University of Wisconsin-Madison Top Questions

You will never run out of opportunities to explore, absorb experiences, and get informed. UW-Madison is a big school filled with people who love to learn, and this really fosters a community of enthusiastic educators! The flipside, however, is that you need to make a space for yourself amidst this sea of people; without some self-motivation it can be easy to get lost among all these undergrads. The social scene is practically the quintessential college experience. State Street has tons of great coffee shops, restaurants, and little shops for meet-ups and hangouts (not to mention the epic Halloween FreakFest). Frat Row is always available for those interested, Mifflin Street serves as the alternative party scene. Badger Football is a phenomenon hard to miss out on--even without tickets you still inevitably wake up excited on those Fall Saturday mornings. Finally, you can really tell that the Madison community loves its college kids, accommodating us in every way imaginable.

One thing that distinguishes UW-Madison from many other colleges are the extensive opportunities offered for the aspiring undergraduate. I am double majoring in Zoology and English Literature, two fields that do not often coincide. Both departments have made me feel extremely included and well-informed about my present and future options. Some of the hours I have spent in my TA or professors' office hours have made me very confidents about my academic choices. Upon enrolling at UW-Madison, I was overwhelmed by the size of the school. However, I have come to believe it is that very aspect that offers such a unique and full experience. Not only are there students from all different backgrounds and cultures, there is a strong sense of unity among us. Additionally, the citizens of Madison often come onto the campus for football games, visiting the lake, etc., so we have a sense of oneness with the city as well. It has been interesting to interact with older people who live in the town, not just college-age students. Another great thing about Madison is that it is the perfect haven for the aspiring politician or revolutionist! Most of America knows the reputation Madison had during the Vietnam War for protesting. The Humanities building was even built to withstand riots! That reputation is still well-earned today. I had a great time protesting the educational reforms last year at the Capitol, making signs and staying the night in sleeping bags. Even if you're not someone who loves to "rise up against the man", it's still exciting to be where change is happening. There are downsides to this school. It's a fairly big city, so it's not safe to walk around at night or attend many of the parties without a fairly clear head and some protection. UW offers many assistances such as the Safe Walk program and Safe Ride buses, but it's definitely not always a quiet, relaxing environment. Although I have grown to love the school and prize it for its academics, I did not have a great first semester due to the fact that the social scene of freshmen is largely partying.

One that that some students may dislike at my school is the size of the campus. If you are looking for a small school, this is definitely not the one for you. That being said, due to our big campus, students at this school have access to amazing facilities and a very wide range of major options. Additionally, professors and TAs go out of their way to make sure that they are available to have one-on-one time with students if they need it. One really great thing about my school is the location. Although Madison is the capitol of Wisconsin and the UW-Madison is considered to be part of the downtown area, my campus would definitely be considered part of a college town. Just a short walk can get you to a gym, restaurant, capitol building, our amazing football stadium, or any of the halls. Additionally, if you are looking to venture out, all students at UW-Madison get a free bus pass that gives you access to the entire Madison Metro bus system to get you anywhere you need to go! Last but not least is our overall school spirit. Everyone in Madison loves their school and loves where they are. There is a great sense of pride and camaraderie at Madison that really makes it an enjoyable place to study.

I love this school. It is the Goldilocks of colleges, not too much of anything but just right. I have attended two other colleges, one large (U of M Minneapolis) and one small (UW River Falls), but Madison falls squarely in the middle. It is a fairly large campus, with around 42,000 students, that manages to feel like a little community town. You can see the Capitol from pretty much anywhere, and places like State St. with it's independent shops and restaurants lend it a unique, personal charm. You can meet new people every day, and yet never go too long without seeing a few familiar faces. It fosters a positive atmosphere which encourages students to branch out from their comfort zone and try something new. I spend most of my time in a coffee shop near campus, where I study and chat with whomever is behind the bar or sitting next to me. One of the best things about UW Madison is how friendly everybody is- you can strike up a conversation with just about anybody. One thing you can't do on campus though is root for the other team- Madison students are fierce badger fans. There is some controversy on campus, however. The school is facing budget cuts due to Governor Walker's policies. Students have risen to the occasion though, and followed the controversy in the papers as well as live, as they protested at Capitol Square. Students have also taken part in the petition to have Walker recalled by signing it and volunteering to collect signatures. Our school is proud and driven, and inclusive.

