The University of Wisconsin-Madison offers the rare combination of academic rigor and excellence, a huge social scene, a beautiful campus, and endless opportunities for involvement. Whether you are a business student, a future engineer, or majoring in anything within the college of letters and science you have fantastic opportunities to get a degree in addition to experiences that will easily help you get a great job after college. Although it is a large college, it is easy to find groups of friends whether you choose to live in the quiet and beautiful Lakeshore area, or in the hustle and bustle of the Southeast, you will easily meet people and have opportunities to join organizations that bring you closer with people similar to you.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Do your best in high school, and don't blow off senior year! Take a lot of AP and honors classes to show that you are capable of performing well at the college level, and make sure to take the tests to get college credit. I am technically a sophomore even though it is my first year since I had so many AP credits, and this is a huge benefit in the long run since you will always be among the first to pick your classes! Also, never count yourself out and not apply just cause of GPA and ACT scores, take as many leadership roles as possible in clubs and activities and do service hours, in addition to spending a lot of time on essays. This will greatly increase your chances of admission!
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
Madison is an elite school, so difficult classes are to be expected. In order to both save money and avoid taking classes that are much more difficult in college, such as Calculus 2 (Math 222 at Madison) make sure to take AP tests and take them seriously! I was able to do well in my first semester at Madison, but it took a lot of time in the library to make sure I studied enough and got all my work done. However, I found it very possible to have a very active social life while balancing it with school work!
Describe the dorm life at your college.
The great thing about Madison are the two separate neighborhoods to choose from, Southeast and Lakeshore. I personally find my personality more aligned with Southeast so I chose to live here, as I am a very social person and like city life and always being around a lot of people. However, I know many people who live in the Lakeshore neighborhood and love it, as they live right on the beautiful Lake Mendota and have almost constant peace and quiet. The dorms are all around the same distance to classes, which is very nice. Madison also has many learning communities, so you can live with people who have similar interests to you! The dorms are nothing special as far as amenities and space, but I have no complaints and I enjoy living here!
Describe the food and dining at your college.
Both Lakeshore and Southeast have great dining facilities very close to them, being Dejope and Gordon's dining halls. They have great variety and serve very good food! Also, if you live in the residence halls you receive a 30% discount on all food, which is very nice. Gordons is only a 30 second walk from the Southeast residence halls, which is newly renovated, while Dejope is a brand new building which is within walking distance form Lakeshore dorms. All of the food they serve is very good and I have it every day!
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
Madison is constantly rated among the top Party Schools which is great for some potential students and concerning for others. The school is what you make of it, as there is always stuff to do around campus whether it be going to sports games, hanging with friends around campus, or going to parties, and what you do is completely up to you. The school spirit at the college is outstanding, and it is impossible to walk around campus on a Saturday in fall without seeing people wearing red and white overalls running around yelling Game day!!!. Getting involved in various social clubs or Greek life also presents a lot of opportunities to do fun things and meet a lot of people.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
While Madison may be expensive, especially for out of state students, I believe the school is worth the hefty investment if you are willing to put in the work to get the maximum reward out of it. School is expensive, so you must be willing to work hard to achieve good grades and get involved in whatever you are interested in, taking advantage of all of the opportunities that you are paying for. A good way to help pay for college is to get an on campus part-time job, in addition to applying to all the scholarships that you possibly can.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
One tradition that happens every year is the battle between the Southeast and the Lakeshore dorms on Bascom hill. Hundreds of students come and I look forward to taking part in it this year! Also, perhaps the most famous tradition on campus, is of course the Jump Around. Between the 3rd and 4th quarters of football games, the song Jump Around is played and all of the students and fans present jump up and down and go crazy. This actually is read on the Richter scale as a small earthquake!
Which types of students will excel at your college?
This school is great for every type of student! No matter what kind of person you are or what you are interested in learning, you will find endless opportunities to fulfill your interests here. There are hundreds of clubs to join and many waiting to be created, and all different types of people. Everyone will find a place to fit in at UW and find many people who have similar interests.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
I am involved in Engineers in Business and Greek Life, but I also plan to join the Chemical Engineering club next year, as well as try to find research opportunities. There are countless clubs and activities to join for any interest you may have, and if they don't have one, you can start it up yourself. One of the clubs I find most interesting/humorous is the Quidditch club that often has games outside of Gordon's dining hall!
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
Greek life is not an overwhelming presence on campus, as participation is under 20%, but it is a popular option for out of state students. I am personally involved in Greek Life, and there is a fantastic system at the University of Wisconsin. I have met a ton of great people, and the organizations here certainly do not perpetuate the typical negative stereotypes that are often portrayed in the media about Fraternities and Sororities. I have not had a single negative experience, and have met a ton of great friends, both guys and girls alike. If you are interested in joining a strong brotherhood or sisterhood and always having the option to attend fun social events, I strongly encourage everyone to give it a shot and see if it is for them!
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
Personally, I have never felt threatened at the University of Wisconsin and often walk home after long nights at the library around 3 am with no problems. There is a large homeless population in Madison, as there is in many capitol cities, but I have not had a bad experience with any one of these people though I have heard stories of a few people who have. However, Safe Walk is always available until 1 am every night, so you never have to walk alone if you don't feel comfortable walking alone at night!
