UIUC vs. UF for communications?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi guys!</p>

<p>I'm majorly confused about which school to finally choose! I got the acceptances just yesterday.</p>

<p>I've been accepted into both their communications programs. They're both in top 30 (UIUC is in top 20), and I'm really leaning towards UIUC because it's ranked within 20 for Education Policy too (which I plan on minoring in).</p>

<p>I want to enter Public Relations, or possibly work in Higher Education - not exactly the administrative part, but more like the Dean of Admissions).</p>

<p>I'm mainly concerned about alumni connections, graduate school placement (both have communications Masters' courses) and student life.</p>

<p>About student life, I don't really care about athletics, which I suppose would ordinarily rule out Florida, but then again, I don't know, and that's why I'm here in the first place!</p>

<p>Then again, UIUC is a part of the NCAA Division I, so I won't totally be missing out on cheering (I'm all for school spirit, just don't care about the actual sport part of it... total respect for those who're into it though.)</p>

<p>Anyway, I am planning on joining a sorority, and both are good on that front (yes, I'm aware that UIUC has the largest Greek system in the country.) I'm hoping that this helps the alumni connections part of it.</p>

<p>Finances are no concern because I'm an international student, so the prices are roughly the same. Besides, I'm being funded by my parents, so no debt on graduation.</p>

<p>Still, I did pick all public universities because I think that paying too much on your undergrad is silly, I'd rather go to a great private school for my Masters when I have a better idea of what I want to do.</p>

<p>Just for reference, I was above the 75th percentile for both colleges in my stats and I'll be entering with 13 credits in UIUC and 12 in UF (I've got a lot of IB courses).</p>

<p>What do you think? Which college do I finally enroll in?</p>

<p>P.S.: I have acceptances from the University of Georgia (Grady School of Comm.), University of Maryland - College Park and Pennsylvania State. If you think any of those will be a better fit, please go ahead and tell me!</p>

2

<p>Those are some pretty darn good schools of c. What about you? What do you want in a college besides greek life and good sports? How important is proximity to international airports? major city quality of life? museums? ballet? professional soccer? hiking trails? mountains? skiing? etc.</p>

3

<p>UMD-CP and PSU are likely too expensive (prices are much higher than UF).
For Greek life: UIUC. For alumni connections: PSU. For football: UF (PSU second?) For campus prettiness: UMD-CP (PSU?? UGA?)
Do you want to work in the South? Then, UF and UGA are the better choices.
If you’d rather work in the Northeast, then PSU is the better choice, and if you’d rather work in the Midwest, then UIUC. Then again, if you’re not a citizen, you would expect working at home, therefore which of these is the better-known school in your country?
Did you make the Honors College at any of these universities?
Do you prefer lots of dry cold (very dry, very cold), blue skies, and snow for most of the winter, or very humid heat from Spring to Fall?</p>

4

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<p>It’s good that you realize that you really Don’t know. So often we see high school kids with rigid, pre-formed, ideas about college based on what their (equally ignorant) classmates say or movies they’ve watched and I really think that so many of them cheat themselves out of experiences they may really come to enjoy. It’s so sad to see so many people pigeon-hole themselves at the age of 18 by declaring that they “hate” college sports, greek life, liberals, conservatives, etc.</p>

<p>If you are interested in education policy along with communications, you may want to re-consider UMD-CP given it’s close proximity to D.C. You may be able to find some great internships and develop contacts through them.</p>

<p>That said, you have some excellent choices so you really can’t go to badly wrong. Have you visited any/all of them while class is in session? If not, you really should try to do so if you possibly can. You are at the point where your best information about what school is best (FOR YOU, not the people of the internet) will come from talking to current students and professors and getting a real sense of the atmosphere at each place. Wherever you end up, you will be able to do great. Congratulations!</p>

5

<p>If you care about alumni connections, you need to think about which part of the country you want to live and work in (see MYOS1634’s post on the subject). All of these Universities have alumni across the country, but each will be concentrated in the region around the college. </p>

<p>Good Luck! You can’t go wrong with any of those schools.</p>

6

<p>These have really given me points of consideration to focus on, so thank you. Let me just clarify the questions you have so you guys have a clearer picture and can help accordingly:</p>

