I don’t see any indication if I got into any honors program on MyIllini. I was just wondering if there is any way I can get into it because that’s something I really want to do. I applied and got accepted to Computer Engineering with 34 ACT and tons of ECs. I really want this so I can commit. Purdue has offered me a spot in the honors program but I am still favoring UIUC.
How do you compare Purdue Honors vs UIUC non - honors? What do you think you will miss out by not being in honors?
Is there a chance to be in the honors program after completing a semester or two?
I believe both of these are honors programs you can also apply to for entry one you earn 3.5gpa.
I would contact your department and speak directly to them regarding entry for start of freshman year.
By the Chancellor’s Honors Program I assume you mean the Campus Honors Program (CHP) where you are designated a Chancellor’s Scholar. It is quite limited: offerred to about 200 to 220 of the highest applicants admitted to the university with the hope that about 125 will actually enroll… Though no GPA or test score, other than “exceptionally high,” is specified for the program, your typical invitee is going to have very high test scores and GPA and a 34 ACT is on the low end to have a chance to be invited. The Campus Honors program comes with a scholarship, $1500 a year for residents, and waiver of a signifcant portion of the out-of-state additon to tuition for OOS. The program has general education type courses (not a large number) that students are required to take and are limited to being attended by Campus Honors students. The program is not geared toward any specific major. Ability to enter the program after not being accepted as a freshman is limited to applicants attempting to get into the program in sophomore year when only a few are taken (generally to fill any vacancy that has occurred)
The James Scholar programs are separately administered by each college. Guidelines for admission to the program vary among the colleges since they are designed to capture the top 10% of students in the particular college, with the result that the engineering guidelines for test scores are usually higher than the other colleges, although ACT 34 is usually within the range, but it ultimately depends on the applicant pool. There is no scholarshop attached to being a James Scholar. A number of the Engineering James Scholar students do receive varying amounts of scholarships but that results from the quality of the application file and not because they are James Scholars. James scholars have certain course requirements in the gen-ed area and in their majors and there are some honors courses set up for enrollment only by James Scholars. One can get into the program after first year and later by having a l relatively high cumulative GPA (currently 3.3 for most engineering majors but 3.5 for some departments like Electrical and Computer Engineering), and you have to maintain that level to stay in.
Obviously, it does not hurt to be able to say you are a James Scholar on your resume for a job, but as to it being something really special for that purpose, it is subject to debate, e.g., someone who graduates with high honors (because of high GPA) in engineering but was not a James Scholar is likely going to have the same employment opportunities as a James Scholar who has a like GPA and high honors.
Once you are student at UIUC, you figure out what is actually considered by many of the students in the CHP or James Scholar programs to be their best advantage: having honors courses that only the honors students can sign up for and having prioity registration over the rest of their class for all other courses. Campus Honors register for a semester before other members of their class, followed by James Scholars, followed by everyone else in the class. Thus, for example when you are applying for sophomore year classes, you get to book the class before 90% of the other freshman. Popular and often needed classes can fill. For some courses, usually in majors other than engineering, that can sometimes make the difference in being able to get a course in a semester you want it or not get it. For the typical engineering student, it can sometimes mean being qable to get that ideal 11 a.m. time for a course rather than the 8:00 a.m. or 4 p.m. times it is also given.
As to your not yet being offered entry into either program. I thought most offers were made at time of notification of admission but there may be more to come particularly for the James Scholar programs, and you might want to contact the university and find out.
I was chosen as a Chancellor’s Scholar but not a James Scholar. Is this unusual?
@drusba -
As an bioengineering accepted CHP offered student, would you expect they would also receive any of the larger engineering merit scholarships? I know a couple above were notified in their acceptance letter with actual award coming later. But what chances are left if no mention in the CHP offered acceptance letter?
@SoProudofMyChildren My son is a business CHP freshman this year and did not receive any other merit $s this year.
@12bball I don’t know anyone in your situation. As drusba stated CHP is better from a priority registration viewpoint. I will also add that although my son is only taking his second CHP class, he finds them very interesting. Last semester’s CHP class greatly surpassed his expectations.
@88jm19 Thank you for the info. Did your freshman son interview /get invited for the College of Business’ Honors Program?
@SoProudofMyChildren No, which is kind of ‘funny’. (His stats are really strong.) He said he’s the only one he knows from CHP who didn’t. But no worries…he’s totally okay with it. We suspect the university uses it to attract certain students who are more service oriented. Also, both of my non-“business honor” kids are very happy with how things are working out in CoB. The school can’t get it right all the time. 
And oops, I forgot that my son does have one more merit award. $500 for being a National Merit Finalist.
If your son does choose to attend U of I, another nice thing with the Campus Honors Program is the assignment of a mentor. Even though my daughter is a junior, I really like the idea of having another ‘experienced’ Illini with whom he can talk. Also, I think it’s a plus to have a circle of friends outside of Business. I hope your son chooses Illinois. 
@88jm19,
We think extremely highly of the CoB at UIUC, my oldest is a Junior there and has had So many opportunities that she has forged. She even founded the Learn In Campus chapter :-}
My other child will have an incredibly difficult decision, without any bad choices. I am not sure whether to hold out any hope that additional Merit from the CoE will be offered. Fingers crossed.
@SoProudofMyChildren If you mean ‘Lean In’, I think our daughters are friends! Good luck with the Merit!
I hate my crazy auto-correct, yes, Lean In.
Just found out there will be no college of engineering merit scholarship to accompany my child’s Chancellor’s Scholar Award for CHP. .Kind of disappointing for us. Even if the last two colleges we hear from are non-accetances, UIUC will be 2x the cost of other choices we will have with the merit already awarded. Definitely not a bad situation, but kind of takes the wind out of the sail espousing the exclusive nature of the Chancellor’s Scholar Award (125 total freshman from the University).
I received in the mail the invitation for CHP. It requires the attached postcard to be returned/postmarked by April 1st in order to secure your spot and receive the $1500 first year scholarship. Do any past CHP students or any incoming freshmen who have already responded know if you have to accept the offer of admission prior to responding?
I ask because of course April 1st is the final decision notification date for several schools, and so I do not yet know if I can or should respond yet, however the extra $1500 is nice and enticing.
Also, is it possible to withdraw if you accept their CHP offer and decide to go somewhere else, or is your acceptance of their offer a kind of final “yes i’ll be coming to uiuc in the fall”?
Also got accepted for CHP as a Chemical Engineer. Had the same question @Nando28 had, because me going to UIUC is dependent on whatever college decisions come out on April 1st.
Also does anybody know if UIUC has honor housing? Because that would be amazing if they did but couldn’t find anything when I looked for it.
(Should we start a new thread for CHP? We’ve sort of hijacked the OPs thread)
@Nando28 and @Zeppelin7 I would think it would be alright to respond in the affirmative to CHP if there is a good chance you will attend UIUC. I don’t think it is binding in any way. That said, if you turn it in and then decide to go elsewhere, I think you should notify them as soon as possible, as a courtesy.
This is just my opinion. If you want to know for sure, call and ask.
Honor housing is new this year. Here’s a link. Be sure to read the important notes. It is not guaranteed.
http://www.housing.illinois.edu/living-options/living-learning-communities/honors-llc
That said, keep in mind that it wasn’t offered before and honors students have been fine. Zeppelin7, you need to consider Nugent’s distance from the engineering quad.
Good luck to both of you on your decision!