UNC Reaches Out At W. Charlotte

October 5, 2008, The Charlotte Observer - By Karen Sullivan

UNC Chapel Hill is reaching out to students in low-scoring Charlotte-Mecklenburg high schools.

Chancellor Holden Thorp visited West Charlotte High on Wednesday to encourage students to consider continuing their education at the Chapel Hill campus.

Thorp also encouraged the students to take advantage of an assistance program that might help them and other students with applications for college admission, scholarships and financial aid.

Recent UNC graduates working with the Carolina Advising Corps assist students in 38 N.C. high schools, including four in Charlotte.

"We want to give you the ability to decide what you love doing and the opportunity to learn to do it well," Thorp told a group of about 50 students gathered in the school's media center.

The Carolina Advising Corps was organized in 2007 to help low-income and minority students enroll in college. It is one of 13 programs in the National College Advising Corps, based at the UNC Chapel Hill campus.

Advisers train with UNC admissions counselors and, in Charlotte, focus their efforts on students in achievement-zone schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg system.

School system Superintendent Peter Gorman created the achievement zone to give low-performing schools top priority for staff, technology and other kinds of aid to boost student performance and family involvement.

Pharen Bowman is the Carolina Advising Corps adviser for students at West Charlotte and West Mecklenburg high schools. Justin Simmons works with students at Garinger and E.E. Waddell.

"We know this is going to make a difference for our students at West Charlotte High School," said Principal John Modest. He told the students they can expect to increase their lifetime earnings by $1 million if they earn a college degree.

The students invited to meet with Thorp are enrolled in courses intended to help them get into college. Those include pre-calculus, international baccalaureate French and AVID, an in-school academic support program.

The students had numerous questions for Chapel Hill admissions director Stephen Farmer and Jenny Cox Bell, interim coordinator of the Carolina Advising Corps. The two accompanied Thorp during the visit.

The questions illustrated the need among students for admissions counseling. Most asked about the college admissions process and the demands and rewards of campus life.

How heavily are SAT scores counted in admissions decisions? Senior Jerry Bowens asked how an applicant can make his application essay stand out from the rest.

Farmer and Bell said SATs are one factor. They also urged students to take rigorous classes.

"We're more concerned about what you did in four years of high school rather than what you do in a four-hour test," Bell said.

The goal for the admissions office is to create a diverse student body. Students should use the essay to let admissions officers get to know them and whether their passion is leadership, music, athletics or some other pursuit.

Bowens had already applied for admission to UNC and had a front-row seat for the event. He said Thorp's visit made the possibility of admission seem more real.

"When you think of Chapel Hill, you think only the elite go there," Bowens said. "But it shows that they're reaching out to different students from different backgrounds. It's really good to have them here."