I’m trying to decide between the two for biology, so any useful information would be very helpful. The tuition of the schools is about equal for me.
How are the campuses (relative to others, if known)?
Are the professors particularly good or bad?
Are the students generally very competitive? If so, would this affect one’s own academic performance?
How much is there to do in the surrounding area? UConn is closer to New York and Boston so I assume there’s more to do there, but how about Illinois?
I’m Jewish, so how large is the Jewish population?
Again, any other information you’d think I’d find helpful is completely welcome, and a pros and cons list would also be great 
Thanks!
Illinois is one of the top U.S. universities, but I don’t think you will find a great difference in the Biology Department, depending on what you’re looking for; Human Biology? Zoology? Invertebrate Zoology? Mammalogy? Etc. You need to check the websites of each university for information.
I’m looking to go Pre-Med (for humans )
So you’re saying academically, they’re generally about the same in terms of the biology departments?
There is nothing to do in UCONN’s surrounding area. It’s in the middle of farm country. NYC and Boston are both 2.5-3 hours away; you will go there very infrequently.
What about your home state university? UCONN is quite isolated in Storrs. The city of Hartford is about 1/2 hour or so from campus. It is not a quick and easy trip to either Boston or NYC for the day.
For anyone who thinks Storrs is isolated, he has never been to Champaign-Urbana!
I haven’t! Wonder if the op realizes this?
C-U campus is an exit off of US Interstate 57 and ~135 miles from downtown Chicago.
Concerning a Jewish student presence at UIUC, it is significant.
http://www.illinihillel.org/
“Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life was founded right here at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1923.”
A very large Greek system has five Jewish houses.
http://www.illinihillel.org/jewish-greek-life.html
I can only speak for UConn because I live in Connecticut. Both Boston and NYC are about 2 hours away, which means UConn students generally don’t go to either. Hartford, however, is a smallish city about 25 minutes away from Storrs. Uconn football and some basketball games are played in Hartford, and there’s a shuttle service that will bring students to those games (not sure about $ for that). Storrs itself is definitely rural so if you’re looking for vibrant nightlife other than things in and around the campus itself, you’re not going to find it there. As for Biology, UConn is POURING money into all the life sciences and STEM in general as part of “Next Generation Connecticut” (look it up). I happen to have a good family friend who went to UConn undergrad for biology and she now works at the Mass. Eye and Ear hospital in Boston. According to her, the UConn sciences are very rigorous. She described many of the entry level classes as “weed-out” classes. For example, her HS best friend went to Yale for Biology and upon comparing notes, they decided UConn’s classes were “tougher”. I know this is all anecdotal evidence, but the point is you will receive an excellent education from UConn if you go for Bio. Have you been offered a place in the honors program at UConn?
My son is an engineering student at UCONN. Yes, UCONN is pouring lots of money into STEM and Life Sciences. Also, at present a small town center, Storrs Center, is being developed. Won’t have much as far as nightlife but it has restaurants, froyo, pizza, burger places, bookstore, grocery store, etc. and various services including apartments. It is a nice addition to the campus.
“C-U campus is an exit off of US Interstate 57 and ~135 miles from downtown Chicago.”
So a three hour drive into town…with traffic of course!
@rjofnovi I am not sure of your point. YMMV as with traffic and conditions on any interstate.
Just pointing out that C-U is not miles down a remote a two lane highway. It actually sits at the crossroads of I57, I74, and I72.
“Just pointing out that C-U is not miles down a remote a two lane highway. It actually sits at the crossroads of I57, I74, and I72.”
…and is still many miles from Chicago. You make it sound like it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump. You can get to Boston or New York just as fast, or even quicker, from Storrs as you can from UC to Chicago. My point is that neither of these schools are that close to these major urban areas, even with an interstate closeby.
“…and is still many miles from Chicago.”
Right. 135 miles to be exact. Its a distance specified as a distance and not a period of time. I have not made it sound like anything else. I was not making a comparison with UConn time/distances. Only you did that.
UConn does have a Hillel, my Freshman daughter is involved, going to Israel on Birthright after semester ends. The Downtown area is growing rapidly, there is enough to do there. Also have buses that go to Providence or Boston from the campus.
Just saw this post. UCONN got over 34000 apps this year, half for students looking to major in STEM.
http://today.uconn.edu/blog/2015/02/for-uconn-another-year-of-record-high-applications/
I lived in New Haven, Connecticut years back and I currently live in Illinois. I am not sure about the Jewish population in the vicinities of both campuses but I am familiar with the two campuses’ academic strengths and potential for their graduates. If residency is not an issue, I would recommend UConn over UIUC any time! In addition to great universities not far from UConn - Yale, Harvard, MIT, and a host of great universities in the Boston and New York areas, you are within a striking distance of international airports - I can mention three in the UConn area and zero in the UIUC area. Besides, UConn provides you a stronger international exposure and more possibilities for research funding. In addition, it is better to affiliate with a public university in a state with limited financial liabilities, than one with a dangerously rough financial future. Having said that, however, UIUC is not bad either but it definitely falls far below UConn in my book. Good luck to you!
“Having said that, however, UIUC is not bad either but it definitely falls far below UConn in my book.”
“falls far below?” Are you serious? I am not a fan of the UC area, but in terms of overall quality of education UIUC > UConn.
I-57 connects Champaign to Chicago. Once south of Chicago, it is a four lane highway through miles of rural farm country.
Both Illinois and UConn are located in somewhat rural locations, but far more people live in the Hartford metro area. Specifically, the 2014 population of the Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford Metro Area, CT is 1,211,280, with 800 people per square mile. In contrast, as of 2014, Champaign-Urbana Metro Area’s population is 231,655 people, with a population density of 120 people per square mile.
Additionally, the area around Storrs has a much higher income per household than Champaign. This is because the University of Illinois is the largest employer in the Champaign metro area, whereas UConn doesn’t even make the list of the 20 largest employers in that region. Indeed, in the Hartford CT area, United Technologies alone employs more than twice as many people as the University of Illinois.
Champaign is a very small city surrounded by a large rural area. Storrs is a semi-rural area within a larger urban/suburban metropolitan area. It depends upon the experience you are looking for as to which school is preferable.
If you want to work in Chicago after school, pick Illinois; if Boston or New York area where you want to end up, then UConn is a better choice.
@albclemom Very important info for a pre-med undergrad.
@Mafolayan Regarding research, is UConn an AAU member? Can you explain “international exposure”? Is is based on the proximity of airports?