by: Michelle Barnhart
Upon graduating from Parkland, many students choose to continue their education at the University of Illinois. Unfortunately, the transition from two-year community college to a four-year elite university can be challenging. The U of I campus is significantly larger and more difficult to navigate; class sizes almost quadruple. Tuition suddenly has several more zeroes. There are a vast number of changes that tend to be overwhelming.
Fortunately, there is a way for students to be gradually introduced to the University of Illinois while attending Parkland College. It is a program called Parkland Pathway to Illinois.
This program, which is open to high school graduates or those with a GED in Illinois, allows students to take up to two classes per semester at the University of Illinois while enrolled for two years at Parkland. Students who are accepted into Pathways are automatically accepted into the U of I as well, giving them access to U of I resources and experiences. They also have the advantage of taking U of I classes at Parkland prices. By the time they graduate from Parkland, Pathways students will be better prepared to make the transition to full-time U of I student.
Alexandra Gonzalez, a Pathways student in her third semester at Parkland, has had positive experiences with the program.
“The program has been helpful for me because I think taking challenging courses such as physics or biology at U of I my first year would be difficult,” she said. “By taking those classes at Parkland, I think it makes learning the topic easier. Also, I’m not sitting in a lecture hall full of 200 students as I’m trying to learn a more complex subject.”
Parkland’s smaller class sizes help students better connect with one another, as well as with professors. Gonzalez cites this as a reason for choosing the Pathways program.
“I knew that I could be in smaller classrooms and be closer to the instructors and easily ask them questions,” she said.
For students who are fresh out of high school, the abrupt transition to crowded lecture halls and far-away professors can be daunting. The Pathways program allows students to maintain the familiarity of smaller classrooms at Parkland, while also introducing them to a typical day at the U of I. This is the case for Gonzalez, who currently takes three classes at Parkland and one at the U of I. Gonzalez entered the program after graduating from high school in 2018.
“Between cost efficiency and a gradual exposure to university life, the Parkland Pathways program provides a smooth transition from high school to college”
Gonzalez also cites the lower price as a reason why she chose Pathways.
“I knew that by being in Pathways, I could save money on my education,” she said.
According to the website of The University of Illinois Undergraduate Admissions, in-state tuition and fees for the university averages about $30,000 a year. In-state tuition and fees for Parkland, according to Parkland College’s official website, averages about $15,000 a year. Because Pathway students get U of I classes at Parkland price for the first two years, they are getting a quality education for half the cost.
“I would definitely recommend this program to others,” Gonzalez said. “Either way you will end up graduating from the University of Illinois, but in this case you are able to split it up and have a smaller classroom experience and a larger one. And again, you save money!”
Between cost efficiency and a gradual exposure to university life, the Parkland Pathways program provides a smooth transition from high school to college.
For more information on this program, visit The University of Illinois Undergraduate Admissions website or call 217–351-2482.
