Platteville is perfect for anyone who wants a great education in a fun place without being overwhelmed by a city. It's a small campus in a small town, so don't expect the UW - Madison experience. That being said, UW- Platteville is an excellent place to experience college and spend 4 (or more) great years.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Get a good look at the General Education requirements and if decided, the requirements for you major. That way you won't waste any time or money taking classes you don't need. Also, don't feel like you need a major right away, seeing as your first semester or two can easily be filled with gen eds. The admission criteria isn't too difficult, but you should still try your best on grades, ACT scores, admission essays, etc because it can determine some scholarships for you.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
The programs for Criminal Justice and Engineering are excellent, considering that's what the school is known for. The education program, while not often mentioned, is actually really great as well. The classes aren't terribly difficult, but it's still going to be a challenge at times, especially when you get into your higher level classes. The intro classes are fairly easy, but not to the point of dumbing the material down.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
The dorms are fairly nice, and I would say they're about the same size as any other campus. The oldest hall (Porter) was just renovated, the newest hall, Rountree, just opened in Fall 2012 and is really nice, and there's another hall being built that should be done by fall 2013. All the halls are pretty much on the same side of campus (except for a few, especially Rountree), so it's a nice separation of academic life and dorm life. The dorms have a lot of activities, including a weekly Friday Night Club. There are also a lot of options. There are several traditional halls, where you share a room with one person and a bathroom with your wing. There are also apartment-style dorms (Southwest Hall) where each suite has four single bedrooms, a living room, a dining area with kitchenette, and two bathrooms. There's also suite-style, where you share a bedroom with one other person, and each suite of two shares a bathroom, fridge, and microwave with another suite of two.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
The food on campus is actually pretty good compared to other schools. I transferred to Platteville from UW - Eau Claire, and personally I think the food is much better here. There are three main options for dining, Platters (buffet), Glenview, and the PSC, all of which are pretty good. The PSC is probably the best option out of the three. One nice thing about the meal plans here is that you have the option of weekly meals or semester meals. Weekly meals give you a number of meals per week, and if you don't use them they're gone. Semester meals just give you a block (150, 175, or 200) of meals for the whole semester (plus 100 points to spend) as you choose.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
As I said earlier, there obviously isn't as much to do as in big cities like Madison. There are a lot of good restaurants in town, such as Las Palmas or Pizzeria Uno. There's also a bowling alley and of course, Second Street has all the bars. There's a disc golf course on campus, too. There's other stuff to do on and off campus, but if Platteville doesn't keep you busy enough, Dubuque is only 30 minutes away, and Madison is a little over an hour away, so it's pretty easy to find something fun to do. There's even a shuttle every weekend that takes students from campus to Madison and back, and a shuttle that goes around town on a daily basis.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Being one of the cheapest UW schools, it's definitely good value. The education is high-quality but doesn't cost nearly as much as schools such as Madison. Keep in mind that no matter what the school might tell you, it really doesn't matter that much where you get your degree from, especially a few years after you graduate. Of course for something like business a school like Madison might look better than, say, UW Fox Valley, but a few years into your career, employers care more about your experience than anything else. That all being said, Platteville is still regarded as one of the top engineering and CJ schools, and is good for the rest of its programs as well.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
One thing that's definitely unusual is that the campus was built around a cemetery, but honestly after awhile you get used to it and sort of forget it's there. Another little fact is that Bo Ryan used to coach here, and our basketball court is named after him.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
If you prefer a smaller town setting, where you know more of your peers and have smaller class sizes, you should seriously consider Platteville. If you're someone who prefers big cities, you honestly probably would get bored here.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
There really seems to be something for everyone. There's political clubs, sports clubs, intramurals, and lots of various activities going on all the time. There are even things like Squirrel Club and Doughnut Run Club. The marching band here is pretty good, too. In general, it's pretty easy to get involved with something you love.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
I'm not personally in a sorority, but a few of my friends are in fraternities and they really like it. There are the typical fraternities and sororities that sort of fit the stereotype, but there's also a lot that aren't what you'd expect.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
Platteville is pretty good about security. They have campus police around, and there really isn't much danger. Especially being a smaller town, safety really isn't a problem.
