<p>New to the UIUC
[ *] Applying to Engineering (Mechanical)
[ *] ACT: 29 (M - 32, RC - 28, S - 27, E - 28, W - 8)
[ *] UM unweighted GPA: 4.0
[ *] Rank: 1
[ *] Subjective (ECs, special circumstances, etc):
4 time first team all-conference (soccer 2, basketball 2)
StuCo 4 years, Student Body President, Vice President
Lead roles in 2 school plays
Tutoring jobs
[ *] State or Country: Iowa
[ *] School Type: Small, private, Christian
[ *] Ethnicity: White
[ *] Gender: Male
[ *] major strength/weakness: Unweighted GPA, Essays, EC's / ACT</p>
<p>My son took the SAT and ACT only once during his junior year of high school. He did not want to take them again. My son also had an ACT of 29 but did not submit that score (it is a little too low for serious consideration for College of Engineering). His SAT was a bit better. The two tests are different and his strengths showed up better on the SAT. You might want to consider that. Also if your test scores are low, be sure to write superb essays. My son’s SAT scores were on the low side of admitted students, too, but his essays were so good that he was offered admission to Mechanical Engineering (without being deffered). He was also offered an Engineering Study Abroad Scholarship to use anytime during his undergrad years. Also be sure to apply during priority admission (before November 1). I did not think my son would get in based on his test scores, but the key is to definitely write great essays. (Go to the bookstore and look at books that have some of the essays that students who are admitted to the Ivy’s write to get an idea about what an interesting essay looks like. You will be surprised. It’s nothing like the essays I wrote years ago to get into my University.)</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your thoughts. My essays have been one of my strengths in this college admission process, unfortunately UIUC does not have the commonapp essays.</p>