Engineering at Illinois graduates are leaders in engineering because we educate toward the goal of leadership. So, while we place special emphasis upon your class rank, test scores, courses taken in high school, and application essays, we also consider extracurricular activities, work and volunteer experiences, awards and other accomplishments that indicate your potential to succeed and to contribute to the talented and diverse student body at Illinois.
We look for a genuine passion in the pursuit of an engineering career.
When an application is reviewed, a variety of factors are considered, including high school GPA, standardized test scores (ACT or SAT), and high school percentile rank (HSRP) when available.
Students often ask about test scores. There is no stated cut-off for standardized test scores (ACT/SAT). A good score is definitely important, especially in math, but consistently good performance in challenging courses in high school (all the way up to your senior year, final semester) is also evaluated.
Your activities, service, work experiences, and interests are also important. The essay portion of the application gives you the opportunity to tell us about your strengths, set yourself apart, address the challenges you have faced and overcome, and lets us know about your leadership abilities. We look for a genuine passion in the pursuit of an engineering career.
The offices of Admissions, Financial Aid, and Housing offer a wealth of information to prepare you for student life. Be sure to look at some of the blog posts from students who are offering first-hand advice and sharing their experiences.
The Admissions Office offers planning tips on such topics as earning college credit before you come to campus, the value of extracurricular activities, and making your college application stand out. Be sure to check out the Yearly Action Plans for recommendations that can help you stay on track. The Admissions Office also offers a Checklist for admitted students to help keep you on track.
Using Advanced Placement courses, you may be able to enter Illinois with some coursework already under your belt. The College of Engineering awards credit for AP, IB, and A level exams for a number of courses, providing the student earns an appropriate score. The Admissions Office maintains a list of AP/IB Courses and their equivalent credits at Illinois.
Many students receive financial aid and scholarships while they are at Illinois.
To receive need-based financial assistance, families must complete the FAFSA form. By completing this form, you are automatically applying for federal, state, and institutional financial aid. Assistance may come in the form of grants, loans, or employment opportunities.
Your application to the university is also your application for all merit-based scholarships. The campus also offers scholarships to high achieving incoming freshmen, and these may be complemented by departmental scholarships. More information about College of Engineering scholarships can be found at the Undergraduate Advising Scholarship page. The campus also offers scholarships.
Continuing students become eligible for scholarships awarded for academic performance. Many of these scholarships are managed by a student's home department.
More information about scholarships is available on the Undergraduate Advising website.
