UT Austin vs. UW Madison

College Search & Selection
1

I’m an international student admitted into both UT Austin and UW Madison. Because both schools have similar rankings and college life, I find it particularly hard to decide on one. Could anyone give me some advice or opinions on these schools and which one I should choose?

Some info about me:

  1. I intend to double major in history and international relations (I was admitted into L&S for UW and as a history major in UT, so I’m planning on applying for internal transfer get into IRG if I attend UT) so academic strength of both majors and how difficult it is to actually fulfill the major requirements would definitely be a very important factor
  2. I am very keen on joining honors college and doing research, but didn’t get into either the liberal arts or Plan II honors program of UT. I’m still waiting for a decision from UW L&S honors, and I can still apply for departmental honors in UT. It would be great if anyone can comment on the quality of honors programs in both schools
  3. I’m not really into sports or partying
  4. Excellent atmosphere and libraries for studying and research would be what I want
  5. I wish to study abroad so more opportunities to do so would be a plus
  6. Cost would not really be a factor since they have similar costs. And although I prefer warmer weather, it is not a major factor either

I would really appreciate any suggestions!!

2

@prezbucky can help you. He knows UW and UT options very well.

3

@prezbucky Hi friend! Could you give me some suggestions on choosing between UT and UW given my situation? :smile:

4

My kid was a double major in History and Poli Sci at UW and had a phenomenal experience. Breadth of expertise at UW – like at any top research university such as UW and UT – is impressive. To learn more about Honors at UW, I recommend going to the UW Board here on CC and search for Honors as I and other UW parents and alums have written extensively about Honors program at UW. Short version: it is not a separate college or stand alone program with its own dorms etc but rather a program which students choose to participate in as much as they want. An Honors student can take Honors courses and can take the Honors discussion section of a large lecture class, where the discussion section is led by the professor rather than a TA. The Honors program offers lectures, events, etc. which students can do, or not, as they choose. One can graduate with Honors in the Liberal Arts by meeting the breadth and depth requirements for the program, or one can just take select Honors classes in areas of interest and not bother with meeting the requirements for the program overall.

Can’t go wrong with these choices, though Austin obviously beats Madison on weather!

5

@Midwestmomofboys Hi, thank you very much for your advice! :blush:
For History in UW, my only concern would be that there does not seem to be an international history category or staff dedicated to that particular area of study as UT does, and I do wish to choose international history as my concentration in uni.
Another issue would be that I prefer the structure of International Relations and Global Studies Major of UT to that of the Poli Sci major of UW. The fact that UT combines both areas of study into one major and its composition of four tracks really fit my interest. And if I’m not wrong, UT’s poli sci/ IR has a better academic reputation than UW’s.
Sorry if I sound like I’m already leaning towards UT, which is indeed the case. I do like UW, especially its unique honors program as you described. The only factors would perhaps be whether what I mentioned above are true advantages of UT, and whether there is anything against UT such as average GPA or ease of declaring major. Do you have any ideas about this?

6

@Midwestmomofboys Perhaps also taking into account that I am not an outgoing person and would like an environment where I won’t be seen to be too quiet :neutral:

7

I’m not sure how the field of History gets divided up, academically – international vs. something else. My UW kid studied primarily modern European and Middle East – essentially, the History which goes along with contemporary Political Science/International relations, and found plenty to do. He particularly enjoyed the military history offerings. But that’s him, and his interests.

If the structure and offerings at UT suit your interests better, then you cannot go wrong with UT. It’s a great university, great town, and the weather sure is better than Madison, WI!

8

@Midwestmomofboys Thanks a lot for your reply!! :blush:

9

Both are top-notch state flagships and both in their state’s capital and both actually very close to the capitol buildings, which is great for a political science major. Austin is bigger and has probably somewhat more opportunities. It feels like a city. Madison, to me, is more of a large town, if that appeals. Weather is really much better there if you don’t like the cold. Summers are very hot, but school is not in session for most of that. It’s generally outstanding the rest of the year.

Academics are excellent at both, though I can’t speak to your specific areas (know bio better at UW). I wouldn’t really think academics would be a differentiator. I have been to both campuses recently, and students seemed pretty diverse and interesting and friendly.

Good luck!

10

@TTG Haha I lived in Singapore for four years so I would prefer warmer weather :smile: Guess I will decide based on which program I like better. Really difficult decision to make. But thank you for your input!! :wink:

11

I majored in neither History nor IR at UW so I cannot comment directly on the rigor of those programs – generally UW is rigorous; you will be tested – but I did take three History courses while at UW: The Age of Jefferson & Jackson, Medieval European History, and Asian-American History. All three were great.

