Vanderbilt Vs. University of Wisconsin-madison PLEASEE HELP!

College Search & Selection
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<p>Ok hi!
Regardless of the location of these schools, I would really appreciate it if anyone could give me any positives or negatives to either one of these schools. Vanderbilt is a really high stat schools, but I know that Wisconsin has a great college town along with great financial age. I am really stuck and if anyone knows anything, please help me.
Thank you so much in advance. It really helps a lot!</p>

2

<p>Well, I haven’t lived in Madison in decades, but boy was it cold when I did live there. A whole lot colder than Nashville.</p>

<p>I happen to think Nashville is a very good place to be a college student. Although I loved Madison, and it deserved its reputation as a good college town, I would not automatically consider it a better place to be an undergrad. than Nashville. It depends on what you like to do, I guess.</p>

<p>I’m sure you realize that UW is a much larger university than Vanderbilt. That does have implications. It is easier to get lost in more ways than one at large public universities.</p>

<p>On the other hand, there is a great diversity of majors at a place like UW, a lot of classes to choose from. Do you have a good idea of what you want to study?</p>

<p>Also, Vanderbilt’s need-based aid is quite good, and they are a no-loan school. In other words, their aid package does not include loans. They meet “full need” as they define it. Of course, it is an expensive school.</p>

<p>Are you in-state at UW, or have in-state tuition through a reciprocity agreement with another state?</p>

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<p>Why are you stuck? Apply to both, and if you are admitted, you’ll have many more months to decide. Since you don’t have a clear first choice, ED isn’t right for you.</p>

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<p>Quality of life for students is great in Nashville. Both are wonderful schools, but Nashville is just a great city in which to live and study. SEC sports, country music, world-class medical center…</p>

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<p>Good BIG 10 sports, worldclass med center, modern music. </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.soils.wisc.edu/~asig/webcam/big.jpg[/url]”>http://www.soils.wisc.edu/~asig/webcam/big.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>If you care about sports, SEC is SO much better than Big Ten. I went to a Big Ten school…</p>

<p>And weather.</p>

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<p>As an adult with kids, I like my small city having moved from a large city.</p>

<p>As a college student, I liked a large city.</p>

<p>Go with Nashville, explore the city, explore the south, and perhaps most important, eat lots of BBQ from all over the south.</p>

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<p>Vanderbilt. I don’t even see the confusion.</p>

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<p>Vandy without a doubt</p>

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<p>BlueJJay, what is your intended major? Career track?</p>

<p>Right off the bat, assuming finances are a concern, this could be a no-brainer. Wisconsin costs roughly $40,000/year when you include all costs. Vanderbilt costs $60,000/year. That’s $80,000 over four years. Regardless of one’s opinion on which university is better, and this one is clearly open to debate, Wisconsin is a far better bargain. Of course, if Vanderbilt offers a good financial aid package and the gap in the cost of attendance narrows, or assuming your parents are very well off, the decision becomes much tougher and would depend greatly on your intended major/career track and personal preferrences. Madison and Nashville are both great cities, but completely different…as are the University of Wisconsin and Vanderbilt campus cultures and environments.</p>

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<p>SEC is slightly better in football right now, crappy in basketball. Academics suck except for Vandy. Jonesah and Viking–UW probably has 50 depts better than those at Vandy. Very few at Vandy are better than the same dept. at UW. Cannot think of any off top of my head.</p>

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<p>^coming from an objective source… NOT.</p>

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<p>Wisconsin is a very good school, no doubt, but so is Vandy. I believe, correct me if I’m wrong, that Vandy is a better fit for liberal arts while Wisconsin is more science-y. But fair warning, Madison, for those who are not accustomed to wearing flip flops in snow, is absolutely freezing I. The winter.</p>

<p>-------------------------------------------If it is to be, it is up to me…</p>

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<p>Coming from any source you want. US News Dept rankings, National Academy dept rankings.
And UW is nearly as strong in liberal arts as the sciences. Sociology and Psychology are tops. Economics is right behind along with history, poli sci, and English are all very strong. Foreign languages are excellent with over 70 taught. Only weaker areas but still good are music, anthro,and art history. Liberal arts remain the most popular majors overall.</p>

<p>"September 2010
High NRC Rankings
On Sept. 28, 2010 the National Research Council released the latest “Data-Based Assessment of Research-Doctorate Programs”, and in it our department ranks among the top four departments of psychology nationally, and as the top among public universities. This assessment, released approximately once every decade, is performed and released under the auspices of the the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. "</p>

