Illinois Credentialing Application: Fill & Download for Free

We can break down education into two components: learning and credentialing. There are many opportunities for learning, both informally e.g. through how-to books or internet videos, or formally, e.g. through university coursework. But when an employer (and by the way I am an employer as well as an educator because my role involves hiring staff positions) needs to evaluate a job application, the employer needs some verification of proficiency and skill in a subject. The credential is a signal to the employer that the job applicant possesses the indicated proficient and skill as verified by the reputation of the credential.For example, when the University of Illinois confers a Masters degree in Computer Science to a job applicant, it signals to the employer that the job applicant has completed the required graduate coursework of a top CS program. We take that credentialing and signalling responsibility very seriously because we stake our reputation on it. Our MCS, MS and Ph.D. students are taking the same courses that meet the same level of uniform requirements. Likewise our online MCS follows the very same program as our campus MCS, the online courses meet the same requirements as the campus courses, and we have not needed to make any distinction on the degree or the transcript whether or not a student has taken an online course, or even completed the degree online. We invented a part of online education with the Plato system in the 1960’s and 1970’s, we’ve had our MCS degree online since the 1990’s, and employers not only hire our online students, they are begging for more.

I knew I was either going to study engineering or architecture. I applied undeclared because I understood that although I would be graduating rank #2 in my graduating class I wouldn't stack up to other applicants applying to the Architecture and engineering programs(for a host of reasons that I'd rather share another time). Also I honestly didn't know what I was getting myself into. I just knew I wanted to attend University. Unless you have a stellar story aligned with why you want to study a particular area, I would consider applying undeclared. Undeclared will allow you to explore your interest. Even better idea is to reach out to the department's you are interested in and ask about your chances, given your background and interest. Indicate you are considering applying undeclared. Note that it might be more difficult, if not impossible to transfer into certain majors after getting into the University undeclared. For example, the business department is known to be difficult to transfer into. Even certain engineering disciplines may be difficult to transfer into(e.g. CS, Civil Engineering, Industrial Engineering). So if you decide to apply undeclared make sure you understand what you would need to do during your first two semesters at Illinois in order to get into your desired program of study(Still may not get in).If U of I is where you want to eventually end up, apply to other institutions that have pipeline programs to entry into U of Illinois. For example apply to Parkland community college, University of Illinois Chicago(and Springfield), apply to schools that are in the state of Illinois, Midwest. The school's in the Big 10 may be worth looking into and inquiring about pipelines to entry into Illinois.In regards to if it will be easier to get in if you apply to one major over another I would say it really depends on your application over all and luck. Now a days it is difficult to explain the reasons why a student is chosen over another(when their generic stats are compared). Other than the “obvious” credentials: high class rank, active in students organizations, extracurricular activities, student leadership, unique character, steller recommendations, and a well put together application, there isn't much more one can do to get acceptance.I recommend you reach out to the departments of interest to see if you can arrange a visit. Try building relationships with staff and faculty in department of interest during the application process(try to be genuine in your connections). Also think of things you can do to stand out against the competition(life lesson) and act on them(as long as you are not harming yourself or others).Good luck to you!

Most likely, yes. I am not licensed in Illinois, so I can’t claim any real knowledge of the Illinois constitution and state law or the municipal codes, so it is certainly possible that the plan runs afoul of the law. But as a general matter, states are empowered to set educational standards, and most states allow counties and/or cities to set standards that are higher than state minimums. Chicago deciding that it is going to tack on additional conditions for obtaining a high school diploma is not inherently illegal.That being said, the flaws in this approach are myriad. As Michael Lee noted in his excellent answer, the program is essentially toothless, but even if it did have teeth, it’s unclear how the City would actually go about enforcing its rules and investigating students’ statuses, so one would expect a lot of questionable “jobs” and waiver applications to appear around graduation. Thus, no matter how you slice it, this is yet another example of feel-good politics that will likely accomplish little to nothing.The bigger problem in my mind is that the high school requirements are treating a symptom of Chicago’s mismanagement, not the causes. Why is teen unemployment so high in Chicago? Perhaps some kids don't have much incentive to work, but my guess is that this problem stems from the fact that a lot of teens live in neighborhoods where there is little to no economic opportunity even for adults. Anyone who's ventured beyond downtown can tell you that Chicago has a lot of neighborhoods that aren't overflowing with Help Wanted signs. Moreover, many Chicago public schools are, to put it politely, below average, meaning that teens are not exactly being armed with employable skill sets. The idea that teenagers should have some coherent plan for adulthood that goes beyond getting a high school diploma and receiving government benefits is impossible to disagree with, but such discussions between students and school administrators should likely begin in middle school. Withholding a diploma at 12th grade (and withholding it from people who likely need the credential the most) seems both late and punitive; kids who are “coasting” should be identified and dealt with long before they hit the age of 18.