My dad grew up there, plus both my parents got their undergrad degrees at UIUC. If you're worried about having access to cool research, you can also apply to b

My dad grew up there, plus both my parents got their undergrad degrees at UIUC. If you're worried about having access to cool research, you can also apply to be an intern at NCSA while an undergrad. I interned there while I was in high school, so I know you don't need to be at any specific level of education for them to take a look at you. The homonym issue can be subtle, and I don't think many spell-checkers will pick it up (maybe Microsoft Word, but I don't use that anymore). It might be best to have someone you know who is more aware of these things have a look through anything you send in with an application.