<p>Hey, I'm a junior in high school starting to look schools to become a civil engineer next year. It will probably come down to either Madison or Minnesota due to cost reasons. I live in Minnesota, but can get instate tuition at Wisconsin schools. Anyways, I was wondering about the civil engineering schools at these universities, and which one you think is better. I have been to both campuses numerous times, and although I have not taken a formal tour yet, I really like both schools. Which do you think has better opportunities for internships and whatnot? Are Madison students competitive in the Chicago area with IIT, Northwestern, and Illinois near there also? Which has a better reputation? Any input is welcome. Thanks.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/646268-uw-madison-vs-u-mn-twin-cities.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/646268-uw-madison-vs-u-mn-twin-cities.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/656689-engineering-wisconsin-madison-vs-minnesota-twin-cities.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/656689-engineering-wisconsin-madison-vs-minnesota-twin-cities.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/310957-wisconsin-engineering.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/310957-wisconsin-engineering.html</a></p>
<p>Thank You, I’ll read up on those</p>
<p>How about U of Minnesota Twin Cities VS University of St. Thomas? I am intending to major in Finance</p>
<p>If you care more about prestige go to the U of Minnesota. If you care more about how much the profs care about you, how personal they are, etc. go to St. Thomas.</p>
<p>University Of St. Thomas</p>
<p>Academics:
““Professors expect a lot from you” at the University of St. Thomas, a modest-sized Catholic school with a liberal arts flavor. “There is no spoon-feeding,” attests a junior, “but you actually learn! There are no multiple-choice tests, but this guarantees that you learn the subject. Students are competitive but very helpful to each other. I love it!” These students also rave about the small-school feel at UST: “Having grown up attending large public schools, there’s something to be said for smaller schools, where you’re not treated like a number but a real person. Each of my professors, advisors, etc. knew me personally before the end of my first semester. They are truly concerned with making sure that you fully understand the material and are getting the most out of your academic experience.” The experience is enhanced by a requirement that demands all students take a philosophy and a theology course each academic year. For all the pluses, there are a few minuses worth preparing for—particularly, “the Financial Aid Office and the Business Office.” But overall, “The experience at UST is amazing,” says an undergrad. “That sums it up.””</p>
<p>Student Body
““There are several different social groups at the school,” explains an econ major. “One is comprised of those who love to party and party hard. Then there is the religious sect, which is involved in various aspects of Campus Ministry. . . . Then the rest of us basically stick to ourselves.” Another student says that it’s even more complicated than that: “We have commuters, homeschoolers, varsity players, introverts, perfectionists, clubbers—and they all interact quite well.” Indeed, friendliness is the name of the game at UST. A sophomore tells us, “Fitting in for any type of student is as easy as walking up to a friend and striking up a conversation.” Yes, there are many Catholics here (“It is a Catholic school, after all”), many who are “conservative,” and many who “come from wealthy families.” But rest assured that “diversity is welcomed, embraced, and celebrated” at the University of St. Thomas.”</p>
<p>Campus Life
"“Life at UST is pretty chill,” despite the fact that the campus sits near the bustling heart of America’s fourth-largest metropolitan area. According to a vocal performance major, “On-campus life is extremely intimate and personal. There is only one dorm, and people meet and get to know each other quickly. The campus is small, and people run into each other all the time.” A psych major adds that for such a small school, UST hosts “a lot of events as well (date auctions, hunger banquets, free musicals/theater productions, movie screenings, etc.).” Additionally, “The athletic side of life is getting better . . . as UST just moved up from all intramurals to a few intercollegiate sports.” Nonetheless, the majority of UST’s activity takes place during the school week, largely because “Most people are from Houston and go home on the weekends.” For those who live on campus, making the most of Houston’s distractions is easy: “We are in the middle of the Montrose area, which is filled [with] great restaurants, coffee shops, and thrift stores.”</p>
<p>University Of Minnesota - Twin Cities</p>
<p>Academics:
The University of Minnesota is an “insanely huge” “research institution” “in the heart of” the Twin Cities. You’ll find a wealth of majors here. Business is “superb.” Engineering is strong across the board. The U is also “a great place to study an obscure language” or virtually anything else you can imagine. There are more than 300 opportunities to work and study abroad. Local internships “and hands-on opportunities” are also ample. “The professors run the whole gamut.” “There are some amazing ones and some really terrible ones,” says a civil engineering major. Some faculty members are “brilliant” and “inspired people” who “enjoy teaching the material and getting to know the students personally.” Other professors “are knowledgeable but not always great at conveying the concepts.” “There are a few who can really be GPA wreckers,” too. Lower-level classes can be full of “massive crowds of students.” though freshman seminars have 15 to 20 students. The teaching assistants who “do the dirty work” are frequently “from foreign countries” and “have really thick accents,” especially in the hard sciences. “As your progress into upper-division course, the lectures rarely eclipse 100,” though, and you have more interaction with real professors. “The administration really seems to care about the students” and “the U is run very well for a university of its size.” Also, advising can be “beyond terrible.”</p>
<p>Student Body:
