Deferred
What does it mean to be deferred?
Thank you for your interest in the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign! With an increasingly large and competitive applicant pool, we want to carefully consider how you and your strengths fit into this year’s entire group of first-year applicants. As part of this process, we have decided to defer your application, and you’ll instead receive a final decision on our second notification date.
What are my chances on being admitted for regular decision?
It’s difficult to give an accurate answer to this question since we haven’t reviewed our entire applicant pool yet. In the past few years, we’ve admitted between 1,500 to 2,000 students in regular decision who were deferred in early action.
Can I call or email to find out why I was deferred?
No, staff will not be available to discuss your deferred decision via phone, and we do not discuss decisions via email.
Can I send in my current senior grades or other information to improve my chances?
To ensure a consistent and fair review process, we don’t consider any additional information other than what was provided in your initial application.
I applied with ACT/SAT and/or English Language Proficiency scores. Can I send new scores?
Yes you can! We’ll accept new test scores up until our second notification date. Please note, though, that if you didn’t originally apply with ACT/SAT scores, you can’t submit scores at this point.
I listed a first- and second-choice major, am I still being considered for my first choice?
Yes, you’re still being considered for both your first and second choice at this time.
What should I do between now and the regular decision notification?
There’s nothing more you need to do, so for now, just keep working hard in your classes and enjoy your senior year.
Wait List
Because we receive more applications from highly qualified students than there are available positions in the entering class, some students will receive an offer to join the wait list. Once we know how many students have accepted our initial offer of admission, we’ll use this list to fill the remaining spots in the class.
The wait list isn’t ranked; our selection is based on a variety of factors and remaining needs for the class. Our commitment to holistic review will continue as we select students from the wait list in order to balance and complete our first-year class.
How do I know which major I’m wait listed for?
If your decision is “Offered Wait List,” we’re offering you the wait list for your first-choice major. If your decision is “Offered Wait List, Undeclared,” we’re offering you the wait list for the Undeclared program in our Division of Exploratory Studies.
How many people are on the wait list?
The number of students on the wait list varies each year. Depending on space availability, we may offer wait-listed students admission. Some years we’re able to admit hundreds of students from the wait list, while some years we can’t admit any.
Can I improve my chances if I send additional information to support my application or come to campus for an interview?
No, additional materials such as letters of recommendation and senior year grades won’t be considered. Only the application materials that were reviewed initially will be used in any wait-list decisions. Interviews aren’t part of our admissions process.
If I accept the wait-list offer, when will I hear a final admission decision?
If you wish to be on our wait list, you need to accept your wait-list offer within myIllini by April 1. We’ll notify you of your admission decision by late June. If you’re admitted, you’ll then be sent a complete admissions packet.
What’s the process for selecting applicants from the wait list?
If any openings become available for the college to which you were wait-listed, the admissions review committee will review your application. Applicants aren’t ranked within the wait list.
Will housing still be available?
We value the residential college experience, and housing is guaranteed for all first-year students, including those selected for admission from the wait list. You’ll have a place to live in University Housing.
Will I still be eligible for financial aid?
You should go ahead and file financial aid paperwork for the school you expect to attend. If you’re selected for admission and didn’t initially list University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as one of the schools to receive your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) report, you can then have it transferred to us.
If I’m offered admission, will I be able to complete placement testing and attend New Student Registration?
Yes, information about New Student Registration and placement testing will be available online.
Should I accept admission at another school? What if I have to submit an enrollment deposit?
Yes, you should accept admission to another institution, as we can’t guarantee that any students from the wait list will be offered admission. If this institution requires an enrollment deposit, you’ll also need to send it. If you’re offered admission and choose to attend Illinois, you may lose this enrollment deposit. Check with the other institution about its refund policy.
If I’m not offered admission, can I apply again as a transfer student?
Yes, applicants who aren’t offered admission are eligible to apply as transfer students in a future year. When reviewing applicants with only 1 year of college work, we focus primarily on high school grades, test scores, and activities. When you’ve attended college full-time for 2 years, the strength of the college program and your academic achievement at the college level are given primary consideration. Learn more about our transfer application process.
What should I do now?
