University of Wisconsin-Madison Top Questions

Describe the students at your school.

Felicia

I had many classmates at the University of WIsonsin - Madison, some of which I didn't know at all and others who I became incredibly close with over my time there. Classmates who I did build relationships with have become lasting friends. They advise me in my work and also comfort me in my times of need. They are there for me at the best of times and happy for my successes and help me through my failures. My classmates form Madison are without a doubt some of the most supportive and inspirational people I know.

Sara

My classmates were motivated, diligent, and extremely fun!

Rachel

Smart, considerate, and intense, but in a good way.

Jonathan

Students at UW Madison are well known for doing volunteer work, creating extra-curriculars, achieving academically, and just being accepting to everyone in general.

Jelan

My classmates are engaging, community-oriented, diligent individuals who realize their dreams to solve others' problems.

Alex

It's unfair to try and describe 30,000 different people in a few sentences. There's tremendous diversity at Wisconsin (as is evidenced by the sheer number of organizations and majors). I think it's true that most people enjoy sports and are very motivated academically. I'd also say that most people are pretty social, good-looking, and outgoing. I think there are a lot of really well-rounded people at Wisconsin.

Alex

It's unfair to try and describe 30,000 different people in a few sentences. There's tremendous diversity at Wisconsin (as is evidenced by the sheer number of organizations and majors). I think it's true that most people enjoy sports and are very motivated academically. I'd also say that most people are pretty social, good-looking, and outgoing. I think there are a lot of really well-rounded people at Wisconsin.

Kaleigh

They spend a lot of time partying but at the same time balance time for school and are very dedicated to their studies.

Jake

We're pretty much awesome. You don't need me to tell you, just ask any Badger, former or current!

Dana

My classmates are intellectually gifted and can be described as workaholics.

Carolyn

My classmates were focused on achieving the best education and were committed to excellence.

Dalal

Very friendly, yet competitive

Jessica

I do not have very much experience with racial, LGBT, or socio-economic groups on campus, but the University of Wisconsin-Madison has some of the most accepting students I've ever seen. I am extremely involved with several programs at my church, as I am a devout Catholic. Whenever I bring up any of these activities, students, no matter what their beliefs or religious affiliations, are always interested in what I'm doing and willing to listen to me talk about them. Therefore, I'm not sure that many students would feel left out here, especially since it is such a large and diverse campus. There is not one typical type of clothing people wear to class, or one way that students interact. Diversity is welcome on campus, and everyone is different. Most students are from the Midwest, but there are also an abundance of students from the Asian countries. I would say that most students come from mid- and upper- class families, but financial backgrounds are also diverse here. Students are extremely politically aware and active, as campus is just a few blocks from the state capitol. With the new reform bill being passed in Wisconsin, many students are getting involved in politics. The majority of students on campus lean towards the liberal spectrum of politics. However, being a republican, I know full well that is easy (although not always acceptable) to voice my own opinions.

Kaitlyn

Madison is full of very diverse people. It is one of my favorite things about the city! There is a club for just about anything, and you can even start your own organization! I recommend living in the dorms during your first year. It exposes you to people from all different backgrounds and there are always activities where you can interact with new people.

Gabriel

Highly dynamic and well rounded.

Luke

My classmates are a diverse group of students. There are people from social, ethnic, and religious groups that I never had the opportunity to meet before going to college. However there are some common qualities. Everyone I have meet are hightly intellegent, creative, and motivated. Personalities range from highly social to individuals who are more reserved. Personally, I spent the Friday of the halloween weekend committing to the 10 hour Lord of the Rings movie marathon.

Emily

The students at UW Madison are extremely diverse. There is an opportunity for every single person to voice their opinions or find similar people that share the same interests, religion, values, etc. There is an incredible amount of student organizations that target almost every interest, and if you don't see something that appeals to you, you can simply create your own. Since Madison is the state capitol, the campus is very politically aware and involved, and you can find a student from almost every different political view on campus. Students from all over the world attend the university, and while many Midwesterners are prevalent, there are so many people from all over the U.S. and rest of the globe that is is standard to ask where someone is from in a first conversation. Madison also has a large study abroad program, so many international students attend the university, and UW students have the opportunity to go to many other places as well. There is an extremely noticeable sense of school pride on campus, and it is so unique because students and staff from everywhere are equally proud of where they come from, and where they have come and now share with so many other people. All different backgrounds are present at Madison, but it seems as though the commonality of being a student here breaks down barriers and provides a fresh start for many students to meet new people, and learn from others. Instead of the clique- feel of high school where people of similar standing travel in groups, it is much more accepted for different people to interact together in college. In fact, its almost expected because most people are very welcoming and want to meet new people just like you do. And if not, there are so many people to choose from that you are guaranteed to make friends if you make an effort. One other thing that I secretly love about college is the diverse style of the students. So many different people have different styles of clothing and presentation that it is somewhat fascinating just to watch all the different students and how their dress portrays themselves or how you can steal some great style ideas from them. Otherwise you can never go wrong with some Badger clothing because everyone owns some sort of Wisconsin apparel, and you can be sure to spot many students each day sporting their school pride.

