Wisconsin EA is out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son got in for Engineering. We haven't visited yet -- will for admitted students day -- but I'd love to hear why people love Wisconsin. Sooo cold a good part of the year. I'm just not getting why it's gotten so popular but am trying to keep an open mind and get on the bandwagon. Please share with me why you/your child love it. Thanks!

Intellectual grit without the pretension. You might share a PlazaBurger with a Physicist or ice fish with a Russian lit expert. Really good dairy products in the cafeterias and union. Ice cream is top notch. Union is amazing. Fun marching band and Badger mascot cement the cool factor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son got in for Engineering. We haven't visited yet -- will for admitted students day -- but I'd love to hear why people love Wisconsin. Sooo cold a good part of the year. I'm just not getting why it's gotten so popular but am trying to keep an open mind and get on the bandwagon. Please share with me why you/your child love it. Thanks!

1. Madison is an incredible college town.

2. UW’s professors are world class, including thought leaders in many fields.

3. Ever been to the upper Midwest? There’s a culture of fundamental decency, kindness, and common sense that pervades virtually all aspects of life. Not exciting, but extraordinarily pleasant.

4. It’s a whole lot of fun, with niches for virtually every kind of kid.

5. The WI Idea is taken seriously and is widely integrated into the curriculum.

In short, UW is a fun place in a great town full of decent people and offers the opportunity to get a world class education. It also has a purpose and distinct character that IMO sets it apart from many peer institutions.

But yeah, it’s freezing. And huge. Not for everyone.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son got in for Engineering. We haven't visited yet -- will for admitted students day -- but I'd love to hear why people love Wisconsin. Sooo cold a good part of the year. I'm just not getting why it's gotten so popular but am trying to keep an open mind and get on the bandwagon. Please share with me why you/your child love it. Thanks!

1. Madison is an incredible college town.

2. UW’s professors are world class, including thought leaders in many fields.

3. Ever been to the upper Midwest? There’s a culture of fundamental decency, kindness, and common sense that pervades virtually all aspects of life. Not exciting, but extraordinarily pleasant.

4. It’s a whole lot of fun, with niches for virtually every kind of kid.

5. The WI Idea is taken seriously and is widely integrated into the curriculum.

In short, UW is a fun place in a great town full of decent people and offers the opportunity to get a world class education. It also has a purpose and distinct character that IMO sets it apart from many peer institutions.

But yeah, it’s freezing. And huge. Not for everyone.

This is a great list and I agree with all of it. Kids are just happy and chill too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son got in for Engineering. We haven't visited yet -- will for admitted students day -- but I'd love to hear why people love Wisconsin. Sooo cold a good part of the year. I'm just not getting why it's gotten so popular but am trying to keep an open mind and get on the bandwagon. Please share with me why you/your child love it. Thanks!

Intellectual grit without the pretension. You might share a PlazaBurger with a Physicist or ice fish with a Russian lit expert. Really good dairy products in the cafeterias and union. Ice cream is top notch. Union is amazing. Fun marching band and Badger mascot cement the cool factor.

I am the PP who just agreed with the person who created the list, but your first sentence is spot on. Madison provides the right balance of intellectual grit and chill kids who are not pretentious. And at one point, they had the most Fortune 500 CEOs and most Peace Corps volunteers. It's a well-balanced school. The WI Idea is also a great motto to live by.

[Anonymous]

Our child is in engineering and it is not a wash out program. Challenging yes but they are not trying to weed the kids out. Lots of support and tutoring programs as well to go along with a non cutthroat vibe. Overall, the kids there are noticeably happy and power through the weather. When it warms it is a great place hanging out around

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son got in for Engineering. We haven't visited yet -- will for admitted students day -- but I'd love to hear why people love Wisconsin. Sooo cold a good part of the year. I'm just not getting why it's gotten so popular but am trying to keep an open mind and get on the bandwagon. Please share with me why you/your child love it. Thanks!

Intellectual grit without the pretension. You might share a PlazaBurger with a Physicist or ice fish with a Russian lit expert. Really good dairy products in the cafeterias and union. Ice cream is top notch. Union is amazing. Fun marching band and Badger mascot cement the cool factor.

