2010 Acceptances and Decisions Thread

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Wisconsin
541

<p>I would just like to point out that good test scores do not always determine weither or not you get into a school.</p>

<p>I just found out today that I got into UW, after being on the postponed list for 2 months.</p>

<p>I got a 1690/2400 on my SATs. However, I sent in multiple letters, met with my admissions counselor, called the admissions office once a month, and kept my grades up (All A’s and one B for 5 APs). If you show that you are passionate about going to the school, they get the chance to see who you are as individual instead of being defined by a standardized test :)</p>

<p>If anyone is curious, my weighted GPA is 4.13 and my unweighted GPA is 3.67</p>

<p>SO HAPPY TO BE A BADGER!</p>

542

<p>I always try to be very positive and respectful on these boards and feel that all are entitled to their opinions. There are many wonderful schools and none are perfect or all things to all people all the time. UW is a wonderful place AND it has its issues as does everywhere. I have a son at UW who loves it and and is thrilled with his choice to attend. I have another son who will likely never consider it - too large and far from home. People choose schools for all sorts of reasons - academic fit, social fit, proximity to home, finances, and more. </p>

<p>Jiff’s mom -I believe it would be helpful (and you might garner greater respect for some of your valid points) if you were more balanced with regard to your continuous and inexplicable negativity, bordering on hatred, towards UW in your postings, especially as it relates to UIUC… no school is perfect and there are issues, but to only post a couple of opinions that argue your point of view shows great bias. It almost seems as if you search around waiting for the opportunity to bad mouth UW, like you have an ax to grind (I may be wrong, but that is the impression I have). During that same time period where some of the concerns you cited were being discussed, many others shared that although they may have experienced some registration glitches and concerns, they were actually able to get their issues resolved with a little self-advocacy and legwork. In addition, UW is investing a fair amount of money in expanding offerings in high demand areas where availabity is tight… that is not true of many places during these economic times. It was also shared that the some of the “powers that be” at the U were made aware of these concerns - I hope they act upon them. I don’t expect a big university to be perfect, but as long as they are responsive and accept input (and hopefully respond), it is good practice for life. </p>

<p>My son, though not an engineering guy, was one who came in with lots of credits and had some “lock out issues.” It did necessitate a couple of emails and phone calls, but he is in every class for which he wanted to register. He is most certainly NOT wasting time (well, at least not as far as his course selection :wink: I can’t speak to why the laundry is not getting done). </p>

<p>It is also true - and folks should know this as you said - that you are NOT admitted directly to engineering at UW. You must compete and apply. If that is not ok with anyone, they should make a different choice. </p>

<p>Again, there are some issues and some of your points are valid and have merit, BUT nowhere is perfect. I don’t come on the UIUC board and point out problems there or make disparaging comments. in fact, a few posts above this one, there is an Illinois parent who didn’t even want his/her child to apply to UIUC - we all bring different priorities and perspectives. Please share…free speech and all that, but a little balance might be a good thing, especially since you seem to have neither personally attended the school nor sent one of your own children. I really mean this in a kind tone (tone is often lost online) and hope all families considering UW, UIUC, or anywhere else consider all factors and come to a good choice for them. </p>

<p>By the way… I left this while going to eat dinner so it is possible there may be other responses I haven’t read.</p>

543

<p>soocerrules - Congrats!! So happy for you.</p>

544

<p>I’m a postponed student eagerly awating my decision. I have approximately a 3.2-3.3 gpa (UW) and an 1880/2400 on my SATs. </p>

<p>My extra curriculars are what make me noticable,</p>

<p>I founded a rugby team at my school, which I captain</p>

<p>I’m the school mascot</p>

<p>I do the morning announcements every day for my school</p>

<p>I play guitar</p>

<p>I have a steady job</p>

<p>I have an upward trend from last year to this year (up from a 3.1 to a 3.2-3.3)</p>

<p>Well written statements, good recommendations.</p>

<p>I’m nervous because I have wanted to attend Wisconsin ever since I was a child and its absolutely nerve wracking waiting for a decision. I just hope I am able to make the cut. for those of you who found out today you were accepted, how did you know? did you recieve a letter? and what state are you located in?</p>

