<p>I was looking at the topics and they seem pretty straightforward- does it matter if ur essay is boring, just talking about accomplishments or do they want creativity... </p>
<p>WHY do i even bother lol i doubt they read them (im applying to engineering if that makes a difference)</p>
<p>If your stats are high enough, a human might not even read your application. :o It seems like UIUC focuses more on test scores/gpa/rank and the essays are just there to help out the more borderline people.</p>
<p>I am curious about the answer to the poster's question as well. My son is applying to the College of Business. It is my understanding that all of the Business applications are manually reviewed.</p>
<p>He has been staring at a blank computer screen for 2 days now, unsure about how to proceed on either question. Is something creative expected? Or just a straight forward response?</p>
<p>Given the rejections that many well-qualified applicants to the College of Business suffered last year, am I correct in thinking that this essay is really important?</p>
<p>His stats: 31 ACT, 3.95 GPA unweighted, top 6% of his class. Honors classes every year, 3 APs for senior year.</p>
<p>Any advice?</p>
<p>From doing my research on colleges I know that the business school is probably the hardest one to get into. If your son really wants to go to UI and is afraid that he might get rejected for admission to the business school, maybe it would be better to apply to the liberal arts school first and then transfer over after a semester or two. I know that intercollege transfers are pretty easy as long as the grades are good</p>
<p>I wouldnt go as far as doing that- id say he has a good chance of getting in, seeing as those stats are average to above average- just try to get across that he has a passion for business, not just because of the moneymaking possibilities ;)</p>
<p>and psychologically, if you're saying that it's easy to transfer from say LAS into business, you have to remember that there might be say a few hundred other kids who are trying to do that and than you have to differentiate yourself from those other hundreds of kids.
now back to the actual question, your son had similar stats ( I had a 32 and a 3.9 W) to me but I was deferred into economics. For my essay, being Chinese, I stated how I wished to expand relations between the U.S. and China but apparently that still wasn't good enough......
However I am still not quite sure why I was deferred, they never gave me a straight forward answer. It was either a) My stats truly were not good enough or b) I applied too late/they reviewed my application a little late.</p>
<p>Ya for business you actually have to compete. It's a pretty popular school. For the most part though, if you apply early enough and have decent grades, your into UIUC. I applied in November 15 and got admission end December.</p>
<p>The Business school, unlike some of the others, considers essays (and EC's) very important for all applicants and every applicant undergoes a complete file review. The essay topics are looking for real information on the student, his desires, and expectations in the future, and adding a little creativity will not hurt while the main objective is to show you can write and think well and have a keen desire to pursue business in college.</p>
<p>The business college has the lowest admission rate of any of the colleges (for 2006 admittees in the 40% range) and having high stats does not assure admission as they have rejected many regardless of stats.</p>
<p>Applying LAS with the hope of later transfering to business is not something to depend on. Business is harder to transfer into than any of the other colleges at the university. Engineering actually has one of the highest acceptance rates for third year transfers from the other colleges as long as the student meets GPA and course requirements -- reason: engineering loses a large percentage of students in the first two years and thus has more seats available come junior year; business is the opposite.</p>
<p>As to engineering, the importance of essays is inversely porportional to how high your stats are -- if very high they are of minor importance, if borderline very important.</p>
<p>Thanks to all for your replies. And my apologies to the OP. It appears I hijacked your thread. Sorry.</p>
<p>Drusba, Thanks for your advice specific to the essays. I will pass it along.</p>
<p>Good luck to everyone who is considering applying for Fall 2007!</p>
<p>The professional essay is moving along but OMG I don't know what to write for the freaking personal one. My interests and accomplishments?! Haha do they necessarily have to go hand in hand? </p>
<p>Do you think it's okay to write about accomplishments like being a role model or stuff like that or does it have to be awards and shallow stuff?!</p>
<p>hey barren, north, central, or waubonsie or neuqua?</p>
<p>^ I go to Neuqua. Where'd you go?</p>
<p>waubonsie valley</p>
<p>What would be a good ACES professional essay? Im applying for env. science.</p>
<p>Just curious, but do any of you think I wouldn't be accepted or be at a strong disadvantage if I skip the opening and conclusion paragraphs? I mean, it's only 300 words each essay >.<</p>
<p>^ Not at all...like you said it's so short and on top of that there is no format to be followed or anything. I'd say a nice intro sentence and closing sentence could do the trick just to grab their attention and then leave a mark on them.</p>
<p>300 word kerrigan essay- now thatd be an accomplishment</p>