<p>I’m not an adventure sports person, so I wouldn’t need an area that prominently offers a diverse range of such activities. That said, I do enjoy frequent sports, if only to stay fit (I was into gymnastics as a kid and swim or practice yoga now for about an hour everyday). Still, I don’t think that that is subjective to wear I go (all I need is my bathing costume or yoga mat!)</p>

<p>I am however heavily immersed into the arts (I’ve been singing and dancing since I was 5), so I like that UIUC has Chicago a mere two hours away.</p>

<p>I’d prefer an urban setting, having grown up in one. But more importantly, I am very active when it comes to taking up internships in summers, and I feel that big cities offer more in that area. Although there is more competition, there is also more variety. If you feel that the benefits of lower competition belay those of big-city opportunities, please do tell me why. I’d like to keep an open mind about it, even though all my internships thus far have been of a commercial nature (PR companies, newspaper editing at HQs and the like).</p>

<p>Proximity to international airports are of no concern to me, as I do not plan on returning home for any of the four years. I plan on building up my resume in the summers, and besides, with OOS tuition, it’s just a needless expense.</p>

<p>I’m not going to return to my home country to work at all. There isn’t much of a prospect for Public Relations there, and cultural issues might create a barrier (I belong to an upper strata of socio-economic background). In any case, by the end of 6 years (Bachelors and Masters), I will simply have one more year before I can apply for a green card or residents’ visa.</p>

<p>As to working in region, I do prefer the north-east, but the program quality is so much better at UIUC as compared to Penn State!</p>

<p>I have also not applied for Honors in any of the colleges. I want to attend one semester first and see if I can cope up with the coursework instead of entering with a bang and having my GPA plummet down and affect the rest of my years at the institution.</p>

<p>I’m very versatile weather-wise. I’ve lived in a hot, humid area through grammar school, but now reside in a cold hill-station away at boarding.</p>

<p>About education, UIUC is ranked higher than Maryland again. So I really don’t think that Maryland has an edge except in networking opportunities. What do you guys think?</p>

<p>Also, about alum connections in Penn State, I don’t plan to stay in Pennsylvania, so it seems highly restrictive.</p>

<p>Please keep bringing up additional points to consider if you can think of any others!</p>

7

<p>I’m not sure what rankings you mean. UIUC is ranked very high for CS and a few other subjects but AFAIK it’s not a standout for communication in the way it is for CS, or in the way U Missouri Columbia is for journalism.
Here’s one of the rankings used in the US. It’s not perfect, (personally I’d place UCSD before Penn State and after Georgia Tech, for instance) but it would indicate that for undergrads Penn State, a bunch of UC’s, UIUC, and UWisconsin, are all in the same category.
<a href=“http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/top-public”>http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/top-public&lt;/a&gt;
Re: alumni connections - Penn State is known as the #1 alumni network in the COUNTRY, not PA. Not that other schools don’t have good alumni networks, but apparently Penn State’s is outstanding and I’m sure it helped them get some top rating from employers (like #1 for recruitment or something).
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think Penn State is better than UIUC, especially since it’s likely to be outrageously expensive but you may have a distorted idea of UIUC.
None of the schools you mention are in cities - they’re all in college towns. In my opinion, college towns are ideal: you’ll never again be a student so you’ll never again have the opportunity to appreciate a town that’s essentially dedicated to everything that matters to students. You’ll likely work in a city and thus spend the next 40 years of your life in one, whereas living in a college town as a student is something you simply can’t replicate. If you don’t do it, it’s gone. However, YMMV. :slight_smile:
On the other hand, UIUC is indeed 2h30-3h by train ($70 round trip ticket) to Chicago, which is much closer to major “arts” cities than your other choices except Maryland AND there IS a train… many towns and cities in the US don’t have a train station adn greyhounds just aren’t comparable to the efficient, fast trains you see in most developed nations * – although don’t expect to go more than once or twice a semester. Many big concerts and plays are likely to be produced or performed on campus anyway.</p>

<ul>
<li>kind of sad considering how advanced we were, back in the days of the transcontinental railroad :)</li>
</ul>

