<p>I posted on here a while back trying to get some input on deciding between UW-Madison and Minnesota. But, I was wondering if anyone had any experience with the U of M, or heard info from friends who go/went there. I have friends that go to Madison for input but none that go to Minnesota. So any opinions, stories, etc. about Minnesota would be great!</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>From The Princeton Review
University Of Minnesota - Twin Cities
"The University of Minnesota is an “insanely huge” “research institution” “in the heart of” the Twin Cities. You’ll find a wealth of majors here. Business is “superb.” Engineering is strong across the board. The U is also “a great place to study an obscure language” or virtually anything else you can imagine. There are more than 300 opportunities to work and study abroad. Local internships “and hands-on opportunities” are also ample. “The professors run the whole gamut.” “There are some amazing ones and some really terrible ones,” says a civil engineering major. Some faculty members are “brilliant” and “inspired people” who “enjoy teaching the material and getting to know the students personally.” Other professors “are knowledgeable but not always great at conveying the concepts.” “There are a few who can really be GPA wreckers,” too. Lower-level classes are full of “massive crowds of students.” The teaching assistants who “do the dirty work” are frequently “from foreign countries” and “have really thick accents,” especially in the hard sciences. “As your progress into upper-division course, the lectures rarely eclipse 100,” though, and you have more interaction with real professors. “The administration really seems to care about the students” and “the U is run very well for a university of its size.” Also, advising can be “beyond terrible.”" "“Students are generally from the Midwest somewhere.” More often than not, they are “right out of suburbia” or from “small to medium-sized towns” in “Minnesota or Wisconsin.” There are a lot of “tall,” “blond,” “pasty, white people” who “are ‘Minnesota Nice.’” “The U of M is a human zoo,” though. “It’s a school that embraces diversity.” “There are a lot of different ethnicities.” Some people are “snooty.” Others “grew up poor.” Some are “bubbly.” Some are “antisocial.” Also, “there is a microcosm for just about every subculture imaginable.” There are “the math nerds,” the “frat boys,” and “lots of hippies and artsy people.” There’s “a huge gay population.” “Preppy, athletic, emo,” and nontraditional students are also visible. Politically, “the conservatives add a good balance to the grand scheme of things,” but the campus leans left. Some students are “very politically aware.” “There always seems to be some group protesting or trying to convince me of something,” notes one student. Not surprisingly, “there is a limited sense of community” at the U. “It is too easy to get lost in the mass of people here, wandering among so many faces without knowing one,” laments a forlorn junior. Sooner or later, most everyone “is able to find their niche.” After that, “most people stick to their cliques.”" "The “beautiful,” “very environmentally friendly” campus here is “spread over two cities and a river.” Consequently, “the ease of getting around campus is not the greatest.” Also, “frigid,” “crazy winters” are perennial. “By January, all you can see of students is their eyes,” observes a sophomore. “The rest of them are wrapped in coats, hats, and scarves.” “The snow is great for outdoor fun like sledding and ice skating” but “don’t come here if you can’t handle the cold.” Socially, “the U has everything, plain and simple.” You can have a “totally different experience than someone else.” “There’s a group for just about every interest,” and “there is always something to do, even on a random Tuesday night.” The campus provides a variety of events and “always has something going on during the weekends.” “Hockey games are always great” and sports are a “big thing.” “Partying is very popular but there are also a lot of people who don’t” participate. If you want to imbibe, though, “keggers,” house parties, and frat blowouts are frequent. There’s also quite a bit happening off campus. According to students here, “Minneapolis is one of the greatest places in the country.” “The music scene is unreal.” “Great art” and “gorgeous parks” abound. “Shopping at the Mall of America” is another favorite pastime. In some areas, “it is scary walking around at night,” but the neighborhoods near campus are generally “very young and energetic” and public transportation is “readily available and cheap.”"</p>
<p>University Of Wisconsin - Madison
