Help! UIllinois vs. BC? Forum

[latinolaw]

I am an Illinois resident, so that would be lower tuition. BUT, would the job prospects be better out of BC? I live in Chicago and seem to hear very little about U of I. Is it not very prestigious, despite being ranked 3 positions higher than BC?

[Vincent Vega]

Absolutely, unequivocally, Illinois is the better choice for practicing law in Chicago. Hands down.

[tram988]

Absolutely, unequivocally, BC is the better choice for practicing law in Boston. Hands down.

[tram988]

On a side note, anything outside the T-14 I would consider a regional school. 3 ranking points, or even 10, is nothing. BC, BU, Fordham, GW, Illinois and any other school ranked from 20-30 are peer schools.

[84Sunbird2000]

I am an Illinois resident, so that would be lower tuition. BUT, would the job prospects be better out of BC? I live in Chicago and seem to hear very little about U of I. Is it not very prestigious, despite being ranked 3 positions higher than BC?

Illinois is actually quite prestigious and does very well in Chicago, especially during up-economies. It's just that U. of Chicago and Northwestern are very prestigious nationally, and Michigan gets a lot of action in Chicago too. So you might not hear as much, but when it comes time to look for a job, Illinois on your JD will carry a good amount of weight in the Midwest.

[Renzo]

Do you want to work in Chicago or in Boston? Then go there.

[traehekat]

Pretty easy choice, I guess. If you want to work in Chicago, go to UIUC. If you want to work in Boston/Northeast, go to BC.

With that said, you are looking at 39k/year v 33k/year, plus a lower COL at Illinois. I can also tell you that in my contact with professors, administrators, and students at UIUC, I have been nothing but impressed! I think you are going to face similar job prospects at either school, meaning that while UIUC and BC are both great schools, they face competition from a lot of higher ranked schools in their respective regions. At either school I think you need to be shooting for top 20% of your class, at least.

Hope that helps.

[latinolaw]

All: Thanks for the responses. I do not care where I live or practice.

On a side note, anything outside the T-14 I would consider a regional school. 3 ranking points, or even 10, is nothing. BC, BU, Fordham, GW, Illinois and any other school ranked from 20-30 are peer schools.

This is helpful, thanks.

Illinois is actually quite prestigious and does very well in Chicago, especially during up-economies. It's just that U. of Chicago and Northwestern are very prestigious nationally, and Michigan gets a lot of action in Chicago too. So you might not hear as much, but when it comes time to look for a job, Illinois on your JD will carry a good amount of weight in the Midwest.[/quote]

So, are Illinois and Michigan competitors in Chicago, versus UChicago and NW mostly go elsewhere?

[McNoSki]

As an Illinois 2L, let me agree with everyone else. U of I does well in Chicago, notwithstanding the current state of the economy. If you want to work in Chicago, or anywhere in the midwest for that matter, go to Illinois. A degree from a Boston school won't help you out here, unless it's Harvard.

[chadwick218]

I am an Illinois resident, so that would be lower tuition. BUT, would the job prospects be better out of BC? I live in Chicago and seem to hear very little about U of I. Is it not very prestigious, despite being ranked 3 positions higher than BC?

UIUC carries more prestige than you might imagine. For Chicago, UIUC is a clear-cut choice. Outside of maybe the Northeast, I think that UIUC offers better national placement. Having been admitted into both UIUC and BC, have you entertained ND?

[tram988]

I am an Illinois resident, so that would be lower tuition. BUT, would the job prospects be better out of BC? I live in Chicago and seem to hear very little about U of I. Is it not very prestigious, despite being ranked 3 positions higher than BC?

UIUC carries more prestige than you might imagine. For Chicago, UIUC is a clear-cut choice. Outside of maybe the Northeast, I think that UIUC offers better national placement. Having been admitted into both UIUC and BC, have you entertained ND?

BC carries a ton of prestige as well though-- especially in Boston/ New England. They are ranked 34 as a national university according to US News for their undergrad. 3 places in the rankings is trivial (23 v. 26) especially when the rankings fluctuate so frequently.. It comes down to $$ and where you want to work.