<p>Hi, I'm a junior from South Dakota and I'm interested in Marquette! I was wondering if anyone has been to the campus and Milwaukee and what their thoughts were on it!</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>My son is a freshman at MU, and although it wasn’t initially his first choice, he is absolutely loving it and wouldn’t want to be at his first choice anymore. We’re from SoCal, so he didn’t know anybody coming in, but has a lot of friends and is flourishing there.</p>
<p>The campus is right in Milwaukee, although my sense is that a lot of kids don’t leave campus much as there is so much right there. It’s essentially split by Wisconsin Ave with academic buildings on one side and dorms/admin in buildings across the street.</p>
<p>It’s a really warm feeling there - people smile!</p>
<p>Please let me know if you have a particular question.</p>
<p>For further clarification, Wisconsin Avenue is the main street of Milwaukee. It runs all the way from Lake Michigan to the far western suburbs. The true downtown area is a short walk from campus.</p>
<p>Milwaukee has a strong German heritage with wonderful restaurants and the best Oktoberfest celebrations this side of the Atlantic. It has always been known as a great place to raise a family. The people are friendly and have great civic pride. There’s plenty to do without needing a car and buses run to other parts of the city so you can get to most places with little difficulty. Chicago is only 90 minutes away and with a sizable percentage of students at MU from greater Chicago, most students take a few trips there during their undergrad years.</p>
<p>Being from South Dakota, you’ll have no trouble with Milwaukee winters. When I was there in the early 70’s my roommate freshman year was from Alaska and wore sweaters with a windbreaker until the temperature got close to zero; he then switched to a ski jacket that he seldom zipped! I think he had anti-freeze in his veins. :)</p>
<p>If you are from South Dakota you will find MU and Milwaukee very interesting. Loads of activity and noise in the neighborhood. Downtown Milwaukee is a few blocks away. The campus is very small, but that can be convenient as you are no more than 10 minutes from one end to the other end of campus. The dorms are old and do not have a lot of the modern conveniences of some other schools. The food in the dorms is just average. Everyone studies during the week. Students go to MU to learn and attend classes. On weekends, the locals go home and the rest look for a house party. Basketball is the primary sport on campus and it is a big deal. Its a Jesuit school so many of the students come from a Jesuit culture from their HS. It is easy to be involved in community projects at Marquette.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for your help? did you guys find the campus pretty? and how is downtown Milwaukee cool? if there is anything else about Marquette that you would like to share that would be great!</p>
<p>shiggins – Will you be able to visit? You really should. I think it’s very pretty, and I love Milwaukee, but not everyone would.</p>
<p>dbwes – I’m almost positive I’m going this summer. i think my family and i are going on a trip where we’ll visit the University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Marquette. What are some reasons that you like Milwaukee and Marquette, and why wouldnt some people?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Shiggins,</p>
<p>I graduated from Marquette in 1984, and since I am active in Alumni activities and have a daughter who wants to attend MU next year, I have been on campus a lot in the past couple of years.</p>
<p>I loved my Marquette experience, and I think it has gotten even better in the last 25 (yikes) years. When I went there, the area surrounding campus was getting a little scary. Fortunately, Marquette has addressed that issue with a two-pronged approach: 1. Expanding campus further out, putting up some beautiful facilities, and getting rid of a lot of undesirable real estate in the process, and 2. In the Jesuit tradition, treating the surrounding neighborhood as an opportunity for community service. In contrast, Saint Louis University, which found itself in a similar situation, decided to solve its problems by erecting a huge fence around the campus. I am not making a value judgement, I am just saying I truly admire Marquette’s approach.</p>
<p>Milwaukee has so many cultural and entertainment activities that a kid from the Dakotas would not have had a chance to experience – concerts, plays, museums, Major League Sports, the breathtakingly beautiful lakefront – all within walking distance or a short (and free) bus ride. They even have a great all-ages music club called The Rave that has major label acts several times a week.</p>
<p>What wouldn’t you like? The urban environment might be a bit of a culture shock to a person that hasn’t experienced life in a large city. There is the occasional homeless person who comes over to Campus to panhandle – they know students can be a soft touch. But that would be about it.</p>
<p>staceyglow, have you thought of a career in the MU marketing dept? 
I enjoy your favorable endorsement.</p>
<p>My wife graduated from MU in 1984 also and yes, it was a little creepy then. I visited friends in the same timeframe and couldn’t wait to leave. But things have really cleaned up, not just at school but Milwaukee also, don’t you think? In addition to what you mention I am also impressed with the security in place at Marquette and the ease of safe transportation.</p>
<p>Shiggins, the schools you mention are dramatically different in size and culture. Marquette and the U of M have virtually nothing in common, apart from an urban setting, and even that is very different between the two. If you do this road trip you will find yourself immediately drawn to some aspects of these schools and less so to others. In the meantime, I might suggest you consult the Fiske guide as it will give you a good sense of these schools and others. It’s a great complement to what you read here.</p>
<p>Certainly Marquette is a much smaller school than either Wisc of U of M but at, what, 11k students it’s not small.</p>
<p>Great suggestion of the Fiske guide, Beastman. I have really gotten good insight from it. Did you know that it rates Marquette as a Best Buy?</p>
<p>And I agree, that 11K is a good size. Not too big to get lost in the crowd, but big enough to offer something for everyone. </p>
<p>To the OP, if you do visit this summer, call ahead of time. They do have formal info sessions and tours, but you can also meet with a member of the department you’re interested in. This was priceless for us during our summer visit. You’ll also get to do a little sightseeing of Milwaukee. Make sure to do the river cruise that goes into the lake. There’s also a free trolley during the summer where you can get on and off different places. Just be careful not to go during the Northwest Mutual convention and Summerfest, as hotel rooms will be scarce. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>