<p>I know this has been gone over and over, but please take a look at my current situation and give me your opinions. I'll try to make it short and sweet:</p>
<ul>
<li>Freshman this fall</li>
<li>"Committed" to Minnesota already, but just taken off of Madison's waiting list.</li>
<li>I wan to pursue architecture, but there is no undergrad architecture at Madison.</li>
<li>Madison > Minnesota: Location, Distance from home, Campus</li>
<li>Cost is about the same, since I'm a MN resident and get reciprocity</li>
</ul>
<p>Basically, Madison is my ideal school, but without the program. However, to become an architect I'd have to go to grad school either way. So it's either go to my dream undergrad school and attend an extra year of grad, or stick with Minnesota. I'm not exactly sure what my major would be at Madison either, which is another problem.</p>
<p>Hmm… tough dilemma. What’s more important to you? Architecture, or your “dream school?” Also, I am not familiar with those programs at either school, grad or undergrad. Which one is generally more respected? I think once you know the answers to these questions, you have your answer. </p>
<p>And btw, there is no way in hell that Madison beats out Minneapolis as far as the location goes </p>
<p>If all you want to do is party and drink, Madison is better.
If you’d like world class museums, theaters, college and pro sports, etc, Minneapolis is better. </p>
<p>AT9: I shouldn’t have said Madison’s location is better. They are both equally great locations for different reasons, but I think Madison is more what I’m looking for in an undergrad experience… A “college town” as opposed to a more urban feel. Which is why in my case, I’d say Maison is > than MN for what I’M looking for. But trust me, I’d be the first to defend UMinn in most cases. :P</p>
<p>Barrons: UMinn is definitely NOT a commuter school. And I have thought about civil. I honestly don’t know if I could handle it though. Wisconsin has a great program though.</p>
<p>Haha. I just have to slam UW-Madison under all circumstances because I’m going to UMinn… you know, the whole rivalry thing lol. For me at least, I turned down the other “college town” locations to where I applied (Boulder and Tallahassee) because I’d rather have the urban/big city feel… not to mention UMinn is a much better school. I don’t know why, but I love big cities, and Minneapolis is incredible. I’ve only driven through Madison on the freeway once, but from what I’ve seen, it looks like a nice town.</p>
<p>If you truly think that Madison is your ideal location, assuming the academics and finances work out, then go there. While I think that you’ll be making a good choice by going to either of these fine institutions, you should go where you want. </p>
<p>Personally, I’d rather go to Wisconsin. It just seems like a more prestigious school.
Doesn’t seem like there’s much to do in Minnesota. Maybe I’m wrong.</p>
<p>Architecture is an interesting program. Just because a school offers no undergraduate architecture program does not mean you can’t get your degree just as fast. What I’m seeing a lot of schools doing these days is turning towards just offering the M.Arch (Master’s of Architecture) as a 5-year program. 2 years of undergraduate, and 3 years of Masters-level courses. Your 2 years of undergrad are for getting a minor’s in architectural studies or whatever, and then you graduate 3 years later with an M.Arch instead of a BA in architecture.</p>
<p>I’m definitely unsure if that is how Wisconsin does it, and who knows, I could have completely misunderstood the way the entire thing works, but that’s what I found out when I considered going to arch school.</p>
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<p>BaddyCaddy, are you suggesting there is more to do in Madison than in Minneapolis??</p>
<p>At one point in the process, DS was considering architecture as a major. Most everyone in my family went to UW, but we checked out UM because it seemed a better fit for HIM.</p>
<p>For architecture, you’re looking at either a 5-year program or a 4+2. Your level of commitment helps you decide which is the better avenue to follow. From what I see you post, it sounds like you have an idea that architecture is for you, but aren’t quite sure. In that case, I’d look at the MArch (6 years) over the BArch (5 years), meaning you should go to the school which appeals to you more (UW) rather than the one which has the program you want (UM). Be sure to look into MArch programs now to see what they’d like their candidates to have for a background so you’ll have an easier transition if you continue on that path.</p>
<p>As it turns out, DS decided architectural engineering was more to his liking, but is majoring in civil to keep his options open. Ended up choosing neither UW nor UM, but Bradley.</p>
<p>I myself have been actually attracted to both universities and their political science department, and think both universities are within large cities. Though with comments of the school I get mix reviews of both. I would say UW-Madison.</p>
<p>LOL. Boy, are you ever wrong! Tell me you’re joking . . . .</p>
<p>For starters, in addition to the usual Big Ten college sports scene—with a brand new on-campus football stadium opening in the Fall bringing Big Ten football back outdoors and on campus where it belongs, along with a rising Tubby Smith-led men’s basketball program, a perennially strong women’s basketball program, and perennial national contenders in both men’s and women’s ice hockey—we’ve also got every major professional sport, including NFL football (Vikings), major league baseball (Twins), minor league baseball (Saint Paul Saints, a hoot of an experience), NBA basketball (Timberwolves), WNBA basketball (Lynx), and NHL hockey (Wild). Then there’s theater: more professional theater per capita than any city in the U.S. after New York. Then there’s music: everything from the highbrow (Minnesota Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Opera) to a lively local club scene that regularly produces national recording artists. Then there’s art: high quality museums like the Walker, one of the nation’s top museums of contemporary art, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art with a strong and broad collection from many different eras and areas. Then there’s the local literary scene, informally presided over by the humorist Garrison Keillor whose radio show you can see live most weekends in Saint Paul. Then there’s the local restaurant scene, everything from haute to the latest cheap ethnic eats. Oh, and let’s not forget the Minnesota State Fair, the state’s annual late summer get-together in Saint Paul, one of the oldest and largest in the nation. And then there’s biking (the Twin Cities are perennially ranked among the most bike-friendly in the nation with hundreds of miles of bike trails and dedicated bike lanes, and the state has more miles of bike trails than any in the nation), canoeing and kayaking (the Boundary Waters are a world class experience, of course, but closer to home you can canoe or kayak right on the Mississippi or a dozen other nearby rivers), outstanding hunting and fishing if you’re into that sort of thing. Or if you’re into shopping, there’s the Mall of America, the nation’s largest shopping mall and a major tourist destination in its own right, drawing shoppers from as far away as Europe on a regular basis.</p>
<p>Knowitsome: That actually sounds quite a bit like me. I thought about attending Boulder for their architectural engineering program, because like you said, I think architecture may be for me, but I’m not entirely sure. So I wanted to go to a school with that as an option. But after figuring costs, Boulder wasn’t going to work for me.</p>
<p>Here’s the thing though: UW has NO architecture program at all. They have a landscape architecture major, but nothing else. UMinn has a pre-professional BA/BS/BDA in architecture, but they don’t offer a B.Arch. So either way I’m looking at 6-7 years of school. It’s just a matter of do I want to study architecture in my undergrad years, and get a head start? Or should I major in something different (civil / ??) and go to grad school for an extra year?</p>
<p>It isn’t helping that I just found out I was placed on UW’s waiting list for university housing. I’m sick of the waiting lists!</p>
</p>![http://www.dailycardinal.com/images/editorial/0001/8773/20081117_spts_footballCelebration.jpg[/url]](http://www.dailycardinal.com/images/editorial/0001/8773/20081117_spts_footballCelebration.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
