Minneapolis versus Madison (for a Student) (high school, universities, property taxes)

[JenLee]

You could always go to Madison for the first 2-3 years with the intention of finishing at the U of MN. Just make sure that your credits all transfer!

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by cbeley

Well, one big question is....how expensive is the entertainment. As a UW student, I would have free bus rides to anywhere in Madison...I don't get that in Minneapolis. I'm on a student budget....so...I can't be spending lots of money. If you take these things into consideration and the fact that Madison has music, plays, etc. going on on campus and in the town for college-student affordable prices. I'd love to go to the chanhacen dinner theater every night in Minneapolis, but I can't afford that :-P So....Is there still a dramatic difference or advantage?
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After talking with many people, contacting the schools at their variouse departments, in terms of quality of education, job opportunities, intership opportunities, co-op opportunities, student diversity (maybe a little more at Madison, but i've heard oposing views), intersting people, and pretty areas (madison beats minneapolis...but minneapolis has pretty spots also)....they are virtually the same. They are both big (minneapolis is bigger) and are the same price.
So....two things that ARE different:
1. Posibly there is more to do in Minneapolis for a college student...BUT....there seems to be a ton of neat stuff going on every night in Madison (OTHER than parties....things such as music, theater, etc.). I can only realisticaly attend so many things and my main focus is to get an education, so I can't be going out every night anyway.
2. Madison has better food and it's cheaper....no arguing there. I'm reffering to campus food.
3....Umm..I said two, but, UW has a Forensics team....UMN has a public speaking team, but it doesen't seem as good as the UW forensics team.


....BAH! WHY ARE THESE SCHOOLS SO SIMILAR!!! I'm almost to the point where I choose to go the place with the better food on campus...

EDIT: I was wondering why everything was put onto one line on my main comptuer but not my laptop....for some strange reason this board depends on javascript to have paragraphs and I have javascript disabled by default on my main computer :S

EDIT2:

By the way, what is "bar stool racing"....
And as I said before, there does seem to be a lot going on all year with the indie films, theater, dance, etc....and best of all, it's all very cheap to attend (though, at the same time, it may not be as amazing as Wicked! in Chicago or Easter Parade (not nearly as awesome as Wicked....) in Minneapolis.

I am all to familiar with 'student budgets'. Free bus rides are a nice thing, but shouldn't be the only consideration. Keep in mind that Madison is a lot smaller than Minneapolis and a free bus ride someplace might not really be worth it. The reality is that you are, for the most part, going to pay for entertainment in both cities and both, in my opinion, are about the same in regards to price. The only dramatic difference is in the price of beer, but you shouldn't be drinking that anyways-everything else will cost about the same. Just because you can not afford to go to a dinner theater every night does not mean squat, and I don't understand your logic here. At least it will be there when you get the opportunity. It is apparent that you are basing your choice on which city offers the most activities outside of the classroom; in which case the TC is going to win hands down.

There is a Taco Johns on the U of M campus.

Bar stool racing....maybe you should go to Madison just for this. While it is usually done by 40 year olds, it is, after all, the quintessential college experience.

I am not being nit-picky here (ok, I am) but you should probably get into the habit of using spell checker...

[cbeley]

The only dramatic difference is in the price of beer, but you shouldn't be drinking that anyways-everything else will cost about the same.

I have never, have no desire to, and may never drink beer. ;-) Just to clear that up.

because you can not afford to go to a dinner theater every night does not mean squat, and I don't understand your logic here. At least it will be there when you get the opportunity. It is apparent that you are basing your choice on which city offers the most activities outside of the classroom; in which case the TC is going to win hands down.

If everything is the same price, then my logic fails. What I was trying to say was that I know for sure Madison has many cheap arts-type things going on for relatively cheap or free. Since/If Minneapolis has much of this also, then, my argument doesn't hold.

There is a Taco Johns on the U of M campus.

....Tear it down! :-P

I am not being nit-picky here (ok, I am) but you should probably get into the habit of using spell checker...

