So, think I mentioned this a little while ago briefly. I’m currently in the first year of a business degree in London and have the option to spend the next academic year studying abroad in a variety of destinations worldwide. Am only really interested in the States and the two destinations available are: Emory University (Goizueta Business School), Atlanta University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Now I’ve spent a fair amount of time researching said universities via their respective websites but you can only learn so much from them. Anything to help me get a better feel for each university would be awesome as I’m obviously not in a position to visit them before I decide. It’s great to get a view of the schools from those in the US. From my initial research, Emory seems to have a burgeoning reputation in the US and the business school seems particularly highly ranked. UIUC seems better socially and being a 'Big 10' school the Athletics looks very impressive. As a huge sports fan that appeals to me a fair bit. They also have the Illini who I’ve followed for a few years now. Not sure how good the business department is though. If anyone has any information or opinions about the schools (+ business departments), reputations, areas, weather etc; anything relevant at all really, it would be hugely appreciated.
I have a buddy at emory and ive visited a few times. Awesome place, typical laid-back atlanta atmosphere. Personally, I'd go for the weather and I really just love the south in general
If it were me I'd go to UIUC but like I said, that's just me. Just as a disclaimer I'm not familiar with the schools but I am quite familiar with both areas having visited there numerous times. UI is at best two hours away from Chicago. I don't know if you're a city guy or not but Chicago is very nice and a lot of fun. A lot of things to do, good places to eat, great music scene, plenty of sports teams, they have a MLS team (Although the downside is that their ground is in the suburbs), and some cool art museums. There's also a footy pub called The Globe in Chicago where you can watch some Chelsea. The downsides to UI that I can think of is the weather and the location. Don't how much snow you get in England but you'll get hit quite a bit with snow. If you do go to UI, when I say that you better invest in some jackets, gloves, and hats, I mean it. It gets very cold in that region. Although the upsides of snow is obviously a lot of fun. The other downside is that barring Chicago, you're next to a geographical wasteland. You're also two hours away from Chicago by car. Atlanta is mostly "meh" for me. There's a couple of cool things to do but obviously it's not as interesting as Chicago. Like Rman said the weather is a nice upside and the mentality is very laid back. Downside for Atlanta is the humidity. Don't know if you'll be in the US during the summer but it gets bad. That, and you're also near a bit of a geographical wasteland (IMO) aside from Florida which is about a four hour drive from Atlanta. You mentioned sports I believe. University sports is the closest thing you'll get in terms of crowd atmosphere like you do in England. Fun times (Except when Ohio State beats Michigan ) and one of the easiest ways to meet people. You've already mentioned that you've been following the Illini so you'd be set in a way. That said, if UIUC happens to have a good reputation as a business school, I'd say go for it. You'll be in a good area socially like you mentioned, you're near the third biggest city in the United States, and you'll have plenty of sports related stuff to follow. Really though, don't just go due to location but it's a good thing to consider obviously. Out of curiosity, why the US?
Thanks Kazuma and Ryman, thats all really interesting and very helpful. I decided on the US for a number of reasons. It's a country that has always fascinated me and that i've always wanted to visit but have yet to have the chance. The US love their sport, something i'm huge one, I watch a variety of sports including a fair amount of NFL and lesser amounts of MLB. I also didn't want to study in a country that wasn't English speaking. I imagine moving to a new country for a year to be daunting enough without having a language barrier on top. That ruled out the majority of nations.
This forum should have some info on the schools you're looking at: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=953 But cool that you're deciding to study abroad. The greatest way to learn about a different culture if anything. As for the NFL, it's an okay sport. Had a lot of fun when the Super Bowl came to Detroit. Just didn't go out at night in the hours leading up to it.
As an expat here I can give you my tuppance worth. Although I have not visited either location I would tend much more towards Chicago. Especially from the sports standpoint, they are very much into their teams their whereas Atlanta is a bit more meh. They don't really care all that much outside of Georgia Tech and pro sports are so-so. Chicago is a more interesting place to visit for a Brit and you'll love the food. Champaign is a college town and they LOVE their Illini (College Gridiron and Mens Hoops) so you'll really really be able to build on your following. Proximity to Chicago is good and the chance to go to Wrigley Field for the Cubs is one to capitalise on. Final point is that the mentality is probably going to be a better fit for you in the Chicago area. I work with an alumni of Illinois so if you need some pointers they'll be easy to come by. I don't know anyone from Emory
Dave you've been in the US how long and you haven't visited Chicago? Even when you lived in Pennsylvania?
