<p>so i didn't know exactly where to post this but i need help!</p>
<p>i think i've narrowed my choices down to iowa and marquette but i can't decide.</p>
<p>Im planning on double majoring in journalism and international affairs</p>
<p>im so lost whats the better school? which is better for my intended major? which area will have the best internships and connections and jobs?</p>
<p>i also got into ballstate and waitlisted at madison, minnesota, and northwestern. </p>
<p>ughh help??</p>
<p>I’m not sure what to tell you. Have you been able to visit both campuses? How did you feel at either of them? I can’t speak about which is better for your intended major but both schools are ranked by US News pretty closely U of Iowa at #72 and MU at #75.</p>
<p>I would think your major may have better internship opportunities in a larger city like Milwaukee, but I don’t really know - maybe it makes no difference.</p>
<p>I know this does not help much, but if you have visited each, I’d go with the school where you could picture yourself being most happy at. Your success will be based more on your own initiative than the school you choose, so go where you think you will thrive. Of course, this assumes cost is not a major issue.</p>
<p>Short of visiting, the best you can do is invest time reviewing campus tour videos on the web sites to get a feel for the campuses.</p>
<p>Yes, as ajax says, these are two very different schools. Midsize vs. very large; urban vs. rural; Jesuit vs. Big Ten. You can do well at either. Where do you think you want to be?</p>
<p>well thats the problem im in a mix of both. i went to a charter school till 8th grade and then a huge high school so i can deal with small or big either one doesnt bother me.</p>
<p>the thing that i am concerned about is the location i wanted 1. to get out of wisconsin and 2. to live in a bigger city than kenosha
Milwaukee isnt out of wisconsin but it is bigger than kenosha
iowa is out of wisconsin but smaller than kenosha</p>
<p>marquette would actually end up being cheaper than iowa with all the scholarships they are giving me</p>
<p>i am not overly religious and im not catholic but i hear a ton of students at MU are this however i would like to participate in games which can be done at either school</p>
<p>i also switch back and forth between my main focus being international studies (affairs ) or journalism and i want the school i choose to have good programs in these area not to mention good connections for plans after college</p>
<p>i went to iowa’s spirit day which for where i was, was a little repetitive and was def. aimed at juniors however viewing the dorms were nice</p>
<p>i am touring marquette tom.</p>
<p>Excellent on touring MU tomorrow! You’ll see the urban look of MU, but its actually a nice enclave I think. Go out of your way to talk to students that you see and ask them how they like MU and why the chose it. Also don’t be afraid to ask to see at least two dorms. Sit in on a class if you can and while it may be hard to do, see if you can see an advisor in your area.</p>
<p>You should be able to judge MU if you can manage to see all this. </p>
<p>Good luck and have fun tomorrow.</p>
<p>laurens27 - Marquette’s journalism & international studies are very good majors. Marquette has a very close relationship with the Milwaukee Journal (some of their top journalists are guest faculty every once in a while). If you want to do international studies the Les Aspin Center for Government program, you can intern at D.C., is excellent. Here is the link [Marquette</a> University Les Aspin Center for Government](<a href=“The Les Aspin Center for Government // Marquette University”>The Les Aspin Center for Government // Marquette University). The good thing about MU is that is very easy to switch majors. My oldest S is at Iowa State and as you probably know by now Iowa and Wisc. are very similar. I suggest that after your MU visit do a pros & cons list for each and go with the one that will work for you. Good luck!</p>
<p>One more thing… Your not being Catholic would not be an issue at all. I know there are lots of non-Catholic kids that attend. Check out the Facebook group “Marquette University Class of 2015: Real Students, Real Answers”. I happened to run across it and there is a discussion topic for roommates and many of those kids are either not Catholic or even concerned about religion at all.</p>
<p>I am quite confident that that would not be an issue.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about not being Catholic. Lots of kids aren’t. From what you are looking for, I would say go to Marquette! Lots of opportunities in Milwaukee. It’s a fun town, as well.<br>
Hope you have a great tour. Too bad the sun isn’t shining!</p>
<p>Iowa has many more degrees offered if you switch majors like 92% of all college students do. I grew up in Kenosha and I find the Marquette campus about as boring. Unless you are from the “elite” part of Kenosha You may not fit in at Marquette. Iowa has a better football team as well.LOL</p>
<p>Iowa is certainly a bigger school with a lot of resources. However…</p>
