<p>So I'm still waiting to hear back from some other schools (Michigan, UNC, Duke, Yale) but I don't think I'm going to get into them so it's looking like I'm going to be choosing between Wisconsin and Missouri, the two schools I got into. I'm IS in MO but I do sort of want to go out of state, and I did not REALLY like Wisconsin as much as the other schools when I visited over the summer (of course it was over the summer so that may be why....)</p>
<p>I'm going to major in Chem and just want to know why you guys go/went/want to go there? This'll be useful for other prospective students on the fence too!</p>
<p>Madison is a really amazing place. The people are, for the most part, unbelievably chill and friendly. There is a ton of school spirit and energy on campus. The campus is also gorgeous. My main reason for going to Madison is probably the general attitude of the students, but it helps that it’s a top research university with really great undergraduate programs across the board.</p>
<p>Chemistry at UW-Madison is fantastic. Highly ranked department. Still getting my annual Badger Chemist eons later and reading about the national and international events from the department. That also affects the undergrad education- even the “freshman” general chemistry courses. Three different entry level chemistry sequences you can take to continue on with chemistry, depending on your background and ability. Professors in the dept who have been active in chemistry education- including before college, indicating an interest in the teaching of chemistry, not just the grad level research. Plus opportunities to see those grad labs as an undergrad. The people in the department also seem to care about undergrads as people and have personalities from my Badger Chemist annual news. More than enough enthusiasm form an alumnus.</p>
<p>UW- the campus. Also fantastic. Large enough and diverse enough to suit many different personalities. But, if on a second visit, you don’t love it, save your money and let someone else have the experience.</p>
<p>If you are truly interested in chemistry as a major do a comparison of graduation requirements for the major for the two schools, the courses available to undergrads and any other academics. UW has a great Honors sequence in chemistry, plus other challenging courses. Also- if you are considering grad school, check out the chemistry grad school rankings. Where you are when applying to grad schools influences your undergrad research/resume building opportunities, big name professors who know you and can write recommendations to their colleagues- check to see if your chosen schools are similar in rankings (eg if Missouri is within the top 20 or so).</p>
<p>Obviously the Chemistry and related science departments have a fantastic reputation here, but there are also factors besides that that make this school amazing! The school spirit here is unbelievable. And the Badger football team had an incredible season (still going, Rose Bowl!), the spirit has skyrocketed this semester in my opinion. The social scene is excellent for whatever type of person you are- there is always something to do in Madison. Also, when the weather warms up there is nothing better than sitting on the terrace or on the docks overlocking Lake Mendota- beautiful. Good luck with your decisions!</p>
<p>wis75 I think UM is referring to Michigan. And thank you all this has been great and made Wisconsin a much more desirable university than before!!!</p>
<p>Most people don’t know this unless you have access to the REAL academic reputations for universities, but UW has been ranked in the top 10 since 1925. Only 5 schools have achieved that since 1925… Harvard, Yale, Michigan and Berkeley.</p>
<p>This is the average rank based on the various assessments of academic reputation that have been done since 1925
I have university assessment from 1925-2010, The columns are for the rankings in order from 1925(Hughes), 1934(Hughes), 1959(Keniston), 1965(Cartter) ,1970(Roose), 1979(Ladd/Lipset) and the 1982 assessment, 1993 and 2010. I thought that it would be interesting to average out those years. I was surprised to see Michigan, Wisconsin, Harvard, Berkeley, and Yale as the only schools to stay in the top 10 during that period. I used the summary from this blog as the top 10 although I realize that it is by no means the final rankings, but it is probably very close. the last column is the average rank, sorry I wasn’t able to make the grid fit on this page.</p>
<p>I chalk a lot of up to advising. UW does a lot of things really well, but one of them certainly isn’t advising. That isn’t to say the advisers themselves are bad, but just the general environment is one of “find your own way”. That’s all well and good, but I think sometimes it can lead to people “wasting” semesters in that they end up taking classes that might not necessarily be needed for graduation, or they don’t have a clear view of what a major might really entail.</p>
<p>To add to that, it can be difficult to construct a good schedule that results in you taking all the classes you need. A lot of this has to deal with the fact that classes can fill up very quickly, which makes sense since there is such a large student body. What ends up happening is that you might not be able to take a certain class you need because it’s full. So instead, you look at your other options, and find another class you need, but since it meets at a horrible team (early in the morning, right in the middle of when you want to be able to work) you instead decide to take a “filler” class that might not be needed (even if it is interesting and could be helpful in other ways, in particular just general learning).</p>
<p>If you want to graduate in four years though, there’s nothing stopping you, you just have to realize the onus is on you to plan properly from the start. It helps if you enter UW with lots of AP credits, as those tend to take care of the more general classes that can be irritating to schedule.</p>
<p>The long ago university rankings are interesting but irrelevant for current students (it is nice to know that UW was highly ranked for every time period alumni you hear about come from). The strength of the individual deaprtments also matters. It may not matter what the overall ranking is if the fields of interest are rated as much better or worse than another college choice.</p>
<p>There have been past threads about graduation rates. Many UW students will choose to stay longer than 4 years- they like it that much and find a way to stay, including obtaining a second major. Six year graduation rates are also reported for institutions- this accomodates sudents who take fewer credits so they can also work and those who discover a new major while in college. The relatively low cost of a public U makes it less imperative to finish in 4 years than at most private colleges.</p>