8

<p>Thanks for your input! I’ve been using QS rankings for Media and Communication (Here: <a href=“QS World University Rankings for Communication and Media Studies 2013 | Top Universities”>http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2013/communication-and-media-studies&lt;/a&gt;), because US News mostly has lists of US Universities (as is to be expected). That was needed because I did apply to several Australian universities (four to be precise, all within top 50 according to QS).</p>

<p>Also, I did have a personal ranking system that I made after checking out the course details (not just the description, but general requirements and course requirements o every university). Basically, I am more interested in communication strategies (PR and Advertising) than the digital side of things. It’s the reason that I did not apply to Uni of Wisconsin-Madison or GeorgiaTech despite their high rankings.</p>

<p>This is my main confusion between UF and UIUC. UF offers both Public Relations and Advertising; meanwhile, UIUC does not offer Public Relations, but does allow you to earn a certificate in PR (Here: <a href=“http://experience.media.illinois.edu/prcertificate/”>http://experience.media.illinois.edu/prcertificate/&lt;/a&gt;) that counts towards an undergraduate degree.</p>

<p>I also wasn’t aware that Penn State has such a strong alumni system! Do you think it makes up for any other short-comings like the course quality or the weather? Expense is not an issue, so discounting that if you could suggest the right path.</p>

<p>I’d consider myself a social person, so I should hope that a college town (like Athens for UGA, so I’ve heard) would give me the best experience. I’m an IB student (and I’ve already mentioned I’m away at boarding), so we’re somewhat obliged to be involved on campus, but I really do enjoy it, and I love that most of these places have distinguished student publications because I’d love to join it!</p>

<p>Again thanks for your comments. I do suppose that I was a little entranced by UIUC, I see that now. Can’t depend all on rankings though, so this is important.</p>

9

<p>All you’ve said about yourself and your career goals make me think you’d find what you’re looking for at a Washington, D.C.-area school and immediate metro region. I wouldn’t be stuck on “rankings” and would instead examine the requirements in the majors/minors, the internship programs, professional associations on/near campus (PRSSA, NACAC, etc.), the sororities, faculty experience, and the alumni network of the major/academic department you’d be involved in. Or, ditto for Boston or San Fransisco area. You probably need a media communications type of major (PR, advertising and journalism are quickly morphing) with a heavy emphasis (more than lip service) on social and emerging media, as that’ll be a premium for admissions admin. You’ll also need a command of stats and student development. You seem like you’ll do well wherever you land, but I think you’d find more of what you want in the DC, Boston or San Francisco area. </p>

<p>I see that you’re really trying to decide among existing acceptances, however. Just a wild idea: Could you do a year-long internship related to PR or other interest area in DC or other vibrant town as a “gap year”? Once you get a bit more info and experience of your prospective career, then you’d be able to bring that insight to your choice for undergrad. You might want to check out this association for contacts: <a href=“http://www.iabc.com/”>http://www.iabc.com/&lt;/a&gt;. </p>

<p>Just my 2 cents. </p>

10

<p>I did consider taking a year off to work, but eventually decided against it because I have already completed four internships in the media industry (Journalism - editing and writing on two separate occasions, social media in PR and event management). It adds up to about 6 months in total. At this point, I don’t feel that an additional internship will further my search for a professional specialization. I am sure that I will work in media, so that is not a problem.</p>

<p>This may be a good time to mention that I do plan to get my Masters immediately following my Bachelors. Of course, this may change, but seeing as I will be graduating with no student debt and my parents will be paying for grad school too, this seems like a steady path to choose. I will be doing internships through my undergrad years too, so I won’t be entering the industry and be blind-sided.</p>

<p>In any case, this does solve the location problem, at least in my eyes. The ‘forging connections’ part can be done in grad school too, for me. And going to a Midwest undergrad college and then say, a grad school in the northeast will also give me a wider net of connections.</p>

<p>I’m also trying really hard not to focus on rankings and get to know the other factors you’ve listed here. If I hadn’t, UIUC would have won outright on the rankings basis (for my course that is).</p>

