<p>What are the differences between the schools and what programs are they strong or weak in? Similar schools?</p>
<p>Similar in terms of campus look, climate, that kind of stuff. Wisconsin is usually viewed as a little more prestigious, it was in the top 40 of the US News rankings this year, and Minnesota less so, ranked #70. Minnesota has about 5000 more students than Wisconsin. Minnesota has a more urban location, however, located near the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul) and Wisconsin is in Madison (city-ish, capital, but not as big as the Twin Cities.) Wisconsin has highly ranked education, engineering and business programs, and Minnesota has a great education and law school.</p>
<p>I agree with what Smithg said. Minnesota is in the better location but Wisconsin is probably the better school academically. Outside of the midwest, they are largely considered the same from a reputational standpoint.</p>
<p>I would say that their Business and Engineering schools are very equal - both strong. Other undergrad areas (outside of math - equal) probably give an edge to WI.</p>
<p>^Wisconsin is better in business by a long shot. Or, at least everyone on the East coast interprets it that way. Engineering, not sure. I know students who have picked Minnesota Eng. Honors OOS over USC. Its what you make of it</p>
<p>We east coasters really don’t see much of a difference between the two schools in any major. But in the upper midwest, the differences are more well known.</p>
<p>Wisconsin has a FAR better known image on the East Coast as students from there have attended it for generations. It was a major alternative for many Jewish students excluded from the Ivy schools from the early 1900s thru the 1950’s. Far more alums working in Boston, NY, DC etc. UW has always had a more national student body and outlook.</p>
<p>Glad we narrowed this down to what matters - image of east coast Jewish students. </p>
<p>I mentioned undergrad business and engineering. All of these rankings (for what they are worth) are within a several ranking spots each year.</p>
<p>US News ranks them dead even (#18) for undergrad business, Wisconsin slightly higher in engineering (#13 v. #23 for Minnesota), though both with very strong programs. The two schools are also comparable (and very strong) in math, economics, history, political science, psychology, and public affairs. Wisconsin’s got an edge in biology, chemistry, computer science, earth sciences, English, physics, and sociology, although Minnesota is more than adequate in all these fields and quite strong in some.</p>
<p>What makes Wisconsin a somewhat better school overall is its well-roundedness; it’s got top 25 faculties in almost every field, and top 5 or top 10 in many. Minnesota is a bit spottier, with many outstanding programs but some unevenness; even its weaker programs, however, are usually top 30 to top 35, i.e., not bad in any way, just not stellar.</p>
<p>I think the biggest difference is not academics but atmospherics. Madison gives you an unmistakable college-town atmosphere with a heavy dose of rah-rah school spirit, Minneapolis-Saint Paul less so. Minneapolis-Saint Paul gives you more of an urban vibe, Madison less so. Some prefer one, some the other. Wisconsin students probably spend somewhat more time on campus and in the student-dominated neighborhoods and business districts immediately adjacent to campus. Minnesota students tend to disperse somewhat more widely over a much larger urban area, and to spend more of their free time doing city things rather than campus things. It’s a matter of personal preference.</p>
<p>I’d pick Wisconsin if costs are equal</p>
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<p>Wisconsin has long had a self-image as a sophisticated enclave that attracts large numbers of students from the coasts—“Coasties,” as they’re called in Madison. But the numbers don’t exactly bear that out. In 2010 (according to the U.S. Department of Education), 62.2% of Wisconsin’s freshman class were in-staters. But most of the OOS students came from nearby Minnesota (13.2% of entering freshmen) and Illinois (12.1%). Only 2.6% of Wisconsin’s freshmen came from the Pacific coast, and 5.8% from the Northeast.</p>
<p>These are fairly modest numbers. Granted, it’s more of a coastal presence than at Minnesota, which like Wisconsin draws most of its OOS students from nearby states (Wisconsin 18.5% of entering freshmen, Illinois 4.9%, other Midwest 5.1%). But it pales in comparison to a school like Michigan, for example, where in 2010, 5.2% of freshmen came from the Pacific coast and 16.1% from the Northeast–roughly double and triple the coastal presence you’ll find at Wisconsin.</p>
<p>I have no doubt that many grad students at Wisconsin come from the coasts. But at the undergrad level, that’s not nearly as much the case as Wisconsin’s self-made mythology would have you believe.</p>
<p>Michigan has about 4,500 Jewish students out of a total of 25,000 undergraduates.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.hillel.org/college-guide/list/record/university-of-michigan[/url]”>http://www.hillel.org/college-guide/list/record/university-of-michigan</a></p>
<p>Do you want to be a gopher or a badger?</p>
<p>When did anyone bring up Michigan?? Bored after the bowl game debacle?? Any of those Jewish kids that can play defense—or offense??</p>
<p>Wisconsin has one of the best stem cell research institution in the world, and its bio department is awesome. If you are considering to be a biologist, you must apply for this school.</p>
<p>The other big difference could be the price:</p>
<p>State of residence / Wisconsin COA / Minnesota COA</p>
<p>Wisconsin / $24,221 / $25,124
Minnesota / $27,355 / $25,124
North Dakota or South Dakota / $41,107 / $25,124
Other / $41,107 / $31,374</p>
<p>Financial aid and scholarships can, of course, change the relative price differences.</p>
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<p>I did, but only for purposes of pointing out how threadbare is Wisconsin’s claim to be a magnet for coastal people.</p>
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<p>And on that score, it’s worth noting that Minnesota devotes more institutional funds to both need-based FA ($49.3 millon in 2012-13, v. $31.7 million for Wisconsin) and merit aid ($20.3 million in 2012-13, v. $18.1 million for Wisconsin). These are, of course, aggregate figures. Individual awards may vary.</p>
<p>Nowhere near as threadbare a case as Uminn’s would be. UW gets about 300 from the east and another 150 from the west coast per class. That’s about a third of the OOS total not including Minn. And second highest among Midwest publics.</p>
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Haha! Ouch!!</p>
<p>[Congrats to MSU for beating 'furd. 2014 is starting off great!]</p>
<p>OP: I’d choose Wisconsin if costs are same.</p>
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<p>Not sure about that “second among Midwest publics” claim. According to the U.S. Dept. of Education, in the fall of 2010 Purdue enrolled 200 freshmen from the Pacific coast (CA, OR, WA) and 298 from the Northeast (excluding DC’s Virginia suburbs)–total 498. Indiana enrolled 123 from the Pacific coast and 366 from the Northeast–total 489. This compares to Wisconsin’s 145 from the Pacific coast and 326 from the Northeast–total 471. So both Purdue and Indiana pull more “Coasties” than Wisconsin does, albeit by a small margin. At any rate, the point is Wisconsin isn’t so terribly unique among Midwestern public universities in pulling a modest number of students from coastal regions. </p>
<p>And I get 2.6% of Wisconsin freshmen from the Pacific coast, 5.8% from the Northeast, for a total of 8.4% of entering freshmen, or less than a quarter of Wisconsin’s OOS freshmen. Contrary to popular University of Wisconsin mythology, Wisconsin’s OOS students tend to come overwhelmingly from nearby Midwestern states, with Minnesota and Illinois alone accounting for over 2/3 of them.</p>