Graduate Admissions - International Students

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All right. It looks like all who wanted to join have joins. So let's go ahead and get started. As you see from the slide here, the statue of Abraham Lincoln, A, we are in the land of Abraham Lincoln in Illinois. This is where Abraham Lincoln worked. He lived and where he launched his presidential campaign from. So you're probably very familiar with Abraham Lincoln as one of our most famous presidents. So this is where University of Illinois is located.

My name is Jonathan Pierce.

I am the Assistant Director for International Recruitment. I have this slide at the very end of my presentation as well, so you can get my contact information there. So we'll go ahead and move on to our agenda for the day.

So during today's session, I will cover some of the common questions regarding the admission cycle or whether you have already applied or if you intend to apply in the future. I'll share more information about UIS and what makes us a unique university. I'll talk a little bit about campus life and your transition to life in the United States, and at US I'll provide some information about the application process both for undergraduate and graduate students, and discuss the requirements. I'll share details about.

Available scholarships and funding a life on campus including housing options. And then after your are admitted, what comes next? So during our presentation I will not be able to answer any chat questions and it appears that I'm the only one in this presentation today. Usually we have somebody who monitors the chat feature, so I will not be able to address any questions. But at the end of the presentation you'll see my e-mail address. Again, you're welcome to e-mail me any questions that you have and I'd be happy to help you.

Via e-mail. So let's move on to the next slide.

Give me just a moment while the dance is here.

So US is a mid sized university in the capital city of the state of Illinois. We're well connected with Illinois government public policy and we have a tradition of educating public servants and leaders. Many of our alum transitioned to private or public service in the Springfield area. We're not considered a research one university, but we have research opportunities for students in part because of our connections to public servants and to business leaders around our community.

We are a liberal arts institution that prepares students to function in today's complex world, and we prepare students with workplace skills that are transferable and practical in their employment. Now you'll develop a sense of social responsibility in your local and broader worldwide community within the Greater Springfield area and within state government. More than 25% of our workforce are US alum, so this provides great opportunities for networking and internship opportunities.

As you see here on the map, the state of Illinois, highlighted in blue on the map, is centrally located in what is known as the Midwest. On this map, you see the two main points of entry into the US, which I'll discuss in more detail in upcoming slides.

The city of Springfield where US is located within is within the central part of the state where the yellow star is. This shows you approximately how far we are from the two major points of entry for international students coming to US. Chicago to the north is a third largest city in the US and we are about 3 hours drive or train ride. Saint Louis to the South is about 1.5 hours drive or train ride and many of our international students will visit these cities during the weekends.

Or during breaks. Our campus consists of about 3 square kilometers with many outdoor and peaceful activities to engage in.

The city of Springfield itself has a population of only 120,000 people, so this might seem like a small city for you if you're from a large city, But we are very supportive of our students, both at US and in the community, and we want to provide you with every opportunity to succeed.

Now, US is accredited by a regional accrediting body called the Higher Learning Commission. As you consider various university options throughout the US, it is important to know if that university is regionally accredited or not. This involves a high vetting process and high standards for the education they provide. Unfortunately, there are some universities that are not accredited, so coursework or even degrees earned from those universities may not be recognized or transferable.

Now US is part of the University of Illinois system made-up of three sister schools that provide a world class education. University of Illinois Urbana Champaign is the largest, which is about 1.5 hours away from Springfield, University of Illinois, Chicago, located within the City of Chicago, and University of Illinois Springfield. Now each university operates independently from each other with their own application and admissions process and with different programs and we do not share.

Documents between the university, So if you decide to apply to one of the others, be sure that you're applying to the correct one and meeting their individual admissions requirements.

Now a little bit about UIS. As I mentioned previously, we are a smaller university, but we strive to be inclusive of our diverse campus community and to offer educational opportunities for students. As you see here from the statistics of 40,200 students as approximately how many we have, 15% of those are international students from 53 countries. 57% of our students are undergraduates seeking a bachelor degree, 43% are graduates seeking masters or doctoral degree.

