UVa or Wisconsin?

College Search & Selection
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<p>Most LACs don’t even offer biochemistry, bacteriology, and other depth in life sciences. Yes you can get a fine basic education from generalists but nobody who might be making an important discovery and get on the cover of Time or other magazines as several UW science profs have over the years. Either you can appreciate that or you can’t. If you decide Chem Engineering makes more sense (with a starting BS salary of around $65,000 it does to me)–you have a top 5 dept right down the street. </p>

<p>I checked on things like seminars where other scientists from around the world come to give a talk on their work. These are open to all and UW Chemistry hosts at least 50 a semester with Biochem adding another 25 or so. UVa has around 20 combined.</p>

<p>biochem history at UW–they alone occupy five major buildings with another huge one on the way.</p>

<p>[Biochemistry</a> Phase II | Biochemistry | UW-Madison](<a href=“http://www.biochem.wisc.edu/biochem_phase2/]Biochemistry”>http://www.biochem.wisc.edu/biochem_phase2/)</p>

<p>[History</a> | Biochemistry | UW-Madison](<a href=“http://www.biochem.wisc.edu/history/default.aspx]History”>http://www.biochem.wisc.edu/history/default.aspx)</p>

<p>[Facilities</a> Tour | Biochemistry | UW-Madison](<a href=“http://www.biochem.wisc.edu/tour/]Facilities”>http://www.biochem.wisc.edu/tour/)</p>

<p>[Current</a> Seminars | Biochemistry | UW-Madison](<a href=“Seminars & Symposia – Department of Biochemistry – UW–Madison”>Seminars & Symposia – Department of Biochemistry – UW–Madison)</p>

<p>[Event</a> Listing | UW Madison - Department of Chemistry](<a href=“http://www.chem.wisc.edu/content/event-listing]Event”>http://www.chem.wisc.edu/content/event-listing)</p>

<p>And yes the teach too. Here’s the prof teaching a mid level undergrad class this term</p>

<p>[gellman</a> | UW Madison - Department of Chemistry](<a href=“http://www.chem.wisc.edu/users/gellman#awards]gellman”>http://www.chem.wisc.edu/users/gellman#awards)</p>

<p>And a freshman level class for non-majors</p>

<p>[cathy</a> | UW Madison - Department of Chemistry](<a href=“http://www.chem.wisc.edu/users/cathy#awards]cathy”>http://www.chem.wisc.edu/users/cathy#awards)</p>

<p>and a higher level UG class</p>

<p>[mcmahon</a> | UW Madison - Department of </p>

<p>Chemistry](<a href=“http://www.chem.wisc.edu/users/mcmahon#awards]mcmahon”>http://www.chem.wisc.edu/users/mcmahon#awards)</p>

<p>Another</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.chem.wisc.edu/users/zanni[/url]”>http://www.chem.wisc.edu/users/zanni&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>PS, I’m not really picking on UVa which is fine for what it does well. However, THIS is what Wisconsin does very very very well. Maybe more people need to know that. Especially those that spot “prestige” without knowing squat what they are talking about.</p>

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<p>UVA is a university very strong in its professional schools, among the best in the nation. </p>

<p>But if we talk about science, humanities, social science, and engineering, there are lots of public universities which are stronger than UVA. Examples are Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, U of Minnesota, U of Washington, Wisconsin-Madison, UIUC, Michigan, Penn State, and U of Maryland. US NEWS graduate school ranking clearly shows that these universities beat U VA in these areas.</p>