Robertson Scholars

Scholarship Sponsored by Robertson Scholars Leadership Program

Overview

The Robertson Scholars Leadership Program accepts applications from students of any citizenship or nationality. High school applicants must submit the program's High School Application and also apply separately for undergraduate admission to UNC–Chapel Hill and/or Duke University by each institution's deadlines. Applicants may apply to Duke and UNC–Chapel Hill via Early Action, Early Decision, or Regular Decision, and may apply Early Decision to other institutions while pursuing the Robertson. The program offers both Early Notification and Regular Application options for high school applicants.

Description: A selective leadership scholarship and community that requires parallel undergraduate admission applications to Duke and/or UNC–Chapel Hill.

Application requirement: Submit the Robertson High School Application and the appropriate undergraduate application(s) to Duke and/or UNC–Chapel Hill in the same admission cycle.

• Open to students regardless of citizenship, including international applicants who can obtain a U.S. study visa.
• High school applicants choose Early Notification or Regular Application paths.
• Admission to Duke and UNC–Chapel Hill is handled separately through each university's admissions office.

Application and Interview Timeline

The application cycle follows a multi-stage schedule that begins with the program application and proceeds through group activities and interviews before final campus visits. The application opens August 15, 2026. Group Activities occur between December 2026 and February 2027, with semi-finalist interviews in February 2027 and finalist interviews in early March 2027. Scholar recipient campus visits are scheduled for late March 2027, and offers are communicated by mid-March 2027.

Application Opens: August 15, 2026

Group Activity: December 2026–February 2027

Semi-Finalist Interviews: February 2027

Finalist Interviews: Early March 2027

Scholar Recipient Campus Visits: Late March 2027 (offers communicated by mid-March 2027)

• Application opens August 15, 2026; follow the program and university deadlines.
• Group Activity and interviews are conducted on a rolling schedule between December and March.
• Offers and campus visits are finalized in March 2027.

Selection Process

The Robertson selection process has five stages: application, group activity, semi-finalist interviews, finalist interviews, and scholar recipient campus visits. Invitations and notifications are issued on a rolling schedule, with specific timing depending on whether applicants used the Early Notification or Regular Application path. Progressing to later stages (group activity or interviews) is not an indicator of admission to Duke or UNC–Chapel Hill. Final decisions and travel invitations for scholar visits occur in mid- to late March 2027.

Step One: Application (Early & Regular) — High school applicants choose Early Notification or Regular Application; early applicants receive earlier decisions about group activity invitations.

Step Two: Group Activity — Invitations are issued on a rolling basis from December 2026 through February 2027; participation does not imply university admission.

Step Three: Semi-Finalist Interview — Invitations are issued throughout February 2027 for selected applicants.

Step Four: Finalist Interview — Applicants completing semi-finalist interviews will be notified in early March 2027 whether they advance to finalist interviews.

Step Five: Scholar Recipient Campus Visits — Final offers are communicated by mid-March 2027; offered scholars are invited to an expense-paid campus visit at the end of March.

• Five-stage process with rolling invitations and notifications.
• Advancement in the Robertson process does not guarantee admission to Duke or UNC–Chapel Hill.
• Final offers and travel arrangements are confirmed in March 2027.

Eligibility

The Robertson Scholars Leadership Program is intended for undergraduate applicants who apply to Duke and/or UNC–Chapel Hill in the same admission cycle. The program excludes transfer and graduate applicants and has specific restrictions for gap-year students. International students are eligible if they can obtain a U.S. visa to study. Applicants should direct all undergraduate admission correspondence to the respective university admissions offices.

Eligibility: Applicants must pursue undergraduate admission to Duke and/or UNC–Chapel Hill in the same year they apply to the Robertson; other restrictions apply as listed below.

• Must apply for undergraduate admission to Duke and/or UNC–Chapel Hill in the same year as the Robertson application.
• Must meet the schools' Early or Regular admission deadlines for the selected institution(s).
• Admission to Duke and UNC–Chapel Hill are separate processes handled by each university's Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
• International students are eligible if they can obtain a U.S. study visa.
• Students admitted but taking a gap year may not apply until they matriculate to their institution.
• Transfer students and graduate-degree applicants are not eligible.
• Apply to both the Robertson program and the chosen university(ies) in the same cycle.
• International applicants are welcome if visa-eligible.
• Transfers and graduate applicants are ineligible.