"“The resources are phenomenal” at University of Wisconsin—Madison. “If you are proactive, you basically have the means and resources to pursue any academic or creative feat,” promises a journalism major. “The liberal arts majors are fantastic.” However, Madison is mostly known as “an amazing research institution,” and the hard sciences and engineering programs get most of the pub. They iodized salt here, after all, and cultivated the first lab-based embryonic stem cells. The school of business is “excellent” as well and boasts “some of the best facilities on campus.” “Overall the school runs surprisingly smoothly” but “red tape” sometimes “makes you want to kill someone.” Courses can be large and “impersonal.” Class sizes “plummet” after the intro courses but never get intimate. “Even as an upperclassman, I rarely see lectures with less than 100 people,” observes a junior. The academic atmosphere is “challenging,” though. Madison “definitely makes you earn your grades.” “Some professors are amazing, and some suck.” Also, “a lot of the classes for the undergrads are taught by teaching assistants who are not so good.” “It becomes clear within the first few weeks which of your professors actually have lectures that are worthwhile for you to attend, which is probably about half,” suggests a first-year student." "Ethnic diversity at Madison is in the eye of the beholder. “If you’re from a big city, it’s pretty white,” proposes a sophomore. “But, then again, I’ve met people here who had one black person in their high school and had never met a Jewish person.” Without question, socioeconomic diversity flourishes. The majority of students are middle class Wisconsinites. “There is a prevalent rivalry between these students (sconnies) and the coasties who are generally wealthier and from the East or West Coast.” “People from the Midwest think people from the coasts are stuck up. People from the coasts think people from the Midwest are hicks.” Beyond that, it’s impossible to generalize. “All types of people make up the student body here, ranging from the peace-preaching grass-root activist, to the protein-shake-a-day jock, to the overly privileged coastie, to the studious bookworm, to the computer geek,” explains a first-year student. “There is a niche for everyone.” “There are a lot of atypical students, but that is what makes UW—Madison so special,” adds a senior. “Normal doesn’t exist on this campus.” Politically, “Madison is a hotbed for political and social debate.” “Many people are passionate about many things and it provides a great opportunity to see things from others’ points of view.” You’ll find conservatives but “leftwing, environmentally conscious nut jobs” who “stage protests” are more common." "UW—Madison’s “reputation as a party school” is legendary. Halloween and the Mifflin Street Block Party are epic. “The weekend pretty much starts on Thursday night” as the streets of Madison “fill to the brim with drunk co-eds.” There are house parties and frat parties galore. “Getting up at 9:00 A.M.” to “bong a few beers for breakfast” before football games in the fall is common, and “nothing—absolutely nothing—can beat being in the student section at a Badger home football game.” “The stadium is usually full” for hockey games, too. However, “no one looks at you differently if you choose not to drink” or attend sporting events. And, for everyone, “if you don’t have a strong dedication to your education, you will slip up.” Beyond the party and sports scene, UW is “energetic” and mammoth. “No one’s going to hold your hand and point you to what it is you want.” At the same time, whoever you are, “there is a group for you and a ton of activities for you.” “Greek life is a big part of Madison.” Two daily student newspapers “serve as the penultimate example of free speech in action.” UW’s lakefront campus provides “gorgeous” scenery. Many of the buildings “aren’t that appealing,” though, and some dorms are “absolutely horrible.” Off-campus, “having the streets crawling with the homeless isn’t so great,” but Madison is teeming with culture, “live music,” “late-night coffee shops,” and “exceptional” chow from around the globe." </p>
<p>Rank List</p>
<h1>6 Lots of Beer</h1>
<h1>9 Lots of Hard Liquor</h1>
<h1>16 Students Pack the Stadiums</h1>
<p>I'd go to Minnesota if I had a choice</p>
<p>WOW! Thanks for that...that's quite a bit of info. I'm from Wisconsin so I don't mind the cold at all and I intend on double majoring in Accounting/Finance, so that's good about their business school. I already got accepted here, I just need to decide if it's what I want compared to Madison (accepted there as well).</p>
<p>Any more opinions?</p>
<p>I went to Madison for undergrad and am looking at Minnesota for graduate school. Some striking differences are
1) The Twin cities campus is divided by a river and a bridge, I guess during the winter travel between the two sides is a pain in the ass
2) There are some departments that are substantially better at each eg. chem engineering is better at Minnesota whereas poli sci is significantly better at Madison
3) Minneapolis/St Paul is a very large city whereas Madison is a very small city. This has implications for access to groceries, cultural events, sporting events (Madison has no professional sports)</p>
<p>Aside from these three points that I have noticed, the similarities are overwhelming. Both great public schools with lots of excellent research. Both are located in some of the crappiest climates that midwest has to offer. They are both very large.</p>
<p>I plan on going into business (Finance/Accouting), is there a huge difference between the 2 schools at who's better? How would you say your experience was at Madison overall? I live 30 miles from there so I pretty much know what Madison is like after going there a few times a month my whole life. But how was your campus experience?</p>