Such weird turns of phrase. Did you write this using ChatGPT??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our child is in engineering and it is not a wash out program. Challenging yes but they are not trying to weed the kids out. Lots of support and tutoring programs as well to go along with a non cutthroat vibe. Overall, the kids there are noticeably happy and power through the weather. When it warms it is a great place hanging out around

OP here - that’s interesting to hear about engineering. I’ve heard you have to keep a pretty high GPA in core engineering classes or you’re weeded out. Worried it’s a pressure cooker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our child is in engineering and it is not a wash out program. Challenging yes but they are not trying to weed the kids out. Lots of support and tutoring programs as well to go along with a non cutthroat vibe. Overall, the kids there are noticeably happy and power through the weather. When it warms it is a great place hanging out around

OP here - that’s interesting to hear about engineering. I’ve heard you have to keep a pretty high GPA in core engineering classes or you’re weeded out. Worried it’s a pressure cooker.

My kid is at UW–Madison EE. Its College of Engineering does have requirements on core and overall GPAs, but they are not unreasonably high. Here are the numbers:

Program/Major Core GPA Overall GPA
Biomedical Engineering 3.3 3.0
Chemical Engineering 3.3 3.0
Civil Engineering 2.8 2.5
Computer Engineering 3.2 2.5
Electrical Engineering 2.8 2.5
Engineering Mechanics 3.2 3.0
Engineering Physics 3.5 3.0
Environmental Engineering 2.8 2.5
Geological Engineering 2.8 2.5
Industrial Engineering 2.8 2.5
Materials Science & Engineering 3.0 2.5
Mechanical Engineering 3.2 3.0
Nuclear Engineer 3.0 2.5

Source: https://engineering.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/GPA-Requirements-2025-2026.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son got in for Engineering. We haven't visited yet -- will for admitted students day -- but I'd love to hear why people love Wisconsin. Sooo cold a good part of the year. I'm just not getting why it's gotten so popular but am trying to keep an open mind and get on the bandwagon. Please share with me why you/your child love it. Thanks!

Intellectual grit without the pretension. You might share a PlazaBurger with a Physicist or ice fish with a Russian lit expert. Really good dairy products in the cafeterias and union. Ice cream is top notch. Union is amazing. Fun marching band and Badger mascot cement the cool factor.

Such weird turns of phrase. Did you write this using ChatGPT??

Not sure if you are joking but no I did not. I still need to learn how to use it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Wisconsin and Michigan are two big 10 schools that are very similar and very even overall. I can see why one may pick one over the other and vice versa.

Does Wisconsin have the prettier campus? Is Wisconsin or Michigan easier to get to from the DMV?

Wisconsin’s campus is more bucolic, with more grass-covered open spaces & 2 lakes. Michigan’s campus is in several chunks, with some of them more self-contained & more picturesque than others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Wisconsin and Michigan are two big 10 schools that are very similar and very even overall. I can see why one may pick one over the other and vice versa.

Does Wisconsin have the prettier campus? Is Wisconsin or Michigan easier to get to from the DMV?

Wisconsin’s campus is more bucolic, with more grass-covered open spaces & 2 lakes. Michigan’s campus is in several chunks, with some of them more self-contained & more picturesque than others.

But you didn’t mention which one has better campus squirrels.

As for as DMV, on paper you might say Wisconsin is easier to get into than Michigan but in reality both are very popular and have gotten even harder to get into over the past few years. I wouldn’t make any assumptions about getting into one means you get into the other - apply to both and make sure each one feels like they are the unique first choice in the Why X essays. If someone with high stats is looking for more of a likely admit with similar campus life, they might look to Ohio State (becoming very popular from DMV) or maybe Michigan State or Minnesota.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Wisconsin and Michigan are two big 10 schools that are very similar and very even overall. I can see why one may pick one over the other and vice versa.

Does Wisconsin have the prettier campus? Is Wisconsin or Michigan easier to get to from the DMV?

Wisconsin’s campus is more bucolic, with more grass-covered open spaces & 2 lakes. Michigan’s campus is in several chunks, with some of them more self-contained & more picturesque than others.

Wisconsin is bucolic? Huh ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son got in for Engineering. We haven't visited yet -- will for admitted students day -- but I'd love to hear why people love Wisconsin. Sooo cold a good part of the year. I'm just not getting why it's gotten so popular but am trying to keep an open mind and get on the bandwagon. Please share with me why you/your child love it. Thanks!

