illinois institute of technology essay prompts

• Admission Requirements and Checklist
• Admission and Aid
• Graduate Admission
• Domestic Students

All required credentials must be received by the appropriate deadline for consideration as a regular degree-seeking student. Read complete application instructions .

Requirements

Illinois Tech requires a four-year bachelor's degree* conferred with a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0/4.0 (or its equivalent) from an accredited institution for regular admission. Citizens and permanent residents of the United States with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5/4.0 may be admitted as non-degree students .

Master degree-seeking applicants have the option to submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, but aren't required. 

For complete application instructions, please visit the application checklist page.

Note:  Individual departments may have different requirements for admission.

*Please contact your admission specialist if you have questions regarding this requirement.

How to Upload Documents

Please do not submit your official documents via post/mail; all documents need to be uploaded electronically. Be sure all documents are in PDF format. If there are multiple pages of one document, merge all pages into one PDF file.

Instructions For Submission

During the application, you must indicate all institutions attended—regardless if a degree was earned or not, even if you received transfer credit from your next institution.

Scan a copy of your official and original paper transcripts, individual mark sheets, or electronic transcript provided to you from your institution’s Registrar. For example, students from India should submit individual mark sheets. Do NOT upload your institution's web-based academic record or a document stating it is not an official transcript. Please note attested copies are not acceptable and will delay processing time. You must include an official English translation if your official transcripts are not issued in English.

If you receive transcripts or mark sheets from the school, we allow you to break the seal of the envelope to then scan and upload your documents.

Make sure that all critical and identifying marks have been scanned and are legible. These include the institution's name, your name, and the names of your courses and the grades you have received. It is important that you scan both the front and back (if there is information on the back) of your documents: we will need to be able to review the information provided on the back of your documents concerning credit hours, the institution's grading scale, etc.

All files MUST be in PDF format.

• If the degree is completed, you MUST upload your original degree certificate or provisional certificate along with your academic transcripts or mark sheets.

Application Checklist

Always check your email to look for important, detailed application status updates. Also, be sure to check your online Application Portal .

When you begin the application process in the online Application Portal, you will provide all information and documents at one time before submission (excluding test scores or letters of recommendation submitted via electronic invitation). You can monitor your application status in the Application Portal and with the App Tracker. You will receive detailed emails if we are missing any application documents or information, as well as emails updating you on your overall application status. Be sure that emails from [email protected] do not go into your spam folder.

The application fee can only be paid by credit card. We do not accept PayPal nor payments sent by mail. The fee for graduate students is $100, ​except the Institute of Design, Chicago-Kent College of Law, and the Intensive English Language Program. Current Illinois Tech students or alumni are eligible for application fee waivers; be sure to indicate Illinois Tech in the enrollment history section of your application if you are currently attending or have previously attended Illinois Tech in order to receive the waiver. Be sure to follow the instructions in the application once you indicate Illinois Tech as a school to ensure the application fee is applied properly.

• You must indicate all institutions attended on the application, regardless if a degree was earned or not, even if you received transfer credit from your next institution.
• Scan a copy of your official and original paper transcripts, individual mark sheets, or electronic transcript provided to you from your institution’s registrar. Do NOT upload your institution's web-based academic record or a document stating it is not an official transcript (except for current Illinois Tech students). Please note attested copies are not acceptable and will delay processing time.
• If you receive transcripts or mark sheets from the school, we allow you to break the seal of the envelope to then scan and upload your documents. Domestic applicants may have a stamp on their transcripts that say “Issued to Student.”
• Make sure that all critical and identifying marks have been scanned and are legible. These include the institution's name, your name, and the names of your courses and the grades you have received. It is important that you scan both the front and back (if there is information on the back) of your documents; we will need to be able to review the information provided on the back of your documents concerning credit hours, the institution's grading scale, etc.
• All files MUST be in PDF format. 

Transcripts from Institutions Within the United States

Official student copy transcript, paper or electronic, issued by the registrar must be uploaded through the online Application Portal .

We do not accept web-based copies, degree audit reports, or student generated transcripts.

Current or Former Illinois Tech Students If you are a current or former Illinois Tech student, you may upload unofficial Illinois Tech transcripts that you may access in your myIIT portal.

The application will prompt you to answer questions that will help guide Department and Program Chairs in their decision to admit or deny your application into the program you are applying to. 

Possible questions that you may be asked include:

• Why are you interested in this program?
• How will this program will help your future goals?

Record your response to each question regarding your academic and career goals.  Responses to questions should be approximately 150 - 200 words in length. 

All applicants are required to submit a resume.

Letter of recommendation requirements vary by department, but in most cases one letter of recommendation is required for master's degree programs and two are required for Ph.D. programs. Additional letters of recommendation may also be submitted. Contact the Office of Graduate Admission for individual department requirements.

Letters of recommendation should be submitted from individuals who are able to assess your academic and/or career achievements and potential. These individuals may include professors or employers, but may not include family members or personal friends. Please ask them ahead of time if they are willing to write you a letter of recommendation.

Letters of recommendation must be submitted through the online Application Portal; you will input the individual's name and email address, and they will receive an electronic invitation to their email. They will then type in their recommendation, not upload a document. You will not see this document as they will upload it themselves and it will go immediately into your application.

Learn more...

How to go about Illinois Institute of Technology supplement essay Answered

The prompt is as follows:

"At Illinois Tech our one-of-a-kind Elevate program empowers our students with not only academic classes in exciting majors, but also guaranteed hands-on experiences and personalized mentoring—all of which sets them up for career success. Our students participate in 2-3 guaranteed Elevate experiences—including internships, research, and study away—during their time at Illinois Tech. If you received a $1000 award to create or pursue an Elevate experience of your choice, how would you use it?"

What am I being asked of? What do I need to bring out to prove my application is worth it?

I fondly anticipate a peer review. Thanks!

Earn karma by helping others:

I think what they're asking Is that if/when you get this "$1000 award to create or pursue an Elevate experience of your choice", which one would you do? Would you use the money to enhance your skills in a certain area? Why? Do you want to learn something completely new to you? They want you to explain what experiences you would use the $1000 for and how and why it would benefit you.

Also, If you have a program you already want to do if you get this, or don't know what you want to do, the Illinois tech webpage probably has a list.

Hope this helps!

Really appreciated!

To add to this great answer, highlighting specific resources that the Elevate program and Illinois Tech offer is essential. Admissions officers are looking for you to directly name any Illinois Tech professors, mentors, study away experiences, and other resources they would take advantage of as a part of their Elevate experience. Hope this helps!

Indeed it will!

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