Interesting question to pose on BS... 1. Basic geography: as you've probably already figured out, UI is in a college town in the Midwest and Emory is in a large city in the South. As Kazuma said, Illinois will be freezing in the winter (well below 0 celsius quite often), and George will be stifling in the summer (easily 30 celsius for long stretches, though Illinois will get to be like this often as well, just for not nearly as long), so be prepared for that if you have a hatred of cold or heat. College towns tend to, unsurprisingly, rotate largely around the university, with numerous cheap places to eat, drink, meet other students, etc. Champaign is a BIG college town so life will be fairly university based. The other good thing about a college town is that there is a lot of culture at the university, so it's similar to being in a big city. Atlanta is a full-service city, for the most part, but is car dependent. If you don't drive, then your experience of Atlanta will be that it is more like Champaign, but harder to get to the non-school things you'd like to do. Naturally, it's like to be a lot more expensive than Champaign too. 2. Schooling: Emory is generally regarded as a better university for most programs, which is important in the US if you want to stay here and get a job. I don't know about UI's business program, but I would think Emory is tops in Georgia, and UI is third in Illinois (after Northwestern and U of Chicago). Also, Emory is private, which generally means higher tuitions costs, as I hope you've noticed. 3. Things to do: I think that Emory will be a little richer in this regard, because of its proximity to Florida, the Atlantic coast (Charleston, Savannah, Hilton Head, etc.), the Appalachian mountains, and, of course, Atlanta. Champaign is near Chicago, and that's about it. If you crave NCAA sports, you can always catch Georgia Tech or University of Georgia in Athens, GA. My personal vote would be Emory if costs aren't an issue. That being said, you'd be more of a novelty in Champaign (my guess is Emory and Atlanta have plenty of foreign folks), so you're likely to get more chicks with your charming accent.
I had my tickets booked in the summer of 2004 and then my company decided they needed me in New York for 5 months before I transferred to the West Coast (as they were paying for my accomodation I wasn't inclined to disagree). Unfortunately it did scupper my Chicago trip. Eddie and I were also going to do a Chicago/Detroit/Milwaukee/Cleveland/Pittsburgh baseball trip but he lost his source of income so that one went into the tank too. And finally I did follow the Eagles on the road to a number of places (inc Miami, Charlotte and DC) but I never matched up with them when they were playing at Soldier Field (or even in Champaign).
If you and Eddie ever manage to do something like that again and happen to be in my area; let me know. Would happily show you guys around.
Thanks guys, some really good answers. Should have mentioned before but as my Uni and the two in question are partner institutions then I only pay what I would have paid should I had stayed in the UK, so just over £3000. Huge savings when i've heard that Emory was around $20,000 per year. I'm finding this such a hard decision, both sound fantastic in their own ways. Wish I could combine them.
I think the mentality point is pretty important, can see myself fitting in better at UIUC. Think i'd really enjoy the whole Fighting Illini spirit and atmosphere, more so than the seemingly more tranquil setting of Emory anyway. Thanks for the offer re the alumni, am going to see the Study Abroad officer tommorow so if there is anything she can't answer I may just ask a couple of questions if thats alright. Thanks Kazuma, will post it in there as well, although it looks a little quiet at the moment.
i don't want to sound sexist, but southern girls are without a doubt much prettier. seriously. but if college sports are your thing, then illinois may have the edge. emory is a private school and thus is pretty much devoid of good ncaa sporting culture. i attended nearby university of georgia in athens (60 miles away)... that's where the epicenter of georgia college sports is located. we'll just say georgia football is kind of a big deal... 92,000 seater. iconic stadium. rabid fanbase. however, georgia tech is located in atlanta and they have decent football and basketball programs. cool little stadium in a very urban setting.
