<p>I'm hoping some of the UIUC students on this thread can offer insights....
Half of the graduating NHS seniors at my DD's ILL shool will be attending U of IL next fall. Only 6 or so to all the other state pubic schools combined, one to Emory, one to Boston, two to Wash U StL, one to Chicago, one to Northwester.n Most others are off to much smaller, private LACs or universities. </p>
<p>Can anyone who chose U of ILL provide me info I can share with my junior D--shes is overhwelmed at the thought of attending UIUC becasue of it size. SHe thinks a school with even 5-6000 students is way too large, so you can imagine her horror considering 36,000+ students at U if Ill. It is her 'safety' but I also think it would be a great school and a great experience for her. Her top choices are all small liberal arts colleges that mya prove out of financial reach depending on the merit aid she receives. On the other hand, we have prepaid 3 yrs of tuition for her at a state school in Illinois. She should be a good candidate for LAS (gpa, scores, etc) and plans to study psych en route to a clinical psych PhD or to law school--and UIUC has great programs for both psych and law. She is very artsy and definitely is her own person in style and fashion, andn I think she will find enough diversity at UIUC to feel quite comfortable. Her dream would be to attend NYU but it is too far from the Midwest for her comfort zone. </p>
<p>I have suggested she apply for Allen Hall/Unit ONe to get a more LAC feel and smaller classes, but she needs to hear from other students how they make the school feel 'smaller' and more personal, less intimidating. I attended a school of about 17,000 students and felt that was too large, but I also feel that 1200 LAC student body is almost too small. I joined a sorority to help me find community, but going Greek is not her thing. SHe isn't much of a party girl or sports fan, but she loves indie music and concerts, art activities, shoppin, fashion, resale shops, coffee houses, and intellectual conversations. HOw hard is it to find your own community in such a large environment? Any thoughts?? thanks, bookmom</p>
<p>A large university like U of I can be pretty overwhelming, but it's truthfully pretty easy to navigate yourself toward a certain group or community. There are numerous ways to find a small group of friends or a community in which you can feel comfortable. From my own personal experience, getting really involved in a student organization can be an amazing way to develop friends and to identify with a certain group of people. Plus, simply meeting other students in your dorm is a very common way to find a tight group of friends. Based on the way you described your daughter, Allen Hall would be absolutely perfect for her because that's where a lot of artsy students who have similar interests and preferences as your daughter tend to gravitate to.</p>
<p>For me, the key was just being willing to seek out and get involved with a club and group of people that I felt could identify with. The great majority of the time, students are able to find a club, community, group of friends, etc. that they identify with. Once this occurs, U of I becomes much more intimate and begins to feel like a second home.</p>
<p>During my daughters' junior year we made our first visit to the U of I. When we came back home, she looked like she was going to cry and then begged me not to make her go there. It was too big and too many kids from her high school would be going there. So I dragged her off to look at quite a few other colleges of all sizes. </p>
<p>A lot happened the next year. She began thinking about what she really wanted to do. We visited the U of I again as her sister was interested. She learned about Allen Hall and learned more about her intended major. I was pretty surprised when she chose to attend the U of I and wondered if it would work out or not as your description of your daughter also fits mine.</p>
<p>Well, she came home last night after a fabulous freshman year experience. She is happy with the academics, loves Allen Hall, and has grown up in such a positive way. Her grades are great, she has enjoyed her classes, has made new friends, and has tried new things. She has said that she is at the perfect place for her. And last night she said that she misses school because she liked it so much. By the way, she has chosen to remain at Allen Hall next year.</p>
<p>thanks to harri and momoftwins--I think my D would do well at UIUC if she gets past the 'size' of it. More students=more diversity, more different types of people to meet. A better names school for professional grad programs. It is only 90 minutes from home so mom and dad like that and 3/4 prepaid. It almost comes down to the dream undergrad experience and great debt for grad school or a debt-free undergra experience with money left for grad school. We'll know by Christmas time!</p>