<p>Ok I'm just going to rant and vent here because this issue is seriously getting on my nerves. </p>
<p>Does anyone outside the Midwest respect UW? I know when people think Michigan they say "Wow great school" or "Cool thats awesome" </p>
<p>However when ever anyone asks me about where I'm applying and I say Wisconsin I get a "Oh why would you want to go there", "Oh thats random", "Oh I heard thats a fun school". Then I also say I'm applying to University of Washington, and a couple of UCs and I always get comments on how tough and rigorous and prestigous those schools are. Perhaps its just where I live, but seriously no one thinks its as good school at all and think I'm crazy for wanting to go. People ask me what I'm doing this weekend (Heading out for admitted student day tomorrow for first visit) and when I say I'm visiting UW I always receive one of these, "Why would you want to go there anyway, eat cheese?" I don't know whether people are ignorant or stupid, but it seriously gets on my nerves having to explain to every single person that asks why I would ever want to go here. </p>
<p>What also annoys me greatly is less intelligent students talk about going to Cal State w/e or Cal Poly and people congratulate them and say what a wonderful school it is when the average scores are like 2.8 GPA to get in. </p>
<p>Maybe I'm being to sensitive about it or something, but its really been bothering me, not even some of my close relatives understand...</p>
<p>Anyways sorry to go on like this just needed to vent a bit. Any comments about what people around you think about UW would be appreciated. Perhaps my Cali bubble is not the norm from what people know/think about the school around the country.</p>
<p>UW is well respected in the East, which has quite a few good colleges. I don't know what's the matter with your California friends. UW arguably outranks every university in California
except four, maybe.</p>
<p>Are you going to study Business at Madison? I think Madison has a great Business school rep but not so sure about its engineering or beyond...maybe that is what you are running into. The two coasts surely don't give the Midwest the respect it deserves.</p>
<p>Crypto, have a great time visiting! My son and his dad are going for the March 13th tour. We are from MD, and get some of the same responses as to why he wants to go there. Just ignore them, it is a fabulous school. My son got into U MICHIGAN and for the money, UW is our first choice. Please let us know about your visit when you get back...</p>
<p>Anyone reading this who thinks Cryto is just insane: I guarantee that everything he said is absolutely positively the truth. That's really the only way to put it. The truth. That's the same reaction I get, and I'm from California too. They don't even recognize that it's ranked #35 by US News and World Report, not that it's the most valid assessment, but certainly one of the most public and well-known.</p>
<p>All I know is that I've seen some UC campuses, Cal Poly, etc. and some of them look the same as the community colleges around here. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a dominant force taking up the capital city of Wisconsin, pinched between two lakes with all types of architecture, successful students from across the country and the world, and top notch faculty. Certainly a force to be reckoned with.</p>
<p>California people are the most insular I have ever met. Most believe the world pretty much ends at the California state line. The last people I would expect to know much of anything is the world of California teenagers.</p>
<p>Tell them the new CEO of Yahoo is a UW alum. The former CEO of Cisco is a UW alum.</p>
<p>Not only is the former long-standing CEO of Cisco an alum, but he is a very very generous alum. In the past few years, he's made donations of 30, 50, 4, and 175 million dollars.</p>
<p>And California is a total joke. All their residents think they walk on water and that they are God's gift to earth, and they constantly look down on other states. Then when they realize California isn't all that great, they absolutely flood into and overtake states like Washington and Colorado and act like the natives should be thankful for them.</p>
<p>I see some people look on Californians badly haha. Trust me we are not all so stupid and ignorant, just most of us. I think the problem is parents of a lot of kids around here look down on other states for their economy, weather etc. and it sort of rubs off on the kids. I don't know, but I don't think you should stereotype all Californians even if they already have stereotyped you.</p>
<p>I live in Minnesota, so Madison is quite well known and, thus, respected. My parents think it's a great school and my uncle attended the school, so we know quite a bit about it. I think that it's because you are from California and, as you said, not that many people know (or care) about Midwest schools as there are so many great ones out there (my top choice happens to be Stanford, lol!). I don't know, I think it's just something about the Midwest culture and the fact that it is f-ing -20 degrees here (in MN) every day in the winter, it sucks arse to put it quite plainly ;). haha, but Madison is certainly a great school and a great time, from what I've heard. And their engineering school is killer or so I've heard.</p>
<p>Ugh I just had a really annoying day today...</p>
<p>So when I was on my trip a week or two ago for the campus visit, I picked up some badger apparel. I decided to wear one of my new shirts today to school and this was the first time I had worn a Wisconsin shirt. Basically all day I got stupid questions about it and people questioning if I wanted to go there. When I said, "Ya it's top two on my list" I would get stupid remarks like a talked about in my first post. The only person that asked and that it was cool was my AP Environmental Teacher lol. (She went to Indiana, originally from Midwest so I guess she knows more about it) Why can't people around here be more excepting, it really isn't that nice to hear people talk crap about my school of choice when they adore crappy ones :(</p>
<p>Perhaps this is my prejudice, I think those UC's ( except Berkeley , UCLA and maybe UCSD) are pretty overrated. And I personally don't like california :(</p>
<p>I'm from St. Paul, and Madison has about as good a reputation as you can get. Anywhere in Big Ten country its reputation is great. I'm pretty sure that if you go to there, you won't want to go back to the elitists in California. (sorry, but this is the stereotype most people in the Midwest have of Californians) </p>
<p>I'm planning on going to Madison in two years. You'll love it there -it's a great school, and it has a great reputation once you cross the Sierra Nevadas.</p>
<p>I wouldn't say that UC or UCLA are overrated because they really are excellent schools and very tough to get into. I think UCSD is however, because they're really only strong in basically biology. </p>
<p>It's hard to tell if Californians are "elitist" because I've only lived here my whole life, but I guess they could be. They're proud to live here though, that's for sure.</p>
<p>I'm from the Twin Cities as well, but I do not feel that way at all toward California. In fact, I am strongly considering Stanford! I would most likely go there if accepted RD.......
anyway, I, being from the Midwest, know California to be slightly more "easygoing" and "laid-back", perhaps because of the weather, I don't know. It just seems like an overall good time. haha. I see the East Coast as more "elitist" (perhaps why I didn't apply to any Ivies) and snobby, but I have never been there, so I can't talk.</p>
<p>Hmm, that's interesting you say that Dpattz because in CA, people view the Midwest as slower and laid back when compared to the get up and go pace of CA. Although I would say they feel like Midwesterners have good work ethic.</p>