Alright, time to discuss the University of Wisconsin-Madison

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>I'm about to be a second semester freshmen there. I have been looking over these boards for a few weeks and my institution is frequently talked up by a few posters (hi Alexandre and Barrons ;) ) but I still feel like it's inferior. I'd like to have some public discussion about it and as a potential transfer student I really value the opinion of those who have great wisdom in this process.</p>

<p>Before I start to bash it, I should mention that I really love the school's location, social aspects, athletics, etc. It's very cool. I am only transfering strictly because I feel like I can do better. I'm from Iowa and found Wisconsin to be the best school around within my price range and wasn't a small LAC such as Grinnell.</p>

<p>First- It's pretty easy to get into and I feel that takes away from the benifit of graduating with a degree from Madison. Look, I actually think out of state admissions is easier. Kids with 3.5's, 28s on their ACTs are going to get in even if they were initially deferred. Take that to any other school in the top 35 of the US News.... not going to get in. Most kids from out of state here were not admitted to Michigan which I think is a great bench mark for Wisconsin since they have a lot of comparative characteristics except Wisconsin is <em>always</em> at their coattails.</p>

<p>Second- It isn't really recognized nationally with other schools in the same ranking "tier" such as NYU or USC while on the public side, UNC, Michigan, UVA, UCLA, W&M are all more selective, more "elite", and more nationally recognized as academic powerhouses. Anywhere out of the MN-WI-IL area people are clueless about the academics at Madison. That perception doesn't bode well for future study/employment!</p>

<p>Third- For 30K a year it might be worth it for the kids from Long Island who got in on 3.3s and 1400 SATs but why don't I just pay the extra 5-10K a year and attend Michigan or take some serious loans and go to Northwestern?</p>

<p>I suppose I am critical of a highly subjective and somewhat bad way to view a school: rankings. But, I just don't see it stacking up with other comparable institutions. If I graduate with a say... a 3.5, 3.6, or 3.7 GPA, I feel like someone with similar stats (or even slightly inferior) will be the more attractive candidate for graduate school or employment opportunities. As a side note, those familiar with the post-undergraduate life of students from Madison, what does a GPA in that range set a person up for in terms of graduate placement?</p>

<p>Look at the US News rankings top 35 schools. If you go to ANY of them, a high amount of people will instantly recognize you as smart... except Wisconsin. What has kept this powerhouse of reserach from national respect? Why does Michigan, an incredibly similar university always come out on top perceptually? Why doesn't Wisconsin make their admissions a little harder? Why were most of my friends from out of state waitlisted at places like Emory, Michigan, Northwestern, or flat out rejected? Why can't it become just a little bit more competitive nationally? Does it need to privitize more like Ann Arbor? </p>

<p>What an interesting place.</p>

2

<p>I believe there is more respect for Madison out there than you realize.</p>

3

<p>You can't just "make admissions harder". The answer is simple - to go on a publicity blitz. Washington University did it (I can personally testify to this as they sent me about 8 pounds of letters after I took the PSAT), and Wisconsin could as well. The problem is, of course, getting the money necessary to increase marketing procedures.</p>

4

<p>I guess the fact that UW has produced far more Nobel winners, Pulitzer prize winners, Fortune 500 CEO's, National Academy of Science members than UM or Uva won't sway you so bye-bye. There are plenty of people waiting to take your seat. If you need validation that badly buy a Porsche.</p>

5

<p>If you are really unhappy at UW, then transfer. However, that doesn't seem to be the case. You are silly to transfer just because of perceived prestige. A few things you should know about grad school admissions. When you apply to grad school you really are applying to a specific program. Your application will be reviewed by a committee of professors in the department to which you apply. They will mainly be looking at 3 things - your GPA, your GRE score and any research you have done. To get into the top grad programs you need a high GPA, high GRE and demonstrated ability to do research. They don't care at all where you do these things. A 3.5 GPA from WI will be viewed the same as it is from Michigan or Northwestern. The same thing goes for getting jobs. You will not be veiwed less favorably by the employment market than someone with similar credentials from one of those other 2 schools. </p>

<p>Grad schools and employers are more savvy than that. Most of them don't get caught up in where you went to school. They just want to know what you can do and what kind of potential you have. And anyway, if you are so much smarter than the other students at UW, you ought to not have any trouble pulling close to a 4.0 which ought to pretty much set you up for whatever you want.</p>

6

<p>**** hole
wouldnt go there if my life depended on it.</p>

7

<p>Wisconsin is highly respected in academia and by corporate recruiters, much more than USNWR gives it credit for. Wisconsin has so many top ranked programs (e.g., sociology, education, sciences, engineering, etc) that if you graduate in one of those fields, your 3.5 GPA is just as valuable as those earned at any top schools.</p>

<p>When I graduated from Wisconsin with my degree in Chem Engineering, I had no problem getting into any grad school I wanted.</p>