Minneapolis versus Madison (for a Student) (St. Paul, Badger: co-op, loans, home)

[cbeley]

This post was originally made in the Madison Forums on this site, but most of the posts were very Madison-Orientated. So, after huggybear28 recommended I make another post in this forum, I did. I'd love to hear about both cities though, especially if you have been to both and especially if you are/were a student. The original Madison post can be found at http://www.city-data.com/forum/madis...s-student.html. ORIGINAL POST ------------------------------------------------- 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?

[Astron1000]

I like Madison a lot. If I had to move to a smaller city it would definitely be on my short list. The Twin Cities are about 7 times bigger than Madison (3.5 million vs. 500,000) so yeah, as you'd expect there are a lot more opportunities in Minneapolis/St. Paul. It's the 3rd largest metro in the Midwest after Chicago and Detroit.

Certainly some of the best cultural institutions in the Twin Cities can be expensive, but nearly all of them offer student discounts. You can also easily volunteer at any of the 80+ theater companies in town, since you mentioned opportunities in theater. There are also plenty of cheap things to do in the winter - lots of bands, nightclubs, etc.

But if you'd rather stay in a smaller city, then Madison is hard to beat.

[cbeley]

Well, what I liked about Minneapolis was the fact that it was a city and that it was big. I have been there and I do feel quite comfortable there and thought the campus was great. Price is not an issue as I would pay the same price to go to UW-Madison verses UMN due to the Wisconsin reciprocity agreement.

This is what my predicament is....because, I like both atmospheres. One thing that I have been told is to "save the city life for later" since I'll probably end up in the city for a job.

So, i'm trying to decide where I would have more fun and where I would enjoy it more....

Is the college atmosphere of Madison throughout the whole city better than Minneapolis itself as a whole? Which would make things more interesting?


I come from a very small town, but I like the big city...but Madison is cool too. That is where I'm running into my problem.

I guess what I have been imagining about Madison is that the town is full of college students, while if I go to downtown minneapolis, it's not goign to be full of college students. Is that college town atmosphere something that I would be really missing out on?

My decision is comming down to which area I would enjoy more and on a college student budget.

EDIT: another thing I have been wondering about is how many people go home on the weekends even if they stay in the residence halls. The Madison campus may be more active on the weekends than University of Minnesota....I unfortunately can't turn to stastistics for this since i can only look up how many comuters there are, not what percentage of those living on campus comute back home every weekend.

One thing I do like about Madison is that is farther away from where I live though....

[JenLee]

Compared to Hayward, Wi., both colleges are in *big* cities. I've never lived in Madison, I've just been through it and stopped there a few times, but many friends say it's a great place to live and they've had good college experiences there.

Reading your posts I get the feeling you are still in high school; am I correct on that? I moved down to the Cities in my early 20's from Grand Forks, ND and was both overwhelmed and pleased by the complete anonymity of living in the Twin Cities. I felt like a number at the University initially; but I did make friends eventually.

I would strongly urge you to look at class sizes (in the courses you will be taking) and other campus-related things. You are asking about the theater and non-campus activities; but the truth of the matter is that for at least the first 2 years of college you should be focused on your education most of the time. The social life during college is a secondary learning experience, just make sure that the education is the main focus of your college years.

You say you plan to major in computer engineering, yet you are asking about the arts and theater. Computer engineering sounds like it is quite different from your interest in the arts. Is it; or is there some way that the two are connected?

As the parent of a child who is now in debt for $20,000 in school loans after attending college for 4 years and not obtaining a degree (too many changes in her majors), I'd encourage you to look long and hard at what you *really* want to do in life. My hubby and I paid for most of our daughter's college education; I just wish she would have graduated in something so she could have a better career choice than just having a JOB right now (which she really doesn't like, BTW). She is now having to fund her own education to finish her degree, and it isn't easy to do anymore.

I strongly encourage you to buckle down and study hard no matter where you go. It is true that once you are done with college, you can go wherever you like. Just be sure to have that degree under your belt too.

I'm sorry if I sound like I'm preaching to you; but I'm speaking from my own college experiences and those of my daughter's. I only wish I would have had more impact on HER educational experiences, it would have been a lot cheaper for all of us!

[cbeley]

Reading your posts I get the feeling you are still in high school; am I correct on that?

I am still in high school. Sorry, I thought it was sort of implied.

