Hi My name is Leo. I just received email confirmation about my acceptance to Spring 2021 cohort. I would like to find my future classmates here (at least in application right now). We can share with each other about your thoughts or status. Let me know under this thread!! Is anyone planning to start earlier? How many years do you plan to compete your degree?

Urbana-Champaign DECISION TRACKER Updates for the last hour: Admitted, 22 minutes ago, heard via: email Admitted, 24 minutes ago, heard via: email UPDATE YOUR STATUS

Last visit was: 26 Apr 2026, 17:03

It is currently 26 Apr 2026, 17:03

Toolkit

Business School and MBA

MBA Archive

GMAT Club Daily Prep

Thank you for using the timer - this advanced tool can estimate your performance and suggest more practice questions. We have subscribed you to Daily Prep Questions via email.

Customized
for You

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Track
Your Progress

every week, we’ll send you an estimated GMAT score based on your performance

Practice
Pays

we will pick new questions that match your level based on your Timer History

Not interested in getting valuable practice questions and articles delivered to your email? No problem, unsubscribe here.

Go to My Error Log Learn more

Request Expert Reply

Confirm Cancel

Back to Forum

Create Topic

Gies iMBA 2021 Applicants anyone?

1 2 3 4 5

wattdoiknow

Current Student

Joined: 11 Nov 2020

Last visit: 15 Nov 2020

Posts: 2

Own Kudos:

Schools: Gies iMBA'23 (A)

Posts: 2

Kudos: 2

12 Nov 2020, 12:42

Kudos

Bookmarks

zoro0611

anaksekolah

Hi all, congrats to those who get accepted.

I just got interviewed last week. Im still wondering about some aspects of the learning platform. I am aware that the course will be divided into 2 sections; Coursera and Compass. Coursera will be 8 weeks long and I am just wondering:
1. Will the Compass part go along simultaneously with the Coursera part or do we need to finish the Coursera portion first to start the Compass part?
2. How long one quarter going to be? Because I see on the application for the Spring 2021 cohort we can choose two starting date which are January and March.

Thanks and good luck!

Let me answer this question for you.
1. Compass assignments are separately from Coursera. However, I recommend you finish Coursera first since I usually have to refer to the class content from Coursera to do something like Graded discussion post in compass.
2. Spring and Fall semester each is 4 weeks + 4 weeks (Two sections). One registered course is 4 weeks long. Only Summer semester is only 4 weeks section. So Spring 2021 cohort you can choose two starting date is simply because there are two sections for you to register class.

Just to clear things up. One normal course is 8 weeks long (4 credits). Each Spring and Fall semester is broken down into halves. Each half is 8 weeks longs, making each Fall and Spring semester 16 weeks long. The summer semester generally only has one session and is 12 weeks long. Typically there's time for 1 class during the summer and 4 weeks for a capstone (8 + 4 = 12).

Nikhil

Current Student

Joined: 22 May 2017

Last visit: 26 Apr 2026

Posts: 13,441

Own Kudos:

10,105

Given Kudos: 3,345

Affiliations: GMATClub

GPA: 3.4

Products:

Posts: 13,441

Kudos: 10,105

12 Nov 2020, 22:30

Kudos

Bookmarks

Urbana-Champaign DECISION TRACKER

Updates for the last hour:

Admitted, 22 minutes ago, heard via: email
Admitted, 24 minutes ago, heard via: email

UPDATE YOUR STATUS

Addy1234

Current Student

Joined: 13 Nov 2020

Last visit: 14 Dec 2020

Posts: 1

Schools: Gies iMBA'23 (A)

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

13 Nov 2020, 01:08

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi all,
I got my acceptance to Spring 2021 cohort today. I am in the process of applying for transcripts from my university in India. Any leads on what forms of transcripts does UIUC accept? Do they expect transcripts to be sent directly to the graduate committee or is there any exceptions due to Covid?

Posted from my mobile device

Nikhil

Current Student

Joined: 22 May 2017

Last visit: 26 Apr 2026

Posts: 13,441

Own Kudos:

10,105

Given Kudos: 3,345

Affiliations: GMATClub

GPA: 3.4

Products:

Posts: 13,441

Kudos: 10,105

13 Nov 2020, 10:26

Kudos

Bookmarks

Addy1234

Addy1234

Did you check the following comment from zoro0611 ?

https://gmatclub.com/forum/gies-imba-20 ... l#p2650461

anaksekolah

Current Student

Joined: 09 Nov 2020

Last visit: 31 Dec 2020

Posts: 4

Location: Indonesia

Schools: Gies (A) Gies iMBA'23 (A)

Posts: 4

Kudos: 0

16 Nov 2020, 02:04

Kudos

Bookmarks

wattdoiknow

zoro0611

anaksekolah

Thanks all for the info.

Just got accepted last Friday the 13th.

