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Home TOEFL iBT and GRE General Testing to Continue

November 02, 2020 by White, Brian

In response to the needs expressed by institutions and test takers, ETS is making the TOEFL iBT® test and GRE® General Test a continuing option.

At home testing appointments are currently available around the clock for both tests through the end of January, and future appointments will be available soon.

The home versions of the ETS tests were introduced earlier this year as a solution to students affected by COVID-19. More than 400,000 individuals have registered to take the at home tests for the TOEFL iBT test and GRE General Test in 163 countries and territories since March.

For more information, please visit the TOEFL and GRE pages.

Graduate Admissions Presents on Web Page Best Practice

October 29, 2020 by Stanchina, Karla

Graduate School Manager of Communications Karla Stanchina, presented on web page/site best practice during a recent lunch and learn for GPDs. Stanchina, a specialist in digital communications and user experience design, discussed what should be on a graduate program web page, and how a GPD can easily manage their information using the University’s branded templates. Review the presentation and download materials in the GPDNet Communications Toolkit.

ISSO OPT Update

October 23, 2020 by Stanchina, Karla

The U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently conducted an audit of F-1 students working in the United States through the Optional Practice Training (OPT) program. OPT allows international students to work in their field of study after graduation for up to 12 months, with a possibility for a 24 month extension for those who earned STEM degrees.

ISSO reminds us of a few important points:

ISSO encourages any current F-1 student who is interested in doing OPT after graduation to apply to do so;
Any work opportunity undertaken while on OPT, must be related to a student’s field of study and for a bona fide employer;
The OPT program has a robust reporting system, whereby students must report employer, employment, and address updates to the U.S. government via SEVP Portal accounts within 10 days of a change occurring. (Note: STEM OPT has additional reporting requirements). Students who experience difficulties with the Portal should contact ISSO;
ISSO offers a number of opportunities for students to learn more about OPT, the application process, and responsibilities while on the program.

As a service, ISSO monitors all immigration-related announcements and proudly serves the UNC Charlotte international community with advising, programming, and referral services. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact them.

Webinar Addresses Recruiting Best Practices

September 30, 2020 by White, Brian

Graduate Admissions will host a webinar Oct. 14 at 1 p.m. to share best practices for recruiting graduate students. Admissions staff continually monitor nationwide recruiting trends in graduate education and will share effective strategies for recruiting the most diverse and best qualified applicants.

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://uncc.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMoce-trD8uHNQo5SpVGMAyW7p6b89GVCJU

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Check Your Program Dashboard

September 09, 2020 by White, Brian

As we move forward to recruiting the spring 2021 class, be sure your program information is correct in GPDNet’s Program Dashboard. The text and information here feeds the Graduate Admissions Programs page. Prospective students use this information to learn more about your programs and link to your websites.

If you have any questions about Program Dashboard information, please reach out to the Graduate Admissions counselors Maryanne Maree-Sams, MaryanneMaree-Sams@uncc.edu, and Ellie Ivey, efeely@uncc.edu. Should you wish to discuss program web page content on your site, your College Communicator can assist you.

Fall 2020 Students Targeted with NC Residency Message

September 07, 2020 by White, Brian

A message informing new graduate students of the process to apply for North Carolina residency was sent recently, targeting those admitted for Fall 2020 who are classified as nonresidents.

Should your students have questions about residency, please direct them to the centralized Residency Determination Service (RDS):

Phone: 844-319-3640

Email: rdsinfo@ncresidency. org

Website: www.NCresidency.org

Faculty with questions may contact Brenda.Sawyer@uncc.edu, 704-687-5122.

For more information on residency, please visit https://ncresidency.uncc.edu/.

Learn to Convert PDFs Into Dynamic Web Content

August 31, 2020 by Stanchina, Karla

NC State’s second annual Extreme Makeover: PDF Edition will be held Monday, Sept. 21 to Friday, Oct. 16. This year, they are inviting other institutions of higher education to participate.

Sponsored by the NC State IT Accessibility Office, the event aims to make websites accessible by eliminating inaccessible portable document format (PDF) files, which can be a barrier to individuals with disabilities. Learn more and register by 9/14/2020 at NC State.

Recruitment During a Crisis Forum

August 25, 2020 by Stanchina, Karla

Presented by The Chronicle of Higher Education, this virtual forum will looks at the challenges confronting admissions professionals as they seek to fill classes in 2020/21 and beyond. Wednesday, September 2, 2020 2:00 EST Register to attend

NEW Process to Readmit Students to Fall 2020 after Last Minute Visa Issuance

August 18, 2020 by Stanchina, Karla

Consulates in India are granting emergency visa appointments to some students to enroll at UNC Charlotte for the Fall 2020 semester. Because many of these students had already requested their fall admission be deferred to 2021, the ISSO and Graduate Admissions developed the following process for students to follow that includes having written support from Graduate Program Directors to (re)admit students to the Fall 2020 semester. The following information was shared with new international students at the ISSO Town Hall on Monday, August 17th, and via email as requested:

Dear Student,

Thanks for letting us know that you have secured an expedited visa appointment for Fall 2020. In order to be considered for admission to UNC Charlotte for Fall 2020, you must provide copies of the following items to the University:

A copy of your F-1 visa
Written support from your academic program director confirming that they support your readmission for Fall 2020 (see our suggested suggested email template for initiating your request)
Additional proof of funding equal to the UNC Charlotte estimated cost of attendance if your original University funding is no longer available
Documentation showing that you can arrive on-campus by September 10th

To read more about this process, see the ISSO New Student Town Hall Presentation slides and Recording for an overview of the Fall 2020 readmission process:

slide 12 – Last minute visa issuance AFTER withdrawing Fall 2020 admission
slide 13 – What if you obtain a visa but can’t arrive for Fall 2020?

