Madison versus Minneapolis (for a Student) (Milwaukee, Middleton: home, safe area, theater)

[cbeley]

I have been accepted to the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (Institute of Technology) and University of Wisconsin, Madison, and am have an extremely hard time choosing between the two. Academics, education, and internship opportunities I am saying are equal for the two schools, so my decision is coming down to the area and campus. School wise, people seem to feel there is a stronger community between people, while UMN seems sort of "cold" and less social (campus wise). Any comments about the campuses would be nice, but my main focus for these forums will be about the area (since....I'm not sure how many here are actually students of madison). So area wise, for a student, which would be more interesting for someone who wants to make some interesting friends with people with different views, likes the arts (theater, music, etc), is a fun place to live with lots to do (but still has some places to go and have some peace and quiet...I'm not really a party person...), and a place a student who plans to major in computer engineering would enjoy. From what I have heard, Madison has a fairly nice social community (especially on campus) and some people who have visited both schools have said people looked happier in madison. I have visited the UMN campus, but have not visited the UW campus (however, I have been there for High School state Forensics, so I saw a little of it, and I have explored state street...though, if that was all there was to Madison that would be bad...not that state street wasen't cool). I do plan to visit them again before I make my decision (will be going there again for forensics this year regardless). As for my current location, I live in a very small town with pretty much the same weather as either of the two cities.(I'm in Hayward, Wisconsin). What appealed to me about Minneapolis was the fact that it was BIG and was a big city. Campus wise, Minnesota seems much more like a little town for the campus, while Madison seemed like it was a bunch of buildings in the middle of a city...but, I don't think I've really explored the campus enough to say too much and there are some very pretty places in madison to inline skate and walk. Finally, one thing I haven't found much on about Madison was what is there to do in the Winter? All the neat big events seem to happen in the Summer (and I may not even be there much of the summer, since school will be out). Minneapolis is huge, so....I don't think it matters much, summer or winter, but the really neat thigns about Madison seem to be in the Summer. Can Madison still beat minneapolis in the winter? I will say this finally...I am leaning towards Madison now, but what is funny, before Madison finally accepted me I thought I definitely wanted to go to Minneapolis.... EDIT: about the arts: I like to go to watch things, but....keep in mind i'm a college student...I can't be spending $60+ to go to the chanhacen dinner theater every week unfortunately Madison seems to have a lot of affordable things to see...what about Minneapolis? Which place has more? Another thing....I sent an e-mail to UW-Madison's art department asking about theater opportunities for someone not majoring in the arts, but they still haven't got back to me. Is there any sort of community theater that goes on in Madison that I could participate in as a student?

[Milwaukee Ronnie]

Whenever I talk to young people thinking about where to go to college, I tell them if they can get into Madison, then they should go to Madison. Attending the University of Wisconsin was the best decision I ever made. I'm not knocking the U of M; it's also a great university. But I don't think there is a college town out there that is as great as Madison. The campus has a great, cohesive feel, plenty of cheap, fun places for students to live and hang out, and a lively social scene. It's a world class university, where, depending on your major, you are learning from professors that are at the top of their fields. In my major, political science, I took classes from incredible professors who literally had helped "write the book" on the field of political science. To this day I hear some of them giving guest commentary on NPR or PBS, and think back to the great, engaging classes I took with them, and the way they helped shape how I think and learn today.

From a lifestyle perspective, probably the biggest difference between UW and the U of M is that the vast majority of students in Madison live either on campus or near campus, whereas the U of M has a lot of kids who live at home and commute to class. This makes Madison a lot more of the quintessential college town experience, since you have tens of thousands of young people living away from mom and dad, taking classes, attending parties and football games, and overall just living the college lifestyle.

[katreese]

Originally Posted by cbeley

Campus wise, Minnesota seems much more like a little town for the campus, while Madison seemed like it was a bunch of buildings in the middle of a city...but, I don't think I've really explored the campus enough to say too much and there are some very pretty places in madison to inline skate and walk. Finally, one thing I haven't found much on about Madison was what is there to do in the Winter? All the neat big events seem to happen in the Summer (and I may not even be there much of the summer, since school will be out).

Hello,

I attend UW-Madison and am thrilled that I did (I'm graduating in May). I'm an art history major and have been very, very happy here. I don't have the experiences to be able to answer too many of your questions (I visited UM once briefly; also, I'm a returning adult student), but I can say that:

1) Yes, Madison is definitely more "buildings in the city" than a real campus - although many would disagree.
2) Winter, well...it seems that most people, as I'm sure you're familiar with, fully embrace outdoor winter sports here. Otherwise, you're right; not much going on in the winter. I think there's a winter fest that used to be Kites on Ice, and there are indoor farmer's markets.

