Hey, so I know a hug boatload of my friends who were admitted into UIUC. Of course I’m extremely happy for them, but I’m a bit curious as to how they got in. Most of their ACT ranges from 18-22. However, according to collegedata, UIUC’s average ACT range is high 26-28. Obviously test scores aren’t everything, but I found it odd how I knew so many people whose scores were low. Not only that, but many of their grades and ECs weren’t stellar…rather average or below. Is this because they applied undecided, while UIUC’s engineering school and such bump up their average test scores? Thanks!
Yes, it’s because of their declared major. Engineering, business, and some LAS sciences have higher admittance standards. It explains why some people get upset when they look at Naviance (scattergrams & school admittance stats) and then are not accepted for their desired major.
Here are some links you might find interesting:
http://www.dmi.illinois.edu/stuenr/abstracts/FA14_ten.htm
http://www.dmi.illinois.edu/stuenr/abstracts/fa14_ten2.htm
See this link for 2014 engineering selectivity (middle of page)
http://engineering.illinois.edu/admissions/undergraduate/
@88jm19 Thanks for the info! I might be mistaken, but from what I heard is you should always apply to school as undecided(unless you know for a fact you’ll get in). From there, it’s a lot easier to switch into your major that you wanted than applying to that specific school. Is that true?
I don’t think so, but it’s just my opinion. It is not “easy” to transfer into CS or business or some other majors. If it were me I would apply to the major I wanted. If you are a strong enough applicant the school will often offer DGS as your accepted major. You would then have to decide if the risk is worth it.
Also, if you were not accepted into your desired major, it could help you decide if the “fit” would be right for you. I often wonder what happens to those who are waitlisted into the summer and are eventually admitted.
It depends on the school. At many privates, switching in to most majors is not all that hard. At UIUC and many of the better publics, switching in to the most popular majors (like CS/engineering/business) is quite difficult.
Here are transfer requirements in to CS at UIUC: https://wiki.cites.illinois.edu/wiki/display/undergradProg/Transferring+Into+Undergraduate+Computer+Science+Majors+from+Other+UIUC+Departments
Contradicting a point above, for UIUC you should apply for your desired major unless truly undecided. Those who apply undecided get admitted to the Division of General Studies, from which you transfer to another college by end of second year. If you apply for any definite major and are rejected for it, you are then considered for the Division of General Studies. In other words, you end up the same you would have been if you had applied undecided while getting your shot at your desired major first. Also, transfer after you are at UIUC is not easy for into business, engineering, or some of the Arts and Sciences majors.