Do I have to choose a major before I enter college? 

This depends on several factors. For example, if you are entering a progam that takes less than two years, you will need to decide on a major at the beginning or soon after beginning. These programs have only a few general education courses, so delaying your decision can extend the length of your program. Most 4-year colleges don't require students to decide their major until they've completed one or two years of general education courses. Some colleges, like NC State, ask students to apply directly to specific majors (although they do offer a major called Exploratory Studies for students who are unsure what they want to pursue).

CFNC shares this helpful advice: "One helpful thing to keep in mind is that deciding on a major does not necessarily mean you are deciding on a career. While a major in accounting points you in a specific direction, other majors like English or psychology can lead in numerous directions."

Career Exploration Tools - each of these platforms offer students access to a variety of career assessments and college & career planning tools:

• CFNC (College for NC) - now partnering with NCcareers.org

• College Board's BigFuture 

• Major Clarity - Students can access this site through an app found in their Wake ID portal

There are many factors to consider when choosing a college. For example:

• Does my intended major/career path require a 2-year or 4-year degree?

• Do they offer the majors I am considering?

• Do I want to stay close to home - or close enough that I can come home on weekends? Do my parents support out-of-state applications?

• Do I want to attend a big campus or a small one? This can impact class sizes (ex: some general education classes at large universities can reach 400 students) as well as programs, clubs, and activities?

• Do I want to be at the beach, the mountains, a small town, a large city, etc.?

• Do you want to consider schools like HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges & Universities), single-sex schools, schools with religious affiliations, etc.?

Check out the college search functions found on CFNC (only NC schools) and College Board (national search)

It's also important to:

• Speak directly with college admissions reps when they visit Heritage HS (see announcements, look for Remind messages, and visit the calendar on the Student Services Home Page)

• Sign up for mailing lists - and monitor your email. Colleges often track "demonstrated interest" by looking at how often you're opening their emails and if you're clicking on links provided within these emails.

• Visit college campuses for guided tours, self-guided tours, and summer enrichment opportunities (for underclassmen). Experiencing a college campus first-hand can have a major impact on student decisions.

• Attend college fairs offered in the community and through school events like the Junior Roundup, Senior Roundup, and College & Career Planning Night. See tips for making the most of a college fair here. 

There are some incredible programs in NC that provide unique opportunities for students, including:

• Wake Tech has an incredible transfer program with most colleges in NC. Check out special transfer programs and see how credits will transfer to NC schools here. 

• NC Promise offers a significantly reduced student tuition cost of $500 per semester at four UNC System institutions: Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, and Western Carolina University. 

CFNC's College Application Week

College Application Week is a statewide initiative by the College for North Carolina (CFNC), which takes place one week in October. During this week, many North Carolina colleges and universities will waive application fees for incoming first-year students who apply through CFNC.org. During this entire week, there is at least one counselor available in the media center every period of every day to help students with applications. Specific information will be shared at Senior Orientation and Senior Conferences in September.

Application Deadlines

EARLY ACTION: is an admissions procedure to notify students of early admissions to the college.  Students do not need to accept the college’s offer of admissions but may file other applications (used by UNC, NCSU, Georgetown, Yale, etc.).  Points to remember are that early action candidates can be rejected, financial awards are made in April, and candidates must have superior records because the process is highly selective.

EARLY DECISION: is a plan under which you may submit your credentials early to one college, usually by mid-October of your senior year.  You are notified of your status in December.  As part of an early decision plan, you are required to sign a statement agreeing to accept the college’s offer of admission.  You must also withdraw your application from other colleges if accepted under Early Decision.  (Used by Duke, Elon, Wake Forest, etc.)  Points to remember are the same as listed above in Early Action.

REGULAR ADMISSION: candidates submit an application during November to February, depending on the individual applicant and specific college deadline(s).  Check the deadline for each individual school.

ROLLING ADMISSION: candidates submit an application at their convenience up to a certain date. They typically receive an offer of acceptance or rejection within four to six weeks. (Used often by Community Colleges and some four-year institutions)

Deciding When You Will Apply

There may be several factors which will affect when you apply to college.  You are often encouraged to apply in the fall of senior year, meeting early action deadlines of your institutions of interest.  Advantage of applying sooner rather than later?

