Has anyone gotten anything from U of I yet in the mail?
Yes. On Friday an orange envelope that says “we’ve got good news” (or something like that) with the confirmation letter of acceptance, and a brochure with info on the school. I think there may be a checklist as part of the welcome letter.
Scholarship info comes out in March right? And the only financial aid related form we had to submit was fafsa?
Really don’t know how I got in. I’m so happy I applied.
Decision Form
Decision: Accepted - Electrical Engineering - College of Engineeeing
**Objective: **
ACT (breakdown):
Composite: 30
English: 32
Math: 31
Science: 31
Reading: 27
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.5 (4.9 Weighted)
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 25/421, Top 6%
AP (place score in parenthesis): US History (4), Biology (3), Lang & Comp (3)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Physics, AP Calculus, AP Literature, AP Chemistry, AP Economics, AP US Gov’t, AP Psychology
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Illinois State Scholar, couple Mathletes Awards, AP Board Scholar, and 2 other awards I received after submitting my application
**Subjective: **
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Mathletes, Student Council, Scholastic Decathlon for 4 years
NHS (Vice President) for 2 years
Soccer for 1 year
Job/Work Experience: Yeah I had some
Volunteer/Community service: Over 60 hours
Summer Activities: Not really
Essays (rating 1-10, details): 7 or 8 out of 10. Was kinda rushing to finish them haha
Teacher Rec #1: AP Lit teacher
Teacher Rec #2: AP USH teacher
Counselor Rec: N/A
Additional Rec: NHS Sponsor
**Other: **
State (if domestic applicant): IL
Country (if international applicant): Cook
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White, Middle Eastern
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: ~$40,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): First generation in college
**Reflection: **
Strengths: Extracurriculars
Weaknesses: GPA
Why you think you were accepted: They confused me for someone else.
Where else were you accepted: Purdue, UIC, IIT
**General Comments: **
To everyone looking to apply next year and trying to find a good estimate of ACT/GPA online, don’t believe everyone so easily. I was 90% sure I wouldn’t get accepted due to all the comments saying I need 32+ ACT and 4.0 GPA. The only way to know is to apply and wait.
The stats they post are for the middle 50% of the admitted applicants. I always recommend that everyone who has a desire to attend U of I, apply for the exact reason stated by @adhombre above. Although I have to say your Weighted GPA was outstanding, and your class rigor was also a big plus. Hooks helped too. Bottom line is that you’ll never know whether you would have been accepted unless you apply.
Excellent point Balthezar. Our high school pretty much tells everyone to apply to 2 reach schools, 2 safety schools and 2 - most likely to get in schools. Computer Science in the College of Engineering was a reach for my son, but no doubt his hooks got him in, so it pays to shoot for the stars because these people telling you that you can’t get in, don’t always know what exactly you have to offer, or what makes you different than the next.
Decision Form
Decision: Accepted - Aerospace Engineering
**Objective: **
ACT (breakdown):
SAT I (breakdown): 1880 total 630 reading 720 math 530 writing
SAT II: 770 Chemistry 730 Math II 710 U.S. History
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.8
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 92nd (Class of 700)
AP (place score in parenthesis): 5 AP Chem 5 AP Calculus AB 5 AP Computer Science 4 AP U.S. History 4 Biology
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Gov, AP Physics C, AP Stats, AP Enviro, H Econ, H World Lit, Spanish 3
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):
**Subjective: **
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Eagle Scout (Assistant Senior Patrol Leader), Robotics Club (President), Science Bowl (B Team Captain)
Job/Work Experience: Intern at robotics lab
Volunteer/Community service: Didn’t record any
Summer Activities: High Adventure Trip and internship
Essays (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1:
Teacher Rec #2:
Counselor Rec:
Additional Rec:
**Other: **
State (if domestic applicant): California
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity:
Gender:
Income Bracket:
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none
**Reflection: **
Strengths: Extracurricular activities, leadership, and essays
Weaknesses: GPA, rank, and SAT
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: My strengths
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Purdue (accepted for first year engineering) and UC Riverside (Accepted). I’m still waiting for a lot of other schools.
**General Comments: **
Decision: Accepted-Biomedical Engineering
Objective:
ACT: 35
GPA: 4.75 w 4.0 uw
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): At least top 5%, school doesn’t rank higher than that
AP (place score in parenthesis): 7 so far, all 5s, AP Scholar with Distinction
Senior Year Course Load: AP Comp Sci, Calc 3/Linear Algebra, AP US and Comparative Gov, AP English, AP Latin, AP Physics 1
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): NMF
Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Latin Club (Secretary), Speech Team (Communications Director), Church Group (Senior Leader), JCL (Delegate), FCA, various other clubs
Job/Work Experience: Political Internship (senior year)
Volunteer/Community service: 4 hr/month with toddlers at church
Essays (rating 1-10, details): Probably 7s, I applied early in my revising process
Other
State (if domestic applicant): Illinois
School Type: Highly ranked public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Reflection
Strengths: Test scores, GPA, NM
Weaknesses: EC’s
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: In-state
Where else were you accepted/deferred/rejected: Accepted: Purdue, CWRU, Miami (full tuition), waiting on 3 more
General Comments:
I received 4k a year from women in engineering, which was nice but I’m not sure if it’ll be enough for me to go here, even in-state.
