<p>^UIUC is a big school and I’d think non-greeks and non-partiers can find their social niche easily. But if one can’t see himself/herself stuck in a small town, then NU is definitely better. </p>
<p>UIUC is fantastic for engineering and engineering firms love them. But engineering firms recruit in many schools and they are not nearly as elitist (or selective) as places like biglaws, management consulting, and investment banking. I don’t think there’s significant difference between them in the eyes of engineering recruiters. </p>
<p>But when it comes to management consulting/investment banking, NU is more heavily recruited; these firms recruit smart and ambitious individuals, regardless of their majors. That said, the perceived rigor of the curriculum and the analytical ability of engineering students make them appealing to the recruiters. A whopping 37% of engineering grads (or 37% of those that enter job market?) from NU went into consulting/finance this year.
[Most</a> of McCormick Class of 2010 Had Jobs at Graduation: McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern](<a href=“http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/news/articles/article_745.html]Most”>http://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/news/articles/article_745.html)</p>
<p>NU engineering has a really nice CO-OP program in which participates get to work during the school year (as opposed to just summer internships for most other schools).</p>