Proud To Be An Illini

Introduction
It is located in the middle of cornfields 2 hours south of Chicago, Illinois and approximately 3 hours north of St. Louis, Missouri.

University of Illinois is a HUGE school. It may seem overwhelming and easy to get lost in, but it isn't. There are several outlets for students to get involved in and meet new people. The pride that students have for this school is overwhelming. The quad is one of the coolest things about the school, it's basically the center of student activity if you don't count Green Street/Campus Town. The number one reason I chose to go here, and many of my friends would agree, is that if you are looking for the "All-American" college experience, U of I is your school.

Campus Life and Social Life
There are always parties here! With the exception of Sunday, I always know I can find at least 10 people out on any given night. The bar scene is huge and you can always find great drink specials. There is also a great music scene. 311, Keith Urban, Maroon 5, Dave Matthews, G-Love & Special Sauce have all been here in the past year or two. It's easy to get to know people and find a great group of friends because of all the different organizations on campus. University of Illinois has one of the largest greek systems in the nation, ranging from the nationally known, to multicultural and academic brotherhood and sisterhoods. You don't have to be in the greek system to find your niche, though. Organizations range from skydiving clubs, cultural clubs, sports and intramural teams, religious affiliations, political, culinary, musical, etc. The school definitely unites around the basketball season. We're crazy for basketball. Academics
Classes can range from being really large (200-300+ lecture halls) to really small (I've had a class of 7). The easiest way to get to know a professor is to take an independent study/research class with a professor. You have to really try to get to know your TA or professor and a lot of the time your TA doesn't speak English very well. Despite that, the quality education I've received has been wonderful and the reputation of the school is even better. There are so many different classes to choose from, as well as majors, so it's not hard to find an interesting and/or easy class. Engineering, architecture, accounting/business, band, agriculture, pre-med, and pre-law seem to be the prominent majors around here and the reasons why people choose to come here - they have great programs! Definitely understand though that the University of Illinois is a major research school. Make sure you know the difference between that and a liberal arts and science school.

Student Body
A majority of the students are from suburbs of Chicago, with a majority of the remaining students from smaller cities and towns south of the suburbs. A small fraction of the students are from out of state and out of the country. A majority of the campus is white, but there is some diversity as well. Asians are not considered, by most, to be a minority on this campus. The dominant religion on campus is Christian, but there are several other practicing religions on campus. There is a Hillel Student Center for the Jewish student population. The LGBT community is also growing on campus as well.

A lot of students work hard and party hard. People are pretty easy going but still very focused on their careers and future. When they aren't in class, they are going to work or meetings, or going out, going to a concert, meeting at a coffeeshop or staying in to watch movies with friends. Everyone is really social and friendly.

In Closing...
One of the greatest benefits for student who attend the University of Illinois is that it has the 2nd largest Alumni Association, and definitely one of the most active. Finding an alumni club in any city around the world isn't difficult, and building connections with alumni is great as well. Alumni directories are easily accessible. Basically, University of Illinois is one of the most well rounded schools you can attend.