Michigan vs. Wisconsin

[Anonymous]

Student preference is all that matters, when comparing these two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a huge difference in the towns/campuses... WI is far superior in my opinion.

There isn’t a huge difference in towns/campuses. There is a difference in prestige however. Michigan easily wins in that regard.

They're both T10 public universities. How is Michigan significantly superior in prestige and why does that matter?

DP. I have family at both. Michigan is a much higher ranked school in almost all disciplines and is known internationally. Not so with Wisconsin. Wisconsin is nothing to sneeze at obviously but they are not in the same tier. One has an admit rate of 20% and the other 60%

Madison is a state capital, larger and has more to offer than Ann Arbor but not sure that would matter for a student. But if that's a priority, then they should focus on Winsconsin.

And "How is Michigan significantly superior in prestige and why does that matter?" is a great question for google. Not going to regurgitate common knowledge here.

Agreed. Granted as a Michigan alum I am more in tune with the maize and blue but I can't think of many places I have been where I have not bumped into a Michigan grad. We are everywhere. Wisconsin is a great school but not the same as Michigan.

Some of this will depend on what your student is looking for and what program they plan to join.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a huge difference in the towns/campuses... WI is far superior in my opinion.

There isn’t a huge difference in towns/campuses. There is a difference in prestige however. Michigan easily wins in that regard.

They're both T10 public universities. How is Michigan significantly superior in prestige and why does that matter?

DP. I have family at both. Michigan is a much higher ranked school in almost all disciplines and is known internationally. Not so with Wisconsin. Wisconsin is nothing to sneeze at obviously but they are not in the same tier. One has an admit rate of 20% and the other 60%

Madison is a state capital, larger and has more to offer than Ann Arbor but not sure that would matter for a student. But if that's a priority, then they should focus on Winsconsin.

And "How is Michigan significantly superior in prestige and why does that matter?" is a great question for google. Not going to regurgitate common knowledge here.

Agreed. Granted as a Michigan alum I am more in tune with the maize and blue but I can't think of many places I have been where I have not bumped into a Michigan grad. We are everywhere. Wisconsin is a great school but not the same as Michigan.

Some of this will depend on what your student is looking for and what program they plan to join.

Agree, however, the greater ubiquity of Michigan alums is largely attributable to the fact that Michigan adopted the 50% OOS model earlier in our lifespans. Now that Wisconsin has adopted the same model, Wisconsin alums are increasingly ubiquitous, and so this will be less of a distinction for the younger generation.

Neither school has ED; if you like one, apply to both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a huge difference in the towns/campuses... WI is far superior in my opinion.

There isn’t a huge difference in towns/campuses. There is a difference in prestige however. Michigan easily wins in that regard.

They're both T10 public universities. How is Michigan significantly superior in prestige and why does that matter?

DP. I have family at both. Michigan is a much higher ranked school in almost all disciplines and is known internationally. Not so with Wisconsin. Wisconsin is nothing to sneeze at obviously but they are not in the same tier. One has an admit rate of 20% and the other 60%

Madison is a state capital, larger and has more to offer than Ann Arbor but not sure that would matter for a student. But if that's a priority, then they should focus on Winsconsin.

And "How is Michigan significantly superior in prestige and why does that matter?" is a great question for google. Not going to regurgitate common knowledge here.

Agreed. Granted as a Michigan alum I am more in tune with the maize and blue but I can't think of many places I have been where I have not bumped into a Michigan grad. We are everywhere. Wisconsin is a great school but not the same as Michigan.

Some of this will depend on what your student is looking for and what program they plan to join.

Agree, however, the greater ubiquity of Michigan alums is largely attributable to the fact that Michigan adopted the 50% OOS model earlier in our lifespans. Now that Wisconsin has adopted the same model, Wisconsin alums are increasingly ubiquitous, and so this will be less of a distinction for the younger generation.

Neither school has ED; if you like one, apply to both.

+1. OP, This is probably the best input on this thread.

[Anonymous]

Thinking for a minute about the setting for each -- Madison is much larger and more spread out than Ann Arbor.

