S25 is still waiting on several deferrals and RD schools. However, we wanted to only keep one safety on his decision list. Can you help us? University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) vs Loyola University Chicago
Net price per year: Similar/negligible difference. S25 received a hefty scholarship from Loyola and no scholarship from UIC. Cost is not a deciding factor for these schools. Both are affordable.
Major/division admitted: Business (same for both)
Fall Start
Undecided future plans, something in management/organizations/consulting.
Frosh, but with AP credits. Will likely graduate a year early.
IL instate
No location preferences - both are close enough to home, but will live on campus at least for 1st year.
Initial thoughts: Loyola has better campus location; however, business majors will need to commute downtown to their business school from main Loyola campus. If there was no commute, Loyola would win location 100%. S25 thought he would be accepted to UIC Honors College, but he was not. If he was, I think UIC would have been the winner overall. However, without the Honors College, UIC is a huge school with many commuters. So now S25 isn’t sure which school is better.
I think we were trying to narrow the list down to get him more excited about a school. Right now he’s very meh about his options. (He also got into a couple other schools, but not in his 1st choice major so I think he wanted to pass on those.)
Makes sense to drop schools that don’t have his major since he has schools that do. But if he isn’t sure between Loyola or UIC I don’t understand why the need to drop one right now. Go to campus and check things out on admitted students day (or any day if local), talk to some students.
The UIC commuter vibe is real. S24 visited a UIC friend including an overnight and by 5pm, the campus was dead. The rest of downtown/loop Chicago is easy to get to…but if that isn’t the experience your son is looking for - he may well prefer Loyola.
I also wanted to comment on this. During weekdays there is a shuttle that goes between the campuses, plus the ‘L’ is convenient on both ends too. Either way, I expect he would have classmates along for any of those rides.
Loyola will have a more traditional college vibe/experience. The students that I know who are there love it! And it’s easy to get back and forth between campuses.
Zero reason to decide between these two options now. If they do prove to be the best choices in the end then go to both school’s accepted student day before deciding. From the comments above I’d lean towards Loyola to get a more robust residential campus experience.
FWIW, upperclassmen at Loyola Chicago can live in Baumhart Hall at the Water Tower Campus, though many elect to stay at Lakeshore Campus and take the shuttle or Red Line to WTC for business classes. Many freshmen courses are at LSC, especially core classes. Baumhart Hall | Residence Life: Loyola University Chicago
Baumhart is very nice, and the location is amazing for business (walk-to for internships, magnificient mile, museums), but many students opt for the Lakeshore Campus for ready access to athletics, clubs, and dining options.
I found that my son going to a smaller Catholic school for business was more advantageous than a large public school if both schools are similar in recognition or education. This is due to class size, professor interaction, school involvement, and opportunities.
Loyola is Jesuit - will that matter - religious symmetry and perhaps class?
You can transfer into UIC Honors potentially:
The strongest transfer candidates to the Honors College typically have completed 24 semester hours, earned at least a 3.4 GPA, and plan to be enrolled at UIC for at least four semesters (however those with three semesters left may be considered).
As I mentioned earlier, the Jesuits have higher education well crafted. They tend to be very ecumenical. Our not Catholic kid graduated from a different Jesuit college.
I’m going to assume that the OP knew this was a Jesuit college before their kid applied.
That being the case, I’ll stick with my vote above.
Oh…adding…the Jesuits value giving back to the community and this is woven into many courses. My kid loved that feature of the college she attended.
Yes, he doesn’t want to do that since he wanted to start out in the school within a school concept at UIC due to its size as a new Freshman. By Sophomore/Junior year, it won’t matter as much.
Not limited to Chicago, but these were the safeties he applied to. The other schools he’s applied to are all over the rest of the country in or near major cities.
OK - good luck with the rest - but if you’re concerned they won’t come through but neither of these are what he wants - there’s still time for many other fine schools.
My S studied business at a different Jesuit university. I felt the Jesuit core curriculum was overall a positive as he got an incredibly well rounded education in the humanities while in a b-school (the downside was that he had few free electives). He became very involved in charitable work with the local community as well.