Platteville is perfect for anyone who wants a great education in a fun place without being overwhelmed by a city. It's a small campus in a small town, so don't expect the UW - Madison experience. That being said, UW- Platteville is an excellent place to experience college and spend 4 (or more) great years.
Get a good look at the General Education requirements and if decided, the requirements for you major. That way you won't waste any time or money taking classes you don't need. Also, don't feel like you need a major right away, seeing as your first semester or two can easily be filled with gen eds. The admission criteria isn't too difficult, but you should still try your best on grades, ACT scores, admission essays, etc because it can determine some scholarships for you.
The programs for Criminal Justice and Engineering are excellent, considering that's what the school is known for. The education program, while not often mentioned, is actually really great as well. The classes aren't terribly difficult, but it's still going to be a challenge at times, especially when you get into your higher level classes. The intro classes are fairly easy, but not to the point of dumbing the material down.
The dorms are fairly nice, and I would say they're about the same size as any other campus. The oldest hall (Porter) was just renovated, the newest hall, Rountree, just opened in Fall 2012 and is really nice, and there's another hall being built that should be done by fall 2013. All the halls are pretty much on the same side of campus (except for a few, especially Rountree), so it's a nice separation of academic life and dorm life. The dorms have a lot of activities, including a weekly Friday Night Club. There are also a lot of options. There are several traditional halls, where you share a room with one person and a bathroom with your wing. There are also apartment-style dorms (Southwest Hall) where each suite has four single bedrooms, a living room, a dining area with kitchenette, and two bathrooms. There's also suite-style, where you share a bedroom with one other person, and each suite of two shares a bathroom, fridge, and microwave with another suite of two.
The food on campus is actually pretty good compared to other schools. I transferred to Platteville from UW - Eau Claire, and personally I think the food is much better here. There are three main options for dining, Platters (buffet), Glenview, and the PSC, all of which are pretty good. The PSC is probably the best option out of the three. One nice thing about the meal plans here is that you have the option of weekly meals or semester meals. Weekly meals give you a number of meals per week, and if you don't use them they're gone. Semester meals just give you a block (150, 175, or 200) of meals for the whole semester (plus 100 points to spend) as you choose.
As I said earlier, there obviously isn't as much to do as in big cities like Madison. There are a lot of good restaurants in town, such as Las Palmas or Pizzeria Uno. There's also a bowling alley and of course, Second Street has all the bars. There's a disc golf course on campus, too. There's other stuff to do on and off campus, but if Platteville doesn't keep you busy enough, Dubuque is only 30 minutes away, and Madison is a little over an hour away, so it's pretty easy to find something fun to do. There's even a shuttle every weekend that takes students from campus to Madison and back, and a shuttle that goes around town on a daily basis.
Being one of the cheapest UW schools, it's definitely good value. The education is high-quality but doesn't cost nearly as much as schools such as Madison. Keep in mind that no matter what the school might tell you, it really doesn't matter that much where you get your degree from, especially a few years after you graduate. Of course for something like business a school like Madison might look better than, say, UW Fox Valley, but a few years into your career, employers care more about your experience than anything else. That all being said, Platteville is still regarded as one of the top engineering and CJ schools, and is good for the rest of its programs as well.
One thing that's definitely unusual is that the campus was built around a cemetery, but honestly after awhile you get used to it and sort of forget it's there. Another little fact is that Bo Ryan used to coach here, and our basketball court is named after him.
If you prefer a smaller town setting, where you know more of your peers and have smaller class sizes, you should seriously consider Platteville. If you're someone who prefers big cities, you honestly probably would get bored here.
There really seems to be something for everyone. There's political clubs, sports clubs, intramurals, and lots of various activities going on all the time. There are even things like Squirrel Club and Doughnut Run Club. The marching band here is pretty good, too. In general, it's pretty easy to get involved with something you love.
I'm not personally in a sorority, but a few of my friends are in fraternities and they really like it. There are the typical fraternities and sororities that sort of fit the stereotype, but there's also a lot that aren't what you'd expect.
Platteville is pretty good about security. They have campus police around, and there really isn't much danger. Especially being a smaller town, safety really isn't a problem.