UIUC vs Iowa

[loco00]

Maybe people on this board can help me out... I need to pick one of these two schools and I have a week till the deposit is due. Anybody want to help me out? If you're going to say, both schools are in the boonies, no difference, etc, I've heard it all.

UIUC: Close Chicago Connection, More Urban Area, Technologically Updated (Old Exams on net, wireless,etc), Rank 25, In-state tuition hard to qualify for but doable starting half of 2nd year

Iowa: Rural, Technologically Outdated, Screwed up Grade Scale of 90 (I hear it can affect job placement), Rank 21, In-state tuition starting 2nd year through RA, Small-tightnit school, places everywhere but mostly midwest, definitely cheaper, I have better feel at Iowa when visited

I'm hoping eventually I can get a big firm job in Chicago where I can transfer to its West coast office... Or study like hell and maybe transfer if possible.

Any advice welcome

[4L]

oh no, U Iowa has very very strong ties with chicago. all of the larges firms in chicago and the highest grossing firms in chicago come to Iowa. Iowa is better than UIUC. if you want to end up in chicago, go to Iowa. if you look at the OCI list, pages and pages of chicago firms come, as well as twin cities, as well as kansas city, etc. UIUC is in the middle of a corn field. I looked at both of these schools as well. if you get good grades at Iowa, you can go anywhere. NYC firms even come to Iowa to recruit, but you only stand a chance if you are in the top quarter.

[lonahawk]

I would say to go with UIUC -- huge Chicago connection -- not just with OCI or what have you -- but a really great alumni base.  In terms of location -- you'll be so busy in law school that perhaps it would be wise to talk about what the library looks like -- but the city (or lack thereof) isn't going to be somewhere you're going to be seeing a lot of - whether it's cornfields or NYC.