Still considering to defer my start for 1 year or in Spring 2021.

Good luck for everyone!

anaksekolah

Current Student

Joined: 09 Nov 2020

Last visit: 31 Dec 2020

Posts: 4

Location: Indonesia

Schools: Gies (A) Gies iMBA'23 (A)

Posts: 4

Kudos: 0

17 Nov 2020, 05:46

Kudos

Bookmarks

Cheers all.

I have a quick question regarding Coursera fee. Just wondering, when we started our class, we will get a free Coursera subscription right? (Or at least it will be bundled with our iMBA tuition). Because I was thinking to take head start by finishing the Coursera modules before the class start and save couple hundred of bucks by taking the Coursera plus ($399 for 1 year pass with unlimited class subscription). But if I will get a free coursera pass when started the class, then it will be worthless in terms of saving cost.

Thanks!

tbarrow

Joined: 17 Nov 2020

Last visit: 04 Dec 2020

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

17 Nov 2020, 13:27

Kudos

Bookmarks

trader210

✨ Congrats! You're an Illini! ✨ I'm in!! I’m just waiting for official email now..

Posted from my mobile device

Did you have to interview? It seems like most posters here did interview, I'm curious if the majority of applicants do.

I submitted my app 11/3, final rec came through 11/13, and I'm anxiously awaiting a decision (or an invitation to interview haha).

mellowbytes

Current Student

Joined: 07 Sep 2020

Last visit: 27 Feb 2021

Posts: 16

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 2

Location: Canada

Schools: Gies iMBA'23 (A)

Posts: 16

Kudos: 7

17 Nov 2020, 14:36

Kudos

Bookmarks

tbarrow

trader210

✨ Congrats! You're an Illini! ✨ I'm in!! I’m just waiting for official email now..

Posted from my mobile device

Yes, I believe it is part of the application process. Take a look at the various interview debriefs posted, you will get an idea of what to expect.

anaksekolah

Current Student

Joined: 09 Nov 2020

Last visit: 31 Dec 2020

Posts: 4

Location: Indonesia

Schools: Gies (A) Gies iMBA'23 (A)

Posts: 4

Kudos: 0

18 Nov 2020, 23:16

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi all,

Quick question about the Coursera portion, was it graded as pass or no pass because I saw that the requirement for the module quiz is only 80% and you can try it multiple times. How the overall class grade will be calculated with the coursera portion?

Thanks!

backdrifter

Joined: 10 Dec 2020

Last visit: 11 Dec 2020

Posts: 2

Kudos: 0

10 Dec 2020, 09:10

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hello potential future classmates!

I received my official acceptance email for the January/Spring cohort earlier this week. I believe that I'm going to accept, but I have some concerns. I'm hoping that some students already taking classes might be able to provide their experience on time allocation. I've read three different recommendations on time allocation in three separate locations on the U of I website:

1. The new student FAQ's section states, "We encourage students to budget 10-15 hours per week for their courses." This seems to suggest 10 to 15 hours regardless of the number of courses taken in an 8 week period.

2. The FAQ for For-Credit Courses states, "Completing tasks in the Illinois-credit courses will require approximately 6 hours in Coursera plus 2–4 hours on tasks in Illinois Compass 2g per week. Thus, it will take approximately 8–10 hours of commitment per week to complete any Illinois-credit course."

3. The Degree Planning paragraph here states, "Because you will need to budget 10 to 15 hours per week per course to complete the work, you should not take more than 1 to 2 courses at a time."

I understand that the time commitment is great and can vary, but these figures vary wildly. My plan would be to aim for a 2.5 year graduation, but even at that, it would be necessary to take two courses per 8 week session approximately seven of the 8 week sessions over those two and a half years. The upper end of the time allocation estimate above means 30 hours per week. With a family and a full time job, I may struggle to find that kind time!

I'm hoping that someone that has taken two iMBA courses at the same time can provide some real world feedback on how it feels and the amount of time that you spend on both courses in a week.

Thanks in advance!

Ben in Illinois

akogan

Joined: 10 Dec 2020

Last visit: 10 Dec 2020

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

10 Dec 2020, 10:13

Kudos

Bookmarks

I'm also an admitted student and trying to plan ahead for the same questions of time management. I do think it's going to vary pretty wildly - for example, I already took the Coursera class Foundations of Everyday Leadership, and it was in no way 6h/week. But when we start taking Statistics? Yeah... I'll probably need 6h at least! I also want to plan for more like 2.5-3 years instead of 2.

I'd honestly suggest calling the Gies iMBA team or scheduling a Zoom meeting with them online - I did that prior to admission and had a really helpful conversation with the admissions team about what to expect. They were also really forthcoming about the website having inconsistencies that they're working to correct!

