<p>I've had a 3.0 GPA for both freshmen and sophomore years in which i was taking all honors. Then I went to junior year and took 3 IB classes and the rest AP. I got a 3.8 GPA that semester. I am currently in the 2nd semester and plan to get a 4.0 GPA if all goes good. If not, at least only 1 B. Will this improvement and taking harder classes interest universities like the University of Illinois at Urbana? </p>
<p>I just received my ACT results and got a 25, but Im aiming for a 27-30 (30 being extremely lucky). My extracurricular activities are pretty good: Art club, Drill team for JROTC, D&B for JROTC, ecology club, drama club, and photography club.</p>
<p>Sounds like you have worked hard this year to improve and are taking rigorous courses, great work! Illinois is a little different than some schools in that it has two admissions decision dates, and all admissions decisions are released electronically on the same day. My son applied to Illinois, so I think I am remembering correctly. I don’t think it required letters of recommendations, but it does require an essay. It also has self-reporting of grades all the way from freshman year on – tedious to enter all that information online. Then, admitted students are required to send a transcript to confirm what you self-reported. Illinois’ entering class used to be, though I heard they were relaxing these percentages at some point, 90% instate. A number of the surrounding states, like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan, have freshman classes consisting of more like 60-75% instate students, so there is a strong preference for instate students in Illinois (great if you are from there, not so great if you aren’t).</p>
<p>If you could get your ACT to 29-30 range, you stand a shot instate for Arts & Letters. Engineering and Science – not really competitive with those stats, sorry to say. </p>
<p>Other schools you might look at, even if you are instate in Illinois include University of Iowa – very easy to tell if you will be admitted as it is a formula that you can plug your data into and see if you qualify. Lots of Illinois, and especially Chicago area kids, at Iowa. Another excellent school which is slightly easier to get into than Illinois is Minnesota, Twin Cities. Again, like Illinois, you apply directly to your chosen college, so if you are Arts & Letters, it is a little easier to get than if you were applying to engineering. </p>
<p>Keep up the good work!</p>