<p>I've been accepted to both engineering programs and have visited both. I know that Illinois has a crazy big and good program but Iowa has a smaller more compact department. I'm not the quickest thinking, smartest guy out there so I feel that Illinois might be a huge challenge to me and I could struggle immensely. Iowa will be somewhat cheaper with all the scholarships they are giving me even though Illinois is in-state. I like Iowa's location a little more and I'm a very outdoorsy guy and Iowa has alot of that surrounding it. However, I feel that Iowa with their top party school status has nothing to do but drink and party. Some of my best friends are going to Illinois also. Illinois has an Aerospace Engineering program but Iowa does not and my dream job would be to work for NASA or more realistically with airplanes or trains. Any suggestions? </p>
<p>If you are committed to Aerospace Eng. then Illinois would be the better option.</p>
<p>If you aren’t, and can major in a related engineering field, then Iowa could work well for you - especially as it is cheaper.</p>
<p>And that party reputation, remember that you will be an engineering major. You will have so much work to do that it will be a wonder if you get to even one party a semester. I know Iowa City fairly well. If all you can find there are a bunch of drinking opportunities, it will be because you didn’t look very hard for other ways to use your limited spare time.</p>