University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

I don't really know that much about the University, really, but I really liked the town(s) when I went up there for a visit several years ago. Good college-town vibe and close enough to Chicago to make a nice day-trip but far enough away to be a quaint college town sort-of place.

I count my time in Champaign-Urbana among the best nights of my life.

Of course, I went to college in Lubbock, so every other college town is going to seem much nicer to me.

 

I had a neighbor from there and she loved and missed it very much.

 

Us from Illinois say, Champaign-Urbana.

It is regarded as a top flight state school. Berkeley, Michigan, Texas, Illinois, Virginia type of class. They have outstanding honors programs if you can get in one.

But more importantly for you, maybe, is it does have an excellent art school. I can't really speak to the Architecture school. But, I think you can't go wrong. The city is like any other huge university town, much to do, much music. And it doesn't have the state capital there, like Austin and Madison, if political activism by 19yr olds who just want to avoid class, nauseates you.

And you will see some r.e.a.l.l.y. fine basketball there for sure. Big 10 baaaby, as Vitale would say. And the Illinois state championship is played there. You might see my little hometown romp through the Chicago Public League. You can become our new Midwest scout.

 

Think of it as Illinois version of UT Austin.

My sister went there for grad school. I think the population of the 2 cities is like 150,000 or something. 2.5 hours from Chicago and Indianapolis. Lots of cool people that live in that town and it is definitely a party school (but really what college isnt?). I went up there for my Spring Break one year and had a ball. The chicks are pretty hot too!

 

Illinois is # 36 on the US News list of best colleges, ahead of both Texas and Texas A&M.

I tried to look up the ranking on architecture but US News only lists business and engineering majors.

btw, Illinois has the # 1 ranked accounting program in the nation.

 

I think the biggest distinction is what you want to do after you graduate. If you want to be in Texas, you'll get more recognition if you go to UT. If you want to be outside Texas, definitely go to U of I. In general, people outside of this state regard both UT and A&M as redneck/football schools. Whatever your decision, good luck!

 

I hope this isn't true

 

Smokey and TXSalsa,
Do you have any idea how many times I've heard "So does everyone in Houston wear cowboy hats?" and similar questions? People who actually live down here know that it is not the case, but it's an entrenched stereotype in the Midwest/Northeast. I think the impressions of UT/A&M are an extension of this. I was told by my guidance counselor in high school that Southern schools just aren't as good. I did my own research and I know this isn't true, but it is a stereotype that persists. On a side note, I don't know how much it helps, but U of I's chem engineering is top ten and the other engineering disciplines are pretty good.

 

When I lived in Connecticut, many of the people I met up there had moved there from Texas (as had my mother and I). I always thought that was a weird coincidence.

(Yet another non-sequitor brought to you by mrpaige)

 

I went to Washington University in St. Louis for undergraduate architecture school, and I know that Champaign-Urbana is pretty highly regarded in the midwest. I don't know what people think around Houston. Most people I've known in architecture here haven't heard of it if its not UH or UT.

I know the graduate architecture ranking for Champaign-Urbana is something like 15th. (I am attending graduate architecture school in the Fall). I bet its undergraduate ranking is higher, however, as its graduate program has to compete with Harvard, Columbia, Yale, etc.