No, that’s not the only difference. I’ve been to both. On the Illini day, instead of a general engineering talk, you will get broken up to just Computer Science within the CoE for over an hour for a presentation and Q&A with the director of advising for the program (again, not just general engineering). It was so nice, and definitely not something they could do on a daily basis, as these directors would be too busy working in there departments to do this daily. It was a super unique experience that I haven’t had at any other admitted students day anywhere else.
The transition to major is straight forward for nearly all majors at Purdue. ECE is not listed as a major that is current hitting capacity so I believe that means 2.8 GPA and in. Here’s the link to this year’s transition to major info: Transition to Major - School of Engineering Education - Purdue University
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Any thoughts regarding SITE? My son stayed overnight and seemed to enjoy it.
My son really enjoyed it too. I think it was good for them to get an unfiltered feel for the school and the program from other current students.
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@Stephanie_Embree_Rob , Thanks for that information! We are planning to change our dates now. It is important for us to hear to the CS presentation.
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What exactly is a SITE visit? Is it different than the Illiuni day? We never got any mail about SITE visit.
SITE was a two day experience on March 24 and 25 for engineering students. They put the students up for a night at the Illini Union Hotel. It was mentioned in one of emails (it was kind of buried and didn’t really stand out) when they first got admitted, but I don’t know if it was listed on the main school site? I don’t know if they are having another one. I posted the link here that includes a schedule of events that happened over the two days.
I will say that he attended both SITE and the Illini day. While my son really enjoyed making connections at SITE, if I had to choose only one event, it would be Illini day. That is simply because of the program specific presentation and Q&A from the director of academic advising. They went through how they evaluate prior credit, summer registration, curriculum, faculty, research, study abroad, internships, co-ops, recruiting, grad school, RSOs, and more. Then they answered every single question every person had. While both experiences were valuable, that was definitely the best part of all of it. So even if there isn’t another opportunity for SITE you’ll get a lot of great info from the Illini day.
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Thanks. That is really helpful! We are trying change our schedule to come to Illini day now. May I ask if you are comparing UIUC to any UCs? If so, what is your thoughts so far? We are trying to compare UIUC CS vs UCSB CS. We are in-state for UCs.
Yes, S22 got into UCSD and UCD, but did not apply to UCSB. For us, it was a matter of program and fit. The program at UIUC was higher ranked. They also have research park. It is such a unique resource where Fortune 500 companies are on site providing networking/internships/jobs for students while they are on campus. Here is the website for more information.
But more than just rankings, my son felt so comfortable at UIUC. He felt like it was a school that took the work seriously, but not themselves. He appreciated the rigor of the work, but the laid back nature of the school. All the students he met stressed to him that all the professors really do care about you and want you to do well. This isn’t a place where they are trying to weed you out.
If you are interested in adding an experience that is student led, UIUC also has the shadow an engineer program. This is where for one day you child is able to shadow someone in their major and get a real feel for what a day at UIUC looks and feels like. The only way I know how to get to the info on the event is to locate the email sent on March 4, which mentions upcoming events. At the very bottom is student led events. This is where the link to SITE was, and where you can read about and register to shadow an engineer in your major.
I’m sorry I couldn’t provide any info on UCSB, as we didn’t apply. I hope you find this helpful:)
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This thread may be helpful for you. Sounds like UCSB is not a big recruiting hub although most people end up at FAANG with a little effort.
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Thanks for the forward. Yes, that is very good summary of UCSB recruiting. That is what my D and her friends are hearing from school alumni and other reddit forum.
I am assuming UIUC with their career fairs is better in that aspects. Do UIUC students use school fairs to get internship vs using personal connections?
Have you narrowed down to UCSB and UIUC, or do you have others in the mix?
Only UIUC and UCSB at this time. We removed UMD, UW(Madison), SJSU and Purdue already.
If you don’t mind - what made you eliminate Purdue?
I do think UIUC is a major recruiting hub due to its size and reputation. This is an area that I want to drill into during our Illini day visit.
D’s high school is kind of feeder school to UIUC CS for many many years. Kids know several success story from UIUC CS and several of her varsity sports friends at UIUC now. I guess ranking plays a role too (UUIC CS>>> Purdue CS). UIUC decision quickly eliminated everything before that. UCSB being closer home/weather/instate fees is an exception from the ranking game. of course, we are hoping our visit will allow her to find the fit to the college. This forum has been very useful too. Thanks to everyone!
On our a Illini day they gave the number and names of all the major companies that recruited at their career fairs, which happen each fall and spring. They told the students to go to every one of the fairs (even as freshmen), and they gave tips on how to connect with recruiters. They also discussed how to maximize available resources by connecting with the school’s career services. Their career services go through everything from resume review, mock interviews, salary negotiations, and help you hone your elevator pitch to be prepared for the recruiting fairs.
Fit it very important. Most of these schools will give these kids a good launching pad for their careers, so it is also important they are comfortable and happy for 4 years. It’s UIUC for us, best of luck to your daughter in finding the right home. Reach out anytime if you run into more questions!
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Yes, I agree. Fit is the most important factor at this stage. The other differences does not look substantial.
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My son, I imagine like other students, has been accepted into some other great schools. The Purdue campus is a gem. With a beyond respectable engineering program. To be honest I wouldn’t consider either school for anything other than engineering. (That’s my opinion. Sorry for the candor). We are in state Ilinois and my son did get money from UIUC, bringing my cost to very affordable. I do realize this is a UIUC discussion group, but is it worth borrowing to attend Purdue? Is it worth it based on comfort? He has been admitted directly into both engineering programs. It seems Purdue will take about 5 years to complete and UIUC can “most likely” be completed in 4 years. I really am torn.
PS I do enjoy this group. Thanks for all the input.
Is there a group chat for uiuc accepted students?