<p>I'd like to know how good my chances are at getting into the UIUC Engg program.</p>
<p>I have a ~3.75 gpa (unweighted I think, I'm not exactly sure what weighted would be, could someone help me on that?)
My most recent ACT composite score is a 31
My only SAT score is a 1960 (I think it's a 1370 without writing, it's somewhere in that area)</p>
<p>My senior class schedule is:
American Government
Psychology - Followed by a semester of Sociology
English IV
Senior Math - from what I understand, it's trig
Physics
College Algebra
and Composition 1 followed by a semester of Public Speaking</p>
<p>Also, another question, would it improve my chances to take a semester of Calculus I instead of College Algebra? Having taken trig this summer through a community college I meet all of the prereqs to take Calc I at another CC.</p>
<p>One other thing, I'm coming from an extremely small (my graduating class will have ~20 students) rural school which doesn't offer Honors or AP courses.</p>
<p>Forgot to add that I'll have ~70 hours of volunteering at the Habitat for Humanity Homemart and I'm not really active extracurricular wise (other than scholars bowl and the all school play)</p>
<p>I also fail at essays. Horribly. I got a 6/12 on my ACT and a 5/12 on my SAT essays.</p>
<p>The ACT and SAT essay sections are irrelevant -- UIUC is not using those for admission at this time. Your ACT score is in middle 50% range for engineering. SAT score is also OK but likely they will consider your ACT as the higher score. Just as important is class rank (rather than GPA), which you do not give but GPA indicates you probably have a decent chance (UIUC does not weight or unweight GPA's provided but instead relies mainly on class rank which it estimates if school does not rank). Having calculus may help as they do look at courses taken (and being taken in senior year) and the engineering department has even been discussing the possibility of requiring calculus for admission (but not this year). Lack of honors or AP does not hurt if school does not provide for them. You should write good essays for the app. and apply early (when apps first come out in September). EC's will be of minor importance.</p>
<p>I'm the third in my class out of 20, due to taking some harder classes than the top 2 ... (will they consider that since it's such a small class?)</p>
<p>I'm looking at Electrical/Computer Engineering</p>
<p>And thanks, I'm definitely taking Calculus next semester</p>
<p>hmmm those are probably the hardest engineering majors to get into. they will however definitely notice that there are only 20 ppl in your class.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot for all your help... I'm going to start working on my essays now and hopefully get the application in within a week of it being out!</p>