Madison is on an isthmus between two huge lakes. The capitol building is a miniature version of the US Capitol and you can see it from every corner of the city. It's gorgeous. It seems like every building in Madison has a big "W" on it - unlike NYU and GW, where you can't tell which buildings are part of the campus - it's like the whole city is the campus. Then you can walk just two blocks north of this bustling little city with everything you need (Target, CVS, Chipotle, food trucks, etc) and you are on the shore of this gorgeous lake (Lake Mendota). There's a long path you can walk alongside the lake and you can take sailing lessons or get SCUBA certified.
In the winter, when the lake freezes over, they drag the kegs out onto the ice, clear a spot for hockey, carve some holes for polar plunges and ice fishing, and they just party all winter long. Have your child look it up on TikTok or IG Reels. We are headed there next weekend for a quick visit for Winter Fest and a hockey game. Direct flights from DC are quick and cheap. It's only a 15 min Uber ride from the airport.
We only went to one football game in the fall but plan to go to a few more this year. It was like Disney World - except instead of everyone sporting the mouse ears, they were wearing their Wisconsin gear and holding a beer and eating cheese curds.
I don't know - I guess you just have to visit.

makes me want to go to college at 50!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Wisconsin and Michigan are two big 10 schools that are very similar and very even overall. I can see why one may pick one over the other and vice versa.

Does Wisconsin have the prettier campus? Is Wisconsin or Michigan easier to get to from the DMV?

Wisconsin’s campus is more bucolic, with more grass-covered open spaces & 2 lakes. Michigan’s campus is in several chunks, with some of them more self-contained & more picturesque than others.

Wisconsin is bucolic? Huh ?

Wisconsin is overall not bucolic, although the part of campus called Lakeshore (with Lake Mendota to its north and UW medical campus to its west) has a bit of that. Lots of trees and nature. The rest of the campus, including the part called Southeast and the iconic Bascom Hill that connects to the renowned State Street, is as urban as they come. The "other" lake, Lake Monona, cannot be seen from campus but is within walking distance.

Michigan is a campus of three isolated chunks. The Central Campus, where most majors and happenings are located, is urban. The North Campus, primarily occupied by engineering, has more greens. The South campus is where all the athletics are, including Michigan Stadium and Crisler Center.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son got in for Engineering. We haven't visited yet -- will for admitted students day -- but I'd love to hear why people love Wisconsin. Sooo cold a good part of the year. I'm just not getting why it's gotten so popular but am trying to keep an open mind and get on the bandwagon. Please share with me why you/your child love it. Thanks!

Madison is on an isthmus between two huge lakes. The capitol building is a miniature version of the US Capitol and you can see it from every corner of the city. It's gorgeous. It seems like every building in Madison has a big "W" on it - unlike NYU and GW, where you can't tell which buildings are part of the campus - it's like the whole city is the campus. Then you can walk just two blocks north of this bustling little city with everything you need (Target, CVS, Chipotle, food trucks, etc) and you are on the shore of this gorgeous lake (Lake Mendota). There's a long path you can walk alongside the lake and you can take sailing lessons or get SCUBA certified.
In the winter, when the lake freezes over, they drag the kegs out onto the ice, clear a spot for hockey, carve some holes for polar plunges and ice fishing, and they just party all winter long. Have your child look it up on TikTok or IG Reels. We are headed there next weekend for a quick visit for Winter Fest and a hockey game. Direct flights from DC are quick and cheap. It's only a 15 min Uber ride from the airport.
We only went to one football game in the fall but plan to go to a few more this year. It was like Disney World - except instead of everyone sporting the mouse ears, they were wearing their Wisconsin gear and holding a beer and eating cheese curds.
I don't know - I guess you just have to visit.

makes me want to go to college at 50!

It's pretty but my son is also freezing his ...off right now. And flights are not quick and cheap. Yes, they are on a random weekend but I spend far more gettign my child back and forth to Madison then getting my other to the West Coast. Direct flights go quick at times when they college kids are flying. And Madison connections at O'Hare are the first to get delayed in dicey weather. Just saying. Not perfect!