Which one has a higher acceptance rate at UIUC?
Unknown. UIUC does not provide separate admission figures for EA and regular and trying to figure out what it is is very difficult including because many of those admitted regular admission are ones who applied EA but were not admitted EA, and then many are rejected by their first choice program but ortherwise still admitted. Moreover, EA is actually new in a sense – the latest EA program started last year. For a few years before that there was no EA. Before that there was EA but with the same lack of figures broken out from regular. Nevertheless, there is likely some advantage to applying EA for many majors because things might get close to filling before turning to the regular applicants. However, the admission rates for business and engineering are likely similar for both and may be even higher for regular, because both those colleges have a tendency to put off a large percentage of EA applicants to regular admission because they like to see the total number of applicants, and quality thereof, before making a lot of decisions. Note also, that any course grades evaluation does not change if you are EA or regular. UIUC makes admission decisions based on grades through junior year. It does not want you to send any senior year grades for determining either EA or regular admission.
@drusba What about my senior course list? Will they consider that?
Yes, they want to know courses you are taking senior year and that you are still taking difficult classes and not sluffing off. They are also necessary to show you will be completing all required courses for admission if not completed through junior year.
So the suggestion is applying under the regular admission application deadline vs. EA as a strategy. Bad idea. Even if solid stats were available for an applicant’s college/major, it’s also important to consider changes in the admissions process and administration. In recent years, UIUC has had EA and Regular deadlines for applications, dual notification dates, and EA/Regular deadlines, with a singular decision date. So, it’s now back to dual application deadlines and dual notification dates, the latter notification date being MARCH 1. Part of the rationale for this change was 1) everyone HATED the dual deadlines and single notification in February; 2) current scheme is aimed at avoiding deferrals and getting an honest answer back to applicants ASAP, so they aren’t lingering in deferral well into spring (the high number of deferrals left alot of very unhappy resident applicants in past years). So, theoretically, someone could really miss an opportunity by NOT applying EA…if you’re marginal, maybe you do get accepted under the EA schedule, but there would no longer be a spot for someone with your profile once admissions gets to the Regular timeline pool of applications. You should be able to find the breakout on where the lines fall for acceptance/deferral/denial under the current EA program, which was explained when they announced the change to the current program.
@IL2023 Hey, just making sure but how do you know that UIUC will not check my senior grades. Can you send me a link? Thank you.
Must have the wrong poster…my post did not mention UIUC not checking senior grades…my advice would be opposite; correctly self-report your transcript info on the application, along with your scheduled senior courses (UIUC will check that, and if there’s a discrepancy upon verification, that could be a problem), and as far as “checking” senior grades, you do have to send in your transcript, with a due date in early July or so. I don’t think most students will slack off or wipe out with senior courses-most want a strong finish because it’s in one’s best interest to do so, literally…e.g., you want that 4 or 5 on an AP to make use of it at college and not waste your parents’ $ on the course and test.
@IL2023 Sorry about that. So currently I am only taking 4 classes (1 dual credit, 2 dual enrollment, and 1 honors) this semester and I am wondering if that is ok. My school doesn’t offer much AP classes. Since UIUC doesn’t take common app how do I report my transcript to them.
Our highly ranked North Shore Chicago suburban school advised ABSOLUTELY to apply by earlier admission date.
There is a section on the Illinois application where you fill in / self-report all your transcript info.; at least that was the format a few cycles ago. Just work off a copy of your transcript. If you’re admitted and enroll, UIUC then directs you to submit an official copy of your final transcript, (so be very accurate in the self-reporting!!!)…as mentioned this is usually early July. Re senior courses, admissions wants to know what you’re taking, and is looking at appropriateness, expected rigor, etc., and they expect you to follow through with those courses…Generally, no school is going to penalize a student for the offerings available to him-i.e., one doesn’t get penalized if there’s no AP/honors course to take, or if one blew threw an entire sequence in less than 4 years, say with foreign language, and there aren’t any courses left to take…what admissions wants to see is whether a student is challenging himself with the curriculum choices available, and/or committing to path in a subject, e.g., some schools want to see one finish a foreign language sequence, and not dabble in 3-4 first-year courses.
From your statements and questions, it appears you have not yet fully explored the UIUC admission pages. Go here to begin for freshman admission http://admissions.illinois.edu/Apply/freshman. UIUC has its own application. That application has pages for filling out the courses and grades from your transcript and identifying what you are taking senior year. It also has pages to put in your SAT or ACT scores (you report highest composite and then highest section scores if you took multiple tests). It also has required essays. The only thing you need submit is the full application. UIUC does not accept or use references or SAT subject test scores to determine admission. If you supply those, the ones who actually make admission decisions will not see them. The grades and test scores you submit are all self-reported in the application and you need not send any offical transcripts or test scores until after you accept admission. You need not send any update after applying although suggested is an update if you change your senior courses or want to add a test score you did not have when you applied.
UIUC does not use senior grades to determine admission (not even for those who are waitlisted in March), but it will use senior grades received in June to determine whether your offer of admission should be withdrawn and if you misreport your grades or test scores on your application or blow-off your senior year, you face a risk of having your offer of admission withdrawn.