Tell me about the University of Wisconsin

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which one? There are a lot of schools in the system, Madison is not the center of the universe.

UW Alum here.

Yes it is!

Fantastic all-college experience with strong majors in many departments. Madison is close to Milwaukee and Chicago, and Minneapolis is a little farther, so getting to "major league" cities is easy, but there is really no reason. Top music and cultural acts come to the city, and as others have said, it has an independent cultural scene apart from the University.

I can't recommend it enough.

I worked at a UW overseas research center. All the students came from Madison and they all loved, loved, loved it. And they all loved the town of Madison too. The weather, though, that's another story...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U.MD has higher incoming SATs and ACTs than Wisconsin. Just being inside the nations capital beltway makes is less perochial.

I’d rather be with in-state MD kids than a bunch of in-state WI or MI farm kids

What's wrong with farm kids?

Having taught them, I would say "nothing at all, except they are more likely to have gone to a small rural school that didn't offer many advanced classes."

My experience was that they were hard working, self-starters. They showed up for office hours, did their work, and were nice to have around. They said please and thank you.

Sounds just like the kids inside the beltway, right?

Yeah - the farm kids are going to be way more well adjusted. Probably for life.

I asked DD if this school was on her list and she said 'no, because it's mostly white preppy kids playing on a lake?'
Thoughts?

Wisconsin alum here. I let out a huge laugh when I read this. Sorry, but your daughter has no idea what she is talking about. She might be confusing it with Northwestern.

Whoa, whoa there. Don’t drag NU into this. NU’s class of 2021 is 48% white. Madison is overall 75% white (couldn’t find class specific info). Madison IS lovely and the town is great too. But you have to admit the kid was spot on.

No, "the kid" is hardly "spot on." Unlike you, I went there and she is dead wrong. Even if the school is majority white, most people aren't "preppy" and "playing by a lake." BTW, how much of NU's diversity comes from Asian students? It probably doesn't look like the United Nations either. Lots of rich kids paying 70k per year to go there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U.MD has higher incoming SATs and ACTs than Wisconsin. Just being inside the nations capital beltway makes is less perochial.

I’d rather be with in-state MD kids than a bunch of in-state WI or MI farm kids

What's wrong with farm kids?

Having taught them, I would say "nothing at all, except they are more likely to have gone to a small rural school that didn't offer many advanced classes."

My experience was that they were hard working, self-starters. They showed up for office hours, did their work, and were nice to have around. They said please and thank you.

Sounds just like the kids inside the beltway, right?

Yeah - the farm kids are going to be way more well adjusted. Probably for life.

I asked DD if this school was on her list and she said 'no, because it's mostly white preppy kids playing on a lake?'
Thoughts?

Wisconsin alum here. I let out a huge laugh when I read this. Sorry, but your daughter has no idea what she is talking about. She might be confusing it with Northwestern.

Whoa, whoa there. Don’t drag NU into this. NU’s class of 2021 is 48% white. Madison is overall 75% white (couldn’t find class specific info). Madison IS lovely and the town is great too. But you have to admit the kid was spot on.

No, "the kid" is hardly "spot on." Unlike you, I went there and she is dead wrong. Even if the school is majority white, most people aren't "preppy" and "playing by a lake." BTW, how much of NU's diversity comes from Asian students? It probably doesn't look like the United Nations either. Lots of rich kids paying 70k per year to go there.

So, the school is majority white? How are minorities or, say, a gay student treated at Wisconsin?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U.MD has higher incoming SATs and ACTs than Wisconsin. Just being inside the nations capital beltway makes is less perochial.

I’d rather be with in-state MD kids than a bunch of in-state WI or MI farm kids

I’d rather be anywhere but MD. That’s probably how most people think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U.MD has higher incoming SATs and ACTs than Wisconsin. Just being inside the nations capital beltway makes is less perochial.

I’d rather be with in-state MD kids than a bunch of in-state WI or MI farm kids

What's wrong with farm kids?

Having taught them, I would say "nothing at all, except they are more likely to have gone to a small rural school that didn't offer many advanced classes."

