URBANA, Ill. -- New policies at the University of Illinois designed to prevent prospective students with friends in high places from gaining an advantage over those without clout are about to be put to the test.
Monday marks the first application deadline since the policies were implemented in the wake of revelations last spring that some applicants with political connections had been admitted to the school despite relatively poor academic credentials. Prospective students who apply by Monday will know by Dec. 11 if they've been admitted.
The policies don't prevent third parties from getting involved with the admissions process, but they do make it easier to find out if they do because such involvement by anyone other than the applicants, their parents or guidance counselors will be noted in a public database.
