BECO ME

Just Say Yes

Sonya Gupta said yes to EVERYTHING that UIC offered. It worked.

You don’t meet a lot of people who majored in biological sciences… and Russian. Or who created an undergraduate class and co-taught it… as an undergraduate. Or who were accepted to medical school, but are getting their master’s degree first… from Harvard.

Yes, Sonya Gupta is kind of (very) extraordinary, but the Illinois native credits her remarkable success to a UIC community that always had her back.

“Whenever I had an interest or idea, I was always encouraged to pursue it,” says Sonya, who spent a summer abroad in Moscow, booked TEDx talks at UIC, and developed an independent research project about “medical deserts” in Chicago’s underserved communities.

Sonya’s advice to the next class of extraordinary UIC students? “Take every opportunity to expose yourself to a wide range of fields because this is one of the only times in your career that you have the flexibility to do so.” discover. uic.edu

(Not-so-humble brag: Sonya was also a Rhodes scholarship finalist, one of four UIC-affiliated finalists since 2019.)

FROM: CHICAGO TO: WORLD

UIC is your ticket to life-changing learning experiences

We love Chicago, but there’s a whole amazing world out there. Join an arctic expedition to study climate change. Immerse yourself in Italian culture and language (and gelato) in Rome. Or build a home for hurricane victims in Louisiana.

Alternative Spring Break is huge at UIC, sending our students off to serve communities across the US. And since UIC is such a magnet for international students, you don’t even have to leave campus to make friends from around the globe.

Better Together

UIC isn’t just a college — it’s your ally, your crew, your community.

UIC is so big, diverse and dynamic that you are guaranteed to find your people, whether you’re an activist, athlete, artist or all of the above. What other college has 400 student organizations and 7 different campus cultural centers? That’s ridiculous(ly cool).

We’re also serious about fun. Paint your face blue and red and scream “Go Flames!” until you lose your voice. Build a dragon boat and race/sink it in the Chicago River. Vibe to music with your new best friends until way too late. Those are the UIC moments you’ll never forget.

ONE OF THE NATION’S TOP LGBTFRIENDLY CAMPUSES

If you think that studying abroad is beyond your reach, think again. UIC offers study abroad scholarships for first-generation students, and financial aid funds can be applied to more than 200 programs in 87 locations around the world.

Seoul Man

A study abroad scholarship helped make a Korean dream come true. Since High School, Nick Jones has dreamed of visiting Seoul, South Korea, home to 1Million Dance Studio, a YouTube sensation.

“The dancing was a part of it, but mostly it showed me that there was an entire world outside of the United States, much less Chicago,” says Nick. Thanks to a $6,600 study abroad scholarship from UIC, Nick is spending an unforgettable semester in Seoul, dancing included.

“Meeting new people at the clubs has been a wild experience and I love it.”

Radio Head

Sheri Tarrer found her frequency at UIC Radio

“Joining a campus organization ensured that I’d always have a place to belong,” says Sheri, who writes music, film and concert reviews for UIC Radio. “I’ve made so many good friends who are all into the same things that I am.” She also helped pick the headliner for Spark in the Park, UIC’s annual music festival, which was “such a cool, once-in-a-lifetime experience.”