Was it all those volunteer hours you put in? Your sharp grades? That little horseshoe anecdote in your essay that made the admissions counselors LOL all the way home? You don’t know, but what you do know is that you just got accepted into one of the most storied universities in the nation. Well done, you!
So, what now? Can you really keep preparing for college after being accepted? Of course you can! Let’s use a flowchart to consider your options:
Now that you’re officially an Illini, we can delve into your next steps!
(But seriously, if you’re on the fence about your college decision, here are 10 reasons why the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a great choice.)
Maybe that header above should have been called “Your Best Friend,” because that’s what your Admitted Student Checklist is. Your checklist is tailored to you and lays out exactly what your next steps are. Plus, your tasks will be checked off as you complete them, which is incredibly satisfying.
You can find your personal checklist by clicking on your application for admission in myIllini. It’s waiting for you! Meanwhile, we’ll touch on some of the basics below.
Once you accept your offer of admission (the first step on your checklist), you’ll be assigned a NetID. Your NetID is basically your username for most UIUC resources and accounts. It will stay the same all throughout college and can make for a snappy nickname. Hey there, qpklbbt4! Maybe not. Still, it’s fun to get a new email address.
Now comes the hard part: to claim your NetID, you need to think of a good password. Of course, coming up with good passwords is aNn0Ying. You’re going to be even more bUGG3d when you learn that you’ll have to come up with a new password at the end of each year, but think of it as a practice in creativity.
If you haven’t already, you should figure out how you’re going to pay for college. To help with that decision, consider looking into financial aid options. Be sure to submit your FAFSA (fill it out even if you don’t think you’ll get anything! More students qualify for financial aid than you might expect) and check out scholarship opportunities. This is a complicated step, so as always, we’ve broken it down further if you want more information.
At UIUC, all first-year students need to live on campus, whether that be in one of the university’s residence halls or in housing approved by the university. The exception is if you are a squirrel; first-year squirrels are permitted to live on the Quad but should understand that they must find their own food.
Whenever you’re ready, we have more to say about finding your home away from home.
You can’t begin your college education without classes. And that’s what New Student Registration is for! You can get a sneak peek of the near-infinite list of classes available at UIUC through our course explorer. (Vegetable gardening? Don’t mind if I do!) But no need to pore over your options; your academic advisors will have plenty of sage advice to share when you meet with them during registration to discuss your plans.
You can learn more about the New Student Registration process, including what you need to do to sign up and how you should prepare it, on our website.
Remember when you were filling out your application and you self-reported all those grades and, in some cases, tests scores? Well, now that you’re admitted, we want official versions that we can hang up on our fridges. You need to have any test scores (like the ACT or SAT) sent directly to us from the testing agency, and your final transcripts sent directly to us from your high school.
You’ll also need to send us immunization forms, and if you’re an international student, you may need to submit an I-20 form as well.
Do you yearn to feel the UIUC quad under your sneakers? Or would you prefer to see the ins and outs of campus while buried in a pile of blankets on the couch? Whatever your preference is, we’ve got you covered. We have a whole slew of in-person and virtual visit options to help you learn more about UIUC and your next steps.
Whether you choose to visit in-person or online, you’ll have the opportunity to picture yourself on campus and learn what UIUC has to offer you.
What’s that on your fingertips? It’s fresh opportunity! We try to do it right here at UIUC, especially in regard to the resources we provide our students. Now that you’re an Illini, be sure to check out what the campus has to offer. Here are just some of the highlights:
And that’s not even half of it. Whether it’s the indoor waterslide, the 3D Printing Lab, the three medical clinics, or the free movie nights at the Union, treasures of all kinds await you throughout your new beginning at UIUC.
There’s a lot to do now that you’ve been admitted, and so much more to discover while preparing for college. You’ve passed a big milestone on the journey to college, and now the adventure begins. Give yourself a round of applause, a pat on the back, or a milkshake, because you definitely deserve it.
We're here for you as you prepare for college. Whether you're looking for guidance on the college search process or have questions about Illinois, we hope our blogs will help!
