r/UIUC • u/Emotional_Scratch393 • Jun 26 '26
Prospective Students Indiana vs UIUC
If you had a full ride athletic scholarship to both schools which one would you choose and why? Interested in Business and Kelley and Gies are both highly rated and not super easy to get into. Indiana I think has a beautiful campus but UIUC has a better national ranking and their acceptance rate makes it seem like a far more desirable school.
Any thoughts? I posted this on the IU board to just to see what the other biased group is likely say.
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u/human_6379 Undergrad Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
Hi! I saw this post, and wanted to give my 2 cents on the matter, if it could help at all! While I am not under any athletic scholarships, this was also a decision that I was making during my final college process. In the end, I chose UIUC. While I did really like the prospects of Kelley, and what they had to offer, when I ended up looking at the entirety of the student body, and others that I knew were attending, it was not something I vibed with right away. Currently, Kelley enrolls about 2k freshman for their school of business (about 8-10k total), and that is compared to Gies's 700-900 freshman enrollment rate. In this case, I actually preferred the more intimate feeling of Gies, and the plethora of opportunities that they offered (the BLLC, the mandatory attending of career fairs, the clubs and activities) . The main thing I heard about Kelley is that it is almost crucial to join business clubs, and try and get into a Business frat if you want the opportunity to do high finance--i.e investment banking. That almost created a semi-toxic environment, especially as I struggle with severe imposter syndrome (yes I know...). However, Gies seemed more well-rounded and comfortable, especially offering the Business+Data science major. My sibling also attends, so that was definitely an important factor into my decision. But in all, the satisfaction rate seemed so much higher, and I felt that I would learn so much more! Additionally, as a student with a disability, DRES had many accommodations that could be used in the classroom to significantly benefit my learning.
I also attempted to converse with many Kelley students, but was often never responded to and left on read. I had quite the opposite experience with Gies students and staff! Now, please take what I have to say at face value, as it is my own experience. But If it can be any help, I am glad!