<p>hey,
im from ga and im thinking of applying to uw-madison, no reason whatsoever, just from reviews and stuff seems good. i know that sounds stupid, but i cant really afford a cross country college trip, so yeah...does it seem kinda random for me to apply/go there if pretty much noone from my area will be there?</p>
<p>Many people end up attending colleges in other states. But you should reevaluate why you want to go there. Many people also end up homesick and transfer back to their home state. You shouldn’t pick a school based on where everyone else you know is going, but you should have good reasons for wanting to go to UW Madison. Yes, it has a great reputation, but is it in a location you’ll enjoy? How’s the weather? What are the costs and potential for financial aid? How is the program that you want to major in? Etc.</p>
<p>Apparently, there are three other people from my high school in my college, but I have yet to see them. And I’m from faar away, so I can’t see anyone from home. But it’s perfectly normal. It’s not random at all. One of my friends went to New York (across country) and another to Massachusetts. Someone else went to the UK. What matters is if the school fits you. Will you enjoy the area? The weather? The academic atmosphere? If the school has a “talk to a student!” thing, then you should utilize it, since you can’t visit the campus. Call them up or shoot them an email and ask them the questions you’re worried about. If they don’t have a “talk to a student” feature, then try calling up the admissions office or student relations or something like that. If you call the wrong number, they can probably forward you to the right person. But make sure you know what it’d be like to live there first.</p>
<p>I go to UW-Madison. I don’t know anyone from Georgia (or the South, really) but I don’t think you’d have a problem. If you have an accent I think people might think it’s cool 
But lots of people I know are from out of state…my two best friends are both from California. In fact, I know very few people actually from Wisconsin. I’d say it’s hard to pick a college if you can’t visit, but UW is a wonderful school, really fun but also challenging academically. I definitely recommend it!</p>
<p>PM me or post on the UW forum if you have any questions :)</p>
<p>People go to schools that they didn’t visit all the time and find themselves perfectly content. If you’ve researched it really well and still love it, then go for it!</p>
<p>As long as you make sure you are satisfied with the school then you shouldn’t really be worried about distance. I go to school 8 hrs away from home and it really has no affect on my college life. It also makes going home a more special thing for you and your family plus you appreciate being home a lot more. You’ll hear from a lot of people and you prob experienced it in high school that they are sick of home and their parents being too controlling. If you go to a college that is a decent distance from your home, not only will you learn how to be more dependent but you’ll appreciate a lot of stuff that you use to take for granted.
Just make sure you are happy with the school.</p>
<p>just one thing to think about…if you can’t afford the air fare to go visit a school that you would like to consider, how will you afford to attend that school? Especially important with respect to distant state schools, because they generally don’t give FA to out of state students. Have you and your parents discussed this aspect in your college search?</p>
<p>Will the expense of travel make it difficult for you to go back and forth from home more than once or twice a year? For example, state schools generally empty out at Thanksgiving. Will it bother you to spend the holiday on campus or at a friend’s home, if you can’t afford to go home then and at the end of the semester? The same question for spring break. And will it bother you if your parents cannot afford to come visit you during the school year?</p>
<p>Think carefully about these issues…about what the experience would be like. A lot of students do go far from home–my sons did. But go into the situation with your eyes and your mind wide open.</p>
<p>…i never said i cant afford college. we just dont waste time flying just to look at the college…
but thanks everyone for your input.</p>
<p>Considering it is where you might end up for a very crucial four years of your life, I would hardly call a visit a waste.</p>
<p>ok. let me just make this clear. i KNOW visiting some colleges are good.
but i see them as a waste of time and money. people complain that “the economy” is bad just to get a gallon of milk. well, then i dont see college visits as crucial. i visit colleges close to me. but im not going to fly from georgia to california or wherever just to get information i can get online.
just my approach…</p>
<p>It’s not about getting information, any viewbook will give you sufficient data. It’s about learning whether or not you feel like you will thrive in that environment. If I hadn’t visited any of my college choices, I could have easily ended up in podunk Maine instead of Portland, OR. Now it’s completely understandable that your parents do not want to spend that much money to fly to schools far away when there are more affordable options nearby. I just wanted to make that distinction.</p>
<p>What a lot of people do who don’t have money to throw around, or want to be thriftier, is visit AFTER their acceptances. That way they visit far fewer, and it becomes more reasonable.
To me it wouldn’t matter at all if anyone I knew went to college with me, but I guess some people prefer to stay around home. Personal preference.</p>
<p>
Heh, I’m the only person from my high school to ever apply to my college.</p>
<p>I think you can get a good idea of what the school will be like through tons of research. Just make sure you look at all sorts of different sites. With the going out of state part, I’d say go for it since money isn’t the issue. I think it’s an amazing way to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. I’m from the west coast and flew all the way over to the east coast because I knew that it would be best for me to challenge myself. I’m SO happy I did it. The different lifestyle really builds character and you get to explore your own country. No harm in that! But be sure this school has everything you want to study because I guarantee that you will be changing your mind on your major often throughout your college career.</p>