Pirates Aboard | Eastern NC Now

Publisher's note: The author of this post, Ken Buday, is a contributor to ECU News Services.


    With the cancellation of the in-person Pirates Aboard Admitted Student Days, future students and their parents now have an online resource to provide information about East Carolina University and the admissions process.

    Originally scheduled for March 21 and 28, the university was expecting a record number of admitted students to attend this year's Pirates Aboard. The annual event features sessions on financial aid, housing, dining and student life, to go along with campus tours and information on individual colleges and majors.

    Now a new Pirates Aboard website has been established for future students and their parents to explore and have their questions answered.

    The website features virtual campus tours, housing and dining information, a financial aid presentation, online explorations of ECU colleges, and recorded presentations from various departments and programs. It also includes scheduled interactive presentations and panels through Facebook Live or other streaming technologies.

    "Our goal is to provide admitted students and their families with a one-stop site where they can view an abundance of ECU resources to assist them in making an informed decision about choosing ECU," said Stephanie Whaley, assistant vice chancellor and director of ECU undergraduate admissions.

    Whaley said the entire admissions office shares the disappointment of students and parents over the cancellation of Pirates Aboard. She suggests that students considering ECU and their parents go to the website, explore it and take the virtual tours. She encourages those with questions to reach out to the admissions office.

    "Parents and students should know that the admissions office is still operational during this time, and our team members are available to answer questions via multiple channels including phone calls, email, text and online chat," Whaley said. "Our counselors are also happy to set up individual appointments over the phone with families in order to have personalized conversations about the next steps in the enrollment process."

    Students can contact their personal admissions counselor by using the "Find Your Counselor" feature online, calling 252-328-6640 or emailing admissions@ecu.edu.

    Whaley said that the enrollment deposit deadline has been extended to June 1 to give students more time to make their commitments. Still, the earlier students submit their housing deposit and contract, the more likely they are to get their preferred housing choice.

    New content and features will be added to the website over the coming days and weeks, including a link where families can schedule an online appointment with a financial aid counselor.

    "Our team is looking forward to assisting admitted students and their families through the next steps of the enrollment process," Whaley said.