Wisconsin vs. Michigan
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Anonymous
| I know most people would say Michigan, but my daughter is having a really, really hard time deciding! Both great schools. She is a rower and being right on the lake in Madison is very appealing to her and she likes the campus/"vibe" a little better than Michigan (but doesn't dislike Michigan by any means). But Michigan is such a good academic school that it seems hard to turn down. She is planning to major in biology along a pre-health path (considering med school, PA school, or dental school). |
Anonymous
If this was my kid, I'd say Michigan (I do have one there  ). However, it appears that what's she's going to study is not a terminal degree and she will likely go to grad school. In that case, I'd say go for the cheaper school and save the difference to pay for grad school.
If she was going to school for Business, Engineering or CS, I'd have said go to Michigan. |
Anonymous
| Wisconin's 4 year graduation rate is much lower than Michigan's. |
Anonymous
| I thought Michigan is a party school. |
Anonymous
Just asked my husband, who went there. He laughed and said Michigan is absolutely not a party school. Bama is a party school. |
Anonymous
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Michigan's reputation and student population has eclipsed Madison quite a bit in recent years, while back in the 70's Michigan was more prestigious but Wisconsin was still a very strong choice with great departments. Today Wisconsin is not much differentiated from UT, UIUC, Washington, Maryland, and other state flagships.
Top students that from California and the Northeast/Atlantic will go to Michigan within if they don't get into Ivy+ schools (or UCB/UCLA for Cal residents), while Wisconsin is more of a destination for good but not great out-of-state students i.e. B+ students with slightly above-average rigor classes. Michigan has much greater reach internationally and attracts top international students as well. Of course if there is a locational preference, that is important. But academics-wise, Michigan will be more academically focused while Wisconsin will be less so with a very large native Wisconsinite population. |
Anonymous
 are you a time traveler from 1998?
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Anonymous
| If your daughter truly wants to go to medical school, for undergrad she should go to the school where it will be easiest for her to get the highest grades. Med schools care about GPA, not necessarily rigor. |
Anonymous
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Second the above…I went to Michigan undergrad and EVERYONE is pre-professional in LS and A. It’s very tough to get a 3.5 GPA and above and med schools nowadays want highest GPA possible for admission. That said, I wound up going to a less prestigious med school and graduated with honors and have a great career today.
I guess my point is pick the college you think will fit best and don’t worry so much about the next steps. Anywhere in the Big 10 will get you a fantastic education and you will have tons of school spirit wherever you choose! |
Anonymous
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Anonymous
It’s baffling to me how so many kids at 4-year schools don’t graduate in 4 years. If you have even a couple AP 4s/5s it’s easy to finish most majors in under 4 years. |
Anonymous
| Is cost a factor? TCA for UMich is significantly higher than for UW-Madison (assuming OOS for both). I can't imagine the difference for undergrad is worth $100k in additional cost if finances are a factor. |
Anonymous
UW Madison is a party school -UW alum |
Anonymous
Arguably, THE party school. |
Anonymous
| I’ve lived in and love both towns, and have some affiliation with both schools. She should go to the school where she feels the vibe. The lakes are worth it, especially if she’ll be out on the water a lot. |