Any tips on applying to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as an out of state applicant?

Answered

I had an inside tour at UIUC through my high school, and they said a lot of what they looked for was a topic of interest that reflected in your school work and extracurriculars. UIUC makes you write a “why this major” essay, and the expect to see both interest in and out of the classroom. If you have a specific major in mind, a way to stand out is to show you have interest in that subject in your transcript and in your extracurriculars. The other thing is UIUC wants to see you taking the most advanced classes you can. Of course, they don’t expect you to take all AP’s, but they want to see you taking as many challenges and risks as you can. UIUC accepts over 60% of its applicants, so as long as your grades are fairly average, you’ll be able to get in. One thing is UIUC gives a lot less financial aid for kids who come from out of state because it is a state school trying to attract kids from Illinois. Make sure you have other scholarships and/or grants.