I’m sorry. I’m not the person to ask this question. I originally replied to your thread to share my family’s experience at Gies and why we chose UIUC.
In my opinion this question doesn’t have a straightforward answer. Something to keep in mind is that while schools have various strengths and offer varying high-quality growth opportunities, these schools often limit participation, which may come as a surprise to students still in high school.
For instance I will say one of the best skill-building activities for my kids was their business frat. There are only a handful of co-ed business frats on campus…and you don’t have to be a business major to rush. At U of I there’s about 600 freshman in Gies. Each business frat may take around 25-30(?) new members…and not all of them are freshman. Most require an application and a couple of rounds of interviews.
So while some clubs are open to everyone, many organizations with quality “growth opportunities” are selective. This is why I mentioned ‘honest self-assessment” in my previous post. When you are considering the “fit” of a school, keep this in mind…competition doesn’t end when you enroll at a university.
Lastly, I want to share my feeling about Gies in general. If you work hard, in and outside of the classroom, it can provide a wonderful college experience. I think both of my kids would say once they were selected and became active participants in their organizations, the environment was very collaborative. They developed mentors and eventually became mentees. They made a lot of friends. So although I understand your desire for a ‘high-paying, reasonable work week’ post-graduation job, I’m not sure it’s a realistic pursuit at this point in your life.
Sorry if I rambled.