Re-Entry/Returning

Re-entry after a voluntary leave of absence, non-medical withdrawal, or cancellation

iSchool students who voluntarily withdrew during the semester or stopped out are generally eligible for re-entry into the iSchool major in which they were last enrolled, provided they meet two conditions:

• The student is in good standing or on academic probation.
  • A student who was on probation will continue to be on probation when they re-enter and must follow probation requirements, including meeting with an iSchool academic advisor.
• The student's maximum terms of eligibility allowed (10 semesters) have not been exceeded.

iSchool students who fall under the above two conditions will follow one of the procedures below based on the time they have stopped out. All returning students are encouraged to make an iSchool Advising appointment.

• Away one semester or fewer: Register for classes for next semester, no form required
  • iSchool students who have been away from the University for one semester or fewer (not including Summer/Winter sessions) who have met the two conditions above are able to register for courses once their time to register occurs. No forms need to be completed, but students should check self-service to ensure they do not have any holds on their account preventing registration. If you do not see a Time Ticket during the regular registration period, please contact iSchool Undergraduate Records.
• Away two or more semesters: Re-entry petition required
  • iSchool students who have been away from the University for two semesters (Fall and Spring, not Summer/Winter) or more who have met the two conditions above must submit an iSchool Undergraduate Re-Entry Petition form. See below for re-entry dates and deadlines.

Re-entry after a medical withdrawal

iSchool students approved for a medical withdrawal must contact the Office of the Dean of Students (ODOS) and apply for medical clearance to resume studies.

Re-entry after academic drop status or other “must petition” status

iSchool students on a "must petition" status due to late semester withdrawal, disciplinary issue, or other special circumstances must first discuss re-entry with iSchool Advising and then complete a re-entry petition (students will receive a link to the petition once they have met with an iSchool advisor). Re-entry is not guaranteed and will depend upon a careful review of your petition and previous performance patterns as well as the availability of University facilities when the student applies.

Typically, students on Academic Drop Status must meet the below conditions:

• Must stop out for two consecutive semesters (Fall/Spring), unless otherwise noted in the drop status, before they are eligible to seek re-entry.
• Must show academic and/or academic preparedness improvement. Academic improvement would be attending courses at another institution for a minimum of one semester, successfully completing at least 12 credit hours, and earning a GPA of at least 3.00. Transcripts will need to be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Official and/or unofficial transcripts (or proof of course progress/grades) may also be requested by the iSchool when submitting the re-entry petition.
  • If taking courses at another institution does not fit in with your academic pursuit, such as you only have advanced major course or institutional hours remaining, then you should focus on improving the areas that hampered your academics and be able to demonstrate how this has prepared you for returning.

Student should work with an iSchool advisor to discuss the re-entry petition process.

Re-entry for Non-iSchool Students

iSchool admission is competitive, so in many cases we are unable to consider re-entry petitions for ILLINOIS students who were not previously in the iSchool. Re-entry for non-iSchool students will only be considered for students who meet all of the below conditions:

• The student is in good standing or on academic probation.
• The student has enough semesters of eligibility remaining to complete all of the requirements for the major based on an iSchool Advising approved course plan, with a minimum of two full-time semesters (Fall/Spring) remaining toward the 10 semester maximum terms of eligibility allowed to meet iSchool residency requirements.
• The student meets the minimum Intercollegiate Transfer (ICT) requirements for the requested iSchool major, or they meet the minimum off-campus transfer requirements listed in the Transfer Handbook. Meeting these minimum requirements is not a guaranteed admission as it is a competitive application process.

Meeting all of the above conditions does not guarantee admission. Eligible students who meet all of the above conditions should first meet with iSchool Advising to discuss eligibility and create a course plan. An ICT application would then need to be submitted. If admitted, students will work with the iSchool Undergraduate Office to determine if they must complete the re-entry petition (stopped out two or more full semesters) or would be eligible to register (stopped out one or fewer semesters).

Re-entry for second bachelor’s degree

Students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree and wish to pursue a second bachelor's degree in the iSchool should visit the Undergraduate Admissions Second Bachelor’s Degree Applicants page.

Re-entry petition

The petition will ask students to provide information to support their re-entry, including:

• What you have been doing since you left the University of Illinois (education, employment, etc.).
• If a student is petitioning for re-entry following probation/drop status: What circumstances pertain to your academic difficulties, and what adjustments have you made in your personal, social, or economic situations that have improved your chances for academic success.
• Documentation that would support the re-entry petition, which may include unofficial transcripts and/or grade reports, or other materials for the committee to review.
  • Transcripts for courses taken off-campus will need to be submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Re-entry petitions will typically be reviewed within 10–14 business days of submission by a committee and decisions will be communicated by e-mail to the student.

Re-entry petition dates & deadlines

Students should submit by the following deadlines to be considered for re-entry. Please note that iSchool students who were on drop/must-petition status and non-iSchool students should start the process earlier as additional steps are required prior to completing the re-entry petition.

*Petitions received after these deadlines will be accepted, but we cannot guarantee a review and decision prior to the start of classes in the desired term.

International Students

International students requiring a visa should submit materials early in order to provide enough time for I-20 application and processing. If approved for re-entry, student should work with the ISSS Office on the visa process.