My experience was that they were hard working, self-starters. They showed up for office hours, did their work, and were nice to have around. They said please and thank you.

Sounds just like the kids inside the beltway, right?

Yeah - the farm kids are going to be way more well adjusted. Probably for life.

I asked DD if this school was on her list and she said 'no, because it's mostly white preppy kids playing on a lake?'
Thoughts?

Wisconsin alum here. I let out a huge laugh when I read this. Sorry, but your daughter has no idea what she is talking about. She might be confusing it with Northwestern.

Whoa, whoa there. Don’t drag NU into this. NU’s class of 2021 is 48% white. Madison is overall 75% white (couldn’t find class specific info). Madison IS lovely and the town is great too. But you have to admit the kid was spot on.

No, "the kid" is hardly "spot on." Unlike you, I went there and she is dead wrong. Even if the school is majority white, most people aren't "preppy" and "playing by a lake." BTW, how much of NU's diversity comes from Asian students? It probably doesn't look like the United Nations either. Lots of rich kids paying 70k per year to go there.

So, the school is majority white? How are minorities or, say, a gay student treated at Wisconsin?

Treated well. It’s a very lefty place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U.MD has higher incoming SATs and ACTs than Wisconsin. Just being inside the nations capital beltway makes is less perochial.

I’d rather be with in-state MD kids than a bunch of in-state WI or MI farm kids

What's wrong with farm kids?

Having taught them, I would say "nothing at all, except they are more likely to have gone to a small rural school that didn't offer many advanced classes."

My experience was that they were hard working, self-starters. They showed up for office hours, did their work, and were nice to have around. They said please and thank you.

Sounds just like the kids inside the beltway, right?

Yeah - the farm kids are going to be way more well adjusted. Probably for life.

I asked DD if this school was on her list and she said 'no, because it's mostly white preppy kids playing on a lake?'
Thoughts?

Wisconsin alum here. I let out a huge laugh when I read this. Sorry, but your daughter has no idea what she is talking about. She might be confusing it with Northwestern.

Whoa, whoa there. Don’t drag NU into this. NU’s class of 2021 is 48% white. Madison is overall 75% white (couldn’t find class specific info). Madison IS lovely and the town is great too. But you have to admit the kid was spot on.

No, "the kid" is hardly "spot on." Unlike you, I went there and she is dead wrong. Even if the school is majority white, most people aren't "preppy" and "playing by a lake." BTW, how much of NU's diversity comes from Asian students? It probably doesn't look like the United Nations either. Lots of rich kids paying 70k per year to go there.

So, the school is majority white? How are minorities or, say, a gay student treated at Wisconsin?

Treated well. It’s a very lefty place.

The junior senator for Wisconsin, Tammy Baldwin, is gay. She got her start in Madison (on the Isthmus, to be precise).

[Anonymous]

When I was an undergrad, everyone wore "10% society" buttons.

It is very welcoming to diversity of all kinds, though there are still struggles with attracting more Africa-American students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U.MD has higher incoming SATs and ACTs than Wisconsin. Just being inside the nations capital beltway makes is less perochial.

I’d rather be with in-state MD kids than a bunch of in-state WI or MI farm kids

What's wrong with farm kids?

Having taught them, I would say "nothing at all, except they are more likely to have gone to a small rural school that didn't offer many advanced classes."

My experience was that they were hard working, self-starters. They showed up for office hours, did their work, and were nice to have around. They said please and thank you.

Sounds just like the kids inside the beltway, right?

Yeah - the farm kids are going to be way more well adjusted. Probably for life.

I asked DD if this school was on her list and she said 'no, because it's mostly white preppy kids playing on a lake?'
Thoughts?

I would describe UW in many different ways. Preppy wouldn't make the list of the first 500. Sure there are a handful of preppy frat boys, but there are mor non-preppy frat boys, and then there are the other 20,000 undergrads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem I see with UW is that the anti-intellectual attitude of the elected officials is destabilizing the University. Threatening to end tenure...reduced funding...

