Robertson Scholars

Scholarship Sponsored by Robertson Scholars Leadership Program

Overview

The Robertson Scholars Leadership Program requires applicants to submit the program's High School Application by the stated deadlines and to apply separately for undergraduate admission to UNC–Chapel Hill and/or Duke University by each institution's deadlines. High school applicants may choose the Early Notification option or the Regular/Final Application deadline as listed by the program. Applicants may apply to other scholarship programs and may still apply Early Decision or Early Action to other universities while applying to Robertson.

Application: Submit the Robertson High School Application and, in the same admissions cycle, apply to Duke and/or UNC–Chapel Hill by that school’s applicable deadline.

• Program and university applications are separate and both are required.
• High school applicants may use Early Notification or Regular deadlines.
• Applying to other scholarships or applying ED/EA elsewhere does not disqualify you.

Application and Interview Timeline

The application cycle for the 2026–2027 selection process follows a published schedule of openings, deadlines, group activities, interviews, and campus visits. Some invitation stages are issued on a rolling basis between December 2026 and February 2027. Final decisions and expense-paid campus visit invitations occur in mid-to-late March 2027. Confirm exact deadline dates on the program website.

Application Opens: August 15, 2026

Early Notification Deadline: October (see program website for the exact date)

Regular Application Deadline: November (see program website for the exact date)

Group Activity: December 2026 – February 2027

Semi-Finalist Interviews: February 2027

Finalist Interviews: Early March 2027

Scholar Recipient Campus Visits: Late March 2027

• Application opens August 15, 2026; check the program site for exact deadline days in October and November.
• Group activities and semi-finalist invitations are issued on a rolling basis.
• Final decisions and campus visit invitations occur by mid-to-late March 2027.

Selection Process

The Robertson selection process has five distinct steps: application, group activity, semi-finalist interview, finalist interview, and scholar campus visits. Many invitations (group activity and semi-finalist interviews) are issued on a rolling basis across the stated windows. Invitations to participate at an intermediate stage are not guarantees of admission to UNC–Chapel Hill or Duke. Final scholar offers are followed by an expense-paid campus visit for those selected.

Step One: Application (Early & Regular). Applicants choose either the Early Notification option or the Regular Application deadline; those who apply by the Early Notification deadline may learn earlier about progression to the Group Activity stage.

Step Two: Group Activity. Selected applicants receive invitations between December 2026 and February 2027; invitations do not indicate admission to either university.

Step Three: Semi-Finalist Interviews. Invitations are issued on a rolling basis throughout February 2027 for applicants selected from group activities and initial screening.

Step Four: Finalist Interviews. Applicants who complete a semi-finalist interview will be either invited to interview as a finalist or notified they are not progressing, with finalist decisions made in early March 2027.

Step Five: Scholar Recipient Campus Visits. Applicants offered the Robertson will be notified by mid-March 2027 and invited to an expense-paid campus visit at the end of March.

• The process includes staged screening events and interviews, many of which use rolling invitations.
• An invitation to a program stage does not equal institutional admission.
• Final offers are followed by expense-paid campus visits for selected scholars.

Eligibility

Eligibility requires coordination of the Robertson application with undergraduate admission to Duke and/or UNC–Chapel Hill in the same admissions cycle. The program is limited to incoming undergraduate students; transfer and graduate applicants are not eligible. International applicants may apply provided they can obtain a U.S. student visa.

Eligibility:

• Applicants must apply for undergraduate admission to Duke and/or UNC–Chapel Hill the same year they apply to Robertson.
• Apply to the chosen university(ies) by that institution’s Early or Regular deadlines.
• Admission to Duke and UNC–Chapel Hill is handled separately through each university’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
• International students are eligible if they can secure a visa to study in the United States.
• Students admitted to Duke or UNC who plan a gap year may not apply to Robertson until they matriculate to their institution.
• Transfer students and graduate-degree applicants are not eligible; the award is for undergraduate study only.

• Both the Robertson application and university admission applications are required in the same cycle.
• The program is strictly for undergraduate matriculants; transfers and graduate applicants are excluded.
• International applicants may apply if they can obtain the appropriate U.S. visa.