The University of Wisconsin-Madison offers the rare combination of academic rigor and excellence, a huge social scene, a beautiful campus, and endless opportunities for involvement. Whether you are a business student, a future engineer, or majoring in anything within the college of letters and science you have fantastic opportunities to get a degree in addition to experiences that will easily help you get a great job after college. Although it is a large college, it is easy to find groups of friends whether you choose to live in the quiet and beautiful Lakeshore area, or in the hustle and bustle of the Southeast, you will easily meet people and have opportunities to join organizations that bring you closer with people similar to you.
Do your best in high school, and don't blow off senior year! Take a lot of AP and honors classes to show that you are capable of performing well at the college level, and make sure to take the tests to get college credit. I am technically a sophomore even though it is my first year since I had so many AP credits, and this is a huge benefit in the long run since you will always be among the first to pick your classes! Also, never count yourself out and not apply just cause of GPA and ACT scores, take as many leadership roles as possible in clubs and activities and do service hours, in addition to spending a lot of time on essays. This will greatly increase your chances of admission!
Madison is an elite school, so difficult classes are to be expected. In order to both save money and avoid taking classes that are much more difficult in college, such as Calculus 2 (Math 222 at Madison) make sure to take AP tests and take them seriously! I was able to do well in my first semester at Madison, but it took a lot of time in the library to make sure I studied enough and got all my work done. However, I found it very possible to have a very active social life while balancing it with school work!
The great thing about Madison are the two separate neighborhoods to choose from, Southeast and Lakeshore. I personally find my personality more aligned with Southeast so I chose to live here, as I am a very social person and like city life and always being around a lot of people. However, I know many people who live in the Lakeshore neighborhood and love it, as they live right on the beautiful Lake Mendota and have almost constant peace and quiet. The dorms are all around the same distance to classes, which is very nice. Madison also has many learning communities, so you can live with people who have similar interests to you! The dorms are nothing special as far as amenities and space, but I have no complaints and I enjoy living here!
Both Lakeshore and Southeast have great dining facilities very close to them, being Dejope and Gordon's dining halls. They have great variety and serve very good food! Also, if you live in the residence halls you receive a 30% discount on all food, which is very nice. Gordons is only a 30 second walk from the Southeast residence halls, which is newly renovated, while Dejope is a brand new building which is within walking distance form Lakeshore dorms. All of the food they serve is very good and I have it every day!
Madison is constantly rated among the top Party Schools which is great for some potential students and concerning for others. The school is what you make of it, as there is always stuff to do around campus whether it be going to sports games, hanging with friends around campus, or going to parties, and what you do is completely up to you. The school spirit at the college is outstanding, and it is impossible to walk around campus on a Saturday in fall without seeing people wearing red and white overalls running around yelling Game day!!!. Getting involved in various social clubs or Greek life also presents a lot of opportunities to do fun things and meet a lot of people.
While Madison may be expensive, especially for out of state students, I believe the school is worth the hefty investment if you are willing to put in the work to get the maximum reward out of it. School is expensive, so you must be willing to work hard to achieve good grades and get involved in whatever you are interested in, taking advantage of all of the opportunities that you are paying for. A good way to help pay for college is to get an on campus part-time job, in addition to applying to all the scholarships that you possibly can.
One tradition that happens every year is the battle between the Southeast and the Lakeshore dorms on Bascom hill. Hundreds of students come and I look forward to taking part in it this year! Also, perhaps the most famous tradition on campus, is of course the Jump Around. Between the 3rd and 4th quarters of football games, the song Jump Around is played and all of the students and fans present jump up and down and go crazy. This actually is read on the Richter scale as a small earthquake!
This school is great for every type of student! No matter what kind of person you are or what you are interested in learning, you will find endless opportunities to fulfill your interests here. There are hundreds of clubs to join and many waiting to be created, and all different types of people. Everyone will find a place to fit in at UW and find many people who have similar interests.
I am involved in Engineers in Business and Greek Life, but I also plan to join the Chemical Engineering club next year, as well as try to find research opportunities. There are countless clubs and activities to join for any interest you may have, and if they don't have one, you can start it up yourself. One of the clubs I find most interesting/humorous is the Quidditch club that often has games outside of Gordon's dining hall!
Greek life is not an overwhelming presence on campus, as participation is under 20%, but it is a popular option for out of state students. I am personally involved in Greek Life, and there is a fantastic system at the University of Wisconsin. I have met a ton of great people, and the organizations here certainly do not perpetuate the typical negative stereotypes that are often portrayed in the media about Fraternities and Sororities. I have not had a single negative experience, and have met a ton of great friends, both guys and girls alike. If you are interested in joining a strong brotherhood or sisterhood and always having the option to attend fun social events, I strongly encourage everyone to give it a shot and see if it is for them!
Personally, I have never felt threatened at the University of Wisconsin and often walk home after long nights at the library around 3 am with no problems. There is a large homeless population in Madison, as there is in many capitol cities, but I have not had a bad experience with any one of these people though I have heard stories of a few people who have. However, Safe Walk is always available until 1 am every night, so you never have to walk alone if you don't feel comfortable walking alone at night!