Its debateable how much better Emory is as a university, if at all. The comparison to "best in state" is moot - Chicago and Northwestern (somewhat) are world class universities with top 15 graduate programs in multiple disciplines. Neither Emory nor UI is - being third in Illinois and first in Georgia is comparing apples to oranges. Personally, I wouldn't find either degree better than the other. (In my field, for instance, we wouldn't recruit from either school.) Keep in mind, Charleston and Savannah are really nice. But after a weekend in each, you don't need to go back. They're not "fun" destinations - they're "cool to see" destinations. Savannah especially. Its really quite small. Also, Florida is nearby, but we're talking about northern Florida. The Redneck Riviera. Avoid at all costs. And, frankly, I'd say the same of the Appalachians. At the end of the day, in my opinion, you're getting two very, very different options. Emory (where you'll need a car; its not much of a debate) will get you the urban spawl, southern easy going style. UI will get you the traditional "college" experience in the US - lots of dive bars near campus, lots of drinking. In UI, you HAVE to hang out with the students, because its a small college town. In Emory, people have their own things to do, because you're in the middle of a big city. That being said - being in a big city definitely has its advantages (I can't stand not living in one, personally). And even though you're only two hours from Chicago at UI, keep in mind - you still have to get there and stay there. You're not just going to randomly show up in Chicago and magically be back in your dorm the next morning. Both places are likely to be cool, you'll likely enjoy yourself anywhere you go. But the cultures of the two places are very, very different. If I were making this decision, I'd lean towards UI (even though one of my alma maters is a sporting rival, of sorts), but then again, while I'd rather not live in the Midwest again, I definitely don't want to live in the South. To each their own.
All depends what you go for. Besides, for Andy, just getting away from English women will be a treat. Sorry mate, but I spent years living there, and y'all got it rough.
A quick US News World Report search says Emory #24 and UI #38. Pretty close, all things considered. In my field, we'd recruit from Emory but not UI. True, but more interesting than, say, Terre Haute or wherever else is a few hour drive from Champaign.
Another way to think about things is that Illinois is a blue state (Democratic) and Georgia a red state (Republican). Now I'm not sure of your view of the world but you may want to weigh this in as well. Check out a little of what each party is about and you'll have a fairer idea of what you may be in for in terms of every day points of view. Alternatively you could be like Eddie and try and find a Libetarian location which pretty much leaves the Isle of Man and um, well, that's it really
Yes, but that's a general ranking. For the most part, the difference between 24 and 38 is negligible. Oh, that's true.
that's horse shit. have you ever been to atlanta?!? it's about as blue as they come... as if that even matters after this past tuesday.
Thanks guys, ever more to ponder. Will reply in more detail to a few points later. Having a quick look at the rankings of the business departments in particular, Emory is ranked 5th in the US by Business Week magazine whilst UIUC comes in at 18. http://bwnt.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/undergrad_bschool/ Not sure how valid the different rankings that i've found are though. Is there one list that is widely regarded as being the best?
Atlanta is a blue dot in a red state, that's true. And yes, it very much matters after this past Tuesday.
First, the rankings were generally started by US News & World Report, but lots of folks are in the game now. Hard to say if one's better or not. Second, the precise rankings aren't terribly critical, which I think Nicephoras and I would agree on. To put it in football contexts, it's like one of those rankings of "Worlds Top Clubs" or something. Yes, Man United, Juventus, Real Madrid and Boca are all top clubs, but giving them a particular point on that plot is kind of silly. It's not like a young player is going to pass up Juventus because they're down to #7 from #3 or something -- if Juve is good for them, they'll pick it despite that change, with the belief that a top club is still a top club regardless of the precise ranking. More importantly, what's important to you is Chelsea, whether they're #100 or #1. You follow Chelsea for a number of reasons, and it's not like you'd switch allegiances to another club just because it won the double last year and Chelsea didn't. As the President of my highly rated University once put it, picking an education isn't buying a toaster, it's far too multi-factorial. For educational purposes, I think you'd want to consider if there's a specialty or faculty one has that you'd prefer. Also consider that Emory is much more likely to get you a job in the Southeast (say, Washington DC to Florida) and UI is more likely to get you a job in Chicago. If you want to stay in the US, that's something to consider.
I'm looking at undergraduate programmes. I'm currently in the first year of my university education here in London (Freshman as I believe you call it) so it will be the second year of three that would be spent in the states. I understand the issue with rankings, in all honesty they aren't going to feature too highly when it comes to making a decision. Just wanted to check that say Illinois' business department wasn't a number of levels below that of Emory, or vice versa. Whether I intend to get a job in the states at the end of my degree is something I haven't really thought about as yet, although the year there would strongly shape any decision towards that.
I see. I, and perhaps Nicephoras, were ranking graduate level business (MBA) programs, which is a higher level than you're looking at. As you've probably caught by now, the undergraduate level (i.e., the first degree after high school) in the US is generally referred to as "college" and graduate or professional programs occur at "universities". Just a difference in local lingo. Since you're an "undergrad", your concern should be where will I have fun and learn something along the way. The discussions of what life would be like in each city and university are more apt in that case. Best of luck.