Anyone from Wisconsin?

[tahoetahoe]

Victor--
I am in Cali now, but I was born and raised in a suburb of Milwaukee and I went to UG at UW-Madison.  I have to holistically disagree w/ the posts here. 

Madison is left-leaning.  However, like all places that had hippie movements, it isn't quite as out there as it used to be.  Madison has students from all over the country.  You'll experience an interesting hodge podge of Midwestern folk, East Coast princesses and West Coast hippies.  With faculty, grad students and UGs totaling over 80,000, I guarantee, no matter what type of person you are, you will find people you love.  I absolutely love Madison and most people who visit do as well.  There is sooooooo much to do there if you explore even a little bit.  From cigar bars to jazz clubs to South American restaurants...it's there if you know how to find it.  They have a great network of bike trails over the entire city which is good for rollerblading or running as well.  People are really involved in campus activities and if you have a cause, you'll definitely have 20 others to join ya.

With that said, regarding the racism...there are a solid # of folks that are from the Midwest.  I would say that you're not going to experience a lot of racism at a large university campus.  However, because it is in the Midwest, diversity can be lacking.  One of my best friends in UG actually headed up the multicultural organization because he wanted to have a prominent role in bringing more diversity and greater understanding to the Midwestern campus.  The school itself still recognizes this as a weak area and understands that they need to improve their recruting of non-whites.  I know for my friend, who is Indian, it was sometimes hard for him to not be around a diverse crowd sometimes...he took a proactive approach though and ended up living in Madison 3 years after a 5 year undergrad.

Milwaukee: Definitely more blue-collar.  However, you'll be on a university campus if you go to Marquette.  Waterstreet can be a good place to experience culture.  There are large parks and great festivals in the summer, especially Summerfest which is a musical extravaganza.  I could have gone to Marquette, but Madison is a much better school and is a much better town.

If you have any other questions, I would be happy to answer them.  I have been to a lot of university campuses.  For me, nothing compares to Madison in terms of the feel/size/& culture.  I loved it.

[Victor]

Victor--
I am in Cali now, but I was born and raised in a suburb of Milwaukee and I went to UG at UW-Madison.  I have to holistically disagree w/ the posts here. 

Madison is left-leaning.  However, like all places that had hippie movements, it isn't quite as out there as it used to be.  Madison has students from all over the country.  You'll experience an interesting hodge podge of Midwestern folk, East Coast princesses and West Coast hippies.  With faculty, grad students and UGs totaling over 80,000, I guarantee, no matter what type of person you are, you will find people you love.  I absolutely love Madison and most people who visit do as well.  There is sooooooo much to do there if you explore even a little bit.  From cigar bars to jazz clubs to South American restaurants...it's there if you know how to find it.  They have a great network of bike trails over the entire city which is good for rollerblading or running as well.  People are really involved in campus activities and if you have a cause, you'll definitely have 20 others to join ya.

With that said, regarding the racism...there are a solid # of folks that are from the Midwest.  I would say that you're not going to experience a lot of racism at a large university campus.  However, because it is in the Midwest, diversity can be lacking.  One of my best friends in UG actually headed up the multicultural organization because he wanted to have a prominent role in bringing more diversity and greater understanding to the Midwestern campus.  The school itself still recognizes this as a weak area and understands that they need to improve their recruting of non-whites.  I know for my friend, who is Indian, it was sometimes hard for him to not be around a diverse crowd sometimes...he took a proactive approach though and ended up living in Madison 3 years after a 5 year undergrad.

Milwaukee: Definitely more blue-collar.  However, you'll be on a university campus if you go to Marquette.  Waterstreet can be a good place to experience culture.  There are large parks and great festivals in the summer, especially Summerfest which is a musical extravaganza.  I could have gone to Marquette, but Madison is a much better school and is a much better town.

If you have any other questions, I would be happy to answer them.  I have been to a lot of university campuses.  For me, nothing compares to Madison in terms of the feel/size/& culture.  I loved it.

Why did you move to Cali? Wisconsin too cold for you? haha . .


The undergrad school of U of Wisconsin is next to their lawschool? If so that means I have to find out more info about the undergrad school . . . like is it a party school?

BTW, thanx for the info.

[tahoetahoe]

"Why did you move to Cali? Wisconsin too cold for you? haha . .


The undergrad school of U of Wisconsin is next to their lawschool? If so that means I have to find out more info about the undergrad school . . . like is it a party school?"

I moved to Cali for a job and now I am going to law school here...even left the fam...

I would suggest looking at a map of the campus online...that will help you picture it a lot.  The law school is smack in the middle of anything.  The libary is newly renovated...actually while I went to UG.  Many of the facilities are updated as well.  I love the feel of the libary.  You sit in this really huge, open-aired room and can look over Bascom Hill...the large but beautiful campus hill.  The building is right next to the Botany/Ecology building and Music Hall.  Across the way is the Geography/Environmental Studies building where I always was and the Education building.  You're right in the middle of everything.

