My gpa, ECs, and test scores are all both matches for Miami OH & UWisconsin- Madison and so I’m pretty sure I will get in to both schools. The problem is, I have no idea which one I would pick if I do get in so what are the pros and cons of each?
Btw I have already visited both schools and loved both campuses!
Also, because of my parents’ income, the price for each school will be about the same because I will get very little financial aid
Here are some I already know:
Pros:
Wisconsin-
-Bigger (I want to go to a big school)
-in the big 10 ( I really like the football games & just the tailgating and all that that surrounds Big 10 schools)
-has the degree I want (meteorology/ atmospheric sciences)
-slightly colder location
Miami-
-both of my parents went here
-considered the original public ivy/ has a good reputation
Cons:
Wisconsin-
-considered a big party school/ state school
You can apply to both and defer your decision. It seems from what you’ve written there is a clear favorite in Wisconsin. I would consider not having your major a subtantial obsticle. There is plenty of partying going on at Miami and it too is a state school. I wouldn’t get too excited about the “public ivy” moniker as it is just that. On the whole Wisconsin is considered the higher ranked school. That wouldn’t be an issue if you really wanted to attend a school like Miami. I can’t see the weather being different enough to be significant. Both will have long dreary winters. Madison’s may be a bit snowier and colder but that’s all.
Miami is an an excellent school especially for an undergrad. I can see where a grad student might not like it as much. The thing is so is Wisconsin. Good luck in your decision.
Wisconsin is internationally well-known, very highly ranked and prestigious, has your major and is in a great small city. It seems to me that the ONLY appeal of your other option is a pretty campus and your parents went there. Forge your own path in life. Don’t let pressure from your parents (direct or subtle) to go where they went affect your decision. Logic says to go to Wisconsin if you are admitted. Pursue your dream major and career. It’s your life.
First there is no reason at all to decide now. You should first apply to both, see where you get in, and asses the finances. But if Miami-Ohio doesn’t have your major that would certainly be a reason to choose UW assuming affordability. I’d also add in your state flagship if you are not from OH or WI and finances are a potential issue.
Wait until you get in to really decide for sure, but from what you’ve written it looks like Wisconsin is the clear winner. The two pros of Miami aren’t really pros IMO. Where your parents went to school shouldn’t matter much for you… you’re different from them, you have different interests and preferences, and just because they liked the school thirty or so years ago doesn’t mean you will like it. The second pro I think is definitely not a big deal at all… you say that Miami “has a good reputation” as a public ivy but most people will tell you that Wisconsin’s reputation is just as good, and probably better.
One of the cons for Miami, on the other hand, is very significant. If they don’t have the major you want that seems like a big problem.
Wisconsin may have a reputation as a party school if you ask certain people, but at both schools there will be significant partying, and there will also be tons of stuff to do if you’d rather not be involved with that. With the high number of students at Wisconsin, is will not be difficult to find a group of friends that likes to do stuff other than partying. Same can be said for Miami.
If you are OOS for UW, I’d encourage being cautiously optimistic about admissions, rather than sure about it. OOS students generally need at least a 30 to be a match, and a 32+, and a 3.7 unweighted in most rigorous curriculum, to feel somewhat confident about admissions. Maybe that is your portfolio, and that is wonderful, and you are likely in good shape. The challenge with predicting admissions for OOS publics is that the Common Data Set and other publications generally do not break out stats for in state vs. OOS applicants. If you dig deeply on UW website/google. you can find that historical data for OOS students.
That being said, the atmospheric sciences is superb at UW, and it is a fantastic all-around school.
Went back and found your stats – a 30 and a 3.91 unweighted gpa is probably a “postponed” decision at UW for an OOS student, with a possible acceptance in the spring, could go either way.
Wisconsin apparently has a very numbers based admissions schedule. Based on the Naviance at our school, 95 percent of applicants with a weighted GPA of at least a 5.2 got in. The ACT score did not matter, and the lowest ACT score in the accepted group was a 28. Only a handful of kids with GPA’s less than a 5.2 got in regardless of ACT score.
@Midwestmomofboys Just curious but, why would you think I would get a postponed decision? I looked up the acceptance rate for OOS at UW and it said it was about 43 %. My Gpa is much higher than their average and my ACT score is average.
I’ve watched UW admissions for 5 years on the the UW board, and the pattern is that OOS students who are admitted in the fall round almost always are comfortably above a 30, usually at least a 32 if not higher. OOS students in the vicinity of a 30 are usually postponed. Doesn’t mean that OOS student with a 30 won’t get in come spring, but it may be a long anxious wait, and depending on the rest of the OOS pool, especially since UW has moved to Common App, a 30 might not be enough at the end of the day. If you’d like to dig deeper, head over the UW board and read through the threads on admissions results for the past couple of years. I’m not saying you won’t get in, just that a 30 is usually not enough, even with a high gpa, for a fall acceptance.
