ASPIRE Illinois offers an opportunity for students with diverse experiences and goals, and who come from many educational, socio-cultural, geographic, and familial backgrounds to explore and consider graduate school at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Toward this aim, we provide preapplication supports and host a campus visit.
We provide a series of informative webinars that guide students through selecting graduate programs and crafting competitive applications. These sessions are tailored to empower ASPIRE applicants, offering early application guidance and insights into specific programs.
Additionally, many ASPIRE candidates may qualify for prestigious Graduate College fellowships, further supporting their academic ambitions.
Webinar Series
The ASPIRE Illinois Summer Webinar Series will be held weekly at 7:00 p.m. CST from June 26 to August 7, 2025. Note that the second session will occur on Wednesday of that week. You can sign up for the webinars here.
The great part is that there is no fee or cost to participate in the webinars; you can join in from anywhere.
Webinar Topics
- So You’re Interested in Graduate School at Illinois? Let’s Navigate the ASPIRE Application!
- Applying to Graduate School
- Writing Personal Statements & Getting Recommendations that Work!
- Personal Branding & Social Media
- Funding Graduate School
- Mentorship in Graduate School
- We All Have a Story and You Can Do It! – The Recap
Campus Visit
The 2025 ASPIRE Illinois campus visit program offers an opportunity for students with a wide range of experiences and goals to consider graduate school at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Participants will meet with faculty in their research area of interest, interact with current graduate students, tour campus facilities, and learn about the resources offered through the Graduate College.
There is no registration fee or cost to participate in the campus visit. Applicants must be at least a rising senior or have already graduated from a bachelor’s program and must be either United States citizens, permanent residents, or approved domestic applicants.
This year, the campus visit will take place on September 18-19, 2025.
The ASPIRE Illinois Application is now open and will close on Friday, August 8, 2025.