It sounds like since you did not get into the honors program at UT (and UW’s is up in the air), UW has the edge for now.

Double-majoring in International Studies (an interdisciplinary major) and History would be doable at UW. Making it a bit easier to do this at UW than at UT is the fact that both majors reside within the same school – Letters & Science (L&S).

So it may be easier to declare both majors at UW and, since they reside in the same school, it is likely that there will be a fair amount of overlap in degree requirements. You should double-check the degree requirements at both schools, but my guess is it would be a bit less complicated to complete both of these majors at UW.

If you aren’t really into sports or partying, these areas are moot for you. If you change your mind, neither school will disappoint: the Badgers and Longhorns enjoy success in a bunch of sports and both fan bases are huge and rabid, and both schools are known for their party scenes. Austin is more of a “city” so there is likely more to do socially off-campus, but you won’t likely become bored at UW, and UW is safer (as Madison is safer than Austin). Heck, if you ever get bored, just go for a stroll down State Street/Library Mall, for a bike ride along Lake Mendota (or a boat ride on it…), or for a bite to eat and some views, and perhaps Zzzzzs, on the Terrace. The UW campus offers a nice blend of cityscape and natural beauty and outdoor activity. Join Hoofers if you really want to take advantage of outdoor adventures.

In terms of UW’s libraries, within about two blocks of one another are Memorial Library, the Wisconsin State Historical Society, and College Library – two full-sized UW libraries and a huge collection of Wisconsin’s historical documents. There are libraries all over campus, but these three resources are in a great location close to the lake, Memorial Union, and State Street – in case you want to take study breaks to blow off steam. I’m sure UT has some impressive libraries too.

The cold, windy Madison winter will make you appreciate the nice spring weather. Summers are much milder (less hot and humid) than Austin’s.

If you want to see a big(-ger) city, Chicago is a couple hours away and Milwaukee is an hour away. But most students find that there’s plenty to do in Madtown.

I was a nerd who found his social legs at UW, and if I can have a blast there – crotchety, prissy old me – anyone can. You can.

12

And if you choose UW, walk to the top of Bascom Hill and take in the view of Library Mall, State Street, and the capital. You’d probably have some classes on the hill so you’d have ample opportunity anyway, but the view is worth the walk.

And for heaven’s sake, go to a football game at Camp Randall Stadium. The band is great, the 5th Quarter shenanigans are great, you get to Jump Around, and everyone sings Varsity, arms around shoulders.

13

@prezbucky Thank you for such detailed and well-written explanation! :smiley: Actually the IRG and History majors in UT are in the same college as well, but IR has additional requirements and is, as far as I know, quite competitive. Do you know if UW has higher average GPA than UT which might make it easier to declare majors and apply for departmental honors? My impression is that UT is always very competitive be it in honors application or major declaration. :neutral:

Also, based on your experience, are there always history lectures with a lot of students or is the class-size small enough for discussions (I read that there are over 400 History majors so I’m a bit concerned)?

14

If you search, you can find UW’s grade distribution reports.

15

@Eeyore123 Oh I found it! There is no data for History or Pol Sci though, but only “General Course - BA Degree”. I guess that includes both majors. Thanks! :smile:

16

If you look at the other report it will show you the by class distribution.

17

Not sure my post which included the link will appear. If it does not, search for “course grade distribution reports” on the UW web site. It shows every class offered by the university in a specific semester, usually tracks about 6-12 months behind the current semester. For Fall '18, College of Letters & Science starts around page 169. The column entitled “# grades issued” means the number of students in the class. Classes which are larger than about 40 students typically have a discussion section of not more than 25 students which meets weekly and, if it is an Honors section, the discussion section is led by the professor rather than a TA (Ph.D. candidate in the department).

UT may have similar information available as public universities are required by state law to disclose more information than private universities.

18

Well, i’m not sure if UW’s average GPAs are higher or lower than UT’s, but in either case you are competing with students at that school. Average GPA inflation or deflation might have some impact on grad school admissions, but it shouldn’t really matter in terms of getting into majors – you just have to be able to compete favorably with other students.

As for History classes, typically there were 2-3 lectures per week and a discussion each week.

My Asian-American History lecture was probably about 100 students, while the Jefferson/Jackson and Medieval Euro lectures were maybe 40-60 apiece. The weekly discussions were about 20 students apiece.

19

@prezbucky Oh I see… thank you for your help! :slight_smile:

20

@Midwestmomofboys Thanks for the information! I didn’t find the stats for UT but I’ll ask the departmental advisers