Hey, I am transferring next year and I wanted to know what you guys’ thoughts are: University of Wisconsin Madison or University of Washington? I am going to rush and if you had anything to add about the greek life there that would be great.
It would help to know what major you are interested in or why you are transferring.
I’m going to do environmental studies if university of Washington and forest science if university of wisconsin! I’m transferring bc I didn’t likes how small and in eventful my last college was
Both have significant but not dominating Greek scenes. UW is in the essential college town while Udub is in a larger city. Otherwise very comparable.
Are you instate for either?
What are your parents saying about the costs?
This is a pitch for Udub–stated in no particular order or priority: an endowment a little larger than Madison (and supporting fewer undergrad students–so 2.5 billion for 25K at Udub, versus 2.0 billion for 30k at Madison)–there has been much capital improvement to the campus facilities in the last 5-10 years–some really cool structures and facilities; fast becoming a world class research institution in some fields; organic synergy with cutting edge industries and technology–including Microsoft, Amazon, eBay, Boeing, etc, incredible bar and food scene (I know both cities well–seattle trumps it by a long shot); vibrant and diverse young population; great campus and college atmosphere and where else can you kayak to a Pac12 football game on beautiful fall day–which hundreds of folks do every Saturday --plus sking/hiking and whatever else you want to do outdoors under 45 minutes… Seattle, while still a young city, is much more sophisticated and dynamic than Madison…Udub.
UW has more than 1 endowment and the total is well over $5 Billion. UW Madison Fdn @$2+ Billion, WARF at $3 Billion, UWS at $400M, and UW Health @$400 MIllion. Also named top college city for food. UW has had a larger building program than Udub the last 10 years–much larger. And construction costs are much lower so you get more for the $$$ In Madison.
http://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/best-college-towns-in-america-for-food-and-drink
http://www.cpd.fpm.wisc.edu/resources/2015_1st_Completed_Quarterly_Report.pdf
http://www.cpd.fpm.wisc.edu/resources/2015_1st_Current_Quarterly_Report_(update_1).pdf
With all due respect, the distinction between a “college food city” and a “food city-period” is profound. So, instead of an internet blog, much more widely subscribed and actually paid for publications like Travel and Leisure, see: http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/americas-best-cities-for-foodies and Time Magazine, see; http://time.com/3746147/americas-best-food-cities/, or Bon Appetit, see; http://www.bonappetit.com/hot10. This list could go on much longer, but I’ll suffice it to say, there are more than a few others who say the same thing…
And I am not sure where you are obtaining your figures for the endowment piece, but I have not seen one reputable document that says anything otherwise than what I have previously stated, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colleges_and_universities_in_the_United_States_by_endowment or http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-wisconsin-3895 or http://www.nonprofitcollegesonline.com/wealthiest-universities-in-the-world/ Or course this is applied to undergraduates as that is the subject at hand, but everyone of these documents has Udub at a higher figure. Again, per your own university document and reporting, this is the TOTAL endowment assets, see: https://www.supportuw.org/publications/annual-report/financial-report/endowment-funds/
And if you want state of the art, and just breathtaking beauty, well, please enjoy the following: http://www.washington.edu/alumni/columns-magazine/march-2011/the-hub/whistle/ or http://architecturerevived.blogspot.com/2008/10/gates-hall-university-of-washington.html or https://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/tich95/4696274127/ or https://www.google.com/search?q=university+of+washington,+transportation+center,&rlz=1C1CHWA_enUS596US596&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=955&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=zI1bVanqCsWigwTG4oGYBA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAw#imgrc=_IAU17wF8XGkIM%253A%3B5vdrUu3oLWtMJM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Frolludaarchitects.com%252Fwp%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2013%252F01%252FUWtransportation01.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Frolludaarchitects.com%252F%253Fp%253D1763%3B960%3B500 or https://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/sea-turtle/8618592346
Touchy touchy. As I said–UW has more than 1 endowment fund. You just saw one. See the rest
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. UW has one of the single best iconic and loved campus spaces in the USA. Udub makes no real use of their lakefront–a shame.
http://photos.uc.wisc.edu/photos/999/original/Memorial_Terrace_night2_96.jpg?1286778857
http://www.warf.org/stewardship/endowment/endowment.cmsx
https://www.wisconsin.edu/trust-funds/download/investments_and_reports/TrustFundsFlash0215.pdf
And I can find lots more food articles–the difference students can actually walk to most of those those in Madison
.http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/09/13/top-10-reasons-why-madison-is-foodie-paradise/
http://travelsquire.com/madison-wisconsin-a-delicious-destination/
PS-I lived in Seattle from 1991-2014. I know the town and Udub. You can’t park near most of the good restaurants in Seattle either. Huge PITA to go out to them.
My point being, is that they are both solid, the major distinction being is that one is a college town, and the other a world class city. As such, it has the affectations, both good and bad, of a large city–the same can be said of Madison as a college town.
That’s what I said.
“Both have significant but not dominating Greek scenes. UW is in the essential college town while Udub is in a larger city. Otherwise very comparable.”
Except the weather in the 2 locations is quite different. My brother lived in Seattle for 10 years and confirmed it rains and is overcast from Sept. to at least May. Madison is an awesome town but you better like frigid winters. It normally starts snowing in November and does not melt until April/May. You are lucky to get above 0 for 2-3 weeks in January when the artic expresses come through. Just something to consider if you are “climate sensitive.”
That’s what all the people up there say to keep the population growth under control. Take a look: http://www.washington.edu/cambots/camera1_l.jpg
I lived in Seattle for over 23 years. 3/4 of the reason I no longer do is the gloomy wet fall/winter/spring. It’s real and it sucks. Summer can be great. Most recent winters in Madison have not been that cold compared to the 70’s. Over last 20 yrs the high any day in Jan was below 0 only in 3 of those years.But yes, it certainly can be pretty cold.
Good thing you got out of there as soon as possible.
I had to make this very choice 53 years ago! I went to Madison, met my future husband, and never looked back. Actually lived in Seattle later in my career for 12 years and agree with the weather comments above.
The grey is real, but I like the falls and the summers speak for themselves. If you live full time, as long as you have two sunny getaways for the winter and spring, it is very doable.
I have lived in Minneapolis most of my life (couple degrees colder than Madison in winter) and in Seattle for six years. My opinion is that Seattle is much easier to live in. Doesn’t get below the 30’s in the Winter, you never put on more than fleece coat. With the mountains and water on all sides, it is absolutely gorgeous compared to the flatter and inland mid-west. If you like to ski as I do, there is no comparison. The Seattle summers are as good as it gets, no humidity or mosquitoes. Anyway, while I still love the Midwest, I much prefer the Pacific NW.
This past winter in Seattle was unusually sunny and warm (snow pack in the mountains is 8-10% of normal). With warmer ocean water there is no reason not to expect a repeat. Some of us love the high white skies and winter drizzle.
You have two phenomenal choices and you won’t go wrong with either. For classes and school prestige they are roughly equivalent. Campus and surrounding neighborhood, again, no clear favorite. School spirit is probably a little better in Madison. Seattle is a clear winner for what is available on a typical weekend away from campus.
Good luck and let us know what you choose.