UIUC (20,000) or WUSTL (sticker) WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Forum

[allthehelpicanget]

UIUC ($20,000/year)

OR

WUSTL (Sticker Price)

What would you do? No preference of cities. Which has better job placement in biglaw in general (not just based on NLJ)? Which one has deeper alumni connections?

[bk1]

They are peer schools. Illinois is far cheaper. This is a no brainer.

[ndirish2010]

Yeah, this is not close. Unless you have a burning desire to be in St Louis, in which case you should retake rather than paying sticker for WUSTL.

[kdw94780]

Yeah, this is not close. Unless you have a burning desire to be in St Louis, in which case you should retake rather than paying sticker for WUSTL.

+1

[bball25]

UIUC

[stratocophic]

I go to WUSTL and endorse everything that has been said ITT. I love the school, but I don't think it's worth 20k more than UIUC without a compelling reason for needing to be in St. Louis.

[romothesavior]

Easily UIUC

[Rule11]

Of course UIUC, but you shouldn't be going to either school if biglaw is an important part of your goals calculus. Chances are very low coming from either one (in either case not nearly high enough to justify cost of attendance).

[ndirish2010]

Of course UIUC, but you shouldn't be going to either school if biglaw is an important part of your goals calculus. Chances are very low coming from either one (in either case not nearly high enough to justify cost of attendance).

UIUC is pretty cheap here. If you have any money saved up or help paying, it can be very manageable and with decent grades you'll find something that pays 40-50K that you can pay off your manageable debt.

[CanadianWolf]

Illinois is the better choice, in my opinion. Congratulations !

[JamMasterJ]

Similar schools with a 20K/year scholarship to the cheaper one.... Illinois

[Helmholtz]

Out of curiosity, how many firms go to the respective schools' OCI?

[Helmholtz]

WUSTL for the prestige

[vanwinkle]

They are peer schools. Illinois is far cheaper. This is a no brainer.

This. There are multiple WUSTL students in this thread saying this, too. That should tell you how obvious the answer is.

WUSTL for the prestige

Lulz.

[stratocophic]

Oh snap, I thought it was 20k total at UIUC. How is this even a question.

[kdw94780]

Oh snap, I thought it was 20k total at UIUC. How is this even a question.

I think OP is tempted by WUSTL's overall reputation as a prestigious university and the fact that UIUC is in the middle of nowhere. I go to Wash U man. While Wash U may be better nationally and it may be nicer to live in StL, I would never advise going here on sticker when you can go to UIUC for half the price. I chose WUSTL with a 114,000 scholarship over UIUC with a 120,000. I don't regret it, but the difference was not too large.

[stratocophic]

Oh snap, I thought it was 20k total at UIUC. How is this even a question.

I think OP is tempted by WUSTL's overall reputation as a prestigious university and the fact that UIUC is in the middle of nowhere. I go to Wash U man. While Wash U may be better nationally and it may be nicer to live in StL, I would never advise going here on sticker when you can go to UIUC for half the price. I chose WUSTL with a 114,000 scholarship over UIUC with a 120,000. I don't regret it, but the difference was not too large.

I'm a WUSTL 2L too 20k total's a stretch for picking a peer school over a cheaper one, but it isn't crazy, 60k would be crazy, 6k isn't a huge deal. I.e. we're in agreement

[romothesavior]

Oh snap, I thought it was 20k total at UIUC. How is this even a question.

I think OP is tempted by WUSTL's overall reputation as a prestigious university and the fact that UIUC is in the middle of nowhere. I go to Wash U man. While Wash U may be better nationally and it may be nicer to live in StL, I would never advise going here on sticker when you can go to UIUC for half the price. I chose WUSTL with a 114,000 scholarship over UIUC with a 120,000. I don't regret it, but the difference was not too large.

I'm a WUSTL 2L too

Oh hai me 2! What a coinky-dink.

But yeah, I still recommend UIUC. Have you tried negotiating with WUSTL, OP? What numbers do you have that got you 0 money at WUSTL and 20k at UIUC?

[allthehelpicanget]

wow genuinely surprised that even hardcore people from WUSTL are saying that I should go to UIUC. Anybody here from UIUC willing to tell me more about the school?

[stratocophic]

wow genuinely surprised that even hardcore people from WUSTL are saying that I should go to UIUC. Anybody here from UIUC willing to tell me more about the school?

Dude 60k was more than enough to pull me from Vandy to WUSTL, and there's a much bigger difference there than in your situation.

[romothesavior]

wow genuinely surprised that even hardcore people from WUSTL are saying that I should go to UIUC. Anybody here from UIUC willing to tell me more about the school?

Dude 60k was more than enough to pull me from Vandy to WUSTL, and there's a much bigger difference there than in your situation.

Bingo.

All of us posting from WUSTL love WUSTL (or at least I think we all do, I know I do). But we are talking about peer schools here.

[stratocophic]

wow genuinely surprised that even hardcore people from WUSTL are saying that I should go to UIUC. Anybody here from UIUC willing to tell me more about the school?

Dude 60k was more than enough to pull me from Vandy to WUSTL, and there's a much bigger difference there than in your situation.

Bingo.

All of us posting from WUSTL love WUSTL (or at least I think we all do, I know I do). But we are talking about peer schools here.

<3's dat WOOSTL

[allthehelpicanget]

Could you tell me what you guys love about WUSTL? How are the professors like?

[blurbz]

As an Illinois student who made a similar decision last year, I recommend Illinois for the same reasons the WUSTL clan is: It's cheaper. The schools are peers in every sense of the word!

I love Illinois, too, for what it's worth.

[stratocophic]

Could you tell me what you guys love about WUSTL? How are the professors like?

People are cool and in general not that law-schooly IMO, sweet campus and building, social stuff's good, and it's cheaper than any of its peers would have been for me. I also like my neighborhood and the other ones nearby. Love walking to class every day, even when it's awful outside. Professors are a mixed bag, but there are some great ones to balance out the meh so just like anywhere else really (Collins, Baker, Goldwasser are my 3 thus far, but I only work for Collins, haven't taken a class with him yet).

Most people would probably say all of that about their school, as most people have some manner of pride and believe that their place is the best. Par for the course. I went to an UG that was fun as hell and well-respected. WUSTL compares favorably to it, which has endeared it to me. I will say that UIUC was the only other school that made me feel like they had any real interest in whether I chose them or not though, so I look upon them favorably in general.