BU / GWU / UWisconsin Madison??

College Search & Selection
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<p>I got accepted to BU(general studies), GWU(for liberal arts) and U Wisconsin Madison(for liberal arts), and I stated my major as Economics. I am an international student from Hong Kong who has studied in the U.S. for all four years of high school. </p>

<p>I heard BU general studies is somewhat restricted, but I think I can always switch out if I wanted to. </p>

<p>I am looking for a college that is academically prestious, and at the same time, I will enjoy myself and have fun. </p>

<p>For BU: Boston is a great city and internships would be easy to find. In addition, Hong Kong firms think that BU is a good school. But academically, I know BU is the weakest out of these 3 schools.</p>

<p>For GWU: Great city in D.C, and internships would be easy to find as well. Academically, it is pretty even with UWM (I think?) However, nobody in Hong Kong knows this school, and I am not the most politically engaged person; I'm afraid that this will affect me in terms of finding friends.</p>

<p>For UWM: I have never been to Madison, so I don't know how lively or how much there is to do in Madison. Academically, I know UWM is probably the best out of the 3, and I am also afriad of internships. But in Hong Kong firms, UWM is well known.</p>

<p>How should I choose? Is visiting Madison a crucial step for me to choose between the schools? Although I signed up for economics, I am not decided. I might go in to business as well, but mainly liberal arts to expand on my knowledge base. As of right now, my plans (though it may change) are to take chinese, french, psychology, economics/business. Then I might do various science classes(most likely Bio) and some history classes. I'm still quite open to what I want to pursue for my future, but it is likley that I will go back to Hong Kong and work. I really need help in choosing between three schools!</p>

2

<p>Well... I'd say Madison is the best academic school of those three. Has a strong econ department and a top undergraduate business school. A strong international student connection, especially in Asia, atleast that is what I've noticed.</p>

<p>Although in a big city there are more internships, you have to realize that Madison is a state capital. The capitol dome is right down from campus and there is a lot of activity. It is not rural. Chicago is also close by, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis too. In the summer there are programs in those areas, but even in a major like political science they have internships and course offerings in NYC/DC (there is a semester in DC type program). Check out Madison's business school/econ websites.</p>

<p>Also, Madison is a really neat town. Great place to spend 4 years and a lot of fun. A lot of school spirit and things to do all the time. Visit State Street when you come to Madison.</p>

<p>For a student who wants a broad education as you expierenced, Madison is the most well rounded of the three. It also happens to be the cheapest :)</p>

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<p>You cannot switch out of BU CGS until you've finished the required two years there.</p>

4

<p>I would go to Madison over GW and BU unless you can to go into poli sci/international affairs/public policy (which you dont)...then choose GW</p>

5

<p>UW-Madison.</p>

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<p>UWM is University of Wisconsin Milwaukee</p>

7

<p>Although GW is in DC, it would be a stretch to say that the entire student body is politically charged. We are definitely politically aware. Your political affiliation/beliefs won't affect you when socializing. We're a very tolerant and open student body. </p>

<p>We also have a large international presence. In fact, all of my econ TAs have been Chinese. An odd occurance of events. The location of the campus is a huge plus. 4 blocks from the White House, 5 from the Lincoln Memorial. My current professor for Internaional Econ worked in the Council of Economic Advisors. </p>

<p>There are a lot of things that GW brings to the table. Good luck on your decision!</p>

8

<p>ibe heard that wisconsin is the playboy#1 patry school in 2006, plus its the highest ranked out of all of them, sounds good to me</p>

9

<p>Lots of input, and I really appreciate it. I never knew I couldn't switch out of BU CGS.. that really affects my choice. I initially wanted to do college of arts and sciences but they put me in CGS. </p>

<p>It's good to hear that GWU is very open about political beliefs because my political knoweldge is somewhat thin, and I don't keep up too much with politics. I have been to GWU, and I love the school but the only concern I have now is the fact that Hong Kong firms may not know GWU's reputation.</p>

<p>UWM, on the hand, is really a mystery to me. Other than the stats(rankings), I don't have any other thing to judge the school on. I am open to heed more advice, and so far, it seems like UWM is the way to go. Should I still visit UWM? The plane tickets are quite expensive from Hartford(CT) to Wisconsin, is it worth to visit? Additionally, I have visited BU and GWU before. I have to make a decision in the next day or two. School fees are not the biggest concern, though the cost of UWM is significantly cheaper is a factor I may be considering. Will BU, GWU, or UWM be able to help me find internships just in the States? Or will they help me in Hong Kong? Also, are internships during the school year? or are internships only for holidays? How are the alumni relationships for these three schools?</p>

10

<p>At GW, the school can help you find one, but the best way is to do it on your own. You are the one who knows what you want and look for in an internship. There are resources to help you at GW, but the most successful students are the ones who find them on their own. The internship listings at the GW Career Center are almost all local internships. You can intern at any time. Just remember to keep a good balance between work and school. </p>

<p>I've had an amazing experience with our alums. They're very open and very willing to assist GW undergrads. Being in DC, there are a lot of alumni in IR, which helps me out a lot. Not sure how they are in economics.</p>

<p>I think if you can make it out to UWMadison to visit, you should. You never know how you'll feel attending the school until you see it for yourself.</p>

11

<p>I agree with the above. If you're prepared to drop 50K per year @ GWU isn't it a good investment on 200 dollars to fly in, take a cab to Madison, stay overnight, maybe take a tour, etc etc.? Maybe you'll fall in love with the school or hate it and if that is the case, I'd take GWU over BU. Although I think GW is way too expensive and I wouldn't want to be in a city where my school is second fiddle (to gtown), I think it's great for political types and I'd consider it if I was given substancial aid.</p>

12

<p>I'd still visity UW-Madison...and if you can get into their ILS program or Honors program, you'll also get a smaller school feel. That does not apply to the social options however. They call Madison....Madtown.</p>

<p>IB.</p>

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<p>gknix- I live in Madison. It is a great town and a great university. It is very expensive to fly from Hartford to Madison, but a lot less if you fly into Chicago O'Hare. From there, you can get a bus for about $20 one way. The buses are easy to catch and run about every hour and a half all day long. The bus ride is 3 hours. You can also check out flights to Milwaukee and catch a bus from there as well. Check it out and send me a message if you need assistance.</p>

<p>tsdad - you obviously are suffering from Madison centeredness. If you talk to students who attend UW-Milwaukee they will tell you that Madison is UWM and Milwaukee is the REAL UW...;)</p>

14

<p>Thanks a lot people, I will decide soon</p>