Higher education plays a huge part in our world today, but is college worth it? It depends. Here are some things to consider as you decide if going to college is a good plan for you. What can college do for you...
Category - College Prep
Balancing What You Want to Do vs. What’s Expected of You
Maybe your family is full of critically acclaimed authors, but you’ve always preferred writing code to writing stories. Maybe you’ve said you wanted to be a doctor since you were three but have found a new passion after...
“What Should I Major In?” Here’s How to Choose a College Major
Choosing one of the many college majors out there can be a huge source of anxiety. Maybe you have a gut feeling about what you want to study in college. Maybe your gut is telling you to start heading toward the ice...
How to Succeed in High School so You’re Set for Life
Everyone likes to talk about the best ways to succeed in adult life, but they may fail to mention how you can use your high school experience to prepare yourself for that wonderful post-graduation future. Here’s the...
A Illinois Parent’s Guide: 10 Things to Do Before Your Child Applies
Is your child considering the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in their college search? If so, this post was written especially for you! Read on for 10 ways you can learn more about our university and help...
Worried You’re Choosing the Wrong College?
Right now, you probably feel like you’re being forced to make decisions that will determine the course of the rest of your life. We’re here to tell you that they won’t—and that you’re going to be fine! While it might...
The College Application Process: 7 Ways to Organize Your College Apps
Our word of the day is higgledy-piggledy. Definition: what the college application process will be like if you’re not organized. We know you’ve got a ton going on already, and there are probably a lot of things you’d...
50 Questions to Ask on a College Visit
College visits can be overwhelming. You may step foot on your first-ever tour with no idea how to get the most out of it, what you should pay attention to, or what questions to ask. We don’t want you to feel that way...
Standardized Test-Taking Strategies: How to Triumph!
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is test-optional, meaning that high school students applying for admission aren’t required to submit SAT or ACT results. In some cases, a TOEFL iBT, IELTS, or Duolingo...
College Road Map: Your Guide to Planning for College
1. Talk to your high school counselor about your college goals. Chances are that your counselor is one of your high school’s best-kept secrets. Even if it’s not required, talking to your counselor is a great...
A Vacation From Vacations: 6 Reasons Why You Should Consider Summer Programs at Illinois
At first glance, going to school during the summer may seem completely backwards. After a year spent studying and scrambling over homework, why repeat the process when you could finally be sleeping in instead? But...
How to Make the Most of Your Illinois Campus Visit
You’ve signed up for your Illinois campus visit! Well done. If you and your Aunt Sue are heading all the way over to Champaign-Urbana, you’re going to want to make the most of your time there. Here’s how. How to...
How to Prepare for College in the U.S. as an International Student
Making the decision to attend college in another country can be daunting. If you’re left wondering what you need to do to get ready, you’ve come to the right place! We’re here to help you learn about how to prepare for...
High School Tips: How to Get the Most Out of Your High School Experience
You probably had some vision of what “high school” looked like when you were little, but actually being a high school student is a whole different story. It can be weird, and even a little scary, to be at a point in...
Search Not-Quite-Party: How to Navigate the COVID-19 Pandemic as a Future College Student
Life as we know it is fundamentally different from how it was last year. What’s happening right now is. not. normal. No matter what we say, all of you know that’s true, and to brush past what’s going on does a...
5 Ways to Prepare for Illinois as an International Student
Making sure you’re ready for the college of your choice is always a challenge—especially when that college is in a different country! Today we’re giving you 5 things you can do right now to prepare for the University of...
How to Help Your Child Choose a College: A Parent’s Guide to College Decisions
You’ve guided your child through so many of life’s turns. Now it looks like they’re heading toward the biggest one so far—deciding where to go to college. Should you race up to them and take the wheel? Should you close...
“I can’t decide. Help!” Here’s how to choose a college when you’re torn between offers.
You’ve filled out the applications, waited months to hear back, and now you’ve been admitted to all of your top-choice colleges. So which offer should you accept? Deciding which college to attend might be the biggest...
College Planning Checklist for Parents
It’s tough. Your kid—the one who still looks a lot like that middle schooler they were a few years ago—is going to be applying to college soon. If you’re wondering how in the world the two of you will make it to move-in...
How to Help Your Child Start the College Search
No matter how far along your child is in their high school experience, it’s not too soon (or too late!) to start thinking about college. Here’s why: Although the search process is complicated, it becomes...