Both are nice, but Ann Arbor is very much defined by the university. A prototypical small college town (with a really great summer art fair). Compact and very walkable, with fabulous parks, rivers, and trails surrounding the city. Detroit is less than an hour away.

Madison (as the state capital) has more of its own identity separate from the university, although the city is still relatively small. It's nice having access to the lakes and trails that surround them. The restaurant scene is probably a little better than Ann Arbor's. Milwaukee is about 90 minutes away.

Climate is similar. You'll get more clouds and snow in AA, but Madison is colder. To me Madison feels more "Midwestern" than Ann Arbor and a little less pretentious--probably because there's less of an east coast presence.

[Anonymous]

We toured both campuses and my kids loved both. I'm not going to comment on school rankings because I think they are both great universities.

I do have a random question about winter weather. I saw that just a couple years ago Wisconsin had a daytime high of -26 and Michigan set a record of -18 below zero. Do kids actually go to class when it gets that cold?

I grew up in the South and can deal with heat. That kind of cold would just crush me. I'm sure the kids would be fine. Just curious.

[Anonymous]

We visited both, and our child declared that the WI school was too white (they attended a diverse HS). I looked at the stats and MI was 49% white and WI 62% white. Our child ended up at neither, so their observation was a based on a one-day visit to each!

Agree with others that MI is more prestigious/well known

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We toured both campuses and my kids loved both. I'm not going to comment on school rankings because I think they are both great universities.

I do have a random question about winter weather. I saw that just a couple years ago Wisconsin had a daytime high of -26 and Michigan set a record of -18 below zero. Do kids actually go to class when it gets that cold?

I grew up in the South and can deal with heat. That kind of cold would just crush me. I'm sure the kids would be fine. Just curious.

Yes, the kids still go to class. Individual professors may cancel, but when I was at UMich, the school NEVER closed due to weather.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We toured both campuses and my kids loved both. I'm not going to comment on school rankings because I think they are both great universities.

I do have a random question about winter weather. I saw that just a couple years ago Wisconsin had a daytime high of -26 and Michigan set a record of -18 below zero. Do kids actually go to class when it gets that cold?

I grew up in the South and can deal with heat. That kind of cold would just crush me. I'm sure the kids would be fine. Just curious.

Yes, the kids still go to class. Individual professors may cancel, but when I was at UMich, the school NEVER closed due to weather.

+1

The Midwest is used to snow and cold weather, so it's pretty much business as usual. VERY different than the DC area in that regard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a huge difference in the towns/campuses... WI is far superior in my opinion.

There isn’t a huge difference in towns/campuses. There is a difference in prestige however. Michigan easily wins in that regard.

They're both T10 public universities. How is Michigan significantly superior in prestige and why does that matter?

DP. I have family at both. Michigan is a much higher ranked school in almost all disciplines and is known internationally. Not so with Wisconsin. Wisconsin is nothing to sneeze at obviously but they are not in the same tier. One has an admit rate of 20% and the other 60%

Madison is a state capital, larger and has more to offer than Ann Arbor but not sure that would matter for a student. But if that's a priority, then they should focus on Winsconsin.

And "How is Michigan significantly superior in prestige and why does that matter?" is a great question for google. Not going to regurgitate common knowledge here.

If we wanted to ask Google we would post here. Do you have insight?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a huge difference in the towns/campuses... WI is far superior in my opinion.

There isn’t a huge difference in towns/campuses. There is a difference in prestige however. Michigan easily wins in that regard.

They're both T10 public universities. How is Michigan significantly superior in prestige and why does that matter?

DP. I have family at both. Michigan is a much higher ranked school in almost all disciplines and is known internationally. Not so with Wisconsin. Wisconsin is nothing to sneeze at obviously but they are not in the same tier. One has an admit rate of 20% and the other 60%

Madison is a state capital, larger and has more to offer than Ann Arbor but not sure that would matter for a student. But if that's a priority, then they should focus on Winsconsin.

