My name is Jan and I´m from Germany. My field of study is Biochemical Engineering and i want to study for one semster in the US. I got acceptet to the University of Wisconsin Madison and the Michigan State University. Which University would you guys prefer. Which University would you choose for one Semester. What are the pro´s and con´s of the two Universitys.
I know that UW-Madison is ranked higher than MSU, but i don´t know if thats important for only one semester.
Madison, Wisconsin is a well-known (and loved) college town, – my son presently is a student there. It has great academics, plus big support for the university sports teams (basketball and hockey – winter sports going on now – are both very strong and huge student support for those teams). Madison is a very livable city, very outdoorsy and healthy – as winter turns to spring, the farmer’s market with fresh produce is a big destination. UW also sits on a lake – which freezes over in the winter – so there is ice skating n the winter, then a beautiful setting for beer outdoors on the well-known “Terrace” – a patio by the lake where you can order beers and enjoy the view as it warms up.
For a semester in the US, it would be a fabulous destination. Michigan State is a terrific school, but Madison WI wins all kinds of awards for best college town etc. Between the top academics and the great quality of life, if it were me, I would choose Madison in an instant. It is accessible to Chicago for air travel, with daily buses (Val Galder is the company name) running from Ohare and Midway airports to the college campus. There is also lots of available one semester housing sublets, there is a Facebook group you can search for, where students post their housing needs. Many students need a sublettor to take their apartment for the spring and/or summer, and you can read the listings and see pictures online. Most will be furnished apartments.
I admit I really do not know anything about Michigan State as a place to live, so defer to others who know more. You have two great choices, but I would say Madison is an easy “yes.” Good luck with your semester!
I have to agree that Madison is an especially good college town. It is a small city but very vibrant with many activities, street fairs, music venues, bars and a good selections of restaurants. Transportation is good with bus service.The college is a big part of the town. The large campus lies on the West side and there is a pedestrian street, State Street, that runs toward the capitol and the students frequent this street. I have not been all over campus but the huge memorial student union with the terrace is a really cool building with all kinds of activities going on. Beer, school made ice cream, a piano room, theater, art, food and a huge terrace on the lake. It also has a larger community of out of state students than MSU and a good component of international undergrads and grads from all over as it is one of the universities that gets the most research money from the govt. Nothing against MSU, I haven’t been there, but I have been to Madison and can endorse it. Congratulations!
Something to add to these posts that apply to your decision:
UW-Madison has one of the oldest, and most accomplished departments of German in the U.S. Both the University of Wisconsin, and the surrounding area – this also includes Minnesota, which borders Wisconsin – have a rich German heritage. While your specific area of study is biochemical engineering, your study experience will be affected by the quality, tradition and resources of the surrounding environment. Consider also that there are many UW alumni who live, or have lived / attended university in Germany (including myself). There are major buildings, historians and other aspects of the UW campus / experience with direct German connections – including the major Humanities building named after outstanding historian George Mosse, who spent nearly 50 years at UW.
While MSU is quite respected for engineering, it is not as renowned as UW in some other areas of study or experience.
Thanks for all of your answers, very cool!
UW-Madison was my first choice also, because i liked the Wisconsin vibe. I was last Summer in Kenosha for 3 weeks at the University of Wisconisn Parkside. I didn´t had to take the SAT/ACT Test for the study abroad programms:). And thanks for the tip with the facebook group for the housing.
I don´t know if you can answer it, but how much money does an average student has or rather needs per month, for rent, food, car, freetime etc.? And another question, that is not that important, how difficult is it to get a season ticket for the football games as a student? I´m a huge Football fan, but its not very popular here in Germany:)
Are you coming in the fall semester (football season)? Many full time students have a hard time getting season tickets for football, but again, there is a FB group for tickets and there are ALWAYS student tickets available to buy from other students.
You do not need a car in Madison, most people say its more a hassle than a benefit because you have to find a parking spot to rent as well. Subletting a single bedroom in a house or apartment could run from as low as about $450 to as much as a $1000 a month, depending on how fancy you want to go. There are a number of new, deluxe buildings which are close to campus and can run$1000 a month. But there are many houses for rent, where there may be 4-5 bedrooms, each one costing about $400-600 a month. Sharing a room with a roommate would bring the cost down further. Utilities for heat etc should not be much more a month, certainly not more than $50-100. Many of the big rental buildings include most utilities, and it is just wireless internet which is extra.
The first housing decision to consider is which side of campus you want to be closer to – I think the engineering buildings are closer to Camp Randall (the football stadium) side of campus. State St – which is the pedestrian street leading to the Capital, is further from those buildings. I think the FB group on housing is open – you just have to ask the administrator to add you. I would ask to be added and spend some time reading postings, to get a feel for cost and neighborhoods.
If you are not coming until the fall semester, then most of those listings won’t start until later in the spring or early summer, so don’t panic. Right now, students are trying to find someone to take over their apartment now, or for summer.