<p><em>I realize this is a tad long, but I'd SO appreciate any input! :)</em>
I'm a 4th year college student attending University of Nevada, Las Vegas. I'm originally from CA but moved here my last couple years of high school. I'm studying anthropology and like the program at my university, but my family is moving to Naperville, suburb of Chicago (just bought a condo there, to be closer to aging grandparents) and we're trying to figure out if I should transfer and go with, or if I should stay here and finish my degree at UNLV. I have 1 more year at UNLV. </p>
<p>I know UNLV isn't anywhere near being a very reputable institution, but we've never really considered paying for me to live on campus (we COULD, but... if we don't have to, why?). At first I was looking forward to going out to IL, transferring schools and getting my degree from a more reputable institution. However, which would be the best schools to aim for?</p>
<p>I've already put in applications to North Central and DePaul. The other school that I'm aware of is Northern Illinois University, but a few others were brought up on another thread I was reading so now the options have expanded even more... The main school I've been aiming for is North Central because it's nearby where our condo is, but would this be much better than UNLV?</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure I'd like to go to grad school, hence why I was excited to leave UNLV but if it's not going to be in my benefit, and considering I may have to go to school longer because of differing requirements from my program to a new one... I'm trying to weigh whether it's worth it to go, or to just stay here and finish in the coming year (which I also don't want to do because I'd be stuck out here in the desert with my crazy sister and her husband!). </p>
<p>Stay at UNLV, finish your senior year, and graduate. Seems like a no brainer decision to me unless you absolutely hate UNLV. Why do you need to be where your parents are at all times? If you transfer, it’s probably going to take more than a year to graduate and cost more money. In addition, UNLV is fine compared to the schools you’re considering in Chicago.</p>
<p>Opinions are like noses, everybody’s got one(except Tycho Brahe), but I say go to North Central. Good school, has Anthro, nice suburban area, and you can save on dorm money by living at home after your family moves to Naperville. It’s got to be better than living with your crazy sister and B-In-Law, right? You could also leverage your UNLV years to make you The Big Fish In A Small Pond - NC has @ 2500 total students, althought they are making a HUGE push to expand, and their new facilities look great. </p>
<p>They only have a limited Graduate Program however, so keep that in mind. </p>
<p>If I were in your shoes I’d consider the University of Illinois-Chicago. It’s public & mainly a commuter school, located just at the fringe of downtown, about a 10-block walk from Union Station which has frequent commuter train service to/from Naperville. It’s a better school than North Central, and better than NIU. Decent anthro department, too.</p>
<p>I agree that UIC > North Central, but that’s not a super-easy commute. Even the direct trains are a haul from Naperville. For that matter, I also think DePaul is > UIC, but it’s not easy to get to from Naperville (you’d really have to drive vs take the train, and it would be a solid hour to hour and a half, if not longer, each direction). </p>
<p>If you do indeed decide that you want to go to a college in / around Naperville, some other options beyond North Central are Benedictine University and Elmhurst College. I’m assuming Wheaton College is out of the question. You might also want to look at Dominican, which is in Oak Park / River Forest, about a half hour east of Naperville.</p>
<p>Also note that some schools have satellite campuses in Naperville. I am in Naperville frequently and will look next time I’m there - but there is a huge campus of some sort off I-88 that I <em>think</em> has satellite campuses for DePaul and Northern Illinois University.</p>
<p>Nah, it’s not that bad a commute from Naperville to UIC. My brother lives in Naperville & my sister-in-law used to work in the Loop. I’ve also taken those trains plenty of times. It’s doable. The direct rush-hour trains are about 35 minutes to Union Station, same outbound. The walk from Union Station-UIC is about 15 minutes, though it would be really cold in the winter. Of course your total commute time depends on where you live in Naperville and how long it takes to get to the Naperville train station. Nice thing about the train, though, is you can read/study on the Metra trains fairly comfortable.</p>
<p>I agree commuting from Naperville to DePaul’s main campus is untenable. DePaul does have a satellite campus in Napervile but it looks like pretty limited course offerings there.</p>