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The University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign

How this student rated the school
Educational QualityA+ Faculty AccessibilityA-
Useful SchoolworkA+ Excess CompetitionB
Academic SuccessA Creativity/ InnovationA
Individual ValueB University Resource UseB
Campus Aesthetics/ BeautyA- FriendlinessA
Campus MaintenanceA- Social LifeA
Surrounding CityC- Extra CurricularsA+
SafetyA
Describes the student body as:
Friendly, Closeminded

Describes the faculty as:
Friendly

Male
ACT:35
id='quarter' class='snapshot' style='color: #977500; line-height:80px';float:left;
Quite Bright
Lowest Rating
Surrounding City
C-
Highest Rating
Educational Quality
A+
He cares more about Surrounding City than the average student.
Date: Nov 01 2009
Major: Electrical Engineering (This Major's Salary over time)
The engineering department, along with physics and chemistry, is light years ahead of the rest of the university. You're probably inclined to think I'm just being an arrogant engineering major—you'll understand (and agree) if/when you come here. Honestly, I wouldn't bother coming here for other majors. It is not so much the faculty in those other majors (most are at least OK, some are truly great), but the utter mediocrity of the students. Most of them are just rich little Chicago suburb kids. They spend their four years getting drunk and end up getting some mediocre 35k/year job at some unknown company. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but shouldn't we be a little more ambitious in life?

Students in engineering and the sciences (excluding life & social sciences) I've found to be much more intelligent and hard working. This is probably true anywhere—scientists/engineers are the nerdiest of any university—but the difference at Illinois is particularly staggering. This seems to follows from the university's rankings: it's generally somewhere around 30-50 ranked in most disciplines but nearly all of its engineering departments are top 10, with at least half of those in top 5, and 2 or 3 are #1. I don't know why this disparity exists, but that's the way it is (perhaps the past leadership of the university really liked engineering and science to the detriment of other fields). Anyway, because of it, the different majors attract students of vastly different quality.

Looking at the big picture, 30-50 out of the hundreds of universities in the country isn't too bad, but do try to get in somewhere else if you're interested in liberal arts etc.

As far as opportunities go, they're aplenty. I'm doing an internship in Europe and have done humanitarian projects and built robots that were exhibited to hundreds of people. You're generally in a good position to get a job at a good company or get into a top ranked grad school as an Illinois engineering grad. Despite the surrounding city leaving much to be desired, there are interesting things to do whether you prefer to go party or discuss atheist philosophy.

   
Responses
responseThis is an awful review. I go here, and I'm still "inclined" to think you're just being an arrogant engineering major. In fact, I'd put money on it.
responseThe above response is almost certainly from some liberal arts clown. :( This review is right on the money. The disparity between the departments is just massive here.
responseTake this review with a grain of salt. No matter what university you go to, there are engineering students who put down every other major but their own. This attitude is to their own detriment—how many leaders of society do you know who are engineers?—but in any case, if you're interested in the liberal arts, I suggest visiting the program instead of heeding the advice of an electrical engineer, for pete's sake.
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The University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign
The University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign
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