If You Are an International Applicant, Read This Before Applying!

As we prepare for 2014 admissions, this article should be required reading for all international applicants before beginning the application process. I am including tips below to help applicants avoid common mistakes during the admissions process.

1) Getting the correct documentation together is essential. For a listing of requirements specific to applicants from your home country, please find the following web link where you can select your country from the drop down bar/listing of countries at the top of the page: http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/grad/international_requirements_grad.html

2) A common mistake for many of our international students is that they fail to include their proof of degree, also called degree certificate, or diploma. Please upload this to the online application with your unconsolidated marksheets together in one PDF formated file. Please do not send in the provisional or exam certificate. We must have the degree certificate in order to process your application.

3) Please make sure to use the same name and same spelling of your name on all test scores and documents. Each year we have students who are not consistent with their names. In most cases, this slows down processing significantly and makes it extremely difficult to find your test scores and supporting documents.

4) We have moved to a paperless process. Please do not submit hard copy paper documents or mail documents to our offices. Instead, use only the upload feature of our online application. This saves you the time, effort and expense of mailing transcripts to us during the initial processing and review of your application. It also avoids any delays resulting from the non-receipt of transcripts and assures you that your documents have been successfully submitted, since you can view them yourself online. Please be sure to follow the upload instructions on our online application; and please make sure your documents are legible. You may also email documents to lgsb@uic.edu.

You will only be asked to submit official or attested documents (transcripts, academic records, diplomas, certificates of degrees, etc) in a sealed envelope, with a certification stamp across the seal if you are admitted. These must be submitted during your first term of enrollment to the UIC Office of Admissions. Most incoming student drop them off when they arrive here on campus as new students.

5) We do accept the IELTS and the TOEFL. Please note that in order to process your admissions decision, if you are submitting the TOEFL, we must have your official score report received directly from ETS.

6) Only send the documents listed on our application checklist to insure the fastest processing. The Admissions Committee strongly discourages sending any application material other than what is requested. You may access our application checklist using the following link: http://business.uic.edu/programs-and-degrees/liautaud-programs/liautaud-admissions/admissions-checklist

7) In the online application, list the schools and universities you have previously attended. If you list a university or college, you must supply academic transcripts/documents for that college or university. If you attended a professional development course or English language program, I recommend listing these types of programs on your resume or CV. If you list them on the application, again, we will require documentation/transcripts, which can cause major application delays. Please do not submit high school or secondary school documents.

8) Please make sure that you are filling out the correct application. You must complete the application found on the UIC Liautaud Graduate School of Business web site: https://app.applyyourself.com/AYApplicantLogin/ApplicantConnectLogin.asp?id=uic-gsb

9) Your status will be updated on our online application system. You will be able to login at any time and track your application status and documents during the admissions process: https://app.applyyourself.com/AYApplicantLogin/ApplicantConnectLogin.asp?id=uic-gsb

Please refrain from contacting the admissions office to verify that we have received your transcripts, test scores and other documents. Please check your applicaiton on the online application system as mentioned above. If you feel a reasonable amount of time has passed and a document may have been lost, feel free to contact our staff at lgsb@uic.edu. Please allow us a few days to process your application documents, particularly during peak application times and university closures.

10) All international applicants (non-US citizens and permanent residents) regardless of whether or not they are currently residing in the United States must follow the international application deadlines. International applicants cannot apply using domestic application deadlines for any reason. Please plan ahead and make sure you are aware of the deadlines. The international application deadlines are significantly earlier than domestic deadlines: http://business.uic.edu/programs-and-degrees/liautaud-programs/liautaud-admissions/application-deadlines

11) UIC Liautaud does not require students to submit evidence of financial support at the time of application. If you have received a letter of admission from the UIC Office of Admissions or an official notification asking for financial documents from Office of International Services (OIS), you will need to provide a bank statement or letter and a signed UIC Declaration and Certification of Finances form. Please do not send us your financial/visa related questions and/or documents. Please refer to OIS: http://www.ois.uic.edu/

12) Please only upload your application documents to the graduate school of business online application system, called ApplyYourself. The business school staff will upload your documents to the main UIC admissions system if you are admitted. Please disregard any automated email requests asking you to upload documents to the main UIC system.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions at lgsb@uic.edu. We are here to help!