University of Illinois: Off the Record - College Prowler

College guides written by students for students.

University of Illinois Students Tell It Like It Is
University of Illinois Urban Legends
* Hugh Hefner supposedly donated all his Playboy issues to U of I.
* The English Building is haunted by the ghost of a girl who used to live there. So far, she has only made the power go out. But she is scheming. She is definitely scheming.
* The Assembly Hall was first designed by an architecture student. His teacher told him it was impossible and flunked him. Now it is one of the most admired buildings in the nation.
While a school's urban legends tend to be some of the most widely-known "facts" about an institution, they are generally not what a prospective student wants to base their choice on. Get the real truth on what it means to be an Illini from the pages of College Prowler.

"For a state school, the University of Illinois is in an awkward spot. A little more than two hours from Chicago and three from St. Louis, the atmosphere of Urbana-Champaign is completely dictated by the events of the University. Aside from a small community college, there are no other universities present. However, other universities, such as Illinois State University and Illinois-Wesleyan are a little more than an hour away."

"We are a Big Ten college. 'Nuf said. U of I has had some of the best men's basketball and football teams in the nation. Like other Big Ten colleges, we have our ups and downs. But that does not keep students from flocking towards the games, or parents and visitors coming from all over Illinois as well."

Did You Know?

U of I offers Discovery Courses for all freshmen. These classes are small and geared towards first-year students. Instead of being overwhelmed by a huge lecture class in their freshman year, students can participate in class and have one-on-one discussions with the teacher.

The Writers' Workshop offers free writing help for all students. You can walk in with a rough draft and walk out with a polished paper, free of grammatical errors and writing goofs.

Get the unbiased lowdown on Illinois without all the hype, straight from the students' mouths.

Visiting campus isn't enough.

Read our University of Illinois insider's guide and discover what it feels like to be on campus for 4 years.

Discover if Illinois is Right For You.