• You’ll know an admissions decision earlier in the year.

• You can spend more time applying for scholarships.  Some scholarships require applicants to apply to college by a certain date (usually the early action deadline).

• Your GPA will not change significantly from fall semester to spring semester.  Many students who are not satisfied with their current GPA believe that waiting until spring will be better.  Not so in most cases.  With one semester, there is no significant change in the GPA unless there is a significant difference in grades (D to A, etc.).  You risk missing regular admissions deadlines when you wait, as transcripts will not have fall semester final grades until the end of January.  You also stand a greater risk of being waitlisted to the institution, as they might have already filled their spaces.  

• You can better prepare for financial aid needs once you know where you’re going.

• You can focus on the rest of your senior year and enjoy it!

How you apply to colleges can vary by school. By visiting each college's admissions page, you'll learn which options are available to you. You should research the following options to determine how you’ll apply.  How you apply does not affect an admissions decision; it only reflects your preference for applying.

• CFNC (College for North Carolina) –  a free resource used by North Carolina students and families to help them with the entire college process, from planning and applying to paying for college. It offers a variety of tools and resources, including the Application Hub, which allows students to apply to a large number of colleges in NC, as well as send transcripts. CFNC also sponsors  College Application Week each October during which  some colleges in NC waive their application fees. NOTE: All students will need a CFNC account in order to complete the required Residency Determination Services (RDS) process, which confirms eligibility for in-state tuition.

  1. 1. • Please make sure to check out NC College Connect. If you’re a senior at a North Carolina public high school with a weighted GPA of 2.8 or above, and you meet the NC College Connect requirements (more on that below), you are automatically admitted to select North Carolina colleges and universities. As an eligible student, you will see a tailored list of colleges and universities in your portal, reflecting the institutions to which you're offered admission. All you need to do is submit a form to accept your admission—it’s easy!  See flyer.
          
          

• Common Application (Common App) – a free, online application platform that allows students to apply to over 1,000 colleges and universities across the country. It simplifies the college application process by allowing students to use one application for multiple schools, completing general information that syncs with all colleges selected in additional to supplemental information for each college. Note: you can start adding some information to this application portal before your Senior year but you must be aware of their rollover rules so you know which information will stay, what might be deleted, and what steps you must take before July 26 each year.
  
  

• Common Black Common App - Interested in HBCUs? This application makes it easy and more affordable to apply to Historically Black Colleges and Universities by providing access to 67 HBCU's.
  
  

• Institution Direct – Many colleges offer the option for students to set up a personal account directly with their institutions of choice and complete the individual online application.  Students can log back into the account to check the application status and/or find out if there is any additional information needed. 

While the information required for college applications can vary, the below information can give you an overview about the information you should have access to. 

Required:

• High School Transcript - this is provided to students each year at their Junior Conference in the Spring, their Senior Conference in September, and during course registration for 9th and 10th graders

  • The transcript shows a student's GPA, Rank, Course Rigor, and Grades. Students will typically need to hand-enter this information into their application portal. Instructions for sending official transcripts to schools can be found here. Official Class Rank is run each year in late September, mid-February, and mid-June. Seniors should not request official transcripts be sent to schools until an announcement is made in late-September.

  • The transcript provides proof that the student meets the Minimum Eligibility Requirements for the 17 schools that are a part of the UNC system

  • If a student does not meet the minimum weighted High School GPA requirement of 2.5, they may gain admission eligibility with a composite ACT score of 19, or combined SAT (mathematics and evidence-based reading and writing) of 1010. 

• RDS - Residency Determination Services - required for all students applying to schools in NC. Students complete this application with their parents through their CFNC.org account and add the confirmation number to their college application.

• To see a detailed view of what is required in the Common App, click here to view their Application Guide (scroll down below the intro video to Step 1)

Potentially Required (Depending on application portal) or Optional:

• Test Scores (ACT, SAT, etc.) - these can be self-reported on the application but official test scores must be sent through your personal ACT, SAT, etc. accounts. School Counselors cannot send these scores. See this site for more information, test dates, and registration sites. All Juniors are required to take the ACT during the school day as part of NC requirements. Any students needing a fee waiver for SAT/ACT testing should see their counselor.

