University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Overview

Illinois sits in the twin cities of Urbana and Champaign in central Illinois, about two and a half hours south of Chicago by road. It is a large land-grant university with strong programs across engineering, computing, agriculture, business, sciences and the arts. Students apply to a specific major or undecided program inside one of the colleges, such as the Grainger College of Engineering or the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and popular majors have far more applicants than places.

How to apply

The admissions site directs first-year applicants to apply through the Common Application. Your Illinois-specific questions, including the essay about your chosen major, are completed within it.

Early Action is non-binding. Because popular majors fill quickly, many students use it to hear sooner.

Testing and the SRAR

The first-year requirements page lists the application fee or a waiver, the Self-Reported Academic Record and "any test scores you choose to report". In other words, SAT or ACT scores are optional for this cycle, and no required standardized test is named. If you have a strong score, you may add it; if not, you can leave it off.

The SRAR is the key document. You enter every high school course and grade yourself, and admitted students later send official transcripts that must match. Canadian students should enter marks exactly as their school reports them, whether as percentages or letter grades.

International and Canadian notes

International applicants complete additional requirements, including English proficiency scores where required. The international requirements page explains who must submit them and which tests are accepted. Students who studied in French in Quebec or elsewhere should read it closely. As a public university, Illinois charges international students a higher tuition rate than Illinois residents, and current rates by college are on its tuition pages. We could not confirm current international aid and scholarship wording for this update, so read the financial aid pages before you budget.

For entry rules, see the US State Department student visa page.

Choosing a major and preparing

Because Illinois admits by major, your essay about why you chose it carries weight. Name courses, labs or experiences that drew you in. If you are aiming at Grainger Engineering or computer science, our Grade 12 courses for engineering article and the intro computer science deck help you prepare. If you are undecided, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and some other colleges offer exploratory options; say so honestly rather than picking a major you do not want.

1. September: choose your major and read its page.
2. October: complete the Common App and Illinois essays.
3. By November 1: submit for Early Action, then complete the SRAR before the materials date.

The StudyBrix United States guide compares large public universities with private ones.