The University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign

“Good grades and ACT scores and being in honorsNov 30 2009Political Science
Good grades and ACT scores and being in honors societies.
ACT: 32 SAT: 1990 Female

“I may have some benefits of affirmative action, butNov 04 2009Sociology
I may have some benefits of affirmative action, but even minority students who come here have a lot to offer. My only down fall was my ACT scores (I had a 19). Everything else looked pretty good though. I had a 3.73 GPA, ranked #5 or 6 in my class, and was involved in almost everything at my high school from student council, all types of sports, etc. Most minorities that I know had similar situations to mine. So I'd say get ur GPA up as high as u can, get involved in everything, and try your best on the ACT. If your a minority student and that's ur only issue I wouldn't worry about it. As far as the others I'd just say work hard, get involved, and stay at the top of your class.
ACT: 19 Female

“Largely based on ACT/SAT and HS rankNov 01 2009Electrical Engineering
Largely based on ACT/SAT and HS rank. Beat the middle 50% to have a good degree of certainty in getting in.
ACT: 35 Male

“Don't let the fact that the university is locatedMay 29 2009Biology
Don't let the fact that the university is located in the center of Illinois discourage you. There are tons of things to do in Champaign-Urbana. And don't think that just because you go to a large public school that you won't receive a good education. You will. U of I will provided you with a top quality education that I believe rivals even some of the best schools. Work hard in high school, join extracurrics, do well on your entrance exams, and write a strong personal statement (This formula basically applies to all schools). That's all I can say since they've raised the bar a lot since I graduated from high school. I'm not sure how much you'll need to do now. Good luck. Godspeed. And enjoy your college years. It'll be gone before you know it.
Male

“Be honestApr 08 2009Economics
Be honest. Tell them the real reason you want to go there in your personal essay, and let your voice come through. they really appreciate honesty, and will grant admission to good people, regardless of scores.
ACT: 32 Female