<p>Oh, I can’t believe I forgot, and no one’s mentioned: CoD! The College of DuPage is the community college in DuPage county. It’s ranked the third best in the nation (I’m not sure by whom, but our counselors keep repeating it over and over). If you’re thinking of going to community college to get some credits out of the way, living in DuPage is definitely a plus.</p>
<p>As others have said, keep in mind that Chicago Burbs are nowhere near UIUC.</p>
<p>Someone mentioned Plainfield. It is indeed a rapidly expanding community. I actually know someone who works at Plainfield North. He says the school district draws both both the hyperaffluent areas and the less than affluent areas, although apparently the former are less common. He doesn’t think very highly of the student quality compared to my more middle of the road, or maybe a little above, high school. He’s noted that the bureaucracy in the school district is a mess, since they have to standardize curriculum across 4 high schools, half a dozen middle schools, and a dozen and a half elementary schools. Obviously though, everyone’s most attuned to problems at their own location, and bureaucracy is a problem in every school, so take this with a grain of salt. location-wise though, Plainfield might be worth looking into, since it’s towards the southern end of the suburbs, but Google Earth still says its 2.5 miles by car, not to mention rest stops, etc.</p>