62% of our students are they study on campus here in Springfield and 38% study online. Now we are a leader in online education. This will happen well before the pandemic took place as well. If you're unable to leave family or have other responsibilities in your home country, you can still earn a US degree online from where you are as part of our diverse campus community. You can see by our average age that we have students of all ages taking classes at US.

This diversity in age is representative of what you might find in your current or future job, once again showing how you us prepare students for real world situations. So whether you are of a traditional younger age or an older graduate student, you will find people who are similar in age to you on our campus.

Now we are a very student focused campus with small classrooms which offers many opportunities for students to have direct contact with faculty who will work directly with students and therefore faculty can provide a richer and more engaging learning experience directly related to your degree subject. Our average student to faculty ratio is 13 to one. We do not have large lecture halls with hundreds of students, which makes your learning environment a more personalized.

All of our degrees are housed in four different colleges. So the College of Business and Management, College of Health, Science and Technology, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, The College of Public Affairs and Education. Now, when you apply to UIS, you're applying generally to UIS, regardless of your intended degree.

Now sometimes students wonder what's the difference between degree seeking and non degree seeking. So, on campus classes are taught in Springfield. We offer more than 50 undergraduate programs and more than 30 graduate programs, including one doctoral program. Students who are admitted to on campus programs are eligible for F1 student visa. Students are admitted to online programs are not eligible for F1 student visa since they are studying.

From outside the US.

The benefit of online programs, Excuse me, I'm on the wrong slide here. Just realized, here we go. The benefit of online programs is that you can earn a US degree from anywhere around the world. Online classes are taught by the same faculty you teach on campus, thus enriching the learning experience and giving you access to the same faculty who teach on campus in the online environment. We offer over 15 undergraduate programs and over 20 graduate programs and I'll discuss more.

About your options in in the next slide and parts of the.

Presentation.

Now back to this question about degree and non degree seeking. Degree seeking is relates to programs that lead to a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree. Undergraduate students can add a minor to their program of choice. Graduate students can add a certificate to their program of choice. Both of these options increase the students knowledge and skill. Now non degree seeking students are those not earning a degree such as exchange students or students.

Taking classes merely for personal or professional benefit. This includes graduate certificate programs of which we offer over 30 options. Non degree seeking students are not eligible for scholarships or for an F1 student visa.

Now the difference between undergraduate and graduate studies. Undergraduate studies lead to a bachelor degree. You can apply as a first time a first year student if you will complete or have completed a high school diploma and have not earned any university level coursework or credit. If you have some university credit but have not earned a degree yet, you can apply as a transfer student but you will be working towards completing a bachelor's degree graduate studies.

US and universities throughout the US is for students who have completed or will complete an equivalent to US Bachelor degree, and the graduate program will lead to a Master or Doctoral degree. So be mindful of these differences as you submit your application based on coursework you have already completed.

Now let's look at the admissions requirements for undergraduate students. So whether applying as first year or transfer student, you will submit your application online, either through our UIS website, or through Coalition or Common App, or in some cases through an agency, in which case you need to work directly with your agent to complete all application requirements. Most programs require a personal statement, so just pay attention to the requirements listed in your application.

Checklist. We must receive official transcripts directly from your schools and we cannot accept student copies of transcripts or certificates. We also require an English proficiency exam and offer many different options, including IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo, and many more. The application fee for undergraduate students is $60.00 and there is no waiver provided.

At the undergraduate program, you are admitted to the university and not to a specific program, so you have opportunities to change your major and focus on opportunities that are of greatest interest to you as a transfer student. There are some specific requirements that must be met, and those will be listed not only in our academic catalog but also in your application checklist.

Now the application for process. For graduate students it is quite a bit different. There is a minimum GPA requirement of 2.5 out of a 4.0 scale for full admission. And note that some programs have even higher GPA requirements. So pay attention to the program specific requirements. Some programs have course prerequisites and may require writing samples or letters of recommendation. The graduate application is $75.

