Hi everyone,
I spent this past weekend visiting a friend at UW Madison and fell in love with the location and atmosphere. I am from the Midwest & it felt very welcoming with plenty to do & I felt like it was the perfect balance of fun and school. However, I am currently a senior in HS and did not apply to UW as I was completely set on going out of the midwest (mainly applied to southern schools) and did not tour or visit any schools around me prior to this. This was mainly due to chasing merit and good weather, but also because I felt colleges close to me would feel like a continuation of highschool. (ignorant, I know, considering big 10 schools have large populations.) I did, however, apply to one big 10 school, which was Univ of Iowa. I am planning on majoring in marketing or PR/comm. Just for info on me Im from a Chicago suburb and had a 30 ACT and about a 4.0W GPA & love being involved in school & take academics seriously. I am wondering if the atmosphere and student body of UW is similar to Iowa, given they are both big 10 schools in urban-ish locations. I may try to squeeze in a visit to Iowa, but I would love to hear more about the differences and similarities. Could a student who loves UW love Iowa?
I love both campuses, but think that Wisconsin is more exciting & has more accomplished students academically speaking.
Don’t just try to squeeze in a visit, do it.
Madison is much larger than Iowa City, about three times larger. Both are great college towns. I must admit my bias: I love Iowa City. Great bars, coffee shops, eating options, and bookstores (yes, still bookstores!). LGBTQ-friendly and by far the most progressive city in IA, yet it still has that down-to-earth midwestern feel. Iowa City is also artsy (Madison is too, I’d imagine), especially with its link to the Iowa Writer’s Workshop. Iowa City is designated a World Literature City (or something like that; I forget what it’s called), one of only a handful of such cities worldwide.
But you’re not me, so if Madison is calling you, answer that call! However, yes, Iowa City is one of this country’s great college towns.
They are similar in some ways, very different in others.
One way they are different is the Madison is also the state capital, so there is more business and more PR/marketing. There is usually more politics, but with 2020 being an election year, there will be an awful lot going on in Iowa too. Already is.
Looks like Hapworth is saying the answer to your question is “yes”.
Everyones responses have been helpful, thank you. Im going to talk to my parents tonight & see about driving over for a visit asap. Its a good point that Iowa City is a bit smaller, and I really would need to visit to get a feel for that. I also really did like that Madison was the capital, as politics interest me a lot. I think it would be helpful to see another Big 10 school as I have only toured SEC&ACC schools. Touring could help me see if it was really UW that struck me, or if I just really would prefer a midwest or big 10 school. Its just a bit stressful now with May 1st so soon, and I thought I knew where I was going before visiting UW - though I have been VERY uncertain about the choice.
If anyone has more information or input, itd still be appreciated!
Where did you think you were going to go?
Look carefully at your degree program at Iowa and your other top choice. Compare them and see which one looks more interesting. You’ve mentioned marketing and communication. Investigate the classes you are required to complete. Can you double major or add a minor?
BTW Polisci degree looks good at Iowa. I really appreciate the Iowa website as it is user friendly.
@chigirl22: Other than UFlorida, which other universities are you considering / have you toured ?
@NYC2018nyc was planning on Univ of Florida. Im happy with both the PR and business program there, and OOS cost isnt terrible. To be 100% honest I didnt see myself there throughout the process & kind of applied last minute (literally like two hours before the deadline) I visited for a a day, didnt see much of town but campus is beautiful and the J school is great (business too, though many online classes). I never wanted to go that far, but a 2.5 hr plane ride doesnt seem terrible, but a 2-3 hr car ride from home seems a lot better right now. My friends are all telling me to just go there & transfer out if I dont like it, but thats not really ideal or probably the best mindset haha. UF is a great school, I just havent felt 100% with that decision. Im editing to add I sound kind of negative about UF, but it really is a great school. But UW is a bit different location & probably student body wise, which worries me.
@txstella That is another potential drawback of Iowa. UF is ranked higher in both programs I am looking at, though I have considered a poli sci minor and Iowa looks great for that, like you said. I am a direct admit for Tippie school of Business though which is nice, and ive seen both 90% and 98% (not sure which is accurate) of grads are employed or in grad school within 5 months of grad, which sounds good.UW is solid in business, but PR Id have to get creative with adding on some minors or a double major with Comm. Obviously UW isnt an immediately available option right now, though.
@Publisher Toured UGA, Clemson, USouth Carolina, College of Charleston & U Tennessee. Did not apply to UGA as I just felt uncomfortable and didnt like low % of OOS, the high cost or the distance. I did not apply to CofC as I decided small schools werent for me. I loved Tennessee but decided programs werent best option. I had ruled out other schools I applied to but didnt visit including Bama and Kansas. Once I was accepted to UF, it came down to UF and USC mainly. Never toured any big 10 or midwest schools and now wish I had. I was mainly picking based on program strength and leaning towards more urban locations.
If it’s helpful, my kid visited Iowa and felt it was definitely a school where he would flourish, though his top choice was UW and that is where he went.
Iowa Campus is very pretty, also kind of on a hill, though as best I recall, the humanities/social science/B-school are on one side of the hill, then you go down to the river, and back up the other side of the hill, and that’s where STEM and health sciences plus football stadium etc. are. Iowa City is smaller than Madison but had a similar, hip, relaxed kind of feel, with shops just a block from campus. Stately academic buildings, very impressive feel. So, yes, if you enjoyed the relaxed but still academic vibe of UW, try to visit Iowa and see what you think!
U of Iowa & Iowa City are sort of like scaled down versions of UW & Madison. Both have a lot of the top students from their state & a healthy dose of relatively sophisticated kids from the Chicago & Minneapolis areas. Both are serious academically, without arrogance. Sports are huge at both. I would imagine Iowa will be significantly cheaper than Wisconsin would have been if you had applied there.
Wisconsin is expensive OOS. I liked Iowa City near the university better than Madison area near the university (and my check is at Madison!) Do go visit to see what you think. Smart kids at both.