student? Visit the International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) website. Be sure to see the New Students page. As a newly admitted international student, the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) will send you information and instructions in order to document that you meet necessary financial requirements. ISSS will then send you the appropriate documents to use in obtaining or updating your visa once it has been determined that you have met the necessary financial requirements.

    For information and insights from student peers, view our New International Graduate Students videos.

What to do before your program begins:

  1. Request official transcripts and monitor transcript checklist. Once you have officially accepted your admission, you must request that official transcripts for each post-secondary school attended be sent to The Graduate School at UNC-Chapel Hill. You will not be able to register for classes until we receive all of your official transcripts.

    This includes all transcripts from colleges, universities, community colleges, summer sessions, or extension programs you have attended since graduating from high school. Academic transcripts uploaded to the online application are considered unofficial and do not fulfill this requirement.

    • Submit your electronic transcripts:

      Request that your school(s) or its authorized agent send an authenticated electronic transcript to: gradadmissions@unc.edu.

      Important Note:
      If sending e-transcripts via the e-SCRIP or Parchment ordering systems,you must select the path that allows you to send transcripts to an individual or email address.
      Selecting the name of the university itself from a list of schools is not correct. Transcripts ordered this way will not be delivered to The Graduate School and will need to be re-ordered.

      Check first that your school is capable of sending authenticated electronic transcripts. We cannot accept electronic transcripts in any other form from you or your school.

    • Or, mail paper transcripts:

      Mail final, official transcripts to:
      The Graduate School
      ATTN: Graduate Admissions
      200 Bynum Hall, CB# 4010
      University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
      Chapel Hill, NC 27599-4010

    (UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine students must visit the Office of the University Registrar in order to obtain official UNC-CH transcripts. For all other UNC-Chapel Hill students, it is not necessary to request official transcripts for UNC-CH coursework or degrees, as our office can access your transcript internally).

    Official transcripts:

    • Must be received directly from each post-secondary school on paper or by certified electronic copy, such as those provided via eSCRIP-SAFE, Parchment Send, or the National Student Clearinghouse.
    • Must be properly signed or authenticated.
    • Must be complete (not select courses).
    • Must include full course names and grades.
    • Must be issued in the original language and be accompanied by certified English translations (when applicable).
    • Must show the award of degree if completed. If your school's transcripts do not indicate degrees (e.g., mark sheets), you must include a separate certified copy of the diploma or degree certificate.

    We cannot accept:

    • Unofficial transcripts.
    • Transfer credit listed on the transcripts of other schools. Transcripts must be submitted directly from the school at which the courses were taken.
    • Incomplete transcripts. If you are completing or have just completed a degree, wait until you have a final transcript. Your transcript must show that all of your coursework is complete and that you have been awarded your degree.
    • Credential evaluation reports such as those issued by WES or ECE. These reports may be used as certified translations, but they do not take the place of official transcripts issued directly by the school.

    The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill reserves the right to rescind any offer of admission made if discrepancies between unofficial and official transcript(s) are found.

    All transcripts become the property of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and cannot be borrowed, returned to applicants, or sent to another institution or campus.

    It is your responsibility to monitor receipt of official transcripts via your Official Transcripts checklist. To view your Official Transcripts checklist, visit your application status page. Your Official Transcripts checklist will display the status of required official transcripts. Please note that applications displayed as Received may be pending validation.

    Once all transcripts are received, they will be validated by The Graduate School, and you will be notified via email if any further action is needed. Once all official transcripts have been validated, your enrollment hold will be lifted and you will be able to register for classes.

    UPDATE: Please note that there will be a delay in processing official transcripts that arrive at The Graduate School as hardcopies. If possible, official transcripts should be sent to The Graduate School electronically.

    For any questions about transcript processing, please contact gradadmissions@unc.edu.

  2. *Submit your immunization and health form. Incoming students should visit the ConnectCarolina Student Service Center and click on the "General Items" under To Do List to access the “Immunization Health History” link for instructions to submit immunization records. This requirement does not pertain to students admitted to distance or online education programs.

    To learn more, view the Required Immunization and Health History Information.

  3. *Enroll in health insurance. As a residential UNC student, you must have health insurance. To learn more about student health insurance options, please visit the Campus Health Services website.

    You will be automatically enrolled and billed for the UNC System-Wide Student Health Insurance plan unless you submit a waiver to show that you have an alternate health insurance plan. Please visit the Campus Health Services website for information on the waiver process.

    If you are a Graduate Research Assistant (RA), Teaching Assistant (TA), Fellow, or Trainee, you may be enrolled in the UNC-Chapel Hill Graduate Student Health Insurance Plan (GSHIP). Please work with your academic program regarding enrollment in and timing for GSHIP (typically July). If you are enrolled in GSHIP, you will still need to submit a waiver to opt out of the UNC System-Wide Student Health Insurance plan.

  4. Access ConnectCarolina through the ConnectCarolina campus portal. You can use ConnectCarolina to:

    • Review financial aid
    • Monitor official transcript checklist
    • Pay tuition and fees
    • Register for classes
  5. Check your residency status. View your admission offer to check your residency status for tuition purposes. If you have non-resident status, you will be charged out-of-state tuition.

    To learn how to establish in-state residency, see North Carolina Residency for Tuition Purposes.

  6. Will you take out federal loans? Visit the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid to learn about federal loans.

    In order to receive federal loans, you must complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Entrance Loan Counseling. Please refer to StudentAid.gov.

  7. *Register for orientation. We hold Graduate Orientation in August. This event is designed to welcome you to the UNC-Chapel Hill campus community and help connect you with graduate student resources. Registration will be available early in the summer. We will send you an email when the registration site is open.

  8. Review Orientation Modules. We created 13 short orientation modules to answer your most critical questions. Make sure to review these modules so that you can let us know of any additional questions you have.

  9. Learn about housing and life in Chapel Hill. Learn about housing and other student resources by visiting The Graduate School's C.H.A.R.T. Resources.

What to do by the first week of classes:

  1. *Get your student ID (UNC OneCard). See the UNC One Card office to learn how to get your UNC OneCard (student ID).

  2. Update your address. Provide your current contact and emergency information. From the ConnectCarolina campus portal, click on “Login to ConnectCarolina Student Center”. Log in with your ONYEN. Scroll down to “Personal Information” and update addresses and emergency contact names.

  3. Enroll in Duo 2-Step Verification. Enroll in 2-step verification from Duo Security for all non-Office 365 applications on campus that require 2-Step for access.
    Get started with 2-Step Verification

  4. Connect your devices to the campus network. Once on campus, you can register your devices to connect to the UNC network using wired ethernet connections or set up your device to use the Eduroam WiFi network.

  5. Are you an international student? You must check in with International Student & Scholar Services upon your arrival. You may also receive communications about University support services to assist your transition. Learn more about what it is like to be an International Graduate Student at UNC.

*Not all checklist items are applicable for online/distance education programs. Please consult with your academic program directly with any questions.

Printable checklist for newly admitted studentspdf icon

Questions?

Please contact The Graduate School at gradadmissions@unc.edu or 919-962-7772 if you have questions about admissions.

Contact your academic program directly if you have specific questions about the program.

If you are an international student, contact International Student & Scholar Services.

To learn more about guidelines for offers of admission and financial support, visit the Council of Graduate Schools. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill abides by these guidelines.