Well, I was in somewhat of a rush, but I do normally spell check my posts (it's built into my browser). You probably won't find any spelling mistakes in my other posts. ;-) Spell checker is my best friend.

You could always go to Madison for the first 2-3 years with the intention of finishing at the U of MN. Just make sure that your credits all transfer!

LOL, or I could go to undergraduate school in Madison and graduate school in minneapolis :-P

There are things I like about Madison even if it does have less activities. There seems to be more overall school spirit, many people who visited there said people seemed happier there than at Minneapolis, Madison is a college town (hopefully this phrase extends past "drinking town"), there are still lots of things to attend and do, very pretty scenery, it's the capital....probably a lot of politics are going on there and protests going on, and Madison as a whole seems more accessible within reason than Minneapolis.

I like Minneapolis a lot also. There are all kinds of things to do, it is a nice city, it's really big, it's a city, and it has many of the same nice things as Madison.

I'm tempted to take the advice of some people and "save cities for later"...since, considering what I want to do, chances are I will end up in the city for a living or at least during some internships and co-ops. I may never have the chance to live in a place with as much outdoor glory again...while, not something I care about immensely, but still something I like (but could live without).

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by cbeley

I have never, have no desire to, and may never drink beer. ;-) Just to clear that up.

If everything is the same price, then my logic fails. What I was trying to say was that I know for sure Madison has many cheap arts-type things going on for relatively cheap or free. Since/If Minneapolis has much of this also, then, my argument doesn't hold.

That is good. Keep in mind that both schools are located in two of the heaviest drinking spots in the country.

There are plenty of art-type stuff going on in North East Minneapolis, and all over the city in general. Not sure if more or less then Madison, but I can say that things will be more spread out all across the TC. After more thought, I think that Madison will be the better fit for this as things are not as spread out and there is more of a community feel to the area around the campus.

Originally Posted by cbeley

....Tear it down! :-P

I can't believe that you said that! I grew up in California and Taco Johns is the closest thing to my beloved Del Taco and Jimboy's.

Originally Posted by cbeley

LOL, or I could go to undergraduate school in Madison and graduate school in minneapolis :-P

I was actually going to suggest this. Sounds like it might be the best solution for you as I feel that Madison is the better place for an undergrad overall.

Originally Posted by cbeley

There are things I like about Madison even if it does have less activities. There seems to be more overall school spirit, many people who visited there said people seemed happier there than at Minneapolis, Madison is a college town (hopefully this phrase extends past "drinking town"), there are still lots of things to attend and do, very pretty scenery, it's the capital...probably a lot of politics are going on there and protests going on, and Madison as a whole seems more accessible within reason than Minneapolis.

Well, I am sure that there is a simple explanation of why they are happier...........

Originally Posted by cbeley

I like Minneapolis a lot also. There are all kinds of things to do, it is a nice city, it's really big, it's a city, and it has many of the same nice things as Madison.

It also has more of it, including more of the negatives-but that is true for any large city.

Originally Posted by cbeley

I'm tempted to take the advice of some people and "save cities for later"...since, considering what I want to do, chances are I will end up in the city for a living or at least during some internships and co-ops. I may never have the chance to live in a place with as much outdoor glory again...while, not something I care about immensely, but still something I like (but could live without).

Sounds like you have your heart set on Madison. Keep in mind that is going to be an important chapter of your life. You should choose the school that will offer the most life to live.

[cbeley]

After more thought, I think that Madison will be the better fit for this as things are not as spread out and there is more of a community feel to the area around the campus.

Yeah, I was thinking of the same thing...because, even busing can get expensive if you are paying for it (I've looked...it would come out to $6 or so for a round trip to many places for public busing in Minnesota....but, it's still $6.)

I can't believe that you said that! I grew up in California and Taco Johns is the closest thing to my beloved Del Taco and Jimboy's.

I'm sorry :-( I'm not a big fan of tacos :-P Though, speaking of Taco Johns, that is one example, at least from what I have been reading, of how dinky town is becoming "too commercialized". Though, the same thing is happening to state street in Madison with places like Starbucks...

Well, I am sure that there is a simple explanation of why they are happier...........