11

<p>Do you know the percentage of international students at each college? You need to know what kind of support there is in place for international students. Can you even stay over the summer for opportunities? Check your visa specifications. I am a recent college graduate and it so happens that my best friend from college was an international student studying communications, in the top 25% of our incoming college class, from a high socioeconomic bracket, and had little intention of returning to her country, so this thread is a bit of dejavu :). She received her Master’s from the same place right after college and it took a couple of months, but she found a sponsored job and is doing well. I know she did not stay summers, though, so check if you are allowed to do so. If not, you need to make sure you’ll have in-term opportunities to build your resume. </p>

12

<p>I know that Penn State has the highest number of international students, and a little research showed that UIUC came third at 14% (after USC, where I didn’t apply - no West Coast here). Maryland is 10.6%, Georgia’s is so skewered that I can’t find it in one place anywhere, and UF is just a little better.</p>

<p>But wow, I hadn’t considered these factors. There is no way that I’d be able to justify going home every summer to myself (I’m Indian, like the Raj from TBBT kind), and besides I had plans of interning every summer the way I had been doing all my high school life. </p>

<p>So do any of you know if there are visa issues in staying in the country during summer? I could always rent an apartment close to my workplace every summer.</p>

13

<p>You must not have read the UW Madison catalog. They have an option that sounds like EXACTLY what you wanted. Way nicer lifestyle/city than UIUC too.</p>

<p>Strategic Communications
This concentration prepares students to pursue opportunities in advertising, public relations or other kinds of persuasive communication. Courses allow students to acquire and practice skills in simulated situations. Instead of centering on specific fields, classes explore skills that are essential across the board—skills such as creative concepting, design, working with media, or strategic planning.</p>

14

<p>Is it silly of me to say that I had cancelled out UW Madison on the sole basis of weather conditions? I can take some cold, but I do come from a country where 80 Fahrenheit is the norm rather than the exception. Even the hill-station my boarding is in doesn’t experience anything much lower than 40 to 50 Fahrenheit in winters. I don’t think that freezing for 4 years is justified totally by a degree that is marginally better suited. Wisconsin is further north than Illinois and practically polar in comparison to Florida (nation-wise, of course.)</p>

<p>That said, I do regret not having seen the exact course description. It sounds brilliant, and their education program is also great. The thing that comforts me now - future’s not set in stone. I could always transfer, though I’d prefer not to go through the hassle.</p>

<p>I do want my course to be more career-specific though. I’m not decided as to the exact course, but I want it to make me hireable. That’s not a word, I know, but do you get what I mean, you guys?</p>

15

<p>Hm, UIUC and Penn State both have very rigorous winters, only UGA would be hot most of the year and above freezing in winter, and UF is subtropical (hot and humid half the year, warm the rest of the year, with rains falling at specific times each afternoon).
I think that at UIUC temperatures are above 40’s from April to October, but most of the school year it’d be colder than that. Sure, it’s colder in Wisconsin, but if you come from 40-80 temperatures, you won’t really notice… it’s really too bad you didn’t apply there. And Madison is a great college town.</p>

16

<p>No, but the difference with UIUC is not that significant. Bit warmer but windier and wetter. UF–another world.</p>

17

<p>Damn, it sounds like it could’ve been a great fit.</p>

<p>Do they have one of those summer course things, does anyone know? I could enroll in UIUC, check out UW Madison over a summer and apply for a transfer accordingly.</p>

<p>But that aside, I still have to pick where to enroll! This thread is just giving me more things to consider and I’m getting more confused by the minute!</p>

<p>Just a final question: Is the Penn State alumni connection strong enough to make up for the difference in quality of education of UF and UIUC?</p>

<p>Thanks for everything, you guys.</p>

18

<p>Hey! We had some snow “Flurries” back in 2010 (before that the last time was in 1996).Yes, it lasted for only a short time, was mixed with rain, and melted as soon as it hit the ground, but it was snow! At this rate, I expect snow again in 2024!</p>

19

<p>Yes, UW operates a good-sized summer session. </p>

<p><a href=“http://summer.wisc.edu/”>http://summer.wisc.edu/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

20

<p>I’ll attend that then, the page looks good thus far. But to repeat my last question: Is the Penn State alumni connection strong enough to make up for the difference in quality of education of UF and UIUC?</p>