Rahul Sai Akina
Reviewed on Apr 1, 2025(Enrolled 2022)What Students Say
Likes
- The cultural diversity and extra curricular activities.
- Have good student to professor ratio.
- A small and sofisticated campus with many facilities that include a nice Internanational student support office, tech support, library, Gym, Student union and recreational activities office.
Dislikes
- The Career fairs seems to not much focussed towards international students.
- Food options are not pretty good.
- It's hard to know the office bulidings and navigate through campus.
Course Curriculum
6
- It is easy for most of the course but a little tough in some course work. It is more theoretical and some of the course work is more practical, depending on the particular subject.
- Positives are easy to reach professors through email or directly in office and the department has a digital library of tools needed for some coursework, which are helpful a lot. Negatives are some credits or courses that are more theoretical in my study of management information systems.
- Used to be 2-3 weekly classes on campus and the rest were online activities and assignments. Depends on the professor and course usually around 11-12 pm and 3-4 pm. Around 40 students. Mostly Indian around 25-30+ some courses.
Admission Experience
-
I applied for the following universities:
- Kent State University- Rejected, University of North Texas- Rejected, University of Illinois Springfield-—admitted; and Cleveland State university-Admitted.
- Got admit from Cleveland and University of Illinois Springfield.
- Yes, Kent State University, University of North Texas.
- I got an email that there are more qualified applicants than me. I think there were a huge number of people with more work or research experience than me.
- I choose the University of Illinois over Cleveland because of the cost of tuition fees and expenses in the city.
- I got admission through Shorelight; I just needed to submit my resume, IELTS Score and other previous education documents and work experience documents, as well as my Passport for applying in the shorelight portal which forwards them to University and we need to wait till a decision from the university and will receive an offer letter, followed by an i20 for Visa interview.
- IELTS score and previous educational qualifications are minimum criteria. IELTS score of 6.0 and above is required.
- It went smoothly through Shorelight and got quick decisions through the university. But only one thing is needed: a deposit to hold admission.
- My admission process went as such:
- Applied for Fall 2022. Academics and work experience play a big role along with IELTS score.
- It took around 2 months.
- 1st week June 2022: Applied with all documents.
- 1st week, July 2022- Got Admit.
- 2nd week, July 2022- University required the following things submitted.
- Completed Certificate of Finances form
- Submission of financial/bank statements
- Payment of required deposit amount
- Completed I-20 Request form
- Signed and completed Statement of Understanding form
- 3rd week July: Received I20.
Faculty
8
- The ratio at UIS is balanced at 15:1. Smaller classes help get personalised learning, mentorship, and better discussions inside the classroom and are also easy to access in his office.
- Professors use lectures, case studies, and projects. The course is strong, but extra certifications and projects can help more to get a job.
- Some faculty help by sharing job leads and mentoring, but networking and career services play a good role in finding jobs.
- I admire ASsociate professor Dr.Hasan Kartal; he gave me good guidance. Professors with industry experience who provide mentorship and practical insights make a real impact.
Campus Life
10
- UIS has one main campus in Springfield, Illinois.
- Brookens Library offers study spaces, research assistance, and digital resources. The Recreation and Athletic Centre (TRAC) has a gym, basketball courts and fitness classes.
- The UIS Health Services provides medical consultations, immunisations, and wellness programs.
- Campus dining halls, cafes, and residence halls for student accommodations. International Festival that Celebrates cultural diversity like Holi events, Haloween and other religious and cultural events.
- Springfest is a week-long event with competitions and social activities. Homecoming Week, where we can see parades, sports, and social gatherings. There are many student clubs, including the Business Club like SAM, ISO (Indian Student Organisation), and Student Government Association. UIS Prairie Stars participate in NCAA athletics (soccer, basketball, baseball, volleyball, etc.).
- Theatre productions, music performances, and film screenings. Professional, academic, and social clubs focused on networking, leadership, and community service. Walking trails, cycling paths, and nature reserves are near campus.
Part Time Jobs
- Very rare TA or RA positions are secured by 1-2 students in a class
- Around $15-20 per hour for TA/RA/DA positions. The cafeteria and library are the main ones. Aroung 15$/hr.
- Up to 20 hours is the maximum amount of work allowed per week. Very difficult to need references or early applications and stay updated to secure on-campus part-time jobs.
- 13-15$/hr students typically earn on an hourly basis in their part-time jobs. It is very tough as the students are more and jobs are very rare to find. Applying on Handshake website and directly reachind to the departments is the basic way but if you have referal from seniors or professors the chances are high to geta job. And also a good resume helps lot to get interviews.
Placement
6
- Nowthe market was so bad and less than 20% got jobs immediately but almost 90% within 6 months.
- Average salary is around 60,000$/year. Networking through linkedin and applying in job portals.
- My friends and batchmates secured internships which converted to Fulltime job. They work in Data Analyst and Software developor/Engineer roles majorly. Amazon, Delloite are the ones i hear of most
Accommodation
Off Campus
8
- Through friends staying there, I got the accommodation. 1350$ with all utilities like washer, dryer, refrigerator, oven and stove.
- There are not easy to find online; you need to have relatives or friends staying there and many want a high deposit.
- Choose away from the usual places students stay, as the quality and cleanliness are not good if you are okay to be far from the university and facilities nearby. Around 9 miles. Indians mostly stay at Pineridge, canmdles and Westbrook apartments.
Exams
- IELTS or TOEFL is required with a minimum of 6.0 score in IELTS. GRE-Optional
- Statement of purpose, LOR, CV, IELTS or TOEFL score card, Educational documents, Work experience documents, Passport and financials. Mostly the decision is based on Statement of purpose, Previous work or educational achievements, and IELTS or TOEFL scores
- No interview is part of the selection.
Fees
- It varied for each individualbased on credits, Prerequisites and scholorships. For me
- Fall 2022 $11,782
- Spring 2023 $10,521
- Summer 2023 $5,217
- Total $27,520(Inc Health Insurance of $2400)
- No charges for hostel as i live off campus.
- Semester-wise.For me 300$ rent + 100$ for utilities and wifi + 150-200$ for food and travel. Total around 600$ per month.
Scholarship
- There are different kinds of scholarships that are available on the university financial aid portal. My scholarship is just a tuition waiver applied while giving an offer to the university; it just mentioned "Scholarship"- $1500.
- As far as i know some of my batchmates have also received scholarships based on their work experience and achievements mostly.
- Average of around 300 students receive scholarships annually and the award amount ranges from $250 to $5,000.
