<p>Hi guys, I had some quick questions about the UIUC admissions process and application in general.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>How important are the essays and extra curricular activities if your academic stats are good? Can a decent essay/bad ECs keep you out if you have good stats? I'm applying to the college of engineering and I have a really strong background in math and science, but I'm worried about my ECs.</p></li>
<li><p>I didn't see anything on the main site about any recommendations being required, but can we include a teacher and counselor letter of recommendation? I really want to include my computer science teacher's letter because I think it's good, and it'll help since I'm majoring in computer science.</p></li>
<li><p>Is there a form that the counselor has to fill out that includes how many total AP, honors etc. classes there are, and other stats (average ACT scores, # of students attending 4 year college, etc)? In other words, do they have to include a high school profile of some sort? I only took 3 AP classes total (including senior year) because that's all my tiny HS offers, and I don't want that to ruin my chances.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks so much for the help! I look forward to starting my app! lol o_O</p>
<p>Recommendations are neither required nor used for admission. Likewise, SAT II scores are neither required nor used for admission. AP scores per se mean little to nothing for admission; having AP classes and good grades in them definitely helps. If you want to tell them AP scores just self-report them in your essay. For engineering, bad essays (there are two) can hurt; good essays can help those who are borderline. ECs are a factor considered but again more so for those who are borderline on test score/class rank. (Note, that is not true if you were applying to business where essays and ECs are very important for all applicants).</p>
<p>They used to have a counselor’s form to send in as part of app on which the counselor basically confirmed your course schedule, rank and prior grades, but they stopped using that either last year or the year before. High school’s usually send a school profile along with transcript or, if in Illinois, most automatically send one annually to UIUC. Check with your high school as to whether a profile is included when transcript is sent.</p>
<p>“If you want to tell them AP scores just self-report them in your essay.”</p>
<p>There’s just no reason to do this, since the university is going to get these scores the summer after your last AP exam. Even writing about your past scores as a focal point, IMO, will make for a really boring essay.</p>
<p>When I applied to the college of Engineering a years ago, I wrote about one of my wierd ECs that had nothing at all to do with science or designing things. I don’t think it really mattered since my ACT and SAT scores were enough to get me in. I also knew people in Engineering without any APs, and in your case, I think they’ll especially understand since you’re coming from a small school.</p>
<p>^ Ok thanks for the response. But when I took the AP exam, I didn’t send Illinois my scores; I only sent it to U of M, so Illinois will have no idea I took the AP exam will they? Will it help if I sent the score in? It would cost me some money, but if it’ll help I’ll do it. The score is the only AP exam I took (it was the only one available). It’s a 5 in AP computer science, which I think would be even better since I’m majoring in CS.</p>
<p>And for the EC essay: Do you think it would be better to write about a sport/volunteer thing, or a programming competition I went to? I was thinking the latter because again, it relates to my major, but I’m not sure, maybe they’d want a traditional extra curricular activity for that essay.</p>
<p>And yeah, I’m really worried about only taking a total of 3 APs because unlike other schools I’m applying to, UIUC doesn’t ask for a HS profile or anything from the counselor.</p>