I am majoring in political science and am considering two top political science schools: the University of Wisconsin and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. I am also looking at other schools, but these are the two that I really like. I live in Connecticut but UCONN doesn’t have a good political science program. My SAT Score is 1990, my weighted GPA is 4.3, and my ACT Score is 31. I have taken 4 AP classes in my Junior year (Statistics, US Gov & Politics, US History, and Economics). Are my stats good enough to be accepted to these schools and which one of these schools would be better for political science?
I don’t know too much about how they stack up in PoliSci, but I do know that you would be accepted to both Wisconsin and Minnesota. Your stats are excellent for both, considering that the middle 50% of those accepted get a 28-30 on the ACT.
Both are excellent schools and are probably equally awesome in whatever field you go into. Are there any other factors you’d want to consider in looking for a school?
On an unrelated note, Buck the Fadgers.
Go to UConn, do well, and save the money for a masters. Neither schools is worth full OOS over your instate option.
As a UW parent, I can add some different perspectives. First, in terms of admissions, an out of state student at public flagships faces tougher admissions standards than in state students because the school’s mission is first and foremost, to educate its own residents. So the published admission stats are not reliable for OOS students because they reflect, mostly, instate statistics. UW undergrad is about 40% OOS, but 1/3 to 1/2 of those OOS students are from MN, because of the tuition reciprocity program the two states share. I’ve followed UW admissions on this board closely for about 5 years. UW generally admits high stat OOS kids early in the admission cycle – that would be minimum 32+ and above 3.75 unweighted. Kids with lower stats may get admitted, but often not until late in the cycle – March or so. UW has two acceptance dates, in late fall and the end of March, and will postpone many students in the early cycle until the second cycle to see how they compare. All of which means, while the OP could be ultimately admired to UW, it is perhaps a 50-50 chance, certainly not an easy admit.
Finances – if the OP is comfortably full pay, with no loans etc, and family has said UW is easily affordable, great. If not, then I agree, taking out loans etc for an out of state public is not advisable. UW does not give good financial aid (or merit awards) to OOS students, so hoping for a good package from UW is not worthwhile.
Finally, academics – UW’s Poli Sci dept is typically ranked in the top 15. It is an excellent department, with phenomenal professors and resources. My kid is a major, and has developed close relationships with faculty, and very much appreciated being in the State Capitol for internships etc. With strengths in other areas, including a huge range of African and Asian language offerings, availability of law-related courses because the UW law school has dual-appointed faculty teaching law-themed classes to undergrads, etc, the opportunities for a motivated undergrad are phenomenal. So yes, it is a great program. But the OP should build a comprehensive list which includes solid safeties, in terms of both admission and affordability.
Good luck in your search.
I’m pretty sure that Minnesota and Wisconsin have tuition reciprocity.
^Yes with each other but not with those with CT residency. MN will be less expensive OOS. Run the NPC for each school as they both have fine programs. Also try to visit both (about 4 hours drive apart - all freeway)
Yes, MN will be cheaper. Both are great for poli sci and are in vibrant, but very different, types of cities.
You should also consider the detrimental effect that WI’s current governor’s policies have had on university funding, prof retention and attracting new talent. Walker will not be there forever, but his short-sighted negative impact on the UW system might linger.
While imperfect, UW is managing through the funding issue. There is a $250 million pot of new, private donations designated solely for faculty recruitment and retention. I believe I saw that faculty retention rates have been consistent with past cycles. Consolidation and other cost saving measures have been primarily administrative, and yes, some programs (I think I heard the equestrian program) are being eliminated. While merely anecdotal, my UW student has seen no change in number of sections offered, availability of courses etc. While the “sky is not falling,” prospective students should be aware of the tension between the Governor’s legislative policies and the University.