jhlphs

I am a rising senior looking to pick just want of these schools to apply to as safety (I don't want to apply to both). I was wondering if anybody knows which school gives more financial aid? Also, how do they compare academically? I am looking to major in psychology on a pre-med track so I was wondering which school has a better psychology/ science department. Also, any other information you have about either school would be greatly appreciated

Erin's Dad

You can check out expected FA for each school by using their Net Price Calculator.

mom2collegekids

What is your situation? Are you low income?

IL state schools are lousy with need-based aid and rely heavily on fed aid (which would be probably be the same at both schools). If you have an EFC 0, then you'd get a $5550 Pell grant and a $5500 student loan (both schools). As for any other need-based aid, no one here could know whether one school would give SEOG or perkins loans since those are big variables at each school.

What are your test scores and GPA (SAT breakdown/ACT/GPA).

mom2collegekids

Hopefully those in Illinois will comment, but it seems like the NPCs for Ill state schools may be overly optimistic since they'll including MAP grants....which may be iffy in the future. There were MAP grant issues this last year.

MAP grants, if they are awarded and funded, can only be used towards tuition...not for room and board, books, etc.

jhlphs

yes I am low income which is why financial aid is very important but all this information about financial aid is overwhelming and I don't understand much of it. I got a 28 on the ACT and I don't plan to retake it because I don't do very well on tests and that is the highest score I've ever gotten. Basically, I'm all done with testing and what-not. My cumulative gpa (for all years so far) is about a 4.1 unweighted. Also, I have been in the IB program since freshman year. Getting into these schools won't be a problem, I'm just struggling to figure out which one should be one of my safeties.

mom2collegekids

because I don't do very well on tests


Well, then how will you get into med school.....your score on the MCAT will be VERY important.

And there's a correlation between ACT score and MCAT score...so if you can't do well on the ACT, you may not do well on the MCAT.

Work on your testing if you want to go to med school.


As for those two IL publics, you need to apply to BOTH and see which one gives the best aid.

Where else are you applying? With an ACT 28, your choices are limited since you need full aid.

annasdad

NIU recently announced an initiative to attract top students, both in-state and out-of-state, and has been making some significant merit awards (Illinois directional increasing merit aid). With a 28 ACT you're well above the curve at NIU, which has a middle 50% ACT range of 20-24, so I would think you'd be a strong candidate for a significant merit award.

As m2ck notes, there were "issues" with MAP grants - the major non-federal need-based aid available to Illinois public college students - this year. The issue, which has persisted for several years, is that the state does not have the money to fully fund the program, which means there are many more students who qualify for MAP grants than actually get them. The program is administered on a first-come, first-served basis. This means that the students who get their paperwork in early get the full amounts they qualify for. When all the money is gone, nobody else gets anything. This year, the well was dry in mid-March. So if you do wind up going to an Illinois public college, get your MAP grant paperwork in early.

You'll find that the two schools have very different environments. UIC is an urban campus, with all that entails, positive and negative. DeKalb, on the other hand, is a small, rust belt city, that pretty much revolves around the university.

I don't know any details about the psychology or science departments at either school, but I am confident that a motivated and engaged student can get a top-quality education at either. What you do when you get to college is a lot more important that what school you go to - so your college choice should be based on finances and "fit." You can get a good education almost anywhere, if you apply yourself.