Thursday, April 06, 2006

WILMINGTON, N.C. - The University of North Carolina Wilmington Office of Admissions hosted an estimated 2,000 accepted prospective students and accompanying family members from around the nation on Saturday, April 1.

The annual event, Soaring to Greatness, invites students to explore the opportunities available at UNCW regarding engagement and academics, while allowing parents to explore important issues such as costs, campus safety, and UNCW's rigorous academic programs. This year's Soaring to Greatness ranks as the largest open house in UNCW history, and also netted record-setting single-day sales for the UNCW Bookstore.

Soaring to Greatness began with a "Wilmington Wave Welcome" from Senior Associate Director of Admissions Jan Fuller and Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo. The open house also featured an academic and student services fair, an aid and affordability session with staff from Financial Aid and Veteran's Services, a Meet and Greet with UNCW Associate Provost Terry Curran and current students and lunch on the lawn of Hoggard Hall with mascot Sammy C. Hawk.

Additionally, parents attended information session with various university administrators, while students attended "Master Classes" with several UNCW professors, giving them a taste of what it's like in a UNCW classroom. The day concluded with tours guided by the UNCW Student Ambassadors.

The Office of Admissions hosts three annual open houses. Seahawk Saturday is held in the fall, Diversity Visitation Day and Soaring to Greatness take place in the spring.

Over the past decade, UNCW has been the most rapidly growing school in the University of North Carolina system. SAT and ACT scores, high school grade point averages, and overall student quality has soared, gaining UNCW national recognition from publications such as Consumer Digest, U.S. News & World Report, Kiplinger's, and The Princeton Review.

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