<p>I would say that my experiences with Madison were great but a lot of that depended on what I did and who I interacted with. I went to Madison for its rich scientific research and historical prominence in biochemistry. Needless to say that kinds of things that would make Madison stand out for me would be different than for you. I would suggest that you may not actually know what the student experience is like despite living so nearby. So much of the experience is made up by extra curricular activities and special projects that you may know the backdrop well but not what is going on in the foreground.</p>
<p>Part of the thrill of college was the discovery of a whole new place. Finding cool neighborhoods, interesting coffee shops, stores, statues, parks etc. Living so near to Madison, you may not get that. Nor would you achieve the independence from your parents that going "away" to college can provide. </p>
<p>I don't know enough about the finance areas at either Madison or Minneapolis to say that one or the other is stronger. I guess you could speak to alumni from those departments, check out courses being offered in your area by each school, look up the post graduate employment statistics, and on and on, but my gut feeling is that they are going to be almost identical.</p>
<p>For what you want to do, either Minnesota or Wisconsin would be an excellent choice. A lot depends on whether you're looking for a classic college town atmosphere---Madison's one of the best---or more of an urban experience. If the latter, the Twin Cities are an excellent choice---a very lively and livable urban scene, lots of urban amenities, tons of culture, an especially vibrant theater community, museums, art, sports, you name it. You might also want to think ahead about employment opportunities. The economies of both Wisconsin and Minnesota are struggling right now, as are most states, but while Madison is generally on a growth trajectory it's a much smaller city, and much of Wisconsin is more a part of the old, declining rust-belt economy. The Twin Cities have a much more diversified and dynamic economy. You can land there from either school, but the Minnesota business school probably has better ties to the Twin Cities business community. If you want to end up in Chicago, Wisconsin's probably better connected. Again, largely a matter of personal preference.</p>
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<p>1) The bridge takes all of five minutes to walk, and is covered and heated. It's a "pain in the ass" only if you like to be out of the wind and cold. I've had occasion to spend time on both campuses in the dead of winter. Believe me, the wind that whips off the lakes in Madison or catches you on top of the hills on the Wisconsin campus is every bit as cold as the wind that catches you in Minnesota. And most of the Minnesota campus is connected by tunnels.
2) There are differences between the schools, but not so much in political science. US News currently ranks Wisconsin #16 in poli sci, and Minnesota #18---hardly a dramatic difference.</p>
<p>I choose Minnesota</p>
<p>I have attended both schools (UW as undergrad, UMN as grad).</p>
<p>The biggest difference between the schools can be found by going to the primary student unions at after 4:00 PM on any school day. At UW, Memorial Union will be vibrant, with the promise that the day still has a way to go. At UMN, Coffman will be quiet, most students having taken their buses or cars back to their homes and jobs in the larger city and its suburbs. The situation is worse on weekends. This was perhaps the hardest thing to get used to coming from Madison into the UMN.</p>
<p>In spite of the few thousand students who live on campus, UMN is really a commuter school full of students who return to their families or high school friends in the evenings. Many students come from the metro area and those that don't tend to find lodging far enough away from campus to prevent a critical mass of students from forming a social life on campus or in Dinkytown on weekends and evenings. This is not true of UW, where campus and State Street seems to be where students go in their off-hours as well as during their class room time. In short it is difficult to pickup a sense of a wider campus community at UMN, easy at UW. You'll see this to some degree in the sports venues, too: football games are much more fun at UW, and I don't expect football's return to campus from the Metrodome at UMN to change this equivalence. (Basketball and hockey games are about the same in intensity and verve.)</p>
<p>There are other reasons for preferring UW, too. IMO, the bulk of the campus is more restful, attractive, orderly, and coherent. UMN is split into two campuses, Minneapolis and St. Paul, connected by a 10 minute shuttle bus. The Minneapolis campus itself its split into two parts, East Bank and West Bank, connected by a pedestrian bridge which represents about a 5-10 minute walk. The Minneapolis campus is decidely urban, the West Bank in particular, and it will probably be where you spend the bulk of your time. Although UW's University and Johnson Street corridors are like this too, you can retreat to the beauty of the lakeshore path and Picnic Point if you wish. There isn't an equivalent at UMN. And the UW Arboretum is accessible to students in Madison, but the UMN arboretum is way out in the western suburbs and not frequented by students. </p>