545

<p>stevegross10 -
Heyo! I am located in southern California, and I found out today by checking my status online with my NetID (via MyWisc: <a href=“University of Wisconsin–Madison”>https://login.wisc.edu/?appurl=my.wisc.edu/portal&lt;/a&gt;). Yesterday my status was listed as “postponed,” but I had a random urge to check today (even though I anticipated to find out on or after the 15th) and it turned out that I was accepted. Mail should be on its way.</p>

<p>It will say: “Congratulations! You have been admitted to the University of Wisconsin. We have mailed your official letter of admission and admission materials.”</p>

<p>Feel free to let me know if there’s anything else I can help you with.</p>

546

<p>

Please find one item in my response to jcjy89 that was not factually accurate. You won’t be able to because what I posted is true. </p>

<p>jcjy89 is looking for info that compares UW to UIUC. As such, how is it not relevant to provide info on UIUC’s direct admission compared to the problems caused by UW’s general admission that others have already acknowledged? How is it not relevant to let jcjy89 know that even UW’s College of Engineering admits that most of their students need 9 to 10 semesters to graduate? How is it not relevant to let jcjy89 know that some students feel as if they are being forced to waste a costly semester (not everyone has extra thousands of dollars to spend) taking courses they don’t need because they are systemically blocked from taking the courses they do need for their degree?</p>

<p>Maybe it would be better if this info came from one of the regulars, but they didn’t step up to the plate, did they?</p>

547

<p>jcjy89 isn’t interested in engineering.</p>

548

<p>Post 531 said accounting or engineering.</p>

549

<p>JiffsMom- you seem to be obssessed with UW. Please think positive and focus your energy on the school your child will attend. Spending time researching information to post here seems a waste of your time. Info is appreciated, but a nasty tone never enhances it. You will feel better if you move on and ignore this site.</p>

<p>One can spend a lot of time nitpicking the rankings. However many of the intangibles- feelings- about a place should determine your choice. Both schools (UIUC and UW) are similar in quality. You need to look at the lifestyle, quality of life at each school. We- those with current/past ties to UW- happen to love the campus and think it is superior to others. You need to think beyond the academics, make a list of pros/cons, prioritize it and then choose. None of us can determine your pros/cons list.</p>

<p>Congrats to all getting accepted. Your UW will be different than even this year’s graduates as they finish more new construction, but the campus always retains its character. Enjoy.</p>

550

<p>My bad. Post 520 said admitted to Business at UW and Gen Studies at UIUC.</p>

551

<p>Jiffsmom appears to be citing these figures:</p>

<p>[UW-How</a> long does it take to earn a degree in engineering?](<a href=“http://studentservices.engr.wisc.edu/newfaq/how_long.html]UW-How”>http://studentservices.engr.wisc.edu/newfaq/how_long.html)</p>

<p>But she provides no comparable figures for UIUC (and I could not find any). Note the page stipulates that course availability is usually not a factor in taking 1-2 semesters more to graduate. Nor does she explain how it is that direct admission to the College of Engineering improves course availability. Are UIUC engineering students segregated and not expected to share the resources of the mathematics and physics departments with the rest of the student body?</p>

552

<p>Thanks to all for being so helpful! Really appreciate you guys sharing your take on this.</p>

<p>Basically, what i can gather is that:</p>

<p>-both UIUC and UW offer engineering and business programs/courses which are of similar quality. There’s a slight difference but it’s negligible. </p>

<p>-UW is located in a nicer town compared to UIUC.</p>

<p>-in terms of school spirit, UW is superior. </p>

<p>It seems UW is a better choice because i plan to be heavily involved in the university. Thus, school spirit plays a huge role. What i will do now is contact the singaporeans who are already studying at both schools and ask them what the life there is like and inquire about Jiffsmoms subject.</p>

<p>Thanks again to all for your input. And Congratulations to those who got admitted!</p>

553

<p>“Info is appreciated, but a nasty tone never enhances it.”</p>

<p>lolz, a nasty tone would not take away from fact, either.</p>

554

<p>Not sure if this matters, but the acceptance rate for UW is ~50% whereas the acceptance rate or UIUC is ~70%. Perhaps this indicates that your classmates at UW will be brighter and more motivated than your classmates at UIUC. Smarter classmates generally facilitate more effective education. At least, my high school experience indicates this.</p>

