I am only comparing UIUC to other schools that are enrolling supposed top-students from Illinois. Obviously we are not talking about the most selective and prestigious meets-full-need schools, no one expects UIUC to win those cross-admit duels.
It doesn’t matter if you or I believe that Purdue is equivalent to UIUC, because it is undeniable that students are turning down UIUC every year to attend Purdue with merit money (and Iowa, Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, etc). Ditto those full scholarship schools you refer to as ‘not equivalent’. There are many Illinois residents that reject UIUC every year for those schools. This makes them equivalent regardless of whether you or I would make the same choice.
That is the whole point; that supposedly inferior OOS publics are winning cross-admit duels with UIUC…
It’s mostly about the money. You want the kids, spend the money (and while you’re at it, stop pandering to whiny parents by canceling your EA program to protect their feelings).
Illinois may not be rolling in money, but they do have it to spend on certain students. They for the most part choose not to do so, while complaining out of the other side of their mouths about low yield.