Laura

They are social, curious, competitive, and avid learners.

Kelly

Madison is a very inclusive school, having 40,000 students, it has to be. No matter what your race, religion, or sexual orientation, there will be a group for you. Madison is generally considered a very liberal university, so I think it's more accepting of diversity than a lot of other schools. Most of the students are from the Midwest, and most are solidly middle-class. However, students from all 50 states and nearly every country attend Madison, and they tend to group together based on that.

Jared

Regarding student diversity: if you are looking for diversity at your university, this school may not be for you. There are a TON of white people at the University of Wisconsin. With that said, there are student organizations (black student union, multicultural learning center, hispanic/black fraternities/sororities) to help minority students feel at home. Religious diversity is also negligible. The school is mostly Christian; however UW is 14{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} Jewish and there is a small, but active, muslim student population. To describe the average UW Madison student would be very difficult despite this lack of diversity. The political slant of the University is DEFINITELY left, but there are plenty of active Republicans to go around. The economic backgrounds vary from need-based scholarship to super-rich out-of-stator. The unofficial uniform of the UW student is none other than anything with Bucky on it and sweats. One controversy that does divide the student body (kind of) is the Sconnie (Native Wisconsinites) vs. Coastie (From the East Coast ). It does exist, but honestly, people from Wisconsin are, on the whole, WAY too nice to acknowledge this rivalry as anything but just fun. It's not something to worry about.

Samuel

I have heard Madison described as "a liberal bastion in the conservative sea of backcountry Wisconsin", and I would have to generally agree with this description. This means that Madison is extremely welcoming of all races, sexual orientations, etc. It also means, however, that the political tirades can get a bit overwhelming after 4 years. Even as a moderate liberal myself, I sometimes grow weary of all the noise (but for those interested in political action or making a difference, this is the place to be). It is possible to somewhat remove yourself from this world anyways. Football and Frats serve as obvious counterexamples, and both cultures are strong at UW-Madison. There are also plenty of conservative students from small towns sprinkled throughout Wisconsin, and almost half the freshmen in my dorm were from my native state of Minnesota (a remarkably different culture from the Wisconsin kids).

Julia

I live in Chadbourne Residential College, a dorm that is highly aware of the cultural and identity issues facing adolescents during the college years. LGBTQ has weekly meetings on all the floors, students can form sponsored groups based on mutual culture or interests, and there are even AA meetings every week. I cannot imagine a student feeling out of place once they have fully surveyed the many opportunities available. Many applicants just see a predominantly Caucasian party school, but it is a gross injustice to limit Madison in that way. I myself am involved in a rock band that plays on the terrace, the University Concert Band, board game clubs, activist groups, and feel a strong sense of community with students from many other scenes. It must be said that students and teachers at Madison are pretty much "to the left of the salad fork" in their political views. However, I consider myself a moderate Republican and often find that my views are heard and respected. The right-wing advocates primarily congregate in the business school and talk about how much their salaries will be and where they will summer. It's winter at the moment, so if I were to walk down the street I would most likely see a lot of NorthFace jackets, black leggings, and knockoff Ugg boots. As for the guys, there really is no mold that I have noticed. Anything from black-rimmed hipster glasses to UW jock apparel is common. Having said this, all forms of dress are accepted because really, nobody cares how you dress. They care how you act and what comes out of your mouth. Just last week I saw a music class parading down the street in colorful kimonos doing some sort of chant.

Samantha

The University is so big and so diverse with thousands of different and unique students. There are hundreds of student organizations from sports, to film, to student political groups and activation groups. There really are so many groups to become a part of, or not to become a part of if you do not want to. THere is no pressure to join a group or stay in a group as well which is important. There are plenty of different sororities and fraternities on campus and some are centered around specific majors, religions or just social views in general. It is very hard to feel out of place here because there are literally thousands of students around campus and not everyone is the same. It is important to follow who you are and find people who share similar interests as you do however, it is also important to find what interests you and don't be afraid to try something new.

Brock

There is really no way you can make a generalization about a student body of 40,000 people. Which I suppose is kind of the best way to describe it-- there's a little of everything. There are a ton of really awesome people, ambitious and decent human beings, but there are going to be people you strongly dislike, as will happen with any sample of 40,000 people. You really choose who you surround yourself with. Madison tends to be more leftist politically than the general population, but there is certainly no shortage of Republican voices on campus. I would say, as the general vibe of campus places goes, it is pretty relaxed. Maybe it's just that midwest politeness, but I always sensed very little animosity between groups. You would think that, for example, the hipster/bohemian liberal arts students would butt heads with the career-minded, wear-a-tie-to-class business majors, but I never really got the feeling that anybody took that sort of thing too much to heart. Don't get me wrong, different groups like that would definitely keep to themselves for the most part, but I just don't think people were prone to making suspicions about a person's character based on superficial, social-status-type things like that. I don't know how unique this is to Madison, I feel like it's more of a generational thing. I should also say, the general culture really breeds ambition. If you aren't in 3 student organizations with a part-time job, you feel like a bit of a slacker. Everybody sets huge expectations for themselves, which can be kind of overwhelming, but ultimately is a cool thing to be a part of.