First, focus on choosing the best fit for you of the universities that have offered you admission. Wait lists are uncertain, so it’s best to ensure your happiness no matter the outcome. If you’re on our wait list, that means we really like you and you don’t need to improve your application. You should, however, continue to get good grades your senior year. If you’re still interested in attending Illinois, be patient. It may take some time, but you’ll receive wait-list news by the end of June.
Denied First-Year
What does being denied mean?
It means that, after carefully considering your application, we haven’t selected you for admission to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The larger applicant pool has made many academic programs more competitive. As a result, some students with strong academics, essays, and activities were denied due to space constraints in specific majors. We understand this news can be disappointing, and we encourage you to explore other opportunities and pathways listed below.
What does “Deny—Failed Special Requirement” mean?
It means that you didn’t meet audition or portfolio requirements for admission. If you’d like more information about the results of your audition or portfolio review, contact the department to which you applied directly.
What does “Deny—Incomplete Application” mean?
It means you did not submit the required supporting materials by the deadline.
I wasn’t selected for my first-choice major. Can I be considered for other majors?
If you listed a second-choice major on the application, you were considered for your first-choice major and your second-choice major.
I didn’t select a second-choice major, but now I’d like to be considered for one. What can I do?
As our application deadline has passed, there is nothing else you can do for consideration. We encourage you to explore other opportunities and pathways listed below.
I was denied because my high school grades and test scores weren’t competitive for admission. What are my options?
We encourage you to explore other opportunities and pathways listed below.
Can I reapply?
You can’t submit a new application for the term to which you were denied. You must wait to reapply for the next admission term.
What other paths are there to Illinois?
One option is to apply to Illinois as a transfer student. We also offer a variety of Pathway programs in which you’ll begin your undergraduate experience at a partner community college before transferring to Illinois.
Students graduating from a high school in the state of Illinois can explore the U of I System Transfer Guarantee, another alternate route to Illinois. Through this program, students transferring from any college or university who meet the program requirements are guaranteed admission into any of the University of Illinois System locations.
Appeals
Can I appeal my decision?
Yes, you can submit the Admission Appeal Form in myIllini, which will be available starting April 1. The deadline to submit an appeal is April 15.
An appeal should only be filed if new and compelling information is available that was not included in your application. We won’t consider 7th semester grades. New test scores will only be considered if they are received before regular decisions are posted.
I submitted an appeal. When will I find out if I’ve been reconsidered?
After submitting your appeal, allow two to four weeks for a decision to be made. Once it has, your status will be updated in myIllini.
If I applied without my ACT/SAT scores, can I appeal with them? If I applied with my ACT/SAT scores, can I appeal without them?
You are not able to appeal with a different test-optional selection. If you chose to report your scores on the application, those scores will be considered if you appeal. If you chose not to report your scores, we will not consider them in the appeal.
Denied Transfer
How can I obtain more specific information about my denial decision?
An admissions counselor would be happy to provide more information regarding the admission decision. Contact us at 217-333-0302 and ask to speak with a counselor.
I was denied because my high school grades weren’t competitive for admission. What are my options?
We encourage you to reapply once you have completed 36 or more graded, transferable hours of college coursework after graduating from high school. Please refer to our Transfer Handbook for a list of transfer admission prerequisites.
What does “Deny—Incomplete Application” mean?
It means you did not submit the required supporting materials by the deadline.
Can I reapply for the same term?
No, you can’t submit a new application for the term to which you were denied. You must wait to reapply for the next available admission term. Please review our open and closed majors to see if your desired program is available in the next term.
Appeals
Can I appeal my decision?
Yes, although an appeal should only be filed if new and compelling information is available or if you’d like to be considered for a program you didn’t apply to. You can submit the Decision Appeal Form in myIllini to be considered for your original major or a new major. We encourage you to speak with a transfer admissions counselor regarding your intent to appeal before submitting the Decision Appeal Form. Contact an admission counselor at 217-333-0302 for more information.
I submitted an appeal. When will I find out if I’ve been reconsidered?
We’ll notify you of your decision 2 to 4 weeks after your appeal has been submitted. The deadline to appeal is December 20 for spring and June 1 for fall. Your decision will be posted within myIllini.