Chapel Hill Question

[wazupshah]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Alright, so I just got the secondary in the mail which basically states that I automatically have an interview as long as I can proove that I'm a resident of NC. The problem is that while NC is the closest thing that I have to a state Residency, I was actually living in Japan last year on the JET program and I'm not sure if they'll consider me in-state and Indepent of my parents.

Bottom line:
If they determine me not to be a resident, does that mean that...

1) I'm totally out of the race
2) I get put in the Out-of-State pile and go through a more rigorous screening
3) i get put in the Out-of-State pile but still get to keep my interview offer

I'm curious to know what you all think.

Thanks,
Wazupshah

 

[Random Access]

It wouldn't make sense for you still to have an interview if you were out of state, given that the standard they're giving you is that you need to be in-state. I'd imagine you go on the out of state pile, and the criteria will then be more stringent.

Do you think you'll have trouble proving residency? What was your official address? And were you paying NC taxes, etc?

 

[Neuronix]

At UMaryland it seems like their criterion for interviews is just that you have a Maryland address. They worry about the actual tuition status much later, I think even after you've been accepted.

In any case, just CALL THEM and ask.

 

[wazupshah]

I wish NC was as cool as Maryland. NC definitely places the strict criteria for residency upon both admissions and tuition. They mentioned that in the letter that I got.

And yeah, it'll be tough to prove that I'm a resident just because they have such strict definitions. I went to high school and college in NC, but while I was in college, my parents moved out of the state. At some point in college my parents stop claiming me as a dependent for tax purposes, but I never filed taxes in NC, because I never really worked here until this year.

But I don't want to turn this thread into a "am I a resident" thread, I already felt bad for posting such a self-centered post to begin with.

I hate this stupid admissions game.

 

[MeganRose]

Hi,
I'm in basically the same situation as you. Originally from CO, I went to school in NC. My parents moved out of CO soph year of college and I now live in TX (since Dec'01). Ironically with all these potential in state options (which NC seems to be the most obvious one as I lived there for four + years), I'm currently without a state that considers me a resident until I become a resident of TX this January.

NC did not consider me a resident bc it requires that you reside in NC with intention to make it your home and more specifically resided in NC for reasons other than education. When your parents moved, I think they took your residency with them. It might be different for NC but here in TX in order to be truly independent of your parent's residency you had to be independent of them for both the year previous to application and the year of matriculation.

My premed advisor (Dean Singer) always tells us that usually the the first rejection students get is from UNC bc they are all about meeting the needs of NC. It doesn't get any better than ~$3,000/yr for med school and so they are reeeeallly strict about residency requirements. Still even having said that, you still have an argument for residency, (I know that CO reawards residency if you lived out of state for less than 6 months)-- like the person above said, look into it and be aggressive about it. They'll be likely to label you a NC if you don't stay on the ball to prove otherwise!
M

 

[Random Access]

Originally posted by MeganRose
NC did not consider me a resident bc it requires that you reside in NC with intention to make it your home and more specifically resided in NC for reasons other than education. When your parents moved, I think they took your residency with them. It might be different for NC but here in TX in order to be truly independent of your parent's residency you had to be independent of them for both the year previous to application and the year of matriculation.

This analysis sounds like that for undergrad. I think you have to have been a resident for at least a year, but not quite sure on that.

I remember that my residency application for undergrad asked what my current address in NC was and for how long I had lived there, what my previous address in NC in the last 5 years was, and what my previous address outside of NC was (had to get my dad to look up some tax records from the early 80s, because he didn't remember it). They also asked for both of my parents' work addresses, although they asked it in a weird manner, because they seemed to be asking like the corporate addresses. (Don't give them corporate addresses, give them local...it'll delay your application if you don't...my acceptance was delayed by a month to April 23rd or so).

It sounds like if your parents moved out, you lost residency, basically. 🙁

 

[MusicDoc]

I'm an undergrad at UNC and got residency a year ago. It's possible to get it, but very difficult. I think that they need to see that you really worked in NC, voted here, and basically contributed to the community. That's basically what I focused on in my application. As for parents, they definitely want to know where your parents are from, but my parents weren't from around here, but I still got it. So, I think it's really you they look at, not just your parents.

I don't know exactly how it works for med school, but I assume it does work the same way. Interestingly enough, at my interview at UNC, one of my interviewers asked me how I managed to get residency during my undergrad, and at first I was worried. But then he said, "No, I think it's great... it's just so unheard of around here..."

Anyway, if you have any specific questions, let me know.

 

[Coalboy]

I'm a first year here at UNC med, and I'm hoping to get residency next year. If not, those bills for $16,000 a semester are going to get awful depressing... 🙄

 

[AegisZero]

Originally posted by Coalboy
I'm a first year here at UNC med, and I'm hoping to get residency next year. If not, those bills for $16,000 a semester are going to get awful depressing... 🙄

How do you get residency? What do you need to do exactly?

 

[Random Access]

Originally posted by AegisZero
How do you get residency? What do you need to do exactly?

Yeah, so my little sister is applying for Carolina undergrad... The residency form has added a few things since I was applying. Here's what's on the form, but I don't know what the requirements are.

They still ask, address now, address if you have moved in the last 5 years, last address outside NC, where parents work, stuff like that.

Now they started asking about when you paid property taxes, registered to vote, got a driver's license etc, and when your parents did.

 

[Coalboy]

How do you get residency? What do you need to do exactly?

Well, they have a four page form that you fill out that grills you about everything. You have to have been here for twelve months, first of all. I transferred everything to NC (bank accounts, drivers license, registration, registered to vote), I voted in the election, I've been doing public service stuff as best as I can. I have also been lucky enough to get a very part-time job with the school, so I may even pay taxes. On the form, you have to list all the vacations you've taken outside of NC for more than four days.

You also have to learn the state song by heart, be able to identify the state bird by its song alone, and wear the state colors at least 45 percent of the time you are here. It also helps to be able to list the 100 counties in beta-alphical order.

[ OK, maybe that last paragraph was a little BS ]

Basically, they want to make sure that you have a sincere interest in the state, and are not just trying to milk them for the tuition and leave after you graduate. I've never lived in NC before, but I do have strong family connections, and I don't feel like I would be insincere in applying for residency status. Let's hope they see it that way.

Here's the scoop from the UNC web site Residency for Tuition Purposes

 

[care bear]

hm. . i'm getting a little scared.
i grew up in NC and attended high school there; however i attend college in Connecticut. and i have lived in 2 diff.apts during the 4 years here ;
paid bills, etc. . .
also i have a car here (CT) and have worked jobs, paid taxes, and voted
here in CT, since i was 18.
however. . .i also came back to NC for 2 summers and worked jobs. . .and my parents still live in NC.
how much do you think UNC will care about these things? on AMCAS i listed myself as an NC resident just b/c there's so many more state schools in NC; it seemed like the smart way to go.
i just checked out that website and i didn't see anything specifically about ppl. who attend college out of state. it did say, though, that you should have bee
'physically present' in the state for the past 12 months. . .
i've already filled out the form and turned in my secondary. .
however, now due to this thread, i'm growing more nervous as i wait to hear back. . .😕

 

[Coalboy]

Care bear, I'm sure you'll be fine. A friend of mine in my class grew up in NC, but went to school out of state (CT as well, coincidentally). Her parents still live in NC, and she got in-state status straight off.

Don't worry about it.