<p>Thanks for the input eng7809 and dptmej. Dptmej, which school have you decided on?
I have heard that the campus is nice from some friends that have visited (and one that goes there right now), but I guess that is just one of those personal things that I will have to determine once I visit UT!
The weather is actually something I really like about UT over UIUC. I have lived in the midwest for pretty much all my life and have gotten tired of the crazy weather shifts. I also do not think I would mind the heat too much especially because I would not be there in the summer, although the end of August and start of september would probably be pretty brutal.
UIUC being cheaper (especially including travel and if I live in an apartment later on - I think) is the biggest thing influencing my decision at the moment. For the others, the schools tend to even out (eg. UIUC has a better ranking but UT benefits from Austin being a major technology hub, etc.).</p>