My son was accepted to UW-Madison as a January transfer coming from Wake Forest as a sophomore. We are looking for pros and cons of transferring. Specifically he feels coming in as a second semester sophomore he will not have enough time to find a community of friends before heading off to study abroad Junior year-either fall or spring semester. He is also concerned about being to0 old to rush a fraternity (not that he wants to but knows it is a big party of the party scene there). Frat life at Wake was a huge drawback. He is planning on studying political science/history and is on a pre law track. Would love to hear from anyone who has had experience transferring as a sophomore or with transferring to University of Wisconsin.
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Hi – I did my graduate work in history at UW-Madison, so although I don’t have an undergrad’s perspective, I am familiar with that department and the humanities/social sciences side of the university. I can’t promise that your son will find his people immediately, but I can tell you that while the frat/party scene is big at UW-Madison, it’s also a big enough school that you can find your people outside of that. As a second-semester sophomore, he’ll have more opportunities to take smaller classes where he can meet students and get to know his professors. The History Department has opportunities for undergrads to get to know each other, like Phi Alpha Theta (if he qualifies) and volunteer/internship opportunities in various historical organizations around Madison. The Poli Sci department has a few student organizations, as well, and he could also meet people in other campus clubs that interest him. And the location in the state capitol means that the city offers lots of opportunities for undergrads with interests in politics and the law – more chances to find like-minded people. Also - if he goes abroad second semester junior year instead of first semester, he has more time to plant roots. He will have to work a little harder than a first-year student to find his place, but it can certainly happen.
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Thank you, I appreciate that. Madison seems to have much more to offer than Winston Salem.
I absolutely love Madison – the city, even apart from the university. It’s just a great place to live.
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I just think it’s tough to transfer. And especially tough in January.
Best of luck to him.
Maybe he can go abroad in summer so that he doesn’t lose momentum that he gains in meeting people ?
Best of luck to him.
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Parent of UW Poli Sci and History major alum – fabulous academic experience and internship opportunities. Greek life is actually fairly small, 10% or so and the university was always cracking down on it. I believe there is rush every semester, though spring rush is smaller.
Living in a on-campus living learning community like Chadbourne – which focuses on liberal arts and is a full-sized dorm with its own dining hall close to the academic buildings where liberal arts classes are likely to be meet – might be a way to find his “peeps” as a spring transfer. See if there might be space in Chadbourne for spring transfers.
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Thank you. That is a great tip!
I second this vote for Chadbourne. When I was there, I knew some undergrads who lived in Chadbourne because one of my professors (who has since retired) was an adviser to Chadbourne students. It’s really a special learning/living community – definitely a small college experience within a large university.
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I was going to recommend Chadbourne Residential College as a way to find his peeps immediately and just for the "opposite of Wake Greek"sense of community but I see I’ll just be thirding the recommendation 
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