And there are no waivers. We recognize that application fees and fees for transcript evaluations are expensive. The overall education at US is about $38,000 per year. That includes 3 semesters. And so the application fees demonstrate your commitment to pursuing an education at UIS.

Now for transfer students, let me see if I'm on the correct slide here. Yes, I am a transfer and graduate students will apply directly from our website link that you see here on screen. First year students can apply through our website through Coalition or Common app. As I mentioned previously, after you create your account, you need to select the type of application you want to complete. If you want to apply for a batch or degree on campus, you will select undergraduate.

If you want to apply for a Master's or doctoral degree on campus, you will select graduate. If you want to apply for any of our online degrees, whether undergraduate or graduate, you will select online. If you want to apply for a graduate certificate or as an exchange student, you will apply as non degree seeking and you will not be eligible for a visa.

Now let's talk about the application process. So after submitting your application, you will need to request official transcripts, grade marks, or certificates to be sent directly from your schools to UIS. Those include high school transcripts, country specific exam results, or certificates. Those requirements are listed on our website as well as within your application portal checklist.

Transferring graduate students do not need to send us high school transcripts, mark sheets, or exam results, but we will need official transcripts from all colleges and universities you attended. Please do not send your copies of transcripts because we cannot accept those. We must receive official transcripts from your schools now. If you already earned a bachelor degree or a master degree and you are seeking a second one, we still must receive official transcripts from all universities you attended.

If your degree was completed outside of the United States, all official transcripts must be evaluated, and I'll talk about more in just a moment. We will also need an English proficiency score, if applicable, which is also something I'll talk about more in just a moment.

Now, if you're applying to any of our online programs, either undergraduate or graduate, we need your application and all supporting materials by the dead dyes listed here. For the fall semester, the deadline is July 15th. For the Spring semester, the deadline is December 15th. For summer semester, the deadline is April 15th. Now remember, this is just for those applying for online education only.

Please note that some online programs will close their applications before these deadlines, so it is best to complete applications as quickly as possible. Just a reminder that if you're applying for a fully online program, you are not eligible for an F1 student visa because you will be earning your degree outside of the US unless you are already here on an H1B visa or some other applicable residency status visa.

Now, some other advisory application deadlines for students needing an F1 student visa to come to the United States to study. The deadline for applying and submitting all supporting materials for the fall semester was May 15th, so we are no longer accepting new applications for Fall 2023, but May 15th is the deadline for Fall semester of 2024. The deadline for Spring 2024 is November 15th.

We typically do not intake international students during the summer because we do not have the required on Campus Corps work available to adhere to visa requirements now. Please note that some on campus programs will close their applications before these deadlines, so it is best to complete the application process as quickly as possible.

Now a little bit about the international transcript evaluation process. We offer two options for transcript evaluations. You can request your schools to send official transcripts directly to UIS for a US staff member to evaluate your transcripts. There is a required $150.00 evaluation fee for this service, which is non refundable, but the cost is a flat rate for as many transcripts as you need evaluated, for example if you attended 3 or 4.

Different schools. It will still only cost you $150.00 for US to evaluate the transcripts, but US will own that evaluation and we do not share it with you. The second option might be better if you are applying to multiple universities and the the second option involves having your transcripts to be evaluated by a NAACP member evaluation service. Macy's members are evaluation companies that have been vetted to ensure evaluations.

Thorough and accurate and they verified the authenticity of your transcripts. The preferred NATIES evaluation companies are Educational Credential evaluators, Educational perspectives, International Educational evaluators, Span Tran and World Education Services. Now prices for each nations member is different and it also depends on how many transcripts are being evaluated. And as I mentioned, if you are applying to several universities that accept Macy's evaluations.

That might be the best financial option for you. If your country specific requirements are not listed on our website, you're welcome to e-mail me to determine what those requirements are.

Now a little bit about the English proficiency requirement. If your first language is not English, or if English is not your country's official language, then you will need an English proficiency test result. We accept a wide range of English exams, including TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo, Pte and many others. Test scores must be sent from your testing agency directly to UIS. If you're wondering if your country is exempt from the English proficiency requirement, we have a list on our website.

