<p>“I don’t think you can get any more similar than Illinois vs. UMich; both large, both Big Ten, both have a strong athletic presence.”</p>
<p>With all due respect to UIUC, I think Michigan is more similar to Wisconsin in regards to academic, athletic, and location desirabilty components. While Illinois is excellent in engineering and some other disciplines, Michigan has more strength across the full range of academics. Furthermore imho, Ann Arbor has it all over UC as a preferable location to spend four years of one’s life. </p>