Decision: [ color = green][ b]Accepted - CS
[ b][ u]Objective: **
ACT 35
SAT I (breakdown): CR 760, W, 760, M 770
SAT II: Math II(800), Physics (800), Chemistry (760), Spanish(650) US History(760)
Unweighted GPA (3.81):
AP (Calc BC (5,5), APCS (4),Physics B(5), APUSH (4))
Senior Year Course Load:
AP Gov/econ
AP Statistics
AP Environmental Science
reg Psycology
AP Spanish Lang
AP English Lang
Major Awards (Eagle Scout, Semifinalist at Dempsy-Cronin Lincoln-Douglass debate, AP Scholar with distinction):
[ b][ u]Subjective: **
Extracurriculars: Scouting, Lincoln-Douglass debate, Swimming, Cross Country, National Honor Society (Treasurer and Secretary), cello
Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community service:Volunteered at Local hospital for 4 years (shift leader)
Summer Activities: SNFI debate, EPGY legal studies, COSMOS @ UC Irvine for Computer Models of Sound
Essays: nothing extraordinary
Teacher Rec #1: good
Teacher Rec #2: very good
Counselor Rec: very good
Additional Rec:
State (if domestic applicant): California
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Chinese
Gender: Male
Income Bracket:
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):
[ b][ u]Reflection: **
Strengths: activities,challenging course load, recs, SAT/ACT scores
Weaknesses: GPA, subpar grades in math for 1 semester, bland essay
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I fit the profile
[ b]General Comments: **
Financial aid information came out today. It’s incredibly sad since it was a top school for my son. He got $0. He’s been accepted into the Engineering Scholars Program, but we’ll most likely have to decline. It’s heartbreaking to see so many athletes get into the schools of their choice or be sought after by Ivy’s even if they don’t have the grades/test scores, yet students who work hard, have 4.0 GPA’s (unweighted, every single quarter!) and well over 2200 SAT can’t get a dime. Still need to break the news to him.
Re Financial Aid, this is the first time we’ve been through this and it is, quite frankly, a joke. We are by no means rich, I’ve been unemployed for over a year, spouse just lost his job several weeks ago…we got approved for a loan of less than $600 per year. Of course we can apply foran appeal, esp since the second job loss just occurred, but financial aid calculators don’t take into account so many other factors, not the least of which is cost of living in the students homeown (in the Northeast, high taxes, high prices for homes). Even if we were both still working, I’d essentially have to give almost my entire paycheck to pay for college…yet the govt also expects people to be saving for retirement. Yes, I understand there are less expensive options than private or OOS, but there is something fundamentally wrong with the price of college today…costs have skyrocketed well beyond cost of living, salaries have been flat for years (for those still working), and even student loans are scarce.
We got zero aid as well OOS, was not expecting much but at least throw a bone. UDel gave $9K, We are still going to visit on March 30 but really not hopeful. We would have gone if COA after merits is closer to $40K but definitely not at $50K
@ijh0828 : how did you find out about your financial aid award? Email? Mail? Today?
If you look at financial aid under the admitted checklist, you can find your award. There isn’t an award letter yet, but the “Award Summary” tab shows what’s been awarded.
UIUC is known to offer poor fin aid. Other schools offer better fin aid, but they tend to be elite privates.
@ijh0828, pretty much all athletes had to work hard for their scholarships as well. Pursuing large academic merit scholarships elsewhere would have been an option.
How did you guys get access to the financial aid letter? I been trying to create an ID thingy to check it, but the website seems to be down. I am a LAS scholar, is that even anything special? Someone on here got some nice credientials, but recieved 0 $ ? Really, that is just crazy.
Exact same thing here, 4.0 and 2200+ sat with no aid…just how it is for OOS I guess
I’m surprised a lot of people didn’t get aid. I got almost $13,000 in grants and scholarships, and I’m OOS. All my aid was need-based though. Since I had a 2300+ SAT score and pretty good grades, I was hoping for a merit-based scholarship or grant from the College of Engineering too, but I didn’t get one. I’m pretty sure I got what I got because my EFC on my FAFSA was 0. Doesn’t need-based aid depend on your EFC? By the way, is it possible to receive a merit-based scholarship or grant after the Award Letter has been released? Or is that the final financial aid amount for the year?
I’m in state and received two merit based scholarships that cover 8,000 a year but they gave me no financial aid. Unfortunately my efc is 23,000 and they want us to take out all of it in loans. I honestly don’t think my efc reflects the amount my family can spend at all. But it is what it is
@AGDC18 yeah, think it is. I’m really surprised how competitive/scarce their merit scholarships are. If you want to know where your aid comes from (grants or scholarships) I think there’s another tab on the website that tells you