Students are generally from the Midwest somewhere. More often than not, they are “right out of suburbia” or from “small to medium-sized towns” in “Minnesota or Wisconsin.” There are a lot of “tall,” “blond,” “pasty, white people” who “are ‘Minnesota Nice.’” “The U of M is a human zoo,” though. “It’s a school that embraces diversity.” “There are a lot of different ethnicities.” Some people are “snooty.” Others “grew up poor.” Some are “bubbly.” Some are “antisocial.” Also, “there is a microcosm for just about every subculture imaginable.” There are “the math nerds,” the “frat boys,” and “lots of hippies and artsy people.” There’s “a huge gay population.” “Preppy, athletic, emo,” and nontraditional students are also visible. Politically, “the conservatives add a good balance to the grand scheme of things,” but the campus leans left. Some students are “very politically aware.” “There always seems to be some group protesting or trying to convince me of something,” notes one student. Not surprisingly, “there is a limited sense of community” at the U. “It is too easy to get lost in the mass of people here, wandering among so many faces without knowing one,” laments a forlorn junior. Sooner or later, most everyone “is able to find their niche.” After that, "most people stick to their cliques.</p>
<p>Campus Life:
The “beautiful,” “very environmentally friendly” campus here is “spread over two cities and a river.” “Frigid,” “crazy winters” are perennial. “By January, all you can see of students is their eyes,” observes a sophomore. “The rest of them are wrapped in coats, hats, and scarves.” “The snow is great for outdoor fun like sledding and ice skating” but “don’t come here if you can’t handle the cold.” Socially, “the U has everything, plain and simple.” You can have a “totally different experience than someone else.” “There’s a group for just about every interest,” and “there is always something to do, even on a random Tuesday night.” The campus provides a variety of events and “always has something going on during the weekends.” “Hockey games are always great” and sports are a “big thing.” “Partying is very popular but there are also a lot of people who don’t” participate. If you want to imbibe, though, “keggers,” house parties, and frat blowouts are frequent. There’s also quite a bit happening off campus. According to students here, “Minneapolis is one of the greatest places in the country.” “The music scene is unreal.” “Great art” and “gorgeous parks” abound. “Shopping at the Mall of America” is another favorite pastime. In some areas, “it is scary walking around at night,” but the neighborhoods near campus are generally “very young and energetic” and public transportation is “readily available and cheap.”</p>
<p>From The Princeton Review:</p>
<p>University Of Wisconsin - Madison</p>
<p>Academics:
The resources are phenomenal at University of Wisconsin-Madison. “If you are proactive, you basically have the means and resources to pursue any academic or creative feat,” promises a journalism major. “The liberal arts majors are fantastic.” However, Madison is mostly known as “an amazing research institution,” and the hard sciences and engineering programs get most of the pub. They iodized salt here, after all, and cultivated the first lab-based embryonic stem cells. The school of business is “excellent” as well and boasts “some of the best facilities on campus.” Overall the school runs surprisingly smoothly" despite some “red tape.” Many lecture courses are large and “impersonal.” But class sizes often “plummet” after the intro courses, and the academic atmosphere is “challenging.” Madison “definitely makes you earn your grades.” “Some professors are amazing, and some suck.” Also, “a lot of the classes for the undergrads are taught by teaching assistants who are not so good.” “It becomes clear within the first few weeks which of your professors actually have lectures that are worthwhile for you to attend, which is probably about half,” suggests a first-year student.</p>
<p>Student Body:
Ethnic diversity at Madison is in the eye of the beholder. “If you’re from a big city, it’s pretty white,” proposes a sophomore. “But, then again, I’ve met people here who had one black person in their high school and had never met a Jewish person.” Without question, socioeconomic diversity flourishes. “There is a prevalent rivalry between [Wisconsin] students (sconnies) and the coasties who are generally wealthier and from the East or West Coast.” “People from the Midwest think people from the coasts are stuck up. People from the coasts think people from the Midwest are hicks.” Beyond that, it’s impossible to generalize. “All types of people make up the student body here, ranging from the peace-preaching grass-root activist, to the protein-shake-a-day jock, to the overly privileged coastie, to the studious bookworm, to the computer geek,” explains a first-year student. “There is a niche for everyone.” “There are a lot of atypical students, but that is what makes UW-Madison so special,” adds a senior. “Normal doesn’t exist on this campus.” Politically, “Madison is a hotbed for political and social debate.” “Many people are passionate about many things, and it provides a great opportunity to see things from others’ points of view.” You’ll find conservatives, but “left-wing, environmentally conscious nut jobs” who “stage protests” are more common</p>
<p>Campus Life:
UW-Madison’s “reputation as a party school” is legendary. Halloween and the Mifflin Street Block Party are epic. “The weekend pretty much starts on Thursday night” as the streets of Madison “fill to the brim with drunk co-eds.” There are house parties and frat parties galore. “Getting up at 9:00 A.M.” to “bong a few beers for breakfast” before football games in the fall is common, and “nothing-absolutely nothing-can beat being in the student section at a Badger home football game.” “The stadium is usually full” for hockey games, too. However, “no one looks at you differently if you choose not to drink” or attend sporting events. And, for everyone, “if you don’t have a strong dedication to your education, you will slip up.” Beyond the party and sports scene, UW is “energetic” and mammoth. “No one’s going to hold your hand and point you to what it is you want.” At the same time, whoever you are, “there is a group for you and a ton of activities for you.” Two daily student newspapers “serve as the penultimate example of free speech in action.” UW’s lakefront campus provides “gorgeous” scenery. Many of the buildings “aren’t that appealing,” though, and some dorms are “absolutely horrible.” Off-campus, “having the streets crawling with the homeless isn’t so great,” but Madison is teeming with culture, “live music,” “late-night coffee shops,” and “exceptional” chow from around the globe</p>