University of Toronto- Rotman Commerce vs University of Illinois- College of Business

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I am an American senior and have been accepted into both programs, I have been having trouble choosing. I was recruited to Toronto for the golf team but Illinois is my in-state school and is a more realistic option. My main concerns are the residence at Toronto not being very nice and the lack of information available to me about how U of T is perceived in the US (its reputation with employers and grad schools mostly). I would value any input anyone has on this.</p>

<p>These are kind of just my general thoughts on each school, let me know what your opinions are and any other information you may have that could be useful.</p>

<p>Academics - The academics at each school are pretty even, Toronto has an edge on international reputation while Illinois has one in the US, internships and job placement is more established at Illinois however Toronto is quickly catching up, graduate schools see both as top notch.</p>

<p>Illinois is usually ranked top 10 for business in the US... Most people in the industry would rank its accounting program 1st and finance in the top 10. It is also ranked the 3rd best business school in the US according to recruiters.</p>

<p>I found these rankings where on average as an overall school Toronto ranks 20th and for business specifically it averages 17th. These are all undergraduate rankings.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.topuniversiti...cial-sciences/economics%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.topuniversiti...cial-sciences/economics&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://www.topuniversiti...nces/accounting-finance%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.topuniversiti...nces/accounting-finance&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://www.topuniversiti...rankings/social-science%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.topuniversiti...rankings/social-science&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://www.topuniversiti...niversity-rankings/2011%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.topuniversiti...niversity-rankings/2011&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://www.timeshighered...11/social-sciences.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.timeshighered...11/social-sciences.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://www.timeshighered...s/2010-2011/top-200.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.timeshighered...s/2010-2011/top-200.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Campus and Location - The weather makes no difference, Toronto is a more desirable location by far, CU feels far more at home but limits opportunities outside of class, the quad at Illinois is appealing however the overall campus of Toronto is better, dorms at Illinois are for sure good however at Toronto they may or may not be acceptable.</p>

<p>Clubs and Activities - I actually prefer the small number of clubs and their distinct functions at Toronto to the large and confusing amount at Illinois, built in group of friends at Toronto with the golf team.</p>

<p>Toronto
Varsity Golf Team</p>

<p>Rotman Commerce Students' Association</p>

<p>Rotman Commerce Consulting Association</p>

<p>Rotman Commerce Finance Association</p>

<p>Rational Capital Investment Fund</p>

<p>Illinois
Illinois Business Consulting</p>

<p>Accounting Club</p>

<p>DECA</p>

<p>Financial Engineering Club</p>

<p>Illinois Business Advisory</p>

<p>Illinois Corporate Finance</p>

<p>OTCR Consulting</p>

<p>The Association for Operations Management</p>

<p>The Finance Club</p>

<p>The Financial Planning Club</p>

2

<p>Really would appreciate any opinions</p>

3

<p>I’m going to Toronto for engineering, but I was also accepted to UIUC.</p>

<p>Dorms - It really depends on your residence at Toronto. A lot of students end up at Chestnut, which is a former hotel. Your rooms are just hotel rooms, but I hear the food is amazing. Then there’s residences like Woodsworth, where you and a few other people share a suite, with each person getting their own bedroom. Dorms shouldn’t really be a big factor when you’re deciding though. </p>

<p>Campus - UIUC and Toronto are located in very different places. Urbana Champaign being a small city that people jokingly call “in the middle of a cornfield.” Toronto is…well…in Toronto. I would sort of compare it to NYU. Just depends what kind of environment you would prefer.</p>

<p>I would say that if UIUC is your in-state school and you have no intention of staying in Canada post-graduation, go to UIUC.</p>

4

<p>Go to UIUC - it is a great school</p>

5

<p>I’m really just looking for how Americans perceive Toronto’s reputation. How do American companies or graduate schools see Toronto? How does Rotman compare to Illinois Business? I would really appreciate if anyone could speak to these a little more. Thanks</p>

6

<p>Toronto is pretty internationally well known. Very reputable in Canada too. If you’re sure that you will come back to the U.S. for graduate school or employment though, Illinois might be better known just because you’re in the US.</p>

7

<p>I don’t disagree, staying in the US for undergrad would probably help with some name recognition but going to Toronto can’t hurt can it? I have seen some comments before about Rotman commerce being second tier and not well respected and that is one of my main concerns. How comparable are the two schools? Is there any advantage to going to one over the other and why? I really appreciate any help that anyone has for me</p>