Thank you all for the help. Since affordability isn’t an issue, what’s drawing me back from Purdue is that its overall academic profile. There is no doubt that the engineering department is one of the best out there but other areas might slack a bit compared to UIUC. Since the rankings are so similar, I wouldn’t suspect a massive difference in education quality and career opportunities, and campus life with all those extra-curricular aren’t a huge concern either as it ultimately comes down to personal involvement.
Internship opportunities seem great at Purdue but I still can’t seem to find anything from UIUC, so I’ve decided to reach out to them and see if I can find anything helpful. Thank you for the kind help everyone!