This is my first forum post ever on College Confidential so please forgive me for any rookie errors.
I am a junior in high school and would absolutely love to study business at the University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign upon graduation. However, I am also the first kid in my family that will go to college so understandably, I have quite a few questions about the whole process:
I noticed that Illinois has something called the College of Business which is different from general studies. If I get rejected from the College of Business but get accepted into general studies, what are my options? Please be as detailed as possible.
Is it true that Illinois does not care about your senior grades? If so, then what is the point of trying?
How important to Illinois is a 4th year of a foreign language? How about a 4th year of science?
How does the application process work in respect to the College of Business? Would I apply separately to both the College of Business and general studies?
Will the fact that I want to go into business affect what classes Illinois administrators want to see on my transcript? If so, what classes do you recommend taking?
I visited UIUC a few weeks ago, so I may be able to help.
If you get rejected from business, you are put into DGS (division of general studies) or you are considered for your second choice major (you can select up to two majors). In order to be considered for DGS, you must have both of those major selections filled. It would be to your advantage to put Business and DGS. You can transfer into business after two years of DGS and still graduate in four years. Personally, if I get rejected from their business program, I'm just going to go somewhere else lol. It's a really competitive program to transfer into, and I don't want to risk not getting in.
They care, but more about first semester than second semester. Idk if they revoke acceptances due to bad grades, but I would still make a halfway decent effort second semester.
I only took two years of language. My counselor said it would be okay. I'm also dropping my science to take another AP history course. She said that another AP history that I enjoyed Kyle be better than a regular science that I hated.
There's just one app, but I think there's a separate essay or two for business. If you check it out on the my Illini portal, it'll make more sense. I don't know how to really explain it haha
I don't know. My school doesn't offer intro to business classes, but I want to get my feet wet, so I'm taking AP Micro/Macro Econ next year. I'm pretty sure that Illinois just wants to see a rigorous schedule.
Hope I helped! Maybe I’ll see you in my business classes during our freshman year!
-Also, just out of curiosity, where else are you looking for business?
Illinois is definitely my #1 choice at this point. I was thinking about NIU as well, but it appears they are in two different leagues. I will consider more colleges after I take the real ACT in April.
UIUC is my first choice, too. I looked at NIU for a while, but after hearing some of the horror stories about DeKalb, I don’t want to be anywhere near there XD I’m also considering DePaul, Indiana U, Ohio State, and Miami of Ohio
@jacobg Prep like crazy for the ACT. You’ll want to get in the 30s for acceptance to CoB. Also, instead of a fourth year of science or foreign language, try to take some business courses, at your local community college if need be, like accounting. If you are lucky, your HS will offer a dual credit program and you can come int o college with some credits. Your application will be more compelling if you can demonstrate interest in the field. Join the business club at your high school.
Illinois like most universities breaks down into several colleges including the College of Business, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering and others. It also has a Division of General Studies (DGS) which is basically where undecideds begin and then transfer into another college after a year or two. Getting into the business college as a freshman is more difficult than getting into other colleges such as Arts & Sciences. The Business College's admission rate has lately been in the 40% range while the university as a whole is closer to 60%. You should consider essays and ECs to be important as business is truly a full file review college that has been known to reject some with high GPA and test scores in favor of those with lower stats but demonstrated leadership skills
When you apply, you will have the option to choose a first choice major and a second choice. For business, your first choice will be business unassigned since the college has all freshman apply without specifying a specific business major. If you make no second choice, you will be considered only for business and if rejected, you are done. Your second choice can be anything in any other college, such as economics in Arts & Sciences. You will be considered for your second choice if rejected for your first. As long as you have a second choice, there is also a third option. All who are rejected for their first and second choice majors are considered for undecided admission into DGS. If other words, you do not have to choose DGS as your second choice to be considered for it; you just have to make sure you specify a second choice major.
Admission decisions are based on grades through junior year. You do not submit a mid-year report with first semester senio year grades to UIUC. Also be aware that those who make admissions decisons are provided files for doing so that exclude anything not used by UIUC for determining admission. Thus, if you send senior year grades, SAT subject test scores or recommendation letters, all of which are not used by UIUIC to determine admission, the persons who make the actual decisons will never see them. Senior year grades, when they are submitted in June, are used to determine if your admission should be rescinded and UIUC has in the past rescinded admission of those whose final grades indicate serious cases of senioirtis. In other words, if you blow off senior year, you risk learning in July that you should stay home.
Illinois requires only two years of foreign language for admission but it is to your great advantage to complete four years of a single language if you are admitted. Having four years is more impressive than having only two for the purpose of admission. But there is another key reason: the college of business, arts & sciences and some others require you to complete through the fourth semester of foreign language in college to graduate from UIUC (engineering requires completion through the third college semester). But if you complete four years of high school language, that requirement is waived. Thus, completing four years of language in high school allows you to escape taking language in college. If foreign language is not your forte, you should seriously consideri doing the four years in high school because the language courses you will have to take in college will be harder than the ones you have in high school.
Not having a fourth year of lab science is OK but again you should assume anything above the requirements can help and thus having the fourth year gives you a bit extra over someone who does not.
All freshman applicants use the same online application. You apply to business by designating business unassigned as your first choice major. For adding a second choice and being considered for DGS see no. 1 above.
Applying to business needs the same type of high school college prep courses (English, social studies, math, science, and foreign language) as needed for applying to the other colleges. The more rigorous the schedule and higher the grades the better your chances. Having some general or vocational business class is neither needed or even desired. Having AP economics would be a definite plus, likewise AP Calculus AB or BC.
If you are not accepted as a freshman to College of Business, be aware that transferring into the business college as a UIUC student from another UIUC college is difficult and the process is different from what is described above. UIUC students who want to transfer into the College of Business get only one opportunity to do so – they apply at end of freshman year for entry into sophomore year and decison is made after freshman second semester grades come out. If rejected then, you do not get any other opportunity to major in business at UIUC. High college grades are needed to transfer and typically less than half who apply make it. Also, here is a little extra information on your language issue: the business college likes to see, and consiuders it a plus, that the language requirement, completion of the fourth college semester or four years in high school, has already been finished for those who want to transfer into business after freshman year.