I would strongly urge you to look at class sizes (in the courses you will be taking) and other campus-related things.

Class sizes are pretty much identical, along with the quality of education at both schools. I have done a ton of research already and have posted on multiple forums. I don't mind large class sizes at all either...it's not something that would bug me. Also, since I have deemed all education and everything within that identical, I am basing my decision off of what would be a more interesting place.

You are asking about the theater and non-campus activities; but the truth of the matter is that for at least the first 2 years of college you should be focused on your education most of the time.

If I go to Madison I will be sure to participate in Forensics and as many theater opportunities (or similar things) as posible within reason and still allow me to maintain good grades. Ironcly, I have been told by many people who did nothing but study that they regreted it...however, I'm not the type of person that would steer away from my education....it's important to me and it's not because of my parents or anyoene else that I do as well as I do, it's my own motivation.

You say you plan to major in computer engineering, yet you are asking about the arts and theater. Computer engineering sounds like it is quite different from your interest in the arts. Is it; or is there some way that the two are connected?

I really like theater and public speaking and it's actually something I got into only 2 years ago (since then, I have done quite a bit though). HOWEVER, computers are something that have facinated me ever since I got my hands on one. I read reference manuals for fun, I have designed games for the Nintendo DS (one of them is included with a product by Datel that is sold in places like wal-mart)....computers absolutely fascinate me. I like both things....I'd rather do computers for a living, but I will always do comunity theater and things like that when given the opportunity. I'm not doing computer engeerning because it makes good money or I was told to do it. I guess you could say I'm a computer geek who likes theater :-P Two completely opposite things :-P

I strongly encourage you to buckle down and study hard no matter where you go. It is true that once you are done with college, you can go wherever you like. Just be sure to have that degree under your belt too.

Well, I will admit I have slacked a little in High School (though....my "slacking" is probally not what people think slacking is....otherwise, I wouldn't have been accepted to Madison)... I will study, and I'll probaly even enjoy many of my classes (and some of them be very bored in considering what i've done on my own). I don't want to go out and party, but I would like to make some good friends, have some neat places I can go to study, have some fun, and enjoy my college life.

Both schools, academically, are once again, equal for the most part. I'm not someone that would let fun get in the way of my studies....but if I'm goign to be living there for the next four years, I might as well live someplace interesting and fun. My personal thought about studying though would be to do good and excell at things, but don't ruin four years of your life for it either.

Regardless, I'll probably be the one in the library studying half the time (with a dual monitor set-up in the library so everyone looks as me funny :-P).

[talktobrent]

I've never been to Madison so I can't really comment on that. It sounds like you are interested in a college scene but also want some real world city life with it. Minneapolis is pretty good for that. the U and Dinkytown (the neighborhood where many students live and play) are pretty much their own world in the city. There's some students that rarely leave the comfort of the college bars off 4th st, and there's those that go all over. Whatever a college experience is exactly... you will certainly get it if you live in Dinkytown. When you want to escape, there's plenty of options as well.

[kuan]

Go to Wisconsin. Better football, better bastketball. Least you guys have something to cheer about.

[golfgal]

My boss is a Madison grad. She is a HUGE fan of Madison. The one complaint she has about the area is the lack of jobs after you graduate. She feels that her friends that went to the U of M had many, many more job prospects after they graduated mainly because they had more internship possibilities and there were more recruiting connections at the U of M. This isn't to say that you won't get a job coming out of Madison but is is slightly more difficult. None of her Madison friends found jobs in Wisconsin, they are all either in the Twin Cities or a few in Chicago. Both schools are highly regarded.

As for basketball, Tubby will turn the program around and the Gophers will be mopping the floor with the Badgers in a couple years!! It wasn't that long ago that Wisconsin was the easy win in the Big 10.

[K-Luv]

They are both Big Ten schools, so there is going to be a similar vibe around campus. They are also similar in scope if you compare academics/research as well.

For making friends......I would say that Madison has a more diverse student body, even though U of M-TC is the larger campus. Madison is also a bit more liberal as well.

Winter activities in Madison........I am sure will involve bar stool racing.

The only real difference between the two is that U of M-TC is going to offer tons more in the form of entertainment.

[cbeley]

The only real difference between the two is that U of M-TC is going to offer tons more in the form of entertainment.

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:

Winter activities in Madison........I am sure will involve bar stool racing.

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.