University of Wisconsin- Madison has been my dream school since I started high school. I was wait-listed (and heart broken) however, and a few days ago found out I was admitted. Since I was not sure that I would be admitted to Madison I committed to my back up UW- La Crosse. I have everything set up through the school and have a roommate that I’ve met and love. Now I have very little time to decide if I want to withdrawal from La Crosse and commit to Madison or stay with La Crosse.
I did call Madison to make sure that I would not be at a disadvantage for applying for housing or signing up for classes and the person I talked to said I would be perfectly fine. I also found a potential roommate at Madison, and I like her but not as much as the girl from La Crosse.
I plan to go into Poli Sci/ International Business
I believe that your roommate should have exactly zero to do with your decision. So, other than that, what are the pros/cons academically and cost-wise?
Madison is a harder school (48% acceptance rate) and the classes would be more challenging but it is also a nationally recognized research university and nationally ranked. Madison is about 6,000 more expensive per year than La Crosse but I do not have to pay for my schooling all myself.
It is the flagship and is known throughout the country and world for its quality academics and huge research budget and output.
I am a native Wisconsinite, and in Wisconsin, UW is the best school. (definite respect paid to Lawrence, Beloit, Marquette… but UW is top dog in WI.)
Ask yourself if going to UW-LaCrosse is worth the lower cost and better roommate situation vs. the better quality, better campus, better school spirit and every other advantage that UW holds over LaCrosse.
You could start at LaCrosse and transfer to Madison, but that might mean a hard goodbye with that roommate in LaCrosse.
But in terms of the quality of academics, degree, reputation, experience and opportunities, there is no comparison. If you can afford it, and if you think you might want to be a Badger, just come along with me…
UW-Madison is a world class university. UW-LaCrosse is not. the 4 year graduation rate at UW-LaCrosse is 33%. Take a few minutes to fathom that number, which is appalling. Their 6 year graduation rate is just 70%. Odds are either you or your roommate at UW-LaCrosse will be struggling soon so I certainly would not base college choice on my roommate. I would bet on myself and go to UW-Madison with haste.
You could still correspond with the friend at LaCrosse – Madison and LaCrosse are not far apart. You guys could meet in the Dells, for instance, and have good times.
Honestly you haven’t given any compelling reasons for going to La Crosse over Madison, so it seems like a “no brainer” unless there’s something significant you haven’t mentioned.
Assuming you haven’t lived with either one of those roommates before, you really don’t know for certain which one will be a better roommate. There are many sad stories about people picking roommates based on friendship or perceived compatibility that turn out to be disasters. If you’re feeling guilty about abandoning the LaCrosse roommate, try to get past that. You can’t compromise your education just because you’re afraid of hurting someone’s feelings. The impact this decision has on them will be tiny compared to the impact it has on you over the long haul.
Oh, and CONGRATULATIONS! You must be on cloud nine!
That 33% 4 year graduation rate at Lacrosse is scary. Go to Madison. Kids come from all over the country to Madison, people from from all over Wisconsin to Lacrosse.
