Can I get into UIUC?

dgamer
Tue, 24 Jul 2007 20:25:14 +0000

Hi, do I have a chance at getting at UIUC? My first choice would be the Computer Science program at their Engineering college. If not that, then my second choice is their computer science plus mathematics programs at LAS.

ACT composite: 30
GPA Weighted-4.1/Unweighted-3.8
Class Rank: Top 3.5% (Currently top 14 out of 400+ students in the class)

Unfortunately, my high school isn’t very competitive. Actually, the school has been on a “watchlist” for several years now because the school failed to meet No Child Left Behind’s “Adequate Yearly Progress” criteria. In the last few years, more than half of juniors scored 19 or lower on the ACT. In fact, the 2006-2007 school year (My class) was the last chance the school had to meet AYP before risking government takeover, so everyone is anxiously waiting for the state to send us the results later this year.

I was able to take one of the two AP classes offered to Juniors, and was able to get into one of the three offered AP classes next year as well(I was eligible for all three classes, but my teachers recommended Physics honors instead of AP Bio because of my intended college major(my hs did not offer AP Physics), and I was forced to drop AP english because of a schedule conflict, leaving me with only Calc AB) Fortunately I was able to take every honors class possible in all four years. But I’m worried since I know seniors in other school have had the opportunity to take all AP classes.

Also, I have some other miscellaneous information about me, but I dont know if these will affect admission decision.

-I am an immigrant from the Philippines, and I came to the US in 2001. I was 11 years old at the time.

-Regarding Computer Science, I have been programming on the computer for several years now, pretty much through self-study. I am proficient in some variations of BASIC, (I wrote a game for a British competition and won myself a few small prizes ^_^) and am trying to learn C++ at the moment, but no experience in Java which I believe is the language used for Computer Science AP. Too bad my HS does not offer that class.

Clubs and Activities:
National Honors Society
Tennis (4 Years, freshman to senior)
Mathletes (3 Years, sophomore to senior)
Student Council (2 Years, freshman to sophomore)
Communications Club (1 year, junior)
International Club (1 year, junior)
Chess club(1 year, senior)

So, do I have a chance?