Univ. of Washington vs. UIUC?

<p>I got accepted into both UIUC and Washington (Seattle) for Biochemistry and Chemistry majors respectively. I'm having a really hard time deciding between the two. Location is not as important to me as rigour of the course. Although, it is obviously a considerable factor.
I'm an international student, and I really want to make the best choice. Help?</p>

<p>Also, totally off topic, i'm not entirely sure about how the elective system works. It'd be much appreciated if anyone could shed some light on that. </p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>