STUDENT INTRODUCTION
TO ENGINEERING
Decide if Illinois is the right fit for you
SITE is a three-day, interactive and informational program offered to high school seniors. This is a unique opportunity to explore and experience life as an engineering student here in Urbana-Champaign.
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We promise no sugarcoating and no sales pitch. From day one, we show you everything Illinois has to offer to your education, social circles, and personal growth. Be curious with us and we will be candid with you.
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SITE 2021: The upcoming SITE will be an entirely virtual event meant to mirror the in-person event as much as possible! We aim to expose you to life at UIUC from your home and help you make your college decision easier
February 2021
About Us
Our goal is to aid high school seniors in one of the most important decisions of their careers. The SITE committee is composed of UIUC students representing various years of schooling and engineering disciplines.
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Each fall semester, we design a fresh schedule for the upcoming program in the spring.
ALLISON HEFNER
StemX External Coordinator
Junior | Civil and Environmental Engineering
CHARLOTTE FONDREN
Activities Co-Chair
Freshman | Civil and Environmental Engineering
Program Details
Department Tours
Tour your preferred engineering departments and hear from both faculty and students.
Engineering in Action
Explore many of the College of Engineering's resources available to its students.
Design
Contests
Participate in various team challenges with fellow participants as a first step in your engineering career.
Panel
Discussions
Engage in exclusive Q&A sessions with engineering students about their research, internship, and study abroad experiences.
Dinner
Banquet
Attend a dinner banquet with College Deans and Department head advisors in a semi-formal but relaxed setting.
Student
Life
Spend two evenings on campus and sample a taste of the social scene: one night at a campus hotel and the other with a student host.
Tentative Timeline
Determine Your Eligibility
You must be
admitted into UIUC's Grainger College of Engineering
You need to
provide your own transportation to Urbana-Champaign
You must be
open to exploring and enjoying what UIUC has to offer!
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What does the fee cover?The $140 attendance fee covers food (Thursday evening banquet, Friday breakfast/lunch/dinner, and Saturday morning breakfast) as well as housing (hotel room and lodging with student hosts). Note that the fee does not cover lunch on Thursday nor travel to Urbana-Champaign. You will have to arrange transportation on your own. **2021 Update** SITE 2021 will be a virtual event and thus have no registration fee!
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Are parents allowed?"Mom, you're embarrassing meeee!" This program is designed specifically for students only. Parents are welcome to attend the opening and closing ceremony. Other than that, parents should make their own housing and meal arrangments. Information about local hotels, restaurants, and attractions can be found at Visit Champaign County. The must eat places are Black Dog, Maize, and Golden Harbor.
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Do you provide 24-hour supervision?No, we provide 24-hour assistance. While all committee members are on-call for the duration of the program, we treat students as we would any person who takes on the responsibility of atttending a four-year university.
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Can you provide transportation from the bus stop, train station, or Willard airport?"Yes, please send an email request to us at site@ec.illinois.edu as soon as possible.
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Will there be sleeping accommodations?Yes, participants will spend the first night at the Illini Union hotel, located at 1401 W. Green St., Urbana, Illinois, or the TownePlace Suites, located at 603 S. 6th St, Champaign, IL 61820. Participants will stay 2 to a room. They will spend the second night with a volunteer host at either the dorms or their apartments the last night. Students will need a sleeping bag and pillow for that night!
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When will I be notified of selection?If you registered online, an email is already sitting in your inbox, confirming whether or not you are a SITE participant. If you are on the waiting list, we will notify you as soon as space opens up.
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When is payment due and whom do I address it to?Please send your check for $140 payable to Engineering Council, along with the signed visitation permission slip, to the address '103C Engineering Hall, 1308 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801'. Your payment and permission slip need to be received by January 25. If your payment is not received by this date, your space will be given to someone on the waiting list. If you were placed on the waiting list, please do not send any payment until we contact you again.
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I am flying in from out-of-state. How can I get to campus?There are two airports to fly into: Willard Airport (which you can only fly into from Chicago O'Hare or from Dallas-Ft. Worth) and Chicago O'Hare. From Willard, you will need to take a taxi or Uber to campus. From O'Hare, you can take a bus. We recommend Peoria Charter. An alternative is Suburban Express, but as a fair warning, please be careful to follow their rules. Getting off at Panda Express or Altgeld will get you very close to the Union and Engineering Hall. Amtrak is also a viable route, but they tend to be late and only stop at Union Station in Chicago and Illinois Terminal in Champaign.
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What if I no longer want to attend?That's okay! Please let us know as soon as possible via email. We have limited space and would like to extend this opportunity to as many students as possible. If you already paid the attendance fee, we unfortunately cannot refund it as all reservations for SITE are made in advance.