Party school?  Yeah.  No one drinks like they do at Madison.  Again, though if that is not your scene, there are also a lot of people that don't party.  A lot of everything.  I drank like a fish personally...I found it a blast.  Just be careful though...a lot of people who aren't used to that can really mess up their studies.  I worked w/ a Botany PhD student for awhile and she went to UG in Virginia and grad school at Madison...she really started drinking a lot and had to adjust.

I personally loved it though...put it this way...UW - Madison's student union is the 2nd largest beer vendor in the country...next to the Brewer stadium in Milwaukee.  A state of alcoholics.

[trinityx90]

Upon reading the many posts at this site I figured its about time to chyme in, especially when to my delight someone is asking about Wisconsin.  I've lived in wisconsin all my life (that being 24 yrs.) and was born in a  town of about 20K called Wisconsin Rapids (smack in the middle of the state).  I am currently a Philos & Finance major at UW-Madison, and I am writting this post at one of the more popular libraries (Memorial library).

First off let me say that 'tahoetahoe' has painted a well representitive picture for you.  Madison is a place that allows you to be any person you want to be.  There is something for everyone no matter what race or color.  That being said, I do feel the campus could benefit from a larger infusion of diversity.  I believe the largest minority are of Asian decent (on campus).

There is no doubt a strong representation of East coast people on campus, (Boston, D.C., NY etc.) and a well deserved portion from the west coast.  (albiet quite small in comparison to the former).  The remainder of students are from the Chicago suburbs, and throughout the midwest.  I remember looking at UW-Madison's admission policy a while back and seeing that the majority of people admitted are Wisconsinites, which I believe to be true, however I have met very few people actually from the state (born in wisconsin).  This may of course be because I live on 'fraternity' lane (Langdon St.) and a large majority are of affluent upbringings (largly from the East coast).

There is no doubt Wisconsin in general likes to drink...and drink...and drink.  Growing up in a small (very blue collar) town, I thought it was customary for people to evolve their lives around the bottle.  EVERY event that I ever went to as a child, and still today, has an implicit theme of alcholol.  It was only after traveling substantially that I began to realize how truly unique Wisconsin is in regards to drinking alcholol.  So if your asking if the party scene is alive at UW-Madison, I will confirm that it is alive and well. 
That being said, there are no doubt tons of other activities to enjoy if drinking is not your thing.

Madison as a city, is a wonderful place to be.  The city has a larger than life feel, and is very well off.  I think one of the most unique aspects about Madison (and its been said many times) is that you get an urban, new age atmosphere, in what feels like your local neighborhood.  There is literally no place in Madison that I do not feel welcome.  This is a unique aspect about the city and I would not hesitate to say most people would agree. 

Now let me tell you a bit about the people outside Madison.  Wisconsinites in general are very hard working people and enjoy the company of interesting and honest people.  Whilist I cannot deny there are places in Wisconsin where outsiders are not quite as welcomed by certain people, attitude has a lot to do with how you will be treated.  I know I'm making sweeping generalizations here but I think the major reserve Wisconsinites have are for affluent people who don't show those who are not as well off any respect.  There is a bit of polarization (especially in the centeral/northern parts of wisconsin) were mainly during the summer months (june,july,aug.) the state sees a large number of Chicago suberbanites visiting their summer homes/cabins and this can bring about the problem of white collar vs. blue collar.

Madison as a city is no doubt different and I would say not very representitive of the state as a whole (mainly due to the intelect of the campus). and the rest of the state knows this.  Madison is seen by the rest of the state's population as a very intellegent and liberal place to live.  I've attended classes at a number of Universities in WI, and I will say hands down, there is no other university that has challanged me more, or has increased my ability more so than at Madison. 

As for Milwaukee, I went to summer school at the UW-M but I have never stepped a foot on the Marquette campus.  Milwaukee will obviously be a more urban atmosphere than Madison and diverstiy among cultures will be more prevelant, however I got the feeling of polarization among cultures, much more so than anywhere else in Wisconsin.  I can't say too much about Milwaukee in the way of things that attract me to the city.  Whenever I needed something that I could not get in Madison I go to Chicago.  I would not say Milwaukee is anyware near the condition of say a Gary IN or Flint MI, however Milwaukee is certainly a working city.

I hope this post helps.  I am obviously in favor of Madison as a school to attend (if you have your choice of the two Mad. vs. Mqt) and I absolutely love it here.  I hope I didn't make Milwaukee sound like a bad place to attend school because it is a very friendly place to be as well, however I feel it dosen't compare to Madison in terms of things to do (State St. speaks for itself) or intelect.

If I can answer any other questions you may have please ask. 

Take Care
BM. 

 

[Victor]

Thanx for the info trinityx90. I dont drink though, so if I go to U of Wis I wont partake in the keg parties