And "How is Michigan significantly superior in prestige and why does that matter?" is a great question for google. Not going to regurgitate common knowledge here.

If we wanted to ask Google we would post here. Do you have insight?

*would not

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a huge difference in the towns/campuses... WI is far superior in my opinion.

There isn’t a huge difference in towns/campuses. There is a difference in prestige however. Michigan easily wins in that regard.

They're both T10 public universities. How is Michigan significantly superior in prestige and why does that matter?

DP. I have family at both. Michigan is a much higher ranked school in almost all disciplines and is known internationally. Not so with Wisconsin. Wisconsin is nothing to sneeze at obviously but they are not in the same tier. One has an admit rate of 20% and the other 60%

Madison is a state capital, larger and has more to offer than Ann Arbor but not sure that would matter for a student. But if that's a priority, then they should focus on Winsconsin.

And "How is Michigan significantly superior in prestige and why does that matter?" is a great question for google. Not going to regurgitate common knowledge here.

Actually, exactly the kind subjective question that google can't answer well. Yes, University of Michigan is ranked higher. The question asked further about how the campuses/towns compare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a huge difference in the towns/campuses... WI is far superior in my opinion.

There isn’t a huge difference in towns/campuses. There is a difference in prestige however. Michigan easily wins in that regard.

They're both T10 public universities. How is Michigan significantly superior in prestige and why does that matter?

DP. I have family at both. Michigan is a much higher ranked school in almost all disciplines and is known internationally. Not so with Wisconsin. Wisconsin is nothing to sneeze at obviously but they are not in the same tier. One has an admit rate of 20% and the other 60%

Madison is a state capital, larger and has more to offer than Ann Arbor but not sure that would matter for a student. But if that's a priority, then they should focus on Winsconsin.

And "How is Michigan significantly superior in prestige and why does that matter?" is a great question for google. Not going to regurgitate common knowledge here.

If we wanted to ask Google we would post here. Do you have insight?

Wasn't trying to be rude, but I did answer with what I can recall, top of mind. There may be other points about why Michigan is superior depending on which area of study your kid is interested in. In general though, ranking = prestige; prestige = better employer mindspace = better student outcomes. If you don't mind sharing what your kid is interested in studying, you'd get far more pointed responses that may help you decide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a huge difference in the towns/campuses... WI is far superior in my opinion.

There isn’t a huge difference in towns/campuses. There is a difference in prestige however. Michigan easily wins in that regard.

They're both T10 public universities. How is Michigan significantly superior in prestige and why does that matter?

DP. I have family at both. Michigan is a much higher ranked school in almost all disciplines and is known internationally. Not so with Wisconsin. Wisconsin is nothing to sneeze at obviously but they are not in the same tier. One has an admit rate of 20% and the other 60%

Madison is a state capital, larger and has more to offer than Ann Arbor but not sure that would matter for a student. But if that's a priority, then they should focus on Winsconsin.

And "How is Michigan significantly superior in prestige and why does that matter?" is a great question for google. Not going to regurgitate common knowledge here.

These numbers are very outdated. Michigan is almost a single digit admit rate for OOS applications and UW is under 20% now for OOS. That said, everything others have said is spot on.

UM has an across the board academic excellence in every department. Ann Arbor is a great college town and it is pretty easy to get to Detroit's airport which is an international hub.

UW has several excellent departments and is showing great innovation in things like data science, information systems and digital literacy and journalism in addition to the traditional strengths in areas like sociology, history and real estate.

Madison is widely regarded as a vibrant state capitol and excellent college town, bigger than Ann Arbor but not as accessible for undergrads coming from the east coast (usually have to hop through detroit, chicago or other airport)

Both have great school spirit and top level varsity sports, great student clubs an on/off campus activities.

UM has a more prominent national reputation, but that is only because it is honestly one of the very top public schools in the country. UW is a national school with a great reputation. Recruiting for jobs is probably a little better at Michigan than Wisconsin, but they are ultimately both fantastic schools that afford proactive students just about any opportunty available.

[Anonymous]

I would pick Wisconsin.