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<p>Wisconsin
USNWR undergraduate rank: 42
% of classes <20: 44%
% of classes >50: 18%
Average FT faculty salary: $91K
4-year graduation rate: 50%
Graduate programs in top 10: Education, Medicine (primary care), Chemistry, Clinical Psych, Library Studies, Pharmacy, Psych, Rehab Counseling, Sociology, Veterinary Med</p>

<p>$18K total cost/year (IS)
$33K total cost/year (OOS)
$6K average Need-Based Aid
$12K total cost/year (IS) after average need-based aid
$27K total cost/year (OOS) after average need-based aid
$22K average debt at graduation</p>

<p>Vanderbilt
USNWR undergraduate rank: 17
% of classes <20: 67%
% of classes >50: 6%
Average FT faculty salary: $101K
4-year graduation rate: 84%
Graduate programs in top 10: Education, Audiology, Nursing-Midwifery, Speech-Language Pathology</p>

<p>$53K total cost/year
$34K average need-based Aid
$21K average merit-based Aid
$19K total cost/year after average need-based aid
$32K total cost/year after average merit-based aid
$20K average debt at graduation</p>

<p>Sources: USNWR (ranks), stateuniversity.com (faculty salaries), Kiplinger (costs)
Source for class sizes: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/708190-avg-class-size-4.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/708190-avg-class-size-4.html&lt;/a&gt; (this was compiled in 2009; check current Common Data Set files if you think the numbers have changed much, which I doubt).</p>

<p>Conclusion: I’d say the numbers rather clearly favor Vanderbilt for a typical liberal arts & science major. However, a lot depends on your financial situation and whether you’re a Wisconsin resident. If you’re not a Wisconsin resident and you need aid, Vanderbilt could turn out to be significantly cheaper. If you are a WI resident (or live in a reciprocity state), or if you’re a full-pay student (but money still matters), UW may be the better value.</p>

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<p>For what–class size percents?? UW Offers twice as many courses in nearly every area and language–many of which are very small, has far better resources from libraries to labs, and is not a bland preppie paradise. Unless that’s what you want. Is it really better to have 67% of classes under 20 and only have 1000 classes or have over 4000 classes with 44% under 20?</p>

<p>UW KILLS Vandy in all the major world rankings</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2011-2012/north-america.html[/url]”>http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2011-2012/north-america.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Let the numbers do the talking</p>

<p>UW Madison
4-year graduation rate 48%
Admission rate 67%
ACT range 26-30
SAT2400 range 1745-2075</p>

<p>Vanderbilt
4-year graduation rate 84%
Admission rate 18%
ACT range 30-34
SAT2400 range 2030-2285</p>

<p>IOW, the top 75th percentile student (ACT 30) at Madison would be unlikely to be admitted to Vanderbilt. There is less than a 50-50 chance of graduating in four years from Madison; there is an 84% chance at Vanderbilt. All the posturing in the world and hollering about meaningless rankings doesn’t change these cold, hard facts.</p>

<p>UW Madison is a decent flagship university, nothing more, nothing less.</p>

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<p>

Not if your school rarely wins and almost never qualifies for a bowl game. Vanderbilt’s record is 2-10, 2-10, 2-10, 7-6, 5-7, 4-8, 5-6, 2-9, 2-10, 2-10, 2-9 in the last 10 years. On the other hand, Wisconsin went to a BCS bowl last year and is targeted to go to one this year. Which one is better?</p>

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<p>I honestly think that from what ive read online, vandy is a better school overall, but there are a lot of majors that wisconsin is better for. For example im applying to wisconsin for chemE next month and the engineering department at wisco is far better than vandys.(vandy is a very good engineering school too just not nearly as good as wiscos) Although vandy is definately an outstanding school, It really comes down to what ull be majoring in and what school u like better. regardless of where u go if u do what ur supposed to do( coop/internships, possibly undergrad research, clubs, study hard) u will be able to become truly outstanding in your field. If u dont do anything at either than each schools respective rep will not help u in the slightest. Oh and btw wisco is better for sports hands down except maybe for baseball.(but u shdnt be going to school for sports unless u r being recruited anyways) Both schools are top choices for academics though and u cldnt go wrong at either. :D</p>

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<p>GoBlue. Football isn’t the only sport, and being part of the SEC is great even with a losing football team.</p>