Don’t Miss Out On College Application Week
College Application Week – Oct. 20-26 in North Carolina – is a chance for high school seniors to apply to dozens of colleges without having to pay an application fee. But this year, the deal is even sweeter.
Through NC College Connect, public high school seniors with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above who also meet the NC College Connect requirements (more on that below), are automatically admitted to select North Carolina colleges and universities.
Eligible students can log into their College for North Carolina (CFNC) portal at NCCollegeConnect.org to see a tailored list of colleges and universities where they have offers of admission. All they have to do is complete a short form to claim their spot!
Approximately 70,000 students are eligible for the program this year, and just over 17 percent of them have accepted offers so far. Seniors don’t have to know which college they want to enroll in now – they can claim their spots at all the institutions they are interested in and make a decision later.
The 2025-26 academic year marks the first time North Carolina students have been offered direct admission to colleges through a statewide program. NC College Connect was piloted last year as a simplified application process for college, but students were not automatically admitted.
After gaining widespread interest and approximately 6,100 applications from students, the program was expanded this year to include more institutions. Participants now include 11 UNC System schools, 29 NC Independent Colleges and Universities and all 58 NC Community Colleges.
Sneha Shah-Coltrane, Senior Director of advanced learning and gifted education at NCDPI, said that NC College Connect is proving to be one of the most impactful educational programs in the state’s history.
“NC College Connect will not just make the college admissions process more simple and transparent, it will also make sure students know they are college-ready,” she said. “We want our graduates to know their postsecondary plans and NC College Connect will help students know that college is an option! We are changing the trajectory of NC students and our state.”
Eligibility:
- Had a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above at the end of their junior year (and can maintain that GPA throughout their senior year).
- Meet state graduation requirements, including a fourth-level math course.
- Meet UNC System minimum requirements.
- Maintain safety eligibility.
- Some private colleges have additional course requirements, which you can learn about on the NC College Connect website.
About College Application Week
College Application Week is part of NC Countdown to College (C2C). Kicking off in October, C2C is a year-long CFNC initiative that encourages students to complete three critical steps in college enrollment: residency, financial aid and college applications. Learn more and get involved at cfnc.org.
