Hi! I’m really struggling picking between the 2, in terms of cost it will be a stretch for both, but my parents are willing to pay if I love the school enough. Also currently starting in health, but that could easily change - both would be a HUGE move as well
UW pros: huge school spirit (love BIG10), loved downtown and the lake, never boring lots of things to do, cheaper, beautiful - big shiny facilities - gorgeous buildings, people are so so nice (lots of people to find your niche
UW cons: winter (from cali so would be an adjustment), housing a pain to find, really big school maybe could get lost, huge greek life #2 party school (not totally my vibe)
BC pros: 3 years guaranteed housing, BOSTONNNN, really cool classes/seminars, really smart motivated students, smaller school (not too small) really personal care, I think the jesuit values are super cool
BC cons: lot more expensive, secluded from the city more, less artsy (more traditional), preppy vibes, overwhelming and hard academically
If there’s a lot you like about UW, and it’s significantly cheaper, go there. If you want to live in Boston, there’s a much greater likelihood you could end up there after college, job wise, than you would land in Madison, so if you love Madison, go live there for a few years! But you have 2 great options, make a decision and don’t look back. Congratulations!
Of the 2 listed, I would pick Madison. Plenty of non-party people there too. And I wouldn’t worry about the weather, it will be an adventure!
But, because you mentioned both being a “stretch” financially, I am wondering about any other options you have. If you are potentially planning medical or graduate school, you want to make sure you don’t spend your entire education budget on undergrad.
A few comments about UW – greek life is not big, it’s about 10% and easy to ignore. Housing is generally quite manageable, my kid lived in dorms 1st year and then apartments after that, which was actually significantly cheaper than college housing. Look for residential learning communities and other ways to “shrink” the 1st year experience. The academics at UW are phenomenal – it is a world-class research university with amazing opportunities for motivated students. My kid also had plenty of friends from east and west coasts, (he is from the midwest but was out of state for UW) so while there will be plenty of Wisconsin and Minnesota residents, there are many Chicago area kids plus kids from the coasts.
My son attends UW and we’re from California. I agree with what midwestmomofboys says. Housing isn’t as much of an issue as you would think, and there’s plenty to do outside of Greek life … my son is not at all a partier, and he’s always busy with activities and clubs. He really likes the school and the weather hasn’t bothered him. Three things to be aware of: (1) There are no direct flights to Madison from CA, and travel costs can add up quickly. (2) UW’s academic schedule makes it difficult to get home on holidays. My son had a Chem test the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, for example. He ended staying in Madison for the holiday.(3) If you choose to change majors, you may not get the major you want. Engineering, business, and nursing are examples of majors you can basically only get into through direct admit. You can’t simply transfer over. So, if you think you might want to change out of “health,” please research the requirements and restrictions for the other majors that interest you. Overall, my son is loving UW. You have two great choices between UW and BC … you can’t go wrong with either.
I have a non party very academically minded senior at Madison. You can find your people! He LOVES Madison now. Housing isn’t a huge issue either. I would definitely go with that if is significantly more affordable.
So having a housing guarantee doesn’t matter. Big flagships most move off campus - and you’ll find plenty. So it does seem of the two UW is the clear better fit for you.
I do take pause with this statement though - in terms of cost it will be a stretch for both.
You should never put your future (if taking loans) or your parents life if a bad stock market or job layoff etc. will cause huge financial or emotional strain - then neither is the right school. And you should choose a cheaper alternative.
intended major? Have you run the NPC for both colleges? Will you have to pay sticker at both?
As a general rule, not a fan of paying OOS rates to attend a public. If you are full pay, then UW is much less expensive over four years. If you can get BC at a discount, the Jesuits do a great job with liberal arts education.
Sounds like UW is the best choice so long as it is affordable without parental loans (check with your parents) - confirm and if not, return for advice on where else you could go that’d match your wishes best.
Greek life and housing really aren’t problems, Madison is really cool, and if you want to make it smaller look into Chadbourne residential college ( which offers special small classes), the FIGs, or residential learning communities.