As to persuasive impact......, "people tend to reject messages that disagree with their prior opinions, while being accepting of messages that reinforce existing opinions".
In your case, I think it's perhaps in your best interest to consider the name of the school. That's because I guess you're probably still not very sure about your next step. If that is the case, choosing a more well-known school maybe can give you more edge and flexibility. In this direction, I suggest UIUC > Purdue > UTDallas. Of course, it's just my perosnal opinion so don't take it too seriously. Good luck.