• Recommendation Letters

  • Students should provide a minimum of 2 weeks notice when asking for recommendations from anyone. Requests can be made in person or via email. It can often be helpful to share your resume and a link to the scholarship (if applicable). Recommendations are almost always provided directly to the college or scholarship committee by the recommender. Typically, students will upload the recommenders email to the application portal or provide the scholarship email or mailing address to the recommender. For letters that will be mailed, students should provide the recommender with a stamped and addressed envelope. Always follow up with a thank you note. 

  • Colleges may require students to submit anywhere from 0-3 letters, or they may have the option of submitting 0-3 letters. Each college varies, but it's a good idea to have 3 teachers in mind that you can ask in case you need that many. Always submit the maximum number allowed (total of required and optional) when you can because every bit of info you give the college helps to build your application. It's important to start building relationships with your teachers early on so that you've got options for applications in the Fall of your Senior year.

  • 'Other recommenders' are individuals you have worked with outside of school. They can provide context around your hobbies, passions, and other responsibilities. The other recommender types available in the Common App are: Arts Teacher, Clergy, Coach, College Access Counselor, Employer, Family Member, Peer, or Other. 

  • Counselor Recommendations are not required by all colleges. 

• Resume (be prepared to upload it or to list the following information):

  • Special talents and Accomplishments/Awards

  • School and Community Involvement

  • Volunteer/Internship/ Paid employment 

  • Find tips for building your resume on our Career Development site here or use templates found on sites like Canva

• Essays, College Specific Questions and Writing Supplement - scroll down to Step 6 on the Common App's Application Guide for specific information and examples

• Family background & parent education levels

What You Might Hear After Applying

Accepted/Admitted - is acceptance to a college provided you maintain your academic performance throughout the year.  A college can withdraw its offer if your grades fall significantly, if your course rigor changes after admission, or if you are involved in an activity that results in disciplinary action by the school or law enforcement.

Not Accepted - is a final decision by the college to not offer admission.  Students who are denied can apply again after completing at least a semester of college coursework elsewhere.

Deferment - is a delay of admissions decision until a later time.  Many competitive schools will defer fall applications to the spring in order to receive additional grades and other information.

Waitlisted - occurs after the regular admissions process is complete.  There is no guarantee a college will go to the waitlist or where an applicant will rank on the waitlist.  Students on a waitlist for one college should plan to attend another college and then reconsider if later offered admission. 

It is very important that students monitor their email for updates and news from colleges. After being accepted to a college, students can learn about school-specific scholarship opportunities (often due in January/February) and will also receive financial aid packages in March. Financial aid packages provide an estimate of what it will cost to attend their college the following year. Actual bills are not usually provided until July 1.

For information about types of Financial Aid, the FAFSA, and Scholarships, please visit our Scholarships & Financial Aid page. Heritage HS publishes a Scholarship Bulletin at the start of each month to this page.

RDS (Residency Determination Service) - All students planning to apply to colleges in North Carolina MUST complete this application with their parents. This service will determine eligibility for in-state tuition and state grant awards. To learn more about RDS, and how it relates to the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), read the Navigating RDS and the FAFSA tip sheet. After you complete this process, RDS will assign you a Residency Certification Number (RCN) that you will include in your college applications. NOTE: Students will need a CFNC account in order to sign in.

WCPSS Financial Aid Advisor, Ms. Waldrum, visits Heritage High School every Tuesday beginning in September to help students and families with all things related to financial aid, including FSA ID and FAFSA applications. Call 919-570-5600 ext. 20712 to make an appointment or stop by Student Services to sign up.

College-bound student-athletes preparing to enroll in Division I or Division II schools need to register with NCAA Eligibility Center to ensure they have met amateurism standards and are academically prepared for college coursework. Not sure which Division is for you? Check out the Registration Checklist. More information - 2024-25 NCAA College-Athlete Guide to find out.

Considering a small college or 2-year college program or Junior College check out the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes (NAIA) or the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The NAIA serves the interests of small colleges and the driven student-athletes that attend. The NJCAA can provide an opportunity for student-athletes across the country to compete at a college level while enrolled at a Community College or 2-year junior college.