<p>Per the U of Iowa website:
“Undergraduate students can major, minor, and earn certificates in more than 100 subject areas. Even if you are Still Deciding on a major, Iowa has the resources to help you define your future. Iowa also offers more than 100 areas of Graduate & Professional Study.”</p>
<p>U of Iowa includes 11 individual colleges (including professional and graduate colleges like Graduate College, Medicine, Pharmacy and Law).</p>
<p>Marquette offers:
“Undergraduate programs: 116 majors and 65 minors and pre-professional programs in dentistry, law and medicine”</p>
<p>Marquette includes 7 Undergraduate colleges and 5 graduate and professional schools like Law and Dentistry for a total of 12 individual colleges/schools.</p>
<p>So I would say they are fairly equivalent in that regard with Iowa having the edge depending on how you define programs vs. degrees. Moreover, Iowa’s programs would be somewhat bigger given their enrollment is over twice the size.</p>
<p>As far as boring… have you ever lived in Iowa? I lived in Cedar Rapids for 2 years which is about 30 miles north of Iowa City. Its a very nice place with very nice people and the cost of living is incredibly low given the standard of living. However, its sort of in the middle of nowhere surrounded by miles upon miles of corn fields. I liked living there, but it was quite boring. By comparison, Milwaukee is far from boring and I’m not a city person by any means.</p>
<p>I guess its what your looking for: urban vs rural. </p>
<p>I do agree with the football comment tho… (I’m a UW-Madison alum). Wish MU had a real D-1 football program - no disrespect to the club team intended.</p>
<p>thats the problem i want to like combined the two schools</p>
<p>i want the city of MU and the student to teacher ratio but i want the enthusiasm and social life of the intense football games and i wish MU was a little bigger. im also not crazy about having too take religion classes esp. considering that you have to pay for them and you dont want them and i do not want to live in the middle of no where X| ugh if i would get off the waitlist at minn. i would go there in a heart beat but i have to make a decision by sunday ■■■</p>
<p>Laurens27 - The only course that would sort of feel like a religion class would be intro to theology. For the other theology electives you can choose from some courses that do not feel like a religion class. Another thing if you do not get into Minn. and you find you do not enjoy MU that much you can try transfering to Minn. after your freshman year. Same if you decide on Iowa.
Good luck!</p>
<p>“As far as boring… have you ever lived in Iowa? I lived in Cedar Rapids for 2 years which is about 30 miles north of Iowa City.”</p>
<p>Ajax, Cedar Rapids is not Iowa City. Iowa City is a great, progressive college town with a lot going on, all within walking distance. It’s not in any way typical of Iowa. And while MKE is a larger city, I’d hazard an educated guess that the vast majority of MU students live most of their lives on campus or within 1 block of it and seldom venture downtown or to the lake. In terms of the social fabric, Iowa is simply a much larger public university with a much more socio-economically diverse population. MU is a much smaller slice, to a large degree fairly affluent suburban white kids. Not all, of course, but many. And large student populations beget more a wider range of activities and interests and views.</p>
<p>laurens- I caution you to not wait til the last minute. One can never predict when computer problems will arise. Try to make your decision by Sat.</p>
<p>lauren – if you are in the liberal arts college at Marquette, you have to take three theology classes and three philosophy classes. That’s a pretty big chunk if you are really opposed to taking them. Some of the courses can be great, some not so great, as with any course at any school. There will be distribution requirements you have to fulfill at Iowa as well – don’t know if philosophy is among them.
Little data point – one of my Ds picked Marquette over Iowa. among other schools. The other picked Marquette over UMinn, even with a scholarship that gave her instate tuition there. Beastman’s son chose Iowa over Marquette. Everybody is doing great (right, beastman?) You will make or break your own college experience at any school.
Good luck to you! Don’t stress too much. It’s not life or death.</p>
<p>I think you are quite right, dbwes. Your comments are always lucid and even-handed. I miss them!</p>
<p>One wonders where our laurens wound up.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m curious too.</p>
<p>I did see a student by the name of Lauren post some info on the Facebook group “Marquette University Class of 2015: Real Students, Real Answers”. She indicated she was from the Racine/Kenosha area and was going to be enrolling in the College of Communications at Marquette this fall.</p>
<p>It’s likely this person is someone else entirely, but it left me wondering… I almost asked if she had also been considering Iowa.</p>