<p>Also, Southern Illinois is bleak and depressing. In contrast, Madison is vibrant and exciting. Plus I think UW-Madison is closer to the only outpost of civilization in the entire region (Chicago) than UIUC is.</p>
<p>The vast majority of Illinois residents (at least 2/3 I'd say) live within 100 miles of Chicago. These people have much more in common with southern Wisconsin than downstate Illinois. Also, there are many wealthy suburbs around Chicago and many of those residents can (well at least could) handle the higher tuition.</p>
<p>UC is in central Illinois, not southern Caillebotte. Illinois is not a poor state. It has some of the finest farmland on the entire planet. I would say that the rural nature of the UC sourounding area would be the biggest turnoff for someone from upstate.</p>
<p>Haha I'm aware of that, I live in Chicago. We just call anything below the southern suburbs "downstate" or "Southern Illinois"</p>
<p>Gotcha. :-)</p>
<p>Both Madison and Champaign-Urbana are approximately 150 miles from downtown Chicago. Even if Madison is closer, the difference isn't significant.</p>
<p>In any case, what exactly is meant by "civilization"? Is it culture? Social consciousness? Diversity? Madison has these attributes. (And FWIW, I currently live in New York City.)</p>
<p>rjkonovi: It's true that many of Chicago's suburbs are well-off. However, the well-off suburbs generally have a very high cost of living. Also, Wisconsin is not entirely devoid of high-end suburbs and high earners.</p>
<p>For high incomes to be the only explanation, there would have to be 17 times as many high earners per capita in Illinois who can afford Wisconsin OOS tuition than there are high earners in Wisconsin who can afford UIUC OOS tuition.</p>
<p>Take3. I Never said that Wisconsin was "devoid of high-end suburbs or high earners." I also never said that "high incomes to be the only explanation" that why so many more Illinois students go to Wisconsin instead of the other way around. It's a matter of fit mostly and the greater overall quality of Wisconsin to UIUC as to why so many more students go to Wisconsin from Illinois.</p>
<p>rjkonovi: That's what the data seem to indicate to me too. I was just pointing out that income disparities can't be the only reason.</p>
<p>"Is it culture? Social consciousness? Diversity? Madison has these attributes."</p>
<p>Yes, yes, yes, and it sure does.</p>
<p>wow i haven’t checked this thread in a loong time.
thank you everyone who replied.
I’m pretty positive i’m going to madison at this point.</p>
<p>the reason i’m not going to the university of minnesota is because it is waay to close.
i actually take classes there right now and i LOVE it there.
but again too close. only like 20min from my house.
i hope i love it at madison too. I’m visiting in a couple weeks so I’ll have to see how it goes.</p>
<p>Sang 54 I know, its ridiculous how some of these misnomers get out of control. As for the choice, I gotta say Wisconsin.</p>
<p>No question, Madison has the best “college experience” in the midwest. I would say that we are most Illinois-ans #1 public choice in the region, it is just that most cannot afford to go here. UW-Madison in the past has tried to get reciprocity with Illinois, but Illinois obviously declines it because they know that all their most qualified kids would rather take the 2 hour drive north than south.</p>
<p>I am not sure the conclusion reached is right. There are also more Illinoisans at Purdue, Iowa, Indiana and Missouri then there are students from those states at Illinois. I don’t believe that means that everyone thinks they are all better schools or better places to attend. With such a large state population Illinois is becoming increasingly difficult to get into. There is always going to be more spillover at rates which won’t simply be explained by state poulation ratios. I would be interested to hear from students accepted at both Illinois and Wisconsin tell me why they made the choice they did especially those where finances were’t involved. In other words why do you consider one school better for you than the other.</p>
<p>Nobody from IL likes UIUC, the campus is boring, there is nothing cool or cultured about the school, the general student body outside engineering is mediocre, and they’re incredibly stingy with financial aid.</p>
<p>I don’t know why anybody out of state would choose to go to that school.</p>
<p>Tyler I disagree with the UIUC assessment a bit. The campus is actually great, but I just don’t get the sense that the students there realize what a great opportunity it is to go there and all the great faculty that they can work with. I don’t know if it is the Chicago crowd that is bummed they aren’t going to U of Chicago or Northwestern and are bitter about being in the “cornfield” or what. BUT UIUC has some incredible people teaching there, Urbana-Champaign is a pretty cool (an inexpensive) place to live, with a pretty hip music scene. </p>
<p>That said you are absolutely RIGHT, the are very stingy with financial aid, which is why many kids opt for UIC.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say UIUC’s student body is mediocre. UIUC has the second highest SAT/ACT average among Big 10 public schools, next to Michigan.</p>
<p>“There are also more Illinoisans at Purdue, Iowa, Indiana and Missouri then there are students from those states at Illinois.”</p>
<p>This is an apples-to-oranges comparison. UIUC and Wisconsin are roughly equal in selectivity. By contrast, UIUC is generally more selective than any of the universities you mention. Thus, there are significant numbers of students who can get admitted to one of those universities but not get admitted to UIUC. A student who wouldn’t be admitted to UIUC isn’t choosing Iowa, Indiana, etc., over UIUC.</p>
<p>“I would be interested to hear from students accepted at both Illinois and Wisconsin tell me why they made the choice they did especially those where finances were’t involved. In other words why do you consider one school better for you than the other.”</p>
<p>I share your interest in hearing from cross-admits on this matter. (Or, for that matter, people who were admitted to Wisconsin but never even applied to UIUC.) The numbers are what they are, but they don’t tell why people made the decisions they did.</p>
<p>I think Take3 is pretty much on point.</p>
<p>I was admitted to both UIUC and UW and I am from Illinois. If money wasnt a factor, then yes i would go to UW because it is only 2.5 hours away from home, i like the campus and UW is prestigious for its Veterinary school, which i hope to get into someday. But I will probably go to UIUC because it is cheaper, i still like the campus(but it is not as great as UW) and it still has a good vet school (again, not as great as UW), but what is ironic is that even though it is in-state for me, it is still farther away(like 4 hours) than UW. so yes UW is great but UIUC is good as well. plus, anywhere i go I’ll have fun!</p>