<p>momgrad, I also believe that your son’s GPA (you said he had a high GPA) got him in. In paying attention to UIUC admissions decisions over many years, it seems that UIUC looks at grades and class rank as a more important factor than ACT scores. In other words, a high ACT and low grades will get you rejected, whereas high grades and relatively low ACT may get you accepted. The essays are there for borderline decisions, but will not make up for a deficiency on either grades or ACT.</p>