I also went through all of the details and followed every link about classes on the new student page (I can't link here since I'm new but it's in your "Congrats! You're an Illini!" email) and found it really informative, especially the schedule of when they offer each course and recommended 2/2.5/3 year course planners. I definitely plan to talk to an advisor or mentor ASAP once I get the official admission info and they can connect me so I can make some early decisions about how to schedule out my classes.

Hope that helps! Maybe I'll "see" you in classes!

backdrifter

Joined: 10 Dec 2020

Last visit: 11 Dec 2020

Posts: 2

Kudos: 0

10 Dec 2020, 12:53

Kudos

Bookmarks

Thanks for your response, akogan! I have seen all of the resources you mentioned. I've even created a crazy spreadsheet with potential routes to a 2.5 year graduation.

I had a good conversation with the admissions member that I interviewed with this morning. He confirmed that weekly allocation, on average, should be around 12 hours total per class with a maximum of 15 hours. This doesn't quite add up to the total, but he advised that a typical week would consist of 1.5 hours in a live class, 5 hours in assignments and projects after the live class, and 2 to 3 hours in Coursera.

12 to 15 hours per week is certainly doable, but at 24 to 30 hours when taking two classes (and having to take two classes more often than not), I don't think I'll be able to tackle this without other areas of my life (work, family) suffering.

zoro0611

Current Student

Joined: 27 Aug 2020

Last visit: 20 Dec 2020

Posts: 21

Own Kudos:

Given Kudos: 2

Location: Taiwan

Concentration: International Business

Schools: Gies iMBA'23 (A)

GPA: 3.57

Schools: Gies iMBA'23 (A)

Posts: 21

Kudos: 12

12 Dec 2020, 10:39

Kudos

Bookmarks

Im almost done with BADM509 as my first MBA course. This is a good course with easy Coursera content. However, group project actually takes big part of my weekly time for the meeting(twice a week). And then every monday is the live session but to be honest the time choices are not friendly to asia timezone. Either in the morning or midnight or something around 4am. Luckily you can choose to watch the recordings but it still is a 1.5 hours take-away. Besides this, each week we have to do two articles reading and make an original post then also review the others, it also takes lots of time on the readings.
So to me who also has a family and fullltime job, it is really stressful already. I cant image how much more terrible with two classes running at the same time.

Posted from my mobile device

pink01

Joined: 17 Dec 2020

Last visit: 20 Dec 2020

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

17 Dec 2020, 10:57

Kudos

Bookmarks

I was admitted to the IMBA PAT program in spring 2021, is anyone else doing the PAT program or done it already?

julau

Joined: 19 Dec 2020

Last visit: 02 Feb 2021

Posts: 1

Kudos: 0

19 Dec 2020, 19:53

Kudos

Bookmarks

pink01

I was admitted to the IMBA PAT program in spring 2021, is anyone else doing the PAT program or done it already?

I’m going to do a semester as a non-degree student to see if this something I truly want to pursue, so similar boat!

Posted from my mobile device

MiaS

Joined: 29 Dec 2020

Last visit: 15 Feb 2021

Posts: 6

Kudos: 0

29 Dec 2020, 14:48

Kudos

Bookmarks

anaksekolah

Hey Just got an answer from admission that Coursera fee is included in the tuition. So need to for subscription. FYI

MiaS

Joined: 29 Dec 2020

Last visit: 15 Feb 2021

Posts: 6

Kudos: 0

29 Dec 2020, 15:00

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi guys,

Just submitted my application for 2021 spring. Has anyone received a scholarship for this program? Thanks

cmas95

Joined: 12 Jan 2021

Last visit: 22 Jan 2021

Posts: 3

Own Kudos:

Posts: 3

Kudos: 1

12 Jan 2021, 20:06

Kudos

Bookmarks

Hi Y'all, I finished my interview yesterday and wish I can hear back soon! It's awesome to see we got a forum here!!

MiaS

Joined: 29 Dec 2020

Last visit: 15 Feb 2021

Posts: 6

Kudos: 0

12 Jan 2021, 20:11

Kudos

Bookmarks

cmas95

Hi Y'all, I finished my interview yesterday and wish I can hear back soon! It's awesome to see we got a forum here!!

Hi how's it going with the interview? I haven't received the interview notice. How long did you get the message after applying?

cmas95

Joined: 12 Jan 2021

Last visit: 22 Jan 2021

Posts: 3

Own Kudos:

Posts: 3

Kudos: 1

13 Jan 2021, 13:15

Kudos

Bookmarks

MiaS

cmas95

Hi Y'all, I finished my interview yesterday and wish I can hear back soon! It's awesome to see we got a forum here!!

Hi how's it going with the interview? I haven't received the interview notice. How long did you get the message after applying?

I think 2 days after my last recommender submitted her recommendation letter. It was pretty fast.

The interview is pretty straight forward, I think it last 20 mins and most of the questions are around why you want an MBA, what's your strength etc

Hope you can hear back really soon!!