Northern Illinois vs Illinois State

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by LakeShoreSoxGo

From DeKalb? Commute from where?

It is absolutely not a commuter school but many from aurora and naperville etc. can pull it off.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by LakeShoreSoxGo

From DeKalb? Commute from where?

Aurora, Elgin, Geneva, St. Charles, Batavia, Carpentersville, etc. I wouldn't characterize it as "mostly" a commuter school but there are lots of people who truck out there from the western suburbs. And many who do live on campus head home for the weekend leaving the dorms half-empty and notably impacting the student-life aspect of the campus and surrounding community. Consequently, even with a fairly large university, DeKalb is just not a very lively place.

[LakeShoreSoxGo]

I figured that was the draw of the place, far enough to party during the week, but you can bring the dirty cloths home for the weekend.

I can see what you mean about that having an impact on student life Thurs-Sat. Never been out by ISU, is it lively(like Madison, Iowa City, or Lawrence) there?

[linicx]

I suppose ISU is as lively as any other campus in the twenty-something-thousand student range. How well the school educates really depends upon whether or not one wants to stay drunk or attend class. Normal pop is a little over 50,000. I think it has always been a smart college town that is vibrant and welcoming to visitors, students. shoppers and new families to Normal.

[gardener34]

The OP is asking about the marketing program, it has been many years, but NIU I think has a good reputation for marketing and journalism/communication departments.

*Marketing Department - College of Business Northern Illinois University

Undergraduate Program - NIU - Department of Communication

Yes NIU has a rep of being a suitcase college (everyone goes home on weekends since it is so close to the burbs where everyone lives) but there is a lot to on-campus life as well if you are looking to live on campus. I liked it, but now it is better since there are more stores in dekalb than farm'n'fleet to shop at

[linicx]

Yes, and I answered LakeShoreSoxGo about ISU. .

As to the OP: YES! ISU can compete:
"The International Business Major was formalized in 1984. It is the only international business program at a public university in Illinois. The program is accredited by the Consortium of Undergraduate International Business Education - CUIBE

College of Business - Illinois State University

[vikm23]

I went to NIU and had a great time, but it is a bit of a commuter school. Half the kids go home during the weekend. But there have been huge improvements to the campus and athletic programs over the last 10 years. It's definitely on the up and up.

ISU seems to be in more of a college town though, plus the proximity to State Farm's HQs may be useful for someone who is looking at actuarial sciences.

[linicx]

The COL at ISU is less, too.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by xxshaza221

I'm trying to decide between these two schools in terms of prestige/student life and which B school is better in marketing for undergrad as an transfer

I have spent time on both campuses. My preference would be ISU. I do not like the vibe on the NIU campus.

Like I recommend to all potential students, I really recommend an extended stay on each campus that you are looking at. That includes attending a class or two, meeting the professors, and checking out the campus like and organizations.

I would strongly advise that you avoid the term "best business school". When I went to graduate school. I went to a school with a great reputation as a business school. And for the graduate program, it was pretty good. For undergrads, the class sizes were huge and for the most part, the faculty was unavailable to undergraduate students. Most undergraduate classes were taught by teaching assistants.

[mark.caryl]

It depends what you're looking for. If you are looking for a typical college social scene, ISU certainly has it. Since it is further removed from Chicagoland not too many go home on weekends. Also, the metro area around campus is more self-sufficient (ie better shopping and overall larger town). If you do not drive or choose not to, the ISU campus does have an Amtrak station nearby.

The business building at ISU was built in 2005 and is state of the art. I was an insurance major at ISU (Class of 2011) so I got to enjoy the facilities.

I can tell you that as an alumni there that my undergrad classes were pretty small (not above 30 students.) Honors sections can easily bring that number down to at least 10 or 12. My Econ 101 and Business Technology classes were large at closer to 100.

PM me if you'd like more info on the campus. Be glad to help.