Incoming Spring 2010 students

Posted by Dan on November 06, 2009; 12 Responses
Topics: Everyday Life, Housing, Student Organizations

Admitted students:

Congratulations! We hope you will accept your offer of admission. If you have decided to matriculate at Illinois, the checklist for incoming students will provide information for your next steps.

Admitted students are sent an evaluation of transfer credit report with your letter of admission. The report is generated by our degree audit system, DARwin. We have a web page that will assist you in the interpretation of the report.

You might think about a few other things, too:

Get involved

It will be great to get involved early on. Check out Student Affairs’ web page for information about student life on campus. There is always a lot going on at Illinois! Note that many Student Affairs units are on Facebook.

You will find many student groups (called Registered Student Organizations, or RSOs) on campus. RSOs that are just for fun, that are related to majors or careers, that are religious or political–everything you could imagine–are available. People join groups all the time, so don’t feel shy about jumping in when you get here in January. You will be welcome! Browse the directory and see if there is a group (or two) for you. (If you don’t find the group you’re looking for, starting one is easy. The folks at the Illini Union will help you out if you’re interested.)

One RSO, Transfer Student Connection, is dedicated to transfer students. They would love to have you! Through TSC you can meet other new students as well as continuing transfer students. Being part of the group now can help you make the transition to campus. Being a part of the group in the coming semesters when you’re a continuing student can help you stay active with a fun group, take on increasing leadership roles, and help welcome the new transfers who come to Illinois after you.

A group of students on campus who serve as Transfer Experience and Advising Mentors (TEAM) Leaders have a Facebook group you might be interested in joining. Once spring is underway, TEAM Leaders will be hosting varied events you will certainly be interested in knowing about.

Find a home

I know spring transfer means a number of challenges, including securing housing. You can be confident that if you would like to move into a residence hall, you will have a space!

University Housing has spaces and offers a wide variety of options including traditional housing, a transfer cluster, graduate housing (which is open to anyone 20 or over), apartment housing, and family housing.

Private Certified Housing options are also available. One unit, Illini Tower, has a transfer student floor. (I’ve been told there is space on this floor for new spring students, so if you’re interested check out IT.)

Off-campus housing is very popular with transfer students. I urge anyone considering signing a lease to take advantage of the very helpful services the Tenant Union offers. Their web page links to sources you can find rental listings. They also offer tips–what to know before you sign a lease, what to do before moving in, and so forth. Key word is “before.” Go to the Tenant Union’s web page and get informed before you sign anything.

(See also an older blog post I put up on this topic.)

Start getting to know campus

Before coming to campus, or soon after you arrive, you might want to take a campus tour. You can find information online about setting up a campus visit or doing a virtual tour from where you are.

It might help your transition if before you move to Champaign-Urbana you preview the campus using the University’s campus maps. You might also want to check out the Student Affairs Facility Google map that helps students find your way around campus, particularly to their areas.

You can also find useful information about staying safe on campus on the Student Affairs web page.

Questions?

You are welcome to post questions here, of course. If you have questions for a current student, you can contact Transfer Mentors via the Undergraduate Admissions web page.

(Applicants or prospective students who have not yet been admitted, you might find answers to your questions in other blog posts. You are certainly welcome to ask questions there if there is anything you are wondering about.)

Responses

Please note that responses close after 90 days.

amit sangai
11.07.09
1:46 am

Hi Dan! Haven’t got my decision yet.When can I expect to get the decision?

Illini Tower
11.09.09
10:22 am

Yes, Illini Tower has a Transfer Floor! We understand that Transfer students do not fit in the category of Freshmen, but they are still brand new to the campus. Knowing this, we are attempting to accommodate their needs as new students, but also as older students. Come take a tour today to see how we can make I.T. your home!

Dan
11.09.09
2:06 pm

Amit,

We have information on the web page regarding dates and deadlines.

Dan

Andrew Kumler
11.11.09
5:44 pm

Hey Dan,

I was just curious as to when my Illinois email account becomes active? I have my NetID already but it won’t let me login to email. Thanks.

Zack
11.11.09
7:50 pm

Hey Dan,

What is the maximum number of a credits I can transfer over?

Thanks!

Dan
11.13.09
1:25 pm

Andrew,

Your @illinois.edu email will be available before the spring semester begins, but probably not until next month according to CITES, the unit that supports student email accounts and other technological aspects of campus life.

Dan

Dan
11.13.09
1:28 pm

Zack,

There is no maximum number of hours. However, there is a maximum length of time on campus. Because a University of Illinois education is a highly valued and limited resource, students are required to complete the degree within 10 semesters. Note that the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will review very carefully any applicant with 80 or more transferable hours to ensure that the student would be able to graduate within the required time-frame.

You should also be aware that the University’s residency requirement is that you complete 60 hours on campus. Therefore, transferring in over about 60 hours generally means extending the total number of hours it would take to meet bachelor’s degree requirements.

Dan

Jon
11.16.09
5:28 pm

Hi Dan,

I checked my application status last wednesday and saw that I have been accepted but haven’t received anything in the mail yet. When do acceptance letters get sent out??

Thanks,
Jon

Claire
11.16.09
7:58 pm

Hey Dan,

My application status shows “admit-College reviewed” last Monday, however I haven’t received the official admission letter yet. How long it will take generally speaking?

Dan
11.17.09
1:10 pm

Jon and Claire,

Letters are generally put in the mail about one business day after the admission decision is entered in our system. Delivery time will depend on where the letter is going. If based on where you live and when your decision was entered you believe your letter must have been lost by the postal service, you can contact Admissions. We will first verify that your address is current and correct and then generate a new letter.

In the meantime, you can see the admitted student checklist for spring 2010 students online to get started taking action.

Dan

Zack
11.18.09
4:31 pm

Hey Dan,

I’ll be transferring in 68 transferable credit hours if I get in for Fall 2010. Could I choose not to transfer over 1-2 classes (that are transferable) so I can be on track to finish 60 credit hours on campus?

Thanks!

Dan
11.20.09
3:29 pm

Zack,

It is not possible for a student to choose the work that is counted. You simply need to submit all your academic records and all transferable coursework will be added to your student profile. Admitted students will work with an academic advisor on a plan to take you through to graduation.

The University residency requirement is 60 hours, so regardless of the number of transfer hours all students will need to complete at least 60 hours at Illinois.
Dan