The University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign

“If you want to get accepted into UIUC, it'sFeb 10 2009Chemistry
If you want to get accepted into UIUC, it's vital that you follow these specific guidelines:

1. Take 4 years of everything. Math, science, english, foreign language, social studies, etc.

2. Cram your schedule with AP and Honors courses, even if you're not sure you'll do well in them.

3. Study hard for those AP Tests and the ACT. Try to get atleast a 26 on the ACT to get you by, and 4's on the AP Tests.

4. Be on the honors math track

5. Have a Job in High School and work 20ish hours weekly.

6. Try your best to be an A or B average student, and strive to do better than your classmates. Don't bother applying if you're not in the top half of your class.

7. Take MORE AP classes and Honors Classes

8. Don't be from Illinois (they want the $$$)

9. Be EXTREMELY involved in your school. (sports, music, theater, academic clubs, tutoring, other teams, volunteering, etc.) Send in a super detailed resume with your application that has EVERYTHING you ever got involved with on it.

10. Make sure your essays are amazing and that your application is neat and on time.

3.
ACT: 29 Female

“Be out of stateDec 27 2008Psychology
Be out of state. I got in Out of State with a 3.1 GPA and a 28 ACT score.
Have a job, or be very involved in your school. That's pretty important too.
It's not really that hard unless you're going for business or engineering.
ACT: 28 Female

“I tested well to get in to IllinoisDec 13 2008Other
I tested well to get in to Illinois. Also, i managed to get my GPA up to an B+/A- range while taking a lot of Advanced Placement math and science classes as I knew that I wanted to major in engineering. The main thing is that I focused hard on doing well in the extra classes. Work hard and make sure to do the best you can on the standardized testing. Be involved in at least one organization or club outside of normal academics.
ACT: 32 SAT: 1510 Male

“I was in the top 7% of my fairlyOct 10 2008Mechanical Engineering
I was in the top 7% of my fairly large high school and scored a 34 on my ACT, which made me a good candidate for acceptance. As far as I can tell, the best way to get in is to get a high GPA, do well on your standardized tests, write intelligent application essays, and cross your fingers that you are accepted
ACT: 34 Male

“I was very involved in high school and wasJul 20 2008English
I was very involved in high school and was in the top 10% of my class. I was student council president, community service club president, and an active member in many other things like theater and art competitions. I tutored and volunteered. I also played tennis and sang in 2 different choirs.

I know many people who got in by doing much less than I did, so don't be intimidated. I know I was kind of obsessive. I would just suggest trying to get a leadership position in a club you enjoy and keep your grades up. Studying for the ACT would help, too. Don't stress, but take a few practice tests. Keep in mind that you are evaluated as an overall student, not just your scores, gpa, or community involvement.
ACT: 30 Female