Admitted Student Survey

August 17, 2020 by Stanchina, Karla

On Friday 8/14/2020, Graduate Admissions sent a survey to all newly admitted domestic students to confirm their enrollment plans for the upcoming semester. Students were given the option to confirm their enrollment, withdraw their admission, or indicate if they are undecided. There is also a place for them to include any details that might allow us to better assist them as they start their first semester of graduate school. We requested students complete the survey by August 21st.

Please contact gradcounselor@uncc.edu if you have any questions or concerns. Survey Link.

Important Admission Deadlines

August 03, 2020 by Stanchina, Karla

Take note of these important deadlines for graduate admission:

August 15 – Last day certificate and degree applications can be submitted for 2020 fall. Note: Only for domestic students and internationals residing in the US who already have a visa.
August 28 – Last day GPDs can recommend to admit applicants to 2020 fall.
September 1 – Last day post-baccalaureate applicants can be submitted for 2020 fall.

SEA Form Deadline Instituted

July 31, 2020 by Stanchina, Karla

As the due date for students’ fall term bills is August 26, and as student e-bills have already begun to be sent, the University is instituting a Priority Deadline of August 19 for SEA (Student Educational Award) forms for the fall 2020 term.

Why the deadline?

There are adverse effects for students when SEA forms are submitted late. This deadline will allow Financial Aid sufficient time to process awards to students’ accounts prior to the first cancellation for nonpayment (Aug. 26).
The earlier that SEA forms are processed, the better. Students start worrying about balances owed to the University when the first e-bills are issued (July 15).

What this means

All SEA forms for Fall 2020 term awards should be submitted by Aug. 19. Please communicate this deadline broadly to all in your departments who are involved with issuing student educational awards, including grant-funded participant stipends.
If SEA forms are not processed by this date, students will be at risk of class cancellation for non-payment for the fall term.

Additional information can be found through NinerCentral.

Aug. 1 Deadline to Confirm Fall Plans

July 20, 2020 by White, Brian

New fall 2020 students soon will receive a request from Graduate Admissions to confirm plans for fall semester.

The message, a sample of which is included below, was originally scheduled for distribution to all students July 20 but now will be sent out a few days later. The message contains a link to a form where students can select the following options regarding their plans for fall semester:

They are undecided about enrolling
They still plan to start in the fall
They would like to defer their application
They would like to withdraw their application completely.

A sample copy of the message to students is included below for reference. Please contact the Graduate Admissions Office if you have questions. The last day for students to defer their application to a future term is Aug. 1.

Student Email Example:

Dear (Preferred name),

We hope you are safe and well during this uncertain time. You previously indicated your intent to enroll in the (Program) at UNC Charlotte this fall. With the changes happening on campus and around the world, we wanted to reach out and confirm your enrollment plans for the fall 2020 semester.

Please indicate your plans by filling the attached form and include any details that might allow us to better assist you as you start your first semester at UNC Charlotte. Feel free to contact gradcounselor@uncc.edu with any specific questions you may have.

Graduate Admissions

Limited Number of Free Tickets Remain for Fall Career Fair

July 17, 2020 by White, Brian

The Career Center is hosting the Fall Career & Internship Fair: Regional Edition, a virtual event in early October that involves 13 colleges/universities from the surrounding area. The Career Center has provided 30 complimentary registrations for UNC Charlotte’s graduate programs.

For more information and to register, please visit the Career Center.

Please register for only one of the two fair days (if you would really like to attend both days, register for 1 day, but put a note in the comments box on the form that you would like to attend both if there’s space; once we’re a couple weeks out from the event, the Career Center will reach out if there’s space).

On the registration form, choose “check” as your payment method. The Career Center will comp your registration when it’s received. If you have questions about the event, email careerfairs@uncc.edu or call Brooke at 704-687-0789.

Grad Certificates Are the Topic of Upcoming Webinar

July 08, 2020 by White, Brian

UNC Charlotte graduate admissions staff will host online sessions in July to explain the basics about applying for a graduate certificate. Scheduled July 15 and July 28, the webinar will provide a general overview of funding, fellowships, financial aid, and assistantships..

Included in the session will be information on one of the newest graduate certificates, Workplace Competencies.

A graduate certificate provides specialized training in a particular academic and/or occupational area and can augment professional skills to help advance the career. See the range of graduate certificates on the Graduate School’s Programs web page.

Webinar Dates:

July 15, 2020 1:00-2:00 pm EST WebEx

July 28, 2020 12:00-1:00 pm EST WebEx

GRE Program Offers Guide to Holistic Admissions

June 25, 2020 by White, Brian

ETS and GRE^® Program have developed a step-by-step guide to implementing a holistic admissions process aligned with program and institution goals.

Visit ETS to view the guide, Navigating Holistic Admissions.

ETS Guide to Preparing for Admissions

June 23, 2020 by White, Brian

ETS and the GRE® Program recently released a discussion guide that poses questions faculty and administrators should consider in preparing for, collecting and accepting applications.

The guide is available for download.

Fall Application Deadlines Extended

June 16, 2020 by White, Brian

The application deadline for certificate and degree programs has been extended to Aug. 15 for domestic applicants.

Application deadline for post-baccalaureate programs has been extended to September 1.

eGRAD Training Session Planned

June 16, 2020 by White, Brian

Online training for eGRAD, electronic Graduate Recruitment and Admissions system, will be available June 23 in Canvas.

The session will be available as a module with the heading: “Training-Graduate School Electronic Systems Training.” This training is required for access to the system to admit or deny applicants in eGRAD.

Get Application Fee Waiver Codes in eGRAD

June 08, 2020 by White, Brian

If your department is interested in purchasing fee waiver codes for your prospects, details and a request form is located in eGRAD.