Getting To UIUC (Chicago, Springfield, Champaign: credit, transfer, high school)

[Illini2831]

Hello I am originally from the Monmouth/Galesburg area of Illinois (western) and I moved to Florida where I'm graduating from a high school in Jacksonville. I was recently accepted into UIS and was declined at UIUC. I am really set on graduating from UIUC but I'm not sure on how to do it in terms of if I should go to UIS for two years and then transfer over, or if I should go to a junior college first such as Parkland for two years and then transfer over to UIUC?? Also who should I start talking to at UIUC to get transfer issues arranged and such?? I was wondering if any of you out there have any insight on this matter. All replies will be greatly accepted.
Thank You

[chet everett]

Might want to check out sites dedicated to the transfer and college admissions process. Some years there is extremely tough competition into some programs and other years it is much easier.

[NearWestSider]

I don't know anyone personally who has transferred between UIS and UIUC, but I do know that transferring between UIC and UIUC is easy and can be done without losing any credit as long as the classes are offered in both campuses. Even the summer session at UIC has been set up to facilitate UIUC kids going to summer school in Chicago.

I also have known a fair number of kids who entered UIC with the idea of eventually transferring downstate. Some actually did it, but most ended up too acclimated to big city life to be satisfied with a college town. Not that college towns are bad or anything, just that they have a tendency to look quite a bit different (and considerably less compelling) through the eyes of a 21 year old than an 18 year old.

If it was me, I'd take what the U of I offered you (ie, a seat in Springfield ). You really can't go wrong, plus you get not one but TWO seamless transfer options (Urbana and Chicago) if for whatever reason you don't want to finish there. Get your prerequisites done, keep you grades up, and you'll end up where you want to be.

[illini84]

As a UIUC grad myself, I had many friends who started at Parkland and transferred in to UIUC. So many seats are held for transfer students each year, especially those coming in from Parkland. Almost everything transfers between UIUC and Parkland, too, so you wouldn't have to worry about taking classes that wouldn't end up counting for anything. Personally, I would vote for Parkland so you could start living in Champaign (love it there, by the way) and wouldn't have to get used to a new city (and leave all your Springfield friends behind). I realize a JuCo isn't as prestigious as a 4-year, but in the end, who's gonna know? You still get your degree from UIUC. Maybe you could even transfer in after a year.