Uiversity of Illinois Chemical Engineering Chances

Colleges & Universities University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
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<p>I am an in-state applicant who will to apply to U of I for their Chemical Engineering program. I will apply during the priority filling. Please let me know what you think my chances of being accepted are or if I will get transferred to chemistry or DGS, or if I will be denied entirely.</p>

<p>UW GPA: 3.94
W GPA: 4.23
Class Rank: 5/96 (top 5%)
8th: Acc. Alg. I
Freshman: Acc Alg. II
Sophomore: Acc Geometry
Junior: Hon Eng III, Acc Pre Calc
Senior: College(West Civ, Psyc, Calc, 2 more classes next semester that I don’t know yet), Hon Eng IV, AP Stats, AP Chem</p>

<p>I’ve taken the recommended high school course work for U of I or exceeded it and have taken the highest level classes my school offers as it is an average, small public school.</p>

<p>ACT:
Composite: 28 28
English: 31 27
Math: 30 33
Reading: 23 23
Science: 26 30
Writing: 8
Combined: 29</p>

<p>The average ACT score for ChemE in LAS is a 30, which is about a 29-31, 25-75% range I’m assuming. I feel I can get at least a 29 next time because my scores keep on improving (Practice: 25, 27) and I only needed one more point for a 29 on my last test. They look at the highest of each section and heavily look at math and science for ChemE.</p>

<p>My essays will be very good because everyone enjoys my writing. I can turn garbage into an A+ (: My English teacher teaches at a community college and treats our honors class as such and he enjoys my writing. I also plan to sneak in that my father is a ChemE, which is why I would like to become one. Should I also include that he went to U of I or is that too pushy, or do they really not care about him attending?</p>

<p>ECs:
Boy Scouts (Eagle Scout, Troop Guide)
Adopt-a-Highway along with other random community service hours, about 100 (I will include in essay)
My school doesn’t have any ECs that I care for so that is why this is my strongest point</p>

<p>Thanks for the help!</p>

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<p>*not my strongest point</p>

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<p>Well your GPA, course rigor, and class rank are very strong, but your ACT is below avg for Engineering. For the priority period, an ACT not yet taken will not make it in time before the cut off. However, you should take it again to see whether you can improve your composite. If you dont, given your current stats, I’d say Chem E is a sight reach, but you will likely have a DGS offer otherwise. I’m not sure whether they would consider LAS Chem as an alternate, but I’d say you’ve got a good shot for that too, if they do. If you’re deferred, and you can bring that reading up on the ACT, you’re golden for ChemE, IMHO. Good luck.</p>

1 Like
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<p>Would you consider going to a tutor just for the reading portion of the ACT test? There has to be something you are missing or someway you can just concentrate on that section of the test. It is a shame that the reading is bringing you down…</p>

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<p>I’m assuming I will get deferred as most engineers do, besides the ones with ridiculous stats, I’m just doing priority for the small chance that I do get accepted. I just cannot get my reading any higher though. I thought I did great on my last reading test, but apparently since it was so easy, every wrong answer marked me down even more than usual. The highest I ever got on the reading was a 25 on a practice, but that is still low. I’ll read up on some tips so I can try to get it up on my next and final ACT, but it probably will not happen unless I manage to guess right. I guess I will just try to spend more time reading and less on the questions. My ACT isn’t very high overall because I never did practice for it besides for the practice tests and the little things that we did in school. So, overall, I would say I did a good job for just taking it without a tutor or book. But since I am highly opposed to it and as stubborn as hell, I will not give ACT, Inc. any more money on it than for the actual cost of the tests. That is right, they are a business that is out there to eat your souls and steal your money!<br>
But thanks for the replies and keep them coming please.</p>

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<p>EDIT: “Should I also include that he went to U of I or is that too pushy, or do they really not care about him attending?”
I started my application and it asks this question so I will not need to put this in my essay.</p>

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<p>Your principles regarding ACT, while admirable, may keep you from your goal. Do anything you can to increase your act composite. It is weighed only slightly less heavily than GPA and class rank. Your chances of getting into ChemE are fair, but most applicants today take an ACT prep, or some other form of prepping. Don’t let that be the reason you don’t get in. At any rate, applying for priority is a good move. Where the application asks for anything else you might think is pertinent to your application (something like that), explain that you self-studied for the ACT and did not take a prep because you believed that studying to the test would be an artificial measure of your academic abilities, which you wanted to stand on their own. That would be a way for you to communicate your principles regarding the ACT in a positive way at least.</p>

