Similarities: Rankings, Weather, Academics, Large International Community
Purdue:
Pros:
Cheaper by 15k
Strong academic rigor
Beautiful campus, multiple study spaces
Large International Community
I have an ongoing 3 credit research project with a professor here (I can continue after transferring, but I won’t be able to take college credits for it)
Working with a large consulting firm through a Purdue center (would have to terminate if I leave - but the project ends in 2 months anyways)
A lot of test-out credits (10-15), I can probably graduate in 3 years
Great club choices
Cons:
Not a walkable campus
Purdue’s DS program is extremely experimental, and for a UG degree, it does concern me that I’m being too specialised. I just got accepted to double major in CS and DS yesterday, however.
lower ranking (it doesn’t matter that much to me)
I haven’t found the right social circle, which has impacted my academic performance significantly. Quite a few bridges have been burned and it’s a major reason for me wanting to leave.
Overcrowded and massive lines on campus for everything
Housing and food aren’t great
Crazy grade deflation - has decreased my GPA (negative curves exists)
UIUC:
Pros:
A major that’s more suited to my interests. I love the intersection of advertising and computer science!
More research opportunities (DPI + Siebel school of DS)
Better/equal employment opportunities to Purdue
A social restart (I have HS friends there too)
Walkable Campus
The classes that are for CS/CS+X students are more specifically oriented for the actual program (For example, Purdue uses general Math classes whereas UIUC has computational math classes)
Better grade curve
Better food and housing
Cons:
More expensive (cost isn’t an issue though)
Transfer process is lengthy and expensive (as an Intl - but a one-time thing)
If you’re international, I’m not sure employment prospects are different - and I’m not sure how different they are even domestic.
It’s interesting - everything is subjective but both myself and kid found Purdue a much nicer campus than UIUC - and he spent a week there and walked everywhere - and he raved about the food. Didn’t like the UIUC campus at all. Others on this website have observed similarly and say UIUC isn’t we’ll kept.
Niche rates Purdue’s food higher than UIUC although both are rated well.
In the end, you have to be where you want to be - but I’m not sure the differentiation you expect will be there - and it sounds like you’ve already got a great thing going with a prof at Purdue.
I don’t think CS + DS is too specialized. I assume these are majors you wanted since you applied for them? It seems CS + Adv at UIUC is more specialized.
It doesn’t sound like you are happy at Purdue. One can’t be sure that if they transfer things will be better, it does take a leap of faith. Is the desire for a social reset primarily driving the transfer or are academics the main reason?
Regarding UIUC, are you interested in being a CS + Adv major in the college of media? I understand that you applied for that…but what are your career goals with that degree? Would you pursue a different career coming out of Purdue?
DPI is open to all students, but you won’t be in Siebel, so I’m not sure what type of access you would have to research there….have you talked with some current CS + adv students or profs? Siebel school resources very well might be open to all CS+ X majors, I would just make sure.
It’s primarily the social reset. I’m really happy with the level of academic education at Purdue, but the social aspect really affects my academic abilities. Also to add on, I am a DS major, but I got approved for a double major in CS and DS just a few days ago
I want to work in marketing analytics down the line, and so CS+Advertising would be better than CS+DS as I can do a master in DS / study on my own using the knowledge I gain from CS. I was doing the certificate of Entrepreneurship at Purdue and later was planning to take a few marketing and advertising courses in Daniels, but UIUC simplifies that for me
That makes sense. You certainly don’t need to explain things to me or others, but maybe our questions will help clarify things for you.
I’m not sure about this. You can work in marketing analytics with CS + DS too. But, If you like the UIUC curriculum in CS + Adv better, that’s great.
I know you said the relative costs don’t matter but would you need to take on debt for UIUC? Sounds like you might graduate at Purdue in 2 more years but at UIUC you would need 3, at a higher annual cost?
Thank you for the questions! It is true that both degree paths will help me reach my goals. I would not need to take on any debt for UIUC. I did the IBDP program in high-school and UIUC gives more credits than Purdue which compensates for the loss of credits during transferring. If I take a few gen ed courses at community college, I should still be on track for graduating in 2 years at UIUC
When you transfer, you never know. Some kids have a tough time anywhere. Others, a reset works well.
But going from one large public to another - the kids will likely be similar although UIUC will have a higher ratio of in-state, i.e. Chicago.
There’s no way to know if a fresh start will make things different - but these are very like schools in many ways. And as a transfer, it’s often harder as others are already established.
Just something to think about.
Would a smaller school or more focused school (like an RPI) maybe be better in regards to a social reset? Obviously that can’t happen in the Fall.
I’d just hate to have you re-experience what you are experiencing now.
I actually think these schools are quite different, specifically for OP, UIUC seems more social than Purdue. IMO of course.
UIUC is large enough that students are constantly meeting ‘new’ people, so I don’t see a barrier to meeting new people and building relationships. OP did say they knew people at UIUC and could also rush if they were interested in Greek life.
I do agree (and said so above) that one never knows if the transfer situation will be better. But, young adults tend to know if their current situation isn’t working for them. Only OP can decide if the move is worth the risk or not (socially speaking).
Did you verify this with the transfer advisor at UIUC? Every U treats transfer transcripts differently. And since you are already coming in with credits from a non-UIUC institution, you need to make sure your plan is viable.
And not just viable- you need the transfer advisor to tell you which courses will and which ones will not get you credit. Not every CC is the same…
Yep I got a transfer report, I have around 35 credits from Purdue, 24 of which are distributed to UIUC, and then I have 35 credits from IB at UIUC compared to Purdue’s 26 credits for IB. So it compensates. UIUC & Parkland (the CC) have a list of transferrable gen ed courses, so I will be using that.
I do acknowledge that transferring schools doesn’t guarantee a better social situation. However, I will try to ensure that I do not repeat my situation at Purdue. I plan to diversify my social interactions by trying out new clubs and organizations and meeting more people outside the international community. While Greek life doesn’t particularly appeal to me, @tsbna44, I’ve noticed that I thrive better in a large public school environment than in smaller private ones, and I’m hopeful this pattern will hold true in college as well.
I get the sense you prefer Illinois and you’re more excited about the major specialization there. If money isn’t an object, go there. I transferred schools when I was in college and it turned out to be a great move.
I don’t see a benefit to paying $15k more to go to UIUC when you’re already at Purdue. A CS degree at either school would be ridiculously employable. Having a degree that “suits” you more wouldn’t change anything, except how much it costs.
Good luck with your choice and if you decide to transfer to UIUC, I hope you enjoy it immensely. It’s a fantastic school and very social (and the campus is very well-kept, I don’t understand that comment). People focus on CS at UIUC, and rightly so, but it also happens to be one of the best advertising programs in the country, so combining those is great. If you decide to transfer, look into rushing a business frat if you aren’t interested in traditional Greek life. The business frats are very social and a great co-ed alternative (and you do not need to be a business major or in Gies to rush).
This seems worth the extra 15k on it’s own. That plus the better fit of major should be enough, IMO. See what you can get to transfer, and if anything doesn’t transfer, you might be able to get credit via a proficiency exam: https://proficiency.cs.illinois.edu/. They offer other subjects, too: Departmental Proficiency Exams