Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT)

I think you have already chosen your university, but in case you haven't or for future students there: avoid this university. The reasons are multiple but the main reason is that they don't offer enough quality for what you pay. Diversity is good every where, but diversity doesn't mean all exept americans: teachers and students are almost foreigners (I'm not American and i just had 2 American students in my classes). So if you are american you will feel appart because we do our geethos. And if you are foreigner you will feel that your english is not imporving as it has to be for being in the States. This absence of Americans it's easily explained: the quality is so low that locals prefer go to other universities. Their technique is going abroad and offer "grants" to the students, just for being partnerships schools. They say that teir program costs 25000$ but you just will have to pay 12000$, why?? If the programm is good it would deserve each dollar it costs! What I did after wasting 6 month there was visit other real universities and transfer there. Of course I learned something there, because some teachers were "good" but inexperienced. However, others were pretty bad and you could see it if you knew a little about they were talking. My subjective opinion is noone should go to IIT. But I will try to show some objective reasons: - No locals: it can mean that locals avoid this - No american teachers: this can mean that they can only hire foreigners, the ones that desesperately needs some help with their visas or the ones who can't go better universities. - No locals + No american teacher + many people from your country = getthos: This means that if you are a foreigner your level of english would not increase as much as you expected. I ended up talking more in my native languague than in english. - Ugly and old campus: again is subjective, but after beeing in UC campus and IIT campus and in UC campus there were better ambience for studying and partying. Even the gym sucks (little and old) The best for a prospective student would be to spend one week in Chicago and try to go some classes (they are so crowded that they won't notice that you are there). So if you don't have any other university, try harder, but if I were you, I would avoid this.

Its better if you do more research before the school and the city and know what you wish to get from the experience first.

This university is only 10-15 minutes from downtown Chicago and there is a subway (or "L", Elevated train) stop right on campus.

Living off campus might be a better alternative for graduate students. Be open to new cultures and ways of life.

YOu should have finiancial aid to study in this school other wise it s very diffucult for the international student to cope with the high tution