An Explanation of Admission Decisions

An Explanation of Admission Decisions It’s finally here: the day you have been holding your breath for, decision day. We are thankful for all of the applications we have received, and we are beyond excited to release our decisions. With all of the excitement, we want each of you to understand all of the decisions you could possibly face. We want to help you prepare for decision day and be more confident in your next steps. So let’s get to it! Admitted Congrats, you are an ILLINI! This decision may seem like the most self-explanatory one. Certainly, it is a time to celebrate. But after you scream, jump up and down, and then catch your breath, make sure you continue to read through your admitted status. As you may already know, students can be admitted to their first-choice major, second-choice major, or an alternate major. So you should check to see which major you were admitted to. If you weren’t admitted to your first-choice major, you have been placed on the wait list for that major. Your Admitted Student Checklist, which can be found in myIllini, is a great resource for finding out the next steps on your journey to joining the Illini family. Also, check out our admitted student FAQto receive answers to any questions you may have. Students wanting to change their major should call our office for more information on the process. Denied While this decision may be disappointing, it is important to know that we received thousands of applications, and while we would love to make everyone an Illini, it was a very competitive process. Be sure to check out our denied FAQ for more information. We also encourage you to look into the opportunity of transferring into Illinois after completing 30 transferable credits at another institution. Feel free to contact our office if you have any questions about transferring. Deferred Early action applicants may receive a deferred decision. Being deferred can occur if you have applied to a competitive major or college. This means that we need more time to review your application. We will review the strength of your application with our entire applicant pool. Because we will receive all of our applications by January, you will receive a final decision on March 1. We will not accept any additional documents while you are waiting for your decision. Wait Listed Regular decision applicants may be placed on our wait list. Being wait listed may seem like another self-explanatory decision, but there are two types of wait-list decisions. If your decision says “Offered Wait List,” this means that we have placed you on the wait list for your first-choice major. If your decision says “Offered Campus Wait List,” this means that we have placed you on the wait list for your second-choice major, the Division of General Studies, or any alternate majors that may fit the academic interests demonstrated within your application. You are probably thinking, “How competitive is this wait list?” Well, to answer your question, we do not rank our wait list. Students are selected off the wait list based on various factors. We select students that fit the remaining needs of our incoming class after conducting a holistic review. I know this was a lot to take in, and I hope it brings clarity for what to expect. Now, let’s get excited for decision day! Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns, or you can comment below. Ebony Regional Representative, Undergraduate Admissions I live in Atlanta, Georgia and recruit students from both Georgia and my home state of Florida. I earned my BS from Florida State University and am currently working on my MBA at Nova Southeastern University.