Weekly Round-Up

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Important Dates and Deadlines

  • Oct 25: Deadline to ADD a POTB course TODAY!
  • Nov 15: Deadline to DROP a POTB course

Registration Advising

Time tickets are now visible in Self Service, and registration will begin November 4 (see you time ticket for individualized registration date). We encourage all students to check in with an advisor before signing up for classes (first-year students are required to meet with us). We do not schedule via email; please call the office at 217-333-4346 to make an appointment.

To help you prepare, we have the SP25 “cheat sheet” available on the Planning Coursework page. This tells you which courses will fall into which categories within the various majors/concentrations (period categories, topical clusters, etc.) in the spring.

Boren Scholarships–FINAL INFO SESSION TODAY!

The Boren Scholarship provides undergraduate study abroad scholarships up to $25,000 for a full academic year or up to $12,500 for a semester. All scholarships may be used for U.S. citizens to study in Asia, Africa, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America, or the Middle East in a language-intensive study abroad program. (Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded.) These are merit-based scholarships, and approximately 1 in 5 eligible applicants receive awards. Boren Scholars MUST commit to working in the federal government for at least 1 year after graduation.

The Boren Scholarship Maximum Award Amounts

  • $12,500 for a semester (12-24 weeks)
  • $25,000 for a full academic year (25-52 weeks)

Deadline 
The required campus deadline is January 16, 2025, at 12:00pm (noon).

IN-PERSON Boren Scholarship Workshop
Friday, October 25th, 2024, 3:00-4:00 pm
514 Illini Union Bookstore Building, Floor 5

ESA Upcoming Event

Participate in a Study

You are invited to participate in a study (IRB approved) that aims to learn how undergraduate students define the term “student success,” and what factors can contribute to or hinder that success. Estimated time spent on study is up to 1 hour, which will be a one-on-one interview. Participants will receive a $40 Amazon gift card for their time. This study caps at 30 participants. If interested, please complete the pre-screening survey by November 12 to be considered for selection in the study: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/106057268.

Submit to the AWP Intro Journals Project–DEADLINE APPROACHING!

The Intro Journals Project is a literary competition for the discovery and publication of the best new works by students currently enrolled in AWP member programs. Our Creative Writing faculty can nominate one story, one essay, and three poems to this national award.

If you are currently a CW major or a CW minor or an MFA candidate and would like to be considered for nomination, please send one short story (max. 25 pages), one essay (max. 25 pages), or up to three poems via email attachment to John Dudek at jdudek4@illinois.edu by 12:00 noon, Friday, November 1, 2024.

Submission Instructions

Please include in the body of your email your name and academic year (junior, senior, MFA candidate, etc.) as well as your permanent address. Attach your submission as a .pdf or .docx file. Your file name should be the title of your submission or some abbreviation of the title(s). The Subject line of your email should read: “AWP Genre: Last Name.”  For example: “AWP Poetry: Dudek.”

Do NOT include your name or any personal identification on your submission file itself.

Please note that work previously published or under consideration for publication elsewhere is not eligible. Previous winners are also ineligible.

More info about the AWP Journals Project can be found at: https://awpwriter.secure-platform.com/applications/page/IntroJournals

For questions, contact John Dudek, Associate Director of Creative Writing, at jdudek4@illinois.edu  

Beinecke Scholarship

Looking to gain a graduate degree (PhD or MFA) in the arts, humanities, or social sciences? If so, the Beinecke Scholarship is a merit- and need-based scholarship that can fund you! 

Eligibility
Juniors who are U.S. citizens, have received need-based financial aid at UIUC, and are pursuing a terminal degree in the arts, humanities, and social sciences are eligible to apply

The Beinecke Scholarship provides $5,000 to recipients immediately prior to entering graduate school and an additional $30,000 while attending graduate school. 

The Beinecke seeks students with demonstrated superior standards of intellectual ability, scholastic achievement, and personal promise. Students who have taken a breadth of coursework (not just artistic performance classes) and who seek a terminal degree (PhD or MFA) in the arts, humanities, and social sciences are prioritized. While eligible, applications for professional degrees such as law or business are generally not competitive. Applicants should have received need-based financial aid at Illinois and be dependent on financial assistance to attend graduate school. 

Get tips about applying from recent Illinois Beinecke Scholars.

Deadline 
The required campus deadline is February 24, 2025, at 12:00pm (noon).

For more information, contact the scholarships office at topscholars@illinois.edu or visit our website at www.topscholars.illinois.edu 

Need Winter Clothes?

Coming Soon: Celebrating National First Generation Day

Upcoming Lecture–Registration Required

Upcoming Event–Registration Required

Courses of Interest in SP25

Don’t Forget These!

New First Gen Undergraduate Research Opportunity for Spring 2025

The First-Gen Scholars Research Program (FSRP) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers first-generation college students eligible for federal work-study the opportunity to participate in meaningful and high-impact research. The FSRP allows students to explore the culture and process of research and gain hands-on experience while building on their existing abilities within a supportive community of scholars. Accepted applicants will be matched with one of our experienced faculty mentors – many of whom were First Generation college students. Full details along with faculty profiles can be found online at: https://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/programs/first-gen-scholars-research.html

ATLAS Internships–Application portal for SP25 OPEN NOW!

Call for Submissions

Hello! My name is Miao Wang, and I am the Editor-in-Chief of Rainy Day, Cornell University’s longest-running undergraduate literary magazine, which has published outstanding works of poetry and fiction since 1969. We accept submissions from undergraduate students throughout the nation, including those at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We are pleased to share the opportunity for English and Creative Writing students to submit their poetry, short fiction, short plays, and any other literary works to Rainy Day this semester. The deadline for this round of submissions is November 10.

For more information or to view past issues of the magazine, please visit our website at https://www.rainydaymagazine.org/. In addition, please do not hesitate to contact us at rainydaycornell@gmail.com if you have further questions.

Critical Language Scholarships

The Critical Language Scholarship, provided by the U.S. Department of State, is a fully-funded, intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for undergraduate and graduate students.  A list of eligible languages is available here. CLS institutes are 8 to 10 weeks in length, are held over the summer, and cover one academic year of university-level language coursework. CLS Institutes include cultural programming, local language partners, and in-country excursions. Participants receive academic credit at their U.S. institutions. The national deadline is November 19, 2024, at 7:00 pm (CST).

Upcoming Pre-Law Programs

All upcoming events can be found our PLAS Events calendar

Submit to Montage

Montage publishes work by undergraduate students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is now accepting submissions through (tentative date) February 14, 2025.

See this page for more details or email montagejournal@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.

Need Help With Research?

Peer Mentors are in the Hub!

With the return of the Peer Mentors in the Hub, here are a few reasons to head to the Hub in Lincoln Hall (Tues, Weds, Thurs from 10- 3):

  • building a resume from scratch or a quick look before a career fair
  • connecting to research around campus
  • learning how to gain some other experience to gain insights about your skills and preferences for future jobs
  • finding that RSO or other group that are around to join
  • Career Services has special drop-in times on Tues, Weds (10-noon)

Confidential Advising Resources

The Women’s Resources Center (WRC) is the designated confidential campus resource related to sexual assault/rape, sexual harassment, stalking and abuse within a relationship (sometimes called dating or domestic violence). That means when we talk with students, staff, and faculty who have experienced harm, we make sure you get what you need and on your terms! There are several Confidential Advisors at the WRC who can provide you – or someone looking to support you – with support and advocacy services.

Undergraduate Research Workshops

Check out workshops offered by the Office of Undergraduate Research. You’ll find a list here with schedules and registration links (space is limited)!

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