COA
UIUC: $40k/year
Villanova: free (presidential scholarship) + they give you $10k/4 years to spend on professional development
Cost isn’t the biggest factor for me!
Study of interest
UIUC: CS
Villanova: admitted for Statistics and honors, would probably switch to engineering
I’m not really sure what I exactly want to study. I’m interested in anything math related, but that could be many different fields!
Looking to get a PhD after undergrad!
I’m in state for UIUC.
I’ve sat on this decision for so long and now it’s DAYS before May 1st 
UIUC pros:
- close to home
- diverse
- so many club options
- strong cs program
- many major and minor options
- could get a single freshman year
- parents want me to go here (they don’t really love the idea of Nova)
UIUC cons:
- feeling pressured to stay in CS if I go
- impossible physics classes (I believe I still have to take one physics class as a cs major)
- bar culture
- Greek life
- so big it’s a bit overwhelming
- location (in the middle of nowhere)
- large class sizes
- when I went to CS admitted student day, it didn’t really felt like I fit in with them
- still seeing people from high school sometimes (esp not a fan of this)
Villanova pros:
- FREE
- everyone I’ve met has been SO nice
- close to a big city
- small class sizes
- more specialized academic advising
- will be in a new state which sounds both fun and scary
- the campus is very pretty (new engineering building) and a good size in my opinion
Villanova cons:
- far from home
- not a strong engineering/CS program compared to UIUC
- theology classes required
- not diverse
- Greek life (although I don’t think it’s as big of a thing compared to UIUC)
I applied to UIUC since it’s close to home and applied to Villanova for fun without really knowing anything about it. Any input will be helpful.
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Villanova engineering grad here, so I’m very partial to that choice! When I was looking, I wanted something small enough to see familiar faces all around campus and big enough to always have new people to meet. It was the perfect size! Beautiful campus, safe area, and the biggest thing that struck me when I visited- how nice everyone was and how I felt so comfortable there. I loved my time there.
Have you visited Villanova?
I think this is very personal choice and fit. DD’s friend went to Rhodes instead of UIUC kind of against parents’ preference. You need to go where you will be happy and feel at home. Nobody can make a choice for you.
Both are great schools. We have neighbors with very smart kids who chose Villanova over many other top schools.
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UIUC CS is top tier and if you are instate that is where I would go unless 40k is a strain for your family. The pedigree, academic strength and peer cohorts will all be superior at UIUC for CS.
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Yes. I liked it a lot! We met with other presidential scholars and faculty. All were very friendly and willing to talk about the school.
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You’re planning on grad school, you can get in anywhere coming out of either school, so I’d choose the free ride.
Email Villanova to ask if you’d be able to double major in Statistics &DS or CS.
The UIUC CS program itself is hard to beat but the flexibility at Villanova may be of interest& the presidential scholars program would make sure you succeed.
It depends on what you want academically. Is CS your sole focus? Did you apply to Statistics at Villanova because you like it?
Socially you’ve already explained you like Villanova better.
Also, does the fact Villanova is Catholic matter to you one way or another?
Have any CS/DS/Stats majors from Villanova been admitted to UIUC for these subjects in the past 5 years or so? (So that you could have the free ride&presidential experience, then a UIUC advanced degree…)
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