There aren't many things I dislike about UW-Madison. Above all, the university is the perfect sandbox for any sort of academic interest and is very attached to its students' success. Madison itself is enough of a reason to go to UW; the city is full of great cultural and historic heritage and is one of the great mid-sized cities in the United States. UW has national recognition and in Wisconsin is the center of higher education; many professors are the leading experts on Wisconsin-related issues and are well-known throughout the state or the country. The city of Madison perfectly toes the line between the average Big Ten college town and a large city. The campus itself has a small college feel to it (it's one of the smallest schools by area in the Big Ten) but other areas around the city have dense and wonderful neighborhoods which could fit in great cities like Chicago or San Francisco. Many people complain about the winter weather, but if that's going to stop you from attending one of the nation's best public schools you probably wouldn't fit in at UW anyway. The university's administration is currently facing one of the most difficult periods in recent memory following the departure of a chancellor and a very large budget cut coming down from the state government. The entire political process associated with this budget cut, the Board of Regents and university's leaders has led to the largest campus controversy recently. The Board of Regents still hasn't selected a replacement for our former chancellor, so currently the chancellor who led the university through most of the 1990s is at the helm. School pride is impressive and contagious. Football is an obsession, especially after two consecutive Rose Bowl appearances, and despite the state's political differences just about everyone can agree on their love for the Badgers. The traditions at home football games are ancient, wonderful and will become the one of the things about Wisconsin you miss the most. Many of these same traditions, including one particularly profane chant, give UW a bad name. This is one of the university's drawbacks. Although many students here are smart, engaged and driven, there is also a pocket of students who only are interested in partying and football at the cost of their education. Overall, Wisconsin will offer incredible experience to any type of personality. The future of the university's financial situation remains unclear because of the uncertainty with Wisconsin's political situation, but this should not deter students from attending college in one of the nation's most unique, intellectually-stimulating and vibrant cities.

I love Wisconsin! My favorite thing is the setup of school itself, a midwestern city school in the capital of Wisconsin, Madison. The school itself is so big and has so many students yet really does not feel that big because of how close together most of the school buildings and living facilities are. Madison is a very spirited college town and the best days are game days when everybody is so happy to be wearing their red badgers shirt and showing their support walking up and down state street. When the badgers win, the whole city celebrates together through the streets and in the bars. There is a ton of school pride and everyone is always in their bucky t's or badger hats in summer or winter.

Madison is a very prestigious school academically, and in my experience that's a reputation that is well deserved. I'm of the belief that, ultimately, it is the person doing the teaching that you learn from, not the course, or the resources, or anything else. You can learn more from a good professor teaching about, say, canine orthodontics, than from an average person teaching astrophysics right out of a book. And in my areas of study at least, Madison's faculty has been simply awesome. I do take issue with the university's claims of being so "multicultural." It's true that there is a huge diversity of cultures represented in the student body and the faculty. But I'm not sure that says anything about the university, besides the fact that it has a very lucid admissions process. It seemed to me that marginalized (i.e., non-white) students and organizations tended to stick together, and it was very easy for a student to avoid Madison's "multiculturalism," if he or she so chose. And this is exactly what happens--students who have no interest in understanding other cultures do just that. The university's all-encompassing multicultural organization (the MCSC--Multicultural Student Coalition) was always at odds with the student government and the campus newspapers, struggling to receive sufficient funding or to make themselves heard by anyone besides the choir. So it feels a little dishonest to me that the university claims such progressivism. That being said, there truly is a lot of diversity on campus, and just by enrolling, you put yourself in a potentially very enlightening environment.

Personally, my two years at UW-Madison has been the best decision I've made yet. Coming to UW-Madison from a small town in Minnesota, I have been exposed to some of the best opportunities available for my personal growth and development, and also my future career of Journalism. Madison offers so many new and exciting activities for students and their college lives. I can't imagine going to school anywhere else and I would definitely recommend Madison to any incoming college student.

I love Madison! The only thing that would be bad is that it is really big. Extremely big. It's hard to make friends. I came from a town of 4,000 people, so making the change was pretty difficult, but it was definitely worth it. I was in a FIG (First Year Interest Group) as a freshmen, and that made all the difference. You take 3 classes structured around a core concept with the same group of about 20 students. It's a great way to meet friends and to ease your way into Madison. Another thing I love about Madison is the school spirit. If you didn't know, we're pretty good at sports. Our football team is going to the Rose Bowl for the second year in a row. Going to football and basketball games is awesome. It feels great to be surrounded by everyone there, and to participate in the same traditions as hundreds of people have before.

Attending the University of Wisconsin was the single greatest decision of my life. This is a great school in an amazing city with the best people. We've got a huge football program (Rose Bowl two years in a row) and the school pride that comes along with that. We've also got a thriving art and cinema community. Campus is big, but I think it's the perfect size, especially within Madison. Located in the state capitol, Madison is often the center of political discussions. Every single person I talk to who've gone to Madison say they loved the school and never want to leave. It's easy to get involved on campus by joining the hundreds of student organizations. I'm on a long-form improv team, the Film Committee, and have two radio shows. I love all my professors and classes. There's a social scene for everyone here, I can't stress that enough.