This week, a good number of our Facebook friends had been posting on our wall their ACT scores and GPA and asking me (yes, the same guy who writes on the blog is the facebook/twitter guy as well) to tell them their chances for admission to the university.
This prompted me to write a little about the freshmen decision process.
Ahh, if it were as simple as GPA and ACT score. In fact, that actually was the case, more than a decade ago at UIC. In the 1990's our application had a sliding scale that would literally tell you that if you had a, say, 20 on your ACT, you would need this corresponding class rank, say, top 15% in order to be admitted. We would then take applications, look at this scale, make quick decisions, and then close programs when we had enough students in them. This process is called rolling admissions. The advantage to this was that it was pretty cut and dry and decisions happened pretty quickly. However, it had its limitations.
Back when the millennium changed, we reviewed our process, and important people at UIC starting thinking: Is the ACT score the best factor for predicting college success? Do all high schools calculate class ranks the same way? Is it an inherently fair process? Does it take any extenuating circumstances into account? Can you identify positive non-cognitive factors via a class rank and ACT score alone?
The answer they came to, in short, is: not really.
Therefore UIC has moved to a different selection process that takes a more holistic view of the applicant. Additionally, we now view your application in the context of the rest of the applications that we'll receive for a given year.
So what does that all mean? Your decision is based on more than just your GPA and standardized test scores. We don't simply plug your scores into a computer and then spit out a decision, but your application is reviewed by multiple people who are looking for insight on how you'll do once you arrive at UIC.
Now, we take a look at a number of things, including: Class rank, GPA, personal statement ,GPA trend, coursework strength, pattern, and selection.
The most important factor for us is the type of classes you've taken and how well you've done in those classes in the context of their difficulty. Sustaining a GPA of 3.0/4.0 with strong college prep coursework is different than taking the bare minimum possible for graduation. And we also read those personal statements: Writing a solar energy grant for your high school might be interesting to our Earth and Environmental science program. Theatre will want to know if you took the lead in your Junior year musical. Helping your sister through a difficult health situation might have impacted your GPA, but says something about your drive to succeed anyway. All types of nuances can be brought into the decision making process.
The final wildcard is that we never know, year to year, who will be applying to UIC. If every student in Illinois decides to send us an application this year, it will be more difficult to get in, than if we have a down year. There is a constant amount of classroom space and a fluctuating amount of students looking to sit in those classrooms.
That all said, we have seen patterns develop over the years, which is why we provide information like the middle 50% of ACT scores and such, which was discussed in a previous post. While I can certainly understand you wanting to know if you have a good chance – and thus posting on our wall your scores – I have to say that, ultimately, the best way to know, is to apply, make the best case for yourself, and see what happens. That, in the end, is what this whole application process is about, kids.
Until next time.
