Thoughts on U. Wisc. Madison (for out of state student)
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Anonymous
No Indiana info.... but Late 1990s I graduated from Madison (oos) Sister University of Illinois Garda (in-state) In the 1990s, U of I was harder to get into than Madison (even though I was from Illinois!) Both ended up with same liberal arts majors. Neither of us big into partying nor football - so many activities and clubs. Both loved our Big 10 school experiences! Both Ivy League grad schools and happy, successful adults. I loved Madison and the strong public service vibe - the Wisconsin Idea feels real. Like any big school, you find a niche or two. Good luck! |
Anonymous
Not an issue. Anyone can join the frats, its not like the ones in the south. |
Anonymous
I live in Illinois and gave a talk there and found that U of I people are obsessed with it, incredibly proud, and absolutely love it there. I was a little surprised because Champaign-Urbana isn't exactly some exciting metropolis, but I was surprised by the universal adoration I see. They have a lot of Nobel prize winners on their alumni list, too. UW people also seem quite fond of it. Generally, though, my experience with both unis is basically tangential and mostly about the cities and Madison is a much nicer town than U-C. I'd love to go to undergrad there. |
Anonymous
No. If anything Greek life is dominated by wealthy out of staters...being OOS is a huge plus |
Anonymous
As an Illinois alum that has visited Madison quite a few times, there’s little doubt that Wisconsin has the superior college town as an objective observer. However, I still loved my time in Champaign and always thought that it gets a bad rap because its main direct competitors for students are the all-world college towns like Ann Arbor and Madison. If you’re looking at Champaign solely from the perspective of an actual college student (not as an adult in his/her 30s and older), it’s a spectacularly fun place that actually fits a normal student budget. There a tons of cheap food options and a legitimately large number of authentic ethnic cuisine restaurants (a byproduct of the very large international student population), a 19-year old bar entry age means that most people can head out to the main nightlife locations as early as freshman year, Big Ten sports (basketball game day culture is much stronger than football game day culture, so it’s more similar to Indiana than Michigan/Wisconsin in that respect), tons of concerts ranging from large acts to smaller ones and from rock/hip-hop/country to classical), etc. It’s quite an active campus with a ton to do. The main drawback of Champaign (and it admittedly can be a large one for a fair number of people) is the lack of natural scenery and outdoor activities. Madison, despite being in a colder weather location, beats Champaign by a mile on that front with its directional access to lakes along with Midwestern-standard ski areas and other recreational activities nearby. Otherwise, though, Illinois is the epitome of a “work hard, play hard” campus. The academic preparation is great, especially in engineering and business, while also being an incredibly fun place to go to college. I’d be more than happy if my kids went there, too. That being said, I think the in-state public flagship is perpetually underrated wherever you live. Most people in the Midwest would find it quite crazy that someone would pay extra money to go out-of-state if you have schools like UVA, William & Mary and Virginia Tech as in-state options. They would look at a place like Charlottesville as a top tier college town with a lot better weather. So, there’s a lot of “grass is greener” or “I want to get away from my high school classmates” thinking where people romanticize getting away simply to get away. The reality is that when you’ve got a good-to-great in-state public university option that has an active social scene, I find that most people end up loving their time there even if they didn’t think they would coming in. |
Anonymous
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There are prior threads on IU & Bloomington. As a UIUC alum, Bloomington is a far better college town than Chambana.
U of I is extremely spread out unlike walkable IU. The cold won’t get you, the “Ice-Illini” storms are real as real can be when it’s that invisible black ice you and your Uggs wipe out on. The buses to classes those days will be completely full and you will miss class, sans doute. |
Anonymous
You idiots are so vapid, they treat them like they treat anyone else you twit. Bethesda and McLean are not the center of the universe and "Midwesterners" are not some alien species...get a frigging life asshole. |
Anonymous
Good for UVA, but Wisconsin produces more of their bosses (CEOs). 
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Anonymous
I like you! |
Anonymous
Not if they are smart. |
Anonymous
Definitely not below U of I. Nice try Illini!
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Anonymous
Minnesota and Wisconsin are not “ranked about the same.” Wisconsin is higher and more popular with smart Minnesota kids. Better campus, academics, and college experience. |
Anonymous
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Michigan
Wisconsin Indiana Illinois Oho State Michigan State Minnesota |
Anonymous
Hmmm... disagree on that front. I'm speaking as an Illinois alum with no love for Michigan here, but I see it as follows: Michigan Illinois Wisconsin Ohio State Minnesota Purdue Indiana Michigan State Now, to be sure, certain key programs punch far above their overall institutional weight. Illinois Engineering is on par or better than Michigan, Indiana Kelley Business School is on par or better than Illinois and Wisconsin, Purdue Engineering is great, etc. |
Anonymous
| UW Madison is more prestigious than UVA to everyone outside the DMV. |