Applying to be a Summer School Visitor.
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Each summer, UNC–Chapel Hill welcomes over 10,000 students from more than 50 countries, including visiting students from colleges and universities around the world. You’ll join a diverse, global community drawn to Carolina for its academic excellence, vibrant campus life, and unforgettable summer experience.
After clicking the online application link, all students must create an account under “First Time Users” to start a new application. You will receive an email with a temporary password/PIN to activate your account. Then you will need to create your password.
Start a new application and Select “Summer School Visitor” as the level of study.
Be sure to provide a VALID email address. Decision notifications and other important information will be sent to this email address beginning in March.
The 2026 Summer School Visitor online application opens early February, 2026.
Please allow at least 3-5 business days to process your application. Decision letters will be sent out beginning in March 2026.
If you claim to be a resident in North Carolina for tuition purposes, you must complete the residency process with the North Carolina Residency Determination Service (RDS) at www.ncresidency.org. The application will provide specific instructions when you get to “Do you claim to be a North Carolina Resident?
You will not be able to submit your application until you complete this process.
The RDS will provide you with a Residency Certification Number (RCN), which you will need enter in the box when you return to the application.
The residency application deadlines for 2026:
Maymester/First Session: 5/18
Second Session: 6/27.
First Session
March 2: International
May 6: All other summer visitors
Second Session
March 2: International
June 10: Rising high school seniors*
June 16: All other summer visitors
*All required documents MUST be submitted by this date.
If a course at UNC has a prerequisite, you must contact the department before you can register to have the prerequisite approved and the hold removed. This will require a transcript.
Visiting students begin registration on March, 2026.
Go to ConnectCarolina and click on the “Login to ConnectCarolina” icon.
Enter your ONYEN and password
Within the ConnectCarolina Student Center, you have a few different options for adding courses:
Important Registration Notes:
If you wish to transfer UNC-Chapel Hill academic credit, obtain written approval from the dean or adviser at your home institution prior to your summer registration at UNC-Chapel Hill. Such approval is for your protection only; it is not required by Summer School at UNC-Chapel Hill, which cannot approve credits for transfer. You must request a transcript from the University Registrar to have grades sent to your home institution to obtain a transcript.
The Summer School will begin sending decision notifications and other information in March. Notifications and other information can be found on your application status page.
Once you are accepted as a Summer Visiting Student, you must create a UNC email address. Information about how to create this email address will be sent to your application status page. More information about what must be done if you are accepted can be found in the visiting student’s webinar.
Visiting students should be aware that courses offered in summer are the same rigorous courses offered during the academic year but in a condensed format that requires diligence and commitment to assignments. Classes generally meet 90 minutes per day (or the equivalent of asynchronous activities) and can require up to 3 to 4 hours of additional out-of-class work each day. That outside time is greater for Maymester courses.
The maximum credit hour load cannot exceed more than 8 credit hours in the Maymester/First Session or more than 8 credit hours in the Second Session. Students will be required to drop to 8 credit hours if the limit is exceeded. It is highly recommended that students who enroll in Maymester do not also take a First Session course.
The University defines full-time enrollment for the summer as 4 hours for undergraduate students and 3 hours for graduate students in one of the summer terms.
All grades for Summer School Visitors become part of an academic transcript at UNC-Chapel Hill. UNC-Chapel Hill requires that even nondegree-seeking students—including Summer School Visitors—maintain an acceptable GPA to continue to enroll. More eligibility information can be found on the advising website.
Auditing of courses is permitted only in lecture-based courses. For information on the auditing process, please visit the registrar’s website.
Please note: dual-enrolled high school students cannot audit courses.
To drop a course, please initiate the drop through Connect Carolina.
To cancel all your summer session courses (only done BEFORE classes begin), please contact Summer School at summer_school@unc.edu.
To withdraw from your summer session courses (only done AFTER classes begin), follow the instructions on the Registrar’s web page.
Deadlines for these actions can be found on the registrar’s page.
Official Transcripts: They are used for formal purposes, such as applying to other institutions, jobs, or scholarships. Official transcripts are sent directly to the requesting party to maintain their integrity. These are official documents issued by Parchment on behalf of UNC-Chapel Hill and are sealed to verify their authenticity. See ordering instructions based on your student status.
Unofficial Transcripts: While they contain the same academic information as official transcripts, they lack the official seal, signature, or certification and are used mainly for personal reference or informal purposes. These are accessible to students through their ConnectCarolina portal and can be printed or viewed at any time.
International Applicants
Early deadlines apply for international applicants so that time is allowed to process financial and other information for the visa.
Everything you need for a successful summer at Carolina is right here.