U. of Illinois vs. Wash. U. in STL

[tdice7]

So far my top two that i've been admitted to are U. of Ilinois and Wash U. I visited both schools and was impressed by both, but I liked the atmosphere and people at Illinois better.  Money is about even (Wash U. gave me a better scholarship, but more expensive to begin with and Illinois has said they might up their offer.) Does eight spots in the ranking (19 vs. 27) make Wash U. a no-brainer pick? Or can I in good consciensce select either one?

[Jets]

So far my top two that i've been admitted to are U. of Ilinois and Wash U. I visited both schools and was impressed by both, but I liked the atmosphere and people at Illinois better.  Money is about even (Wash U. gave me a better scholarship, but more expensive to begin with and Illinois has said they might up their offer.) Does eight spots in the ranking (19 vs. 27) make Wash U. a no-brainer pick? Or can I in good consciensce select either one?

I think you can select either one. In fact, I don't think the difference is at all significant in the overall quality of the schools.

[Jessryn]

So far my top two that i've been admitted to are U. of Ilinois and Wash U. I visited both schools and was impressed by both, but I liked the atmosphere and people at Illinois better.  Money is about even (Wash U. gave me a better scholarship, but more expensive to begin with and Illinois has said they might up their offer.) Does eight spots in the ranking (19 vs. 27) make Wash U. a no-brainer pick? Or can I in good consciensce select either one?

I think you can choose either school. The difference in ranking doesn't mean that much, especially since WUSTL isn't really an established 19, but has more been up and down in the rankings over the past couple of years. I'm facing the same decision as you. I was basically decided on WUSTL until I visited Illinois and really liked the atmosphere and the students. I'm from St. Louis, and would rather live here, but Illinois has certainly made that decision harder. I'll be at the Admitted Students Day at WUSTL next week which will hopefully help me decide. I'd go with your gut on this one, with out thinking too much about ranking.

[CoxlessPair]

I agree with the above posts (I also shot you an email) but figured I'd throw my $.02 in for anyone else in the same situation.

As noted above, there is not a huge advantage to one over the other. The incoming student stats are almost identical (WUSTL: 166/3.6 medians, UIUC: 166/3.5 medians). Faculty with both are outstanding. Both are expensive though UIUC does have the in-state tuition perk if you can take advantage of it.
WUSTL wins in terms of the law school facilities though Cost of Living in Champaign-Urbana is significantly less than St. Louis.

The biggest difference is probably geographic job placement. UIUC places incredibly well in Chicago BigLaw but I don't see our grads going to NYC/DC in huge numbers (though we do send plenty, just not a lot in comparison to those that stay in Chicago). WUSTL might be better for outside the Midwest.

The rankings are pretty meaningless between the two. WUSTL might have hit #19 as part of a fluke and may return to the top 25/top 30, or it may be there for good. UIUC's stats suggest it should be back in the top-25 but I guess we'll have to wait until April 1 to find out if there are any rankings corrections to be made.

As a 2L at UIUC, I truly love it here. I went to a smaller college for undergrad and have really enjoyed my experience at a Big-10 school. The people, faculty, etc, etc have made this an enjoyable time thus far.

As noted above, it will probably come down to where you feel the most comfortable.

[whoisjohngalt]

If you want to work in Chicago, this is an absolute no-brainer: Illinois.

Anywhere else, probably a toss-up to be honest.  Illinois has a pretty surprising D.C. presence, but I'm sure WUSTL doesn't just as well.

Illinois dominates the Chicago market (behind NU and UChi of course) though, so if that's what you want, Illinois is for you.

[Temporary Relief Assistant Trailer Park Supervisor]

If you want to work in Chicago, this is an absolute no-brainer: Illinois.

Anywhere else, probably a toss-up to be honest.  Illinois has a pretty surprising D.C. presence, but I'm sure WUSTL doesn't just as well.

Illinois dominates the Chicago market (behind NU and UChi of course) though, so if that's what you want, Illinois is for you.

I agree with Illinois for Chicago, but it's just as clear that it's WUSTL for DC and NYC if you go by recent placement numbers.  90% of the people UIUC sends to BigLaw are in Chicago.

[tdice7]

Thanks for all the replies guys...gotta make my decision by April 1st.

[bruinbro]

I think you can select either one. In fact, I don't think the difference is at all significant in the overall quality of the schools.

This would have been my exact response.

[silentlaw]

In the same boat, but I'm in Europe until April 5. Any one know if it's possible to get Illinois residency after the first year?

[whoisjohngalt]

In the same boat, but I'm in Europe until April 5. Any one know if it's possible to get Illinois residency after the first year?

Yes.  Illinois has pretty lax standards on residency.  I think you just have to be in Illinois over the summer after 1L.  You should email the Dean of Admissions, he's a really nice guy and he could answer it easily (and I'm sure it's on their website?)