555

<p>I’m a UIUC alum and parent so take this for what it is intended. (i.e. I really don’t want to be slammed LOL).</p>

<p>Both schools are exceptional! Both towns are VERY FUN! (worked in Mad City for year right after college graduation) Spirit is amazing at both schools. I certainly would never say that spirit is greater at Wisconsin than Illinois.</p>

<p>NOT FAIR to say that it is a stronger student body at Wisconsin. Illinois has a high acceptance rate, but only because the students who apply there are stronger than the ones that don’t apply there. (self-selected applicants.) Look at average ACT score to get a feel for that. Illinois students are extremely strong academically as are Wisconsin. ESPECIALLY in Business and Engineering. Average ACT for Engineers are 30-33. Average of 35 in Bio-engineering. The schools are way more similar than dissimilar. </p>

<p>It comes down to COST, Where your friends will live after graduation (Illinois grads tend to move to Chicago more frequently), and…Well, thats probably about it. </p>

<p>Flip a coin. They’re both great.</p>

556

<p>What Jiffsmom left out in the graduation time is that most UW Eng students do an engineering co-op for 6-9 months during which they are not allowed to take any classes and for which they get ONE credit but great experience and some CASH as most are paid $15-$20/hr. Hence the extra year.</p>

<p>Meanwhile Illinois has to borrow money to stay open as the state is broke and will raise tuition at least 20% next year. .</p>

557

<p>Jiff’s mom - I have neither the time nor interest in sorting through tons of old threads (and I don’t want to get into an endless debate - this will be my last post about this), but I do remember during a series of similar discussions, there were a number of people who shared different experiences…engineering friends who WERE graduating in 4 years, kids choosing to stay in order to double major, do internships, study abroad, or whatever. While some kids had some trouble getting some classes (which is true at pretty much any school), many who took the initiative (contacting professors, emails/phone calls, or patience as folks drop/add) were able to eventually get into the classes they wanted. This was my son’s experience as well - he should have no trouble graduating in four years, at least not due to any fault of UW’s (and we are only paying for four). I am not disagreeing with some of the statistics (haven’t checked them), people’s experiences or your lack of citation, just that you only chose to share those points of view that agreed with your own. You pick and choose the most negative/worst and don’t share stories from those who HAVE made it all work, which are a majority. </p>

<p>Even the posts you cited can be disputed: I take issue with Axeback’s statements implying that kids are “wasting time” when they have to take some different classes, probably a good chance to take care of some of the general requirements - I call it “learning” and learning is never wasted. I want my son to take classes he might never have considered. He is also talks about not wanting to take early classes and such - I understand, but I do think the sophomores and jrs should have priority when it comes to an 8 am class. I am not saying every kid always gets every class he/she wants (anywhere), but most seem to get what they need if they are willing to work at it and be a bit flexible.
Engineering is very tough and seems to be a challenge to finish in 4 yrs, but not impossible. Beastman shared what they said and I am sure he is accurate …but another parent talked about calling the engineering dept. re:4 year grad and how it can work (again, I am just recalling the thread - I am not an expert in this).</p>

<p>Anyway, both schools are great as are tons of others and ALL have pros/cons. Folks should choose based on what fits for them…academically, socially, financially, program offerings, extra-curriculars, etc… Rarely is there only one “side” to anything although I don’t tend view things in terms of “sides” anyway. I am not “FOR” UW, but “AGAINST” UIUC. I hope folks think critically and balance all the shades of gray in life - it is not black and white. Kids can be happy and succeed no matter where they choose. Best of luck to all!</p>

558

<p>When we toured the campus 2 years ago we met with 2 engineering students. One stated that she was taking 4 1/2 years to graduate because she did an internship. The other said she was graduating in 4 years with no problem even though she had no AP units because her hs did not offer AP classes. While it may be unusual, if a student is focused and does not change majors, I am confident that a student can graduate in 4 years.</p>

559

<p>Singapore student- check the foreign/international and alumni sites on the UW website to get leads.</p>

560

<p>Why haven’t I been notified by UW-Madison?</p>