Advising Students on Course Selection

• Students hoping to pursue a STEM major should prioritize calculus, physics, biology, and chemistry. (If students are in high school, this should ideally be at the honors,  AP, or IB level.)
• Suggest students take relevant electives to their major (e.g., AP computer science or psychology, AutoCAD, engineering courses, statistics, and other similar courses).
• High school students who take courses at the college level may be awarded credit upon enrolling at Illinois Tech. 
• Transfer students should use our Transfer Guides to help them choose the right courses.

What Makes for a Strong Application?

Illinois Tech takes a holistic approach to reviewing applications, so strength in one area of consideration can help students overcome other areas of weakness.

First-year and transfer students with fewer than 30 credit hours:

• As and Bs across the board
• AP or IB math and science courses (at least pre-calculus for STEM majors)
• Test scores (Middle 50%): ACT 29-32; SAT 1285-1370—Standardized test scores are optional for the 2020-21 application season
• Well-researched supplemental essays about relevant projects, work, or research experience
• Extracurricular involvement
• Letters of recommendation from teachers in courses relevant to your major

Transfer students with more than 30 credit hours:

• As and Bs in major-specific courses
• A minimum of Calculus I for all engineering, computer science, and physical science majors, or Business Calculus for Business and Architecture students
• Refer to Illinois Tech’s Transfer Guides for specific courses for your major
• Letters of recommendation from teachers in courses relevant to your major
• Well-researched supplemental essays about relevant projects, work, or research experience