That lists all the countries where English is the primary language. If you are a citizen of that country, or you earned a full university degree in that country, you do not need to submit an English proficiency exam result.

Now, regarding Duolingo exams and some others, if the e-mail you used for that test is not the same e-mail you used in your application to UIS, you will need to reach out to us so that we can merge those emails to match your test results and tie your scores to your application. The English proficiency requirements are well as well as the international transcript. Evaluations are required elements of your application and they cannot be waived. We recognize that the transcript.

Evaluation fees are expensive, but like the application fee, those are investments in your education. Now, some students ask if their transcripts are already on a 4.0 scale or if they are already in English. Can that process be waived? And the answer is no. This is just part of what we're requiring. We are also articulating our transcript to identify courses that might transfer to your degree. We're verifying the accreditation of your university as we complete these evaluations.

And we're making sure you're meeting these minimum application requirements.

Now, many students ask about how to fund their education, and this is always a big hot topic for international students. Now, as I mentioned previously, the estimated cost of attending UI, including tuition, fees, housing, food, books, and perhaps other expenses is approximately $38,000 for one year of attendance, both for undergraduate and graduate students. Now to obtain the I-20 form, which you must use in order to secure a visa interview.

You must be able to demonstrate $38,000 in assets to fund that first year of education.

There are some opportunities to offset those estimated costs. As I mentioned earlier, we offer undergraduate merit scholarships based on US equivalent high school GPA or US equivalent transfer GPA. Available scholarships range from 1000 to 8000 per year based on different criteria. There are also five highly competitive Chancellor scholarships per year that are awarded to 1st year applicants.

That includes full tuition and housing. Now international first year students are eligible for those, and sometimes they are selected. There is no separate application for any of the scholarships I've mentioned. If you're an eligible or honest program, will reach out to you to schedule an interview, but again, these are highly competitive. Most students will receive somewhere between 1000 to $8000 scholarships per year based on academic credentials and just as a friendly reminder.

US does not offer fully funded scholarships.

Now for graduate students, there are funding opportunities and two in particular they're available. There are graduate assistantships on campus based on research, teaching or pre professional experiences. These provide a tuition waiver of up to 30 credits per year in addition to a stipend.

There are application deadlines associated with Graduate Assistantships. To be eligible for consideration for a Graduate Assistantship, you must be admitted for the fall semester by March 15th for the first round selection, and for the second round selection you must be admitted by June 1st. For the spring, you must be admitted by November 1st. This includes having your application completed with all supporting documents and the program having time to review your application.

There is a limitation to our graduate assistantship programs though. If you are working with one of our UIS partner agencies, you will not be eligible to participate in graduate assistantships. But there are other opportunities available to you, which I'll talk about in the next slide Now. Selection of graduate assistantships is competitive. Only 20 to 25% of our graduate applicants receive an assistant ship or internship, so be aware of that as you prepare your finances as you move forward.

With your educational journey.

Now, the other option we offer is graduate public service internships, and that's something that's unique to UIS. These opportunities are outside of the campus in the Springfield community, with local and state government offices and nonprofit organizations. You will receive a tuition waiver of up to 24 credits per year as well as a monthly stipend. The application deadlines for these programs is a little bit later, May one for the fall semester and November.

One for the spring semester Selection is competitive and will be based on your academic background and work experience. If you're applying through one of our partner agents, you are eligible to apply for one of our internships, so make sure you complete that application so that you can be considered for those opportunities. Now, regarding the graduate assistantship and internships, you're not applying to specific position within these areas, but you're submitting a general application.

And then the programs and the offices review the applications and reach out to students they wish to interview. If you have already submitted your this application, we are currently in a holding pattern because selection for these programs will not begin until later this semester.

I want to talk a little bit about life on campus. We want to make sure that you are supported while you are here and we offer many students supports. For example, the Career development center which can help you with interview practices, resume writing, helping to find on campus employment, and maybe off campus employment after you graduate. We have a counseling center on campus which is part of your student fees, health services also part of your student fees unavailable to you.

