UW Madison vs UT Austin vs Claremont McKenna College

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Wisconsin
1

<p>Hi. Im a senior and just got accepted to all three. heres what im thinking</p>

<li><p>money is not an issue, we make plenty, but i dont want to spend the extra 15k per year at claremont (as opposed to austin and madison) if its not really worth it… but really, its not that big of a deal</p></li>
<li><p>sports are a pretty big deal to me… madison and austin have a leg up, but claremont does actually have some good rivalries and lots of competitive intramural stuff</p></li>
<li><p>social life… i dont want to go to college just to party and drink but having an active social life/good dorm life and whatnot is important</p></li>
<li><p>weather. id prefer colder weather to warmer weather usually, but id take warmer weather over too cold weather, but colder weather over too warm weather… basically im worried that UT will be too hot and UW too cold… but i think claremont, weather wise is just right</p></li>
<li><p>academics</p></li>
<li><p>prestige</p></li>
<li><p>i know there are huge difference between austin/madison and Claremont. But, the thing is that Claremont isnt the typical LAC. Its part of a consortium, so not only do i get to take classes at claremont but i get to take them at harvey mudd, pomona, pitzer and scripps. So i get the class offerings/student pop of a mid-large uni, but the class size of a smaller LAC. also, claremont was voted by Princeton review in like, the top 20 for quality of life, food, dorms, happiest students etc. </p></li>
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<p>interested in majoring in a humanities related direction - history, english, journalism, politcs, international relations… i really dont know, but strong humanities</p>

<p>thanks for any help and any opinions</p>

2

<p>That's a really difficult question to answer. Claremont McKenna is completely different from UT and UW.</p>

<p>If you're going to do humanities I'm going to have to assume a LAC is going to be much better.</p>

<p>As much as I'd love to have another awesome qualified classmate like yourself at Wisconsin, it sounds like you'll be happier at Claremont. </p>

<p>Good luck with your decision :)</p>

3

<p>I have been to Claremont, CA. It is NO Madison. Sleepy was what they had in mind.</p>

4

<p>I can't really comment on Claremont. But I do have a LOT to say about UT-Austin. :)</p>

<p>First of all, UT-Austin is a great university and is the either the #1 choice OR safety for many Texan students/parents (I supposed the same can be said about UW-Madison in Wisconsin). Campus life is hardly boring with Big 12 sport and music scene. Austin is one of those places I personally won't hesitate to relocate in a minute (so is Madison!). I even own a prepaid contract for 5-year of in-state tuition for junior. Now, do I sound more like a Longhorn than a Badger?! :)</p>

<p>Here's the catch: While business, engineering and pharmacy are definitely UT strongest suites, social sciences and humanities are less competitive. Personally, I think those programs are currently under invested. They are decent choice but definitely not among the best. </p>

<p>On the other hands, UW has some of the best programs for a few intended majors that you mentioned. </p>

<p>If grad school is in your future, definitely read what the Professor X's comments about the importance of program rigorousness on the graduate school forum.</p>