The BEST advice I can give you is, no matter what, TRUST YOUR GUT!! After you've visited both campuses again, go with your gut instinct.

Good luck!

[7G9C4J2]

First of all, congratulations on your acceptance into two extremely fine universities! That is a huge accomplishment, and while it may have put you into the position of having to make a difficult decision, it's a nice problem to have.

Originally Posted by cbeley

Is there any sort of community theater that goes on in Madison that I could participate in as a student?

Madison and the surrounding area has a surprising number of community theater groups, and they are generally active year-round. When my son was in high school in Madison, he performed with Middleton Players Theatre for several shows, and there are many other groups that perform regularly. I don't know how easy it is for a non-theater major to get into University productions, but the community groups are very inclusive, and usually loads of fun to be a part of. I found a website that includes much more than just the Madison area, but this would probably at least get you started: Madison and Wisconsin Theater Groups

I do strongly endorse the advice to visit both campuses, and if possible, try to do so separately from a forensics competition. You want to be able to focus your attention on imagining yourself actually living there, and when you're thinking about State Forensics Competition, it's kind of hard to get into a different place in your head.

Some advice that my son's high school guidance counselor gave him really resonated with us, and I think it helped him make a better decision about where to go to school. The counselor basically said that when you visit a campus, don't focus just on the school itself, but try to spend some time assessing the surrounding community as well. Wherever you go, you're going to be spending probably at least four years living in that community, and you're likelier to be successful if you are in a community that fits you well. You're smart to gather some preliminary info in this forum, but go and visit both places as well.

Good luck to you, both in your choice and in your academic career!

[huggybear28]

I agree both schools are great and high quality although picking between the two schools for myself was dependent on the program. As well I was born in a smaller town in Wisconsin and wanted to be in a larger city. For myself the U of M had a better program than Madison and the twin cities metro area has many more companies than Milwaukee and Madison combined if you are looking for internships. I was in the Institute of Technology as well and I never went to parties. You will have no problem at either school finding people who do not drink and party.

I agree you should go with your gut feeling. I went to both campuses and knew instantly the U of M is where I wanted to be. Not that I have anything against Madison as it is a great school. Both schools have almost an opposite feel to them.

The reason Madison seems like more of buildings in a city is because the town revolves around the University and areas downtown. The U of M on the other hand is kind of like it's own community. Minneapolis and St. Paul definitely do not revolve around the University although many realize it is very important to the area. You realize that when you see the towering skyline of Minneapolis in the distance from campus that the town does not revolve around the university. It was also an inspiration to me to see that reminder of prosperity in distance. I know that sounds kind of cheesy but it is a great view everyday from campus. The nice thing is you can take the 5 minute bus ride (soon to be train ride) to downtown Minneapolis where you can finding anything and everything.

Another reason Madison may seem more social is due to their strong sports programs. Not that sports programs mean everything to a social atmosphere but they certainly unite a campus making it very lively. Although I would not count Minnesota out when it comes to sports as they are completing a new stadium and moving the football team back to campus in 2009. Next year is finally their last year playing in the Humpty Dump (Metrodome). Many of their sports teams are young in the next five years I expect many of them to do well. The campus always has stuff going on. You will not have a problem as over I believe 7,000 students live on campus plus thousands more live right off campus. I would not say many people live at home but unlike Madison there are other places in Minneapolis and St. Paul where people can live. Some students live in the Uptown area of Minneapolis or off the St. Paul campus. Most are students who are just like other college kids who want to get away from home.

For theater Minneapolis has many opportunities but I am not familiar with them and that would definitely be something to ask in the MSP forum.

When you asked "Can Madison still beat minneapolis in the winter?" I am going to ask when can Madison beat out Minneapolis? Well they did so this year in snow and I am sure in terms of safety Madison tops Minneapolis every year but with the size of Minneapolis you cannot get bored. For teh safety joke, do not worry as the University is in a pretty safe area. The less safer parts of Minneapolis are on the opposite side of town. There are many festivals over the summer in Minneapolis as well with the state fair right next to the St. Paul campus. Also the twin cities have a wonderful park and bike trail system that is among the best in the nation if you are into exercise. I always ran along the river. Sometimes it gave me a feeling like I was not in Minneapolis at all but in a small town. It is a unique experience.

Finally you should post the same original posting in the Minneapolis-St. Paul forum so you can get both viewpoints.