This will reduce the quality of the faculty. Of course, they will not defund the football team.

Agree with the first point.

They don't fund the football team. The UW athletic department has been operating in the black for decades and actually subsidizes the rest of the University; and they do things the right way, no bending of academic standards for the varsity athletes.

That made me laugh because no D1 program can make that claim. Heck, even the Ivies make accommodations for athletes.

https://wisconsin.247sports.com/Article/Should-Wisconsin-reduce-academic-requirements-for-athletes-34871032

http://host.madison.com/sports/college/football/badgers-football-paul-chryst-sees-high-academic-standards-as-selling/article_35b5c9e9-c218-5460-9bf0-9d83134bb6ea.html

https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2015/1/22/7870953/cbs-sports-gary-andersen-left-wisconsin-because-of-university

http://host.madison.com/sports/college/football/tom-oates-uw-admission-standards-shouldn-t-change-for-anyone/article_b52a176e-2b76-57a5-86b0-3871ba86609c.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem I see with UW is that the anti-intellectual attitude of the elected officials is destabilizing the University. Threatening to end tenure...reduced funding...

This will reduce the quality of the faculty. Of course, they will not defund the football team.

Agree with the first point.

They don't fund the football team. The UW athletic department has been operating in the black for decades and actually subsidizes the rest of the University; and they do things the right way, no bending of academic standards for the varsity athletes.

That made me laugh because no D1 program can make that claim. Heck, even the Ivies make accommodations for athletes.

https://wisconsin.247sports.com/Article/Should-Wisconsin-reduce-academic-requirements-for-athletes-34871032

http://host.madison.com/sports/college/football/badgers-football-paul-chryst-sees-high-academic-standards-as-selling/article_35b5c9e9-c218-5460-9bf0-9d83134bb6ea.html

https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2015/1/22/7870953/cbs-sports-gary-andersen-left-wisconsin-because-of-university

http://host.madison.com/sports/college/football/tom-oates-uw-admission-standards-shouldn-t-change-for-anyone/article_b52a176e-2b76-57a5-86b0-3871ba86609c.html

I should have added, unlike other schools, including Northwestern, UW doesn't take NCAA Minimum Qualifiers. You have to have certain high school courses and you have to have a minimum ACT score, which is well above the NCAA clearinghouse.

It has cost UW a number of highly decorated high school recruits over the years, but it is what it is.

So don't laugh when someone makes a statement that you clearly know nothing about.

[Anonymous]

Wisconsin requires their athletes to meet more than the NCAA minimums (which are a jo

[Anonymous]

Sorry, fat finger hit post. Let's try this again.

Wisconsin requires their athletes to meet more than the NCAA minimums (which are a joke). That doesn't mean every single athlete meets the same academic standards as non-athletes who are admitted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I was an undergrad, everyone wore "10% society" buttons.

It is very welcoming to diversity of all kinds, though there are still struggles with attracting more Africa-American students.

For those interested in diversity issues at Univ of Wisconsin, read this 2016 piece from its Chancellor. It also discusses the impact of the U of Wisc Board's decision to waive its cap on out of state enrollment, and how that might affect enrollment and demographics.

https://chancellor.wisc.edu/blog/sharing-thoughts-about-progress-on-racial-diversity/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, fat finger hit post. Let's try this again.

Wisconsin requires their athletes to meet more than the NCAA minimums (which are a joke). That doesn't mean every single athlete meets the same academic standards as non-athletes who are admitted.

Here are the current APR ratings -- gives you a better picture of academic quality of the athletes. Big Ten does well. Absolutely no one can say with a straight face that Northwestern somehow manages to lower their standards for athletes. Why do you think they suck so often? https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/5/10/15613274/ncaa-apr-scores-2017-bowl-eligibility

[Anonymous]

My nephew is there now studying Computer Engineering. Two housemates from Long Island. One from Chicago. One from ST. Paul? No farm boys. But, I am from the Midwest and I'll take those nice farm people over the jerks who run around DC mouthing off about "Farm kids" anyday.