<p>IMO, at UMN your academic life will soon revolve around your major department. At UW, it will be more diversified even in your later undergrad years. As a grad student this was fine for me, but as an undergrad I think I would have liked it less. And it was also my general observation that undergrad education was more of a focus for the faculty and administration at UW, although this could be more the result of the classes I frequented.</p>
<p>As for the attractions of the metro area, they are greater in the Twin Cities, but I found them more appealing and easier to take advantage of as a graduate student. I do not know how much I would have availed myself of them as an undergraduate.</p>
<p>It would not be unfair to say that administratively, academically, and physically the UW is relatively focused and unified for such a large institution. To my mind, at least, UMN is much more piecemeal and hodgepodge, some of it here, some there, as if the need to spread it around was as much of a concern as the need to have its resources focused. I would say the superior undergraduate experience can be found at UW.</p>
<p>It appears that Madison has the better undergrad. but I want to end up working in the Twin Cities opposed to Chicago or another Midwest city. Does Madison provide a track that will allow me a nice job in Minneapolis while still having a decent amount of my peers going there (to give me a good network) ?</p>
<p>Descartesz, in your time at Madison did it seem like all people did there for fun was drink?</p>
<p>I just thought I would note I do PSEO and U of M twin cities. I absolutely ADORE it! Everything about the campus is amazing. It may be huge, but there is a nice little free bus system that takes you everywhere. I am currently taking Bio, Calc, and Sax Study there. And I am attending full time next semester. People are really friendly and I had a little giggle when I read some of the other posts. I have an awful Bio prof, but I should have looked on rate a prof, because she is rated terrible. But my lab TA is very informative and really cute. I have a foreign calc prof, but I don't go to lec anyways, so it doesn't matter. My math TA is a brilliant teacher. The campus is a really cool mix of urban and green landscape, many of the buildings are very old and neat looking, and Dinkytown is a great place to get good coffee or ethnic food. Plus, it is like a 3 minute bus ride out of Minneapolis, which has a target with a cart escalator. Way cool! I visted UMAD this past month, and after studying at the U for a couple months, I decided I hated it. Madison is dinky and stingy in comparison to Minnepolis. I think Minneapolis has a lot more stuff to do and culture to experience. After my visit to Madison, I decided not to apply. I was just accepted into IT at the U of M, where I will probably end up majoring in Chemical Engineering and then get a second degree at CBS for biochem. If you could visit both, I def would. There is a really big difference. I think a lot of people disregard U of M because it is so big, but really it isn't, and everyone finds a group of people in which they fit well.</p>
<p>the outside of the bridge is close now anyways, apparently it was not safe on the outer edges. you can still walk on the outside. and there's frequently running campus connectors that take you anywhere on campus.</p>
<p>Would you say there is at least a sense of community at the U of M? One concern I have after reading other posts and reviews that it is to much like a commuter school. I want that Big Ten school spirit feel. Does the U have this? Or is it dead on weekends and evenings?</p>
<p>Dead. Haha no. I have to admit I have been to a couple of frat parties, which are definitely a whoot and a half. Nonetheless, Minnesota for sure has that Big Ten feel. There is definitely a sense of "gopher pride", and sports are a big deal. There are also 9023821903821903821903821093218 clubs you can join. A lot of people don't go home on the weekends. In fact, I feel like most kids stay at the dorms/apartments. For a lot of kids, Minneapolis is far away from home, and cars are not a common occurrence on campus. It is sort of weird, Madison has a lot of traffic, and even though Minnesota is significantly more urban it is definitely cut off from the traffic world. My sister goes to Carlson, which I assume you would be applying. She says there is definitely a click of business kids. BTW that Carlson school of Management is freaking gorgeous on the inside. Have you gotten in already, because I heard it is fairly competitive?</p>
<p>Well thanks for the info! Yes I just got into Carlson, and for sure the building is amazing! It is pretty competitive with the average ACT being a 29. Do you attend there? Or did you attend there?</p>
<p>What sort of activities is there to do as a student during the week?</p>
<p>For spirit UW>>>Uminn. Also you tend to mix more with fellow students on weekends as everyone stays and most go down to State Street or University.<br>
The UW just completed a big addition to the SOB that is beautiful and right in the middle of campus.<br>
As for work after school, Minny is the #2 choice after Chicago. Chicago is big-time compared to Minny with much more to offer.</p>