<p>I am very fortunate with having the "problem" of needing to choose between these two highly regarded schools. Going to UChicago would involve an extra couple thousand dollars a year and twice the amount of student loans. It would also mean I couldn't do engineering, which was kind of my tentative plan until now. UChicago does, however, seem like a better fit in general and is more highly regarded. At UIUC, I would get to study in a top five engineering program, but I am not really interested in the whole large school atmosphere. So basically, is UChicago worth the extra price and change in plans or should I play it safe and go to UIUC where it'll be cheaper and I'll probably have more options?</p>
<p>I can’t really understand why you think you’d have more options at UIUC? Your entire analysis doesn’t make sense. Either you want to be an engineer or not. A few thousand is not enough to deter you should you want the Chicago experience, but how much in loan difference since that could be significant. Are you just talking about your direct student loans or have to have your parents take extra loans?</p>
<p>“I can’t really understand why you think you’d have more options at UIUC?”</p>
<p>Well at UIUC I would have the option of doing engineering plus whatever majors I could do at UChicago. </p>
<p>“Either you want to be an engineer or not.”</p>
<p>I wish it was that easy. I was really only planning on doing it because it had math, physics, and a strong job market.</p>
<p>“Are you just talking about your direct student loans or have to have your parents take extra loans?”</p>
<p>Direct student loans.</p>
<p>any STEM student (especially math or CS) from UChicago will have excellent job opportunities provided they have good grades, internships, and showed leadership skills.
If you want to do engineering, UIUC obviously - but choose engineering for the right reasons: you enjoy building, tinkering, checking, imagining objects, you love math and physics but also how they apply to processes, etc. Otherwise, UChicago won’t limit your career choices, quite the contrary.</p>
<p>I am biased, but if were I, I would go Chicago. Their math / CS department is great. It will give you a different UG experience from UIUC.</p>