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<p>Yes, I’m sure the admission staff would love to hear my thoughts on how the “college readiness tests” are flawed (: On the other hand, it would make me stand out as an individual.
In all seriousness, that is a good idea that I may use, but I don’t think studying for the test would have helped much. I may have gotten a 29 or 30 composite if my reading improve, but really I feel that that would be it, even though that may make the deal.</p>

<p>Side question: If I end up getting accepted into DGS, what would the course work be like? Could I still take some classes for ChemE and the rest being the general requirements to get those out of the way? It doesn’t say much besides that future engineers may take math and science.
Thanks</p>

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<p>You can enroll for the same classes as those initially accepted into engineering. You just have to end up with the GPA (usually a minimum 3.0 overall, and a 3.0 min in math and science) to transfer.</p>

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<p>Well, considering I’m going in with at least 16 credit hours (depending on AP scores) with about a 3.75 GPA (on the low end), I think I can manage to keep above a 3.1 GPA, making this acceptance thing only a problem for people who suck at school and could only get in because they have ECs and lucky test scores, if I’m understanding this correctly and there is not any surprises later on. I guess it is just the comfort factor to know you will get the degree as long as you do not fail the courses.</p>

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<p>I would not underestimate the difficulty and competitiveness of the engineering school at UIUC. I think you are in for some work to maintain a 3.0 average…I could be wrong but the classes are hard and the competition is tough! Be ready!</p>

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<p>I do realize it is college and it is one of the toughest majors, but I should be able to handle it as long as I am kept interested in it. If I am not, then it I should probably switch majors to something I do like then.</p>

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<p>i’d think you have a good chance of getting in. if not during priority filling, then definitely during the regular admission. as already said above, should you be admitted to a second choice (DGS), you’ll just have to take the classes that a chemE would take. this would be accelerated chem sequence, calc-based physics, chbe 121, and some sort of calculus (probably calc 3 in your case). chemE is weird since its in las, not engineering, but transferring is pretty easy after freshman year once you meet the required gpa (i’m in the transfer process now as a chem major).</p>

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<p>Anyone have any input of my essay topics?

  1. How my dad and volunteer experiences shaped me. (Is this too typical?)
  2. My amazing Rube Goldberg project.</p>

<p>Respond quickly. I will probably have these done by tomorrow. Also looking for readers. I will set up a new post when I have them.</p>

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<p>I’m a sophomore in chemical engineering, so if you have any questions, let me know.</p>

<p>Honestly, I think you have a decent chance of getting into the program, but if the admissions board puts you into DGS instead, it’s not too difficult to switch in. I didn’t come in with a lot of AP credit because my tiny high school only offered four AP classes, and I was able to switch in over the summer (I started out in biochem), so you will probably be fine. You won’t take any engineering classes your first year anyway, and the lower level classes have no restrictions. If you don’t get accepted into the major, you will have to take CHEM 202-205, PHYS 211-214, and MATH 221, 231 and 241 and maintain a 3.1 GPA. You can be missing two of these courses to be accepted, so you will probably have to wait until the beginning of sophomore year to switch but don’t worry - like I said, there are no restrictions on classes. You won’t run into any issues until second semester of sophomore year.</p>

<p>Anyway, good luck. Make sure to join AXE and AIChE.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the replies. The only reason why I have AP classes is because I take them online, so every kid in Illinois could take them. Hopefully I can just get accepted to ChemE, but I can deal with it if I get into DGS instead. </p>

<p>Finley, how difficult was your high school and how much of a change was it going to college? I plan to spend most of my time studying, but how many times as difficult would you say the chemical engineering program is from high school?
Thanks for the help.</p>

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<p>Does UIUC decide to place people into DGS during regular admission times only or would they do it for the priority time as well? I’m just concerned that if I magically did better on the October ACT, it would only count if I got deferred. But if I was put into DGS during priority it wouldn’t matter.</p>

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<p>For any future ChemE applicants, I did get accepted with these stats besides adding 2 awards, but they are pretty common (Illinois State Scholar and National Honor Award Student), and I got moved to 2/105 for rank. I forgot to put in High Honor Roll in my application, but I think they could figure that out with my grades :stuck_out_tongue: I would say get a good math score on testing, challenge yourself (especially Senior year), and write at least one “knock your socks off” essay.
Good Luck Everyone!!!</p>

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<p>I made it into chemical engineering this year
3.9 GPA
31 ACT
hella ECs :D</p>

<p>improve your ACT</p>

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<p>??? I said I did get accepted. Why would I need to improve my ACT? LOL</p>