University of Wisconsin-Madison Top Questions

The best place to get the college feel and college learning experience.

UW-Madison is a university that embraces diversity and encourages each student to work to their highest potential and strive for excellence.

Madison is the trifecta of academics, athletics, and activities.

UW-Madison is the flagship school of the University of Wisconsin System that promotes learning through debate, discussion, research, and meaningful student-professor interaction.

UW Madison lies between two lakes: Mendota and Menona. The isthmus houses UW Madison. There aren't many brick buildings and most of the large halls are old. At the center of our campus there is the landmark Bascom Hill with a large statue of Abraham Lincoln overlooking downtown Madison. It's a very pretty school with plenty of trees and greens in the lakeshore neighborhood and tall, modern buildings in southeast. It's beautiful.

This campus is so great because there is such a variety throughout it. We have a mixture of historical-looking and more modern-looking buildings (for an example, look at the contrasted aesthetics of our two student unions: Memorial Union and the newly completed Union South). The Lakeshore side of campus has a great view of the lake and a beautiful nature path that takes you down through the trees.The Southeast side of campus faces the capitol building and features the hustle and bustle of downtown Madison. In the warmer months, you can see people lounging on Bascom Hill, doing homework or playing frisbee. The Union Terrace provides a view of the lake and you may see the Hoofers sailing club taking people out in sailboats, canoes, etc. One thing that surprised me when I toured this campus was how many people use bikes for transportation. The sheer volume of people on campus is great. If you come downtown during passing time, be prepared to sped a lot of time waiting for hoards of people to cross the streets.

When I was searching for the right school, the biggest factor in my decision was campus. Coming from a relatively small suburb, I had an immense yearning for the metropolis. At the same time, I didn't want to be confined to the concrete jungle (see NYU or GW). Upon stepping out of the car for the first time in Madison, I immediately knew this was the campus I was looking for. The adjective that came to mind was 'bubbly'. Students were everywhere, coming, going, loitering, etc. Madison is perfectly situated in between two beautiful lakes, making for spectacular scenery in the fall, summer, and spring (but also bone-chilling winds in the gloom of winter). As one traverses the isthmus, they move from classic campus, full of quads, lawns, trees, and typical university buildings. Upon crossing Lake Street, Memorial Library on your left hand and the bookstore on your right, one finds themselves immersed in what I like to call "the perfect practice city". Madison has the bar scene, restaurants, commerce, foot traffic, and public transportation of a big city, without being overwhelming in the least. It is easy to walk from one end of the city to the other in less than 20 minutes and nearly impossible to get lost. State Street is the defining feature, and has been called the perfect college campus street; packed with bars, shops, and restaurants, State Street stretches from the campus area straight to the massive Capitol building. For the prospective student who wants the city culture, but is afraid of missing out on the old school college experience, Madison is the perfect campus.

Uw Madison is a large sprawling campus with stunning buildings. Being on the edge of the lakes it's absolutely beautiful. At the same time it maintains some small town joy with buildings such as the Rathskeller, which resembles an old German mead hall.

UW-Madison is an amazing school in a happening city full of life, culture, fun, and opportunities.

My school is a big ten university where I find myself to be a minority ethnically and financially- but I love my school all the same; the academics are challenging but the resources are rewarding.