We also offer a wide range of recreational activities both on campus, in our gym or athletic fields, and off campus. The campus is located next to Lake Springfield, and we have a field house on the lake where you can borrow water, equipment, or just enjoy a day at the lake.

Now regarding residence life, that is also part of our vibrant campus. 1st and 2nd year undergraduate students will live in suite style residence halls. Upper division undergraduate students have opportunity to live in townhouses and apartments which are fully furnished and they have kitchens so you will be able to prepare meals for yourself. There are also dining options on campus with various meal plans that students can select from that range from $400.

$2200 per semester. We have a soup and salad bar, Starbucks on campus, a grill, a station where world flavours are offered sometimes as well as a chef's table, all of which range from change from day-to-day. If you do not select a meal plan, you can also purchase these items Ala carte. But before you arrive on campus, we encourage you to have a plan in place as to how you will feed yourself, whether in our your own kitchen or in the cafeteria.

Also determine whether you will be living on campus or somewhere in the community which you are responsible for coordinating.

Now here you'll see the basic floor plans for our residence hall rooms and for townhouses. Our suite style residence halls have two people per individual room and four people share one private bathroom facility that has a shower, sink and a toilet. Our townhouses are two-story facilities where each person has a private room with shared bathrooms downstairs and upstairs and a common living area and kitchen where everyone can gather to socialize.

Study or share meals together.

Our apartments also have private rooms, usually 4 bedrooms with two bathrooms in each apartment. There are different styles available like this one which is a four person apartment, but there are smaller apartments available as well. We also offer family housing in the event that you're planning to bring family members with you. If that is your situation, you will need to work on the visa process with our International Student Services office for all family members that you plan to bring.

And before I want to move on, I just want to emphasize that UIS and our community do not offer hostels. So if you think that you can come here and find inexpensive housing similar to hostels in your home country, there is no such thing available. So plan ahead. Do your research ahead before you arrive in Springfield.

So once you're admitted, what's next? Well, you will need to set up your US account, which is separate from your UIN number that you were given when you first applied. You will receive an e-mail after your admission decision with steps to set up your US account.

You will then need to connect with our International Student Services office to demonstrate the $38,000 in assets in order to obtain the Form I-20 and then schedule your visa interview. Now Remember that the Office of Admissions does not assist you with any issues about visas, I-20 or pre arrival details. We simply provide you assistance with the application process up to the point of you being admitted Now. Once you are admitted all that information needs to be sent to the.

International Student Services office and not to admissions. Those visa appointments can be hard to secure so don't delay it and submitting your application and all required documentation well in advance of application deadlines because we don't want you to miss out on this opportunity. We've heard that in some countries visa interviews can take 4/6 or even 8 months. So if you have applied for spring and you live in a country that has a long line, a long list of times for your visa interviews.

You might need to defer your application to a future semester, so once you're admitted, let us know you're coming to UAS. Also, pay attention to new Student orientation details that you will receive via e-mail, and make sure you arrange for campus housing before you arrive. You also need to prepare your transition to UIS and to the Springfield area. Make sure you arrange for transportation to the United States as well as transportation to Springfield once you arrive in Springfield.

The International Student Services office will help you get to campus. If you fly into Chicago and take a train to Springfield, they will pick you up at the train station. Springfield also has a very small airport, so if you choose to fly into Springfield, they will meet you there. But if you arrive in Springfield late at night, you will need to arrange to stay in a hotel of your choice as the International Student Services does not operate at 24 by 7 basis.

Alright, so I think I've covered all the details that I wanted to present with you. I know there's a lot of information to take in, so please feel free to reach out to me via e-mail. My assistant and I will be happy to answer your questions and help you with the application process. We do not have time for any additional questions, so please follow up with me via e-mail and I would be happy to assist you. So thank you so much for joining me this morning, this evening, this afternoon, whatever your time is and I look forward to connecting.

With you via e-mail. Thank you so much and have a good rest of your day.