Any feedback regarding this program in UIUC engineering school? It sounds attractive, but it is expensive for OOS.
Yeah, it’s basically full tuition for summer term, so it’s not a bargain even for residents. I gather that in addition to getting in a couple courses early, perhaps the main benefit is the relatively small cohort of engineering students. I had the impression that they often keep in touch as a group of friends even after summer. This is what I heard when I inquired about it at an admitted student presentation, I have no personal experience with the program.
The small cohort of students is the main attraction of the program. We were hoping that it will help getting familiar with the department. Any feedback from previous students will be very useful.
I think most participants take a general education engineering class, eg Calculus 3 or Physics Mechanics, so department familiarity would probably be achieved during the school year.
I did it because they offer some full-ride scholarships to it, but probably wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for the scholarship. The friends I made in the program are still my best friends today and the class sizes helped me get a great rec letter from a professor, but I’m not sure if the cost is justifiable.