This worries me about the world as a whole >_> Can't people be happy about things other than sex and drinking (not that I am saying sex is bad...but, there is more to life than sex ...).

However, I know some people from my school going to Madison and they aren't the drinker/partier types...In a way that is reassuring that not everyone there is going to be an obsessive drinker....

That is good. Keep in mind that both schools are located in two of the heaviest drinking spots in the country.

I didn't know they were one of the heaviest drinking spots in the country, but I did know there would be a lot of alcohol at either school. Not a big deal.

Sounds like you have your heart set on Madison. Keep in mind that is going to be an important chapter of your life. You should choose the school that will offer the most life to live.

It may seem that way, but before I knew I was accepted to Madison I had my heart set on Minnesota. I have been there and I do really like it. I have only seen so much of Madison and really can't say for sure whether I'd want to go there just yet without visiting again (and actually touring the campus). I really like Minnesota, but from all the things I've heard and read about Wisconsin, I also really like Wisconsin. I have sort of been worrying if I go to one school, I'll miss out on something really cool that I got from the other school. But quite frankly, and other people have said the same thing to me, I'll probably be quite happy at either school and it all really comes down to what I make of it. Both places have arts-things that I like and in an amount that I probably could have my fill of at either school, they both have cool places, bound to have neat people, etc., etc. One thing Madison doesn't have is any anime conventions though...but, Minneapolis doesn't have anything that great either >_> Not that I'd make that even close to being a deciding factor in my decisions....

[JenLee]

My *personal* opinion is that a smaller school and city will have a better sense of community than the U of MN. I attended college up in ND, and (like I said earlier) the U of MN was overwhelming at first because I felt like a number in the crowd. To me, at least, that could be a difficult adjustment for an 18 year old kid just out of high school from a moderate-sized town like Hayward.

The U of MN main campus has 50,000+ students enrolled there; there was a newspaper series several years ago about why it took many students longer than 4 years to graduate with a degree there and (if I remember correctly) one of the reasons was it took younger students a while to buckle down and feel like they belonged there. There were several other reasons too (the main one being that many were working their way through school); but that one reason stuck in my head and convinced me that my kids shouldn't start out there.

As I said, that is *my* personal opinion, YMMV.

[kuan]

I attended an urban school as well. There were plenty of working adults. That could skew the numbers.

[cbeley]

Well I'm probably the type of person who won't be affected by something like that. Regardless, UW-Madison is also a very big campus...you could have the same situation there.

One interesting thought I have had about Madison is that it would probably be a lot easier to become more well known and live up to me being voted, "Most likely to be famous" :-P

EDIT: Actually, arround 35% or so students at UW-madison graduate in 4.5 to 5 years and 15% or so 6-7 (the person I was on the phone with who was an engineering student at Madison was surprised when he looked that up). However, a large portion of the students do co-op and what not, which extends that number.

It may very well be the same for minnesota...and not because of other reasons despite what some article swayed it as.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by JenLee

The U of MN main campus has 50,000+ students enrolled there; there was a newspaper series several years ago about why it took many students longer than 4 years to graduate with a degree there and (if I remember correctly) one of the reasons was it took younger students a while to buckle down and feel like they belonged there. There were several other reasons too (the main one being that many were working their way through school); but that one reason stuck in my head and convinced me that my kids shouldn't start out there.

I have known a number of people who went through U of M TC. The overwhelming opinion is that, aside from students changing their major half-way through, the number one reason why Golden Gopher students do not graduate on time is because of the sheer amount of students. They are put on waiting lists just to register for courses that are required for their majors.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by cbeley

This worries me about the world as a whole >_> Can't people be happy about things other than sex and drinking (not that I am saying sex is bad...but, there is more to life than sex ...).

I didn't know they were one of the heaviest drinking spots in the country, but I did know there would be a lot of alcohol at either school. Not a big deal.

I was talking about the other other thing.

South Dakota has the highest rate of alcoholism per capita, but Minnesota and Wisconsin are big drinking states. I don't mean in a getting wasted 24/7 kind of way, but casually drinking on a regular basis is the norm.