Winnie

My campus is a diverse community. Although the major group is white, students do respect each other. There is no emphasis or discrimination on either race, religion, LGBT, socio-economy or other groups. We also have multi-cultural community, LGBTQ community and other minor communities to serve different groups of people. I would say I feel out of place at this school (just kidding). I don't really think of anyone who feel out of place at this school, because this is really a great campus and most people are friendly. (There are jerks everywhere, just ignore them.) And we have various resources on campus to make you feel at home. Most students wear red during game season. If it's a business school student, you may find him wearing business suits and a red cap :P Most of students are from midwest states except those in communication arts and journlaism majors. Many students came from New York and California to learn communication and journalism. For international students, the majority came from China, Korea and India. We have "Occupy Madison," so you can guess how politically active we are (okay, just 20ish people, but we're confident we'll win). Do students talk about how much they'll earn one day? -They don't talk much, but they keep it in mind.

Katie

My freshman year of college, I had the opportunity to live in the Chadbourne Residential College, which is one of the learning communities on campus. It also happens to be the dorm with the largest number of international students. I honestly do not think I have ever met so many different kinds of people in my life. In a lot of high schools, you see the same kinds of kids everywhere, with everyone breaking off into groups of people who are "like them." In my experience at UW-Madison, this is not the case at all. I don't feel as though any student would feel out of place on this campus. There are numerous student organizations on this campus that include many different cultural groups, religious groups, LGBT groups, sports clubs, etc. Being a scholarship kid myself, I can attest to the fact that there are people on this campus from all different socio-economic backgrounds and I never feel out of place because of it. Because of location, there is a lot of political activism on campus and most students here seem to lean toward the left. One of my favorite things about being a student at UW-Madison is that we have a laid-back atmosphere but there are still things going on constantly. Jeans and sweatshirts are definitely acceptable class attire. But because we have bitter winters here in the Midwest, you'd better bundle up if you're planning to come visit us!

Katie

Students here are the kind of people that you'll want to stay connected to for a lifetime. Because Madison only accepts the best and brightest, you'll be around some of the smartest people you'll ever meet. People are generally friendly, caring, and open, especially freshman year. While the school is largely white, there is still a significant amount of ethnic diversity across campus. Students here are from all kinds of backgrounds- international to Madison natives, low-income to upper-class, politically left-leaning to very conservative. Madison is a notoriously liberal town, and because it is the site of the state capitol political activity is common. That being said, there is definitely a place for conservative ideologies among the student body. Because of the diversity on campus, people have all different types of goals for their future- some are here just to learn, some have a career in mind, and some are very driven to reach a specific career or life goal. Overall, the student body is open to different lifestyles (LGBT, racial diversity, etc) and you would be hard-pressed to not find at least one other student who likes the same things that you do.

Meredith

I feel UW-Madison has very diverse students. We have a large LGBT community and club. There is a rather large population of Chicago and East coast kids along with Minnesota and Wisconsin kids. Consequently, a majority of the student population is caucasian/ white. I think a majority of the student population are from middle class socio-economic standards. Most kids fall in engineering/biology fields or the humanities.

Lydia

This campus is so large it has a remarkable mix of people. I have found myself in personal connection with many of the richly diverse groups on campus, loving hip hop and salsa dancing and having been a study abroad student. This campus is so large and racially diverse, and it is enmeshed in a very accepting, liberal community. The LBGTQA community is present and accepted in the greater Madison area as well as the campus here. Also, there is a wide variety of socio-economic groups on campus. All this along with students from all over the nation as well as a large population of international students.

Jess

Students are, as a whole, pretty liberal here. It's not very racially diverse - we're in the middle of the Midwest. Farmer country. There's two groups of people: Sconnies (other midwesterners are lumped in this category) and Coasties (that is, people from the East and West coasts). Coasties are generally richer, and get better apartments and clothes and stuff, but that's basically the only difference. Oh, and they can't stand the cold as well. The LGBT community is pretty active here. I know of at least 4 different groups geared towards that community. Anyone who takes strongly against that would probably feel out of place here. The LGBT people are loud and proud. I feel as though all types of students interact. It all depends on who you meet. The science and humanities buildings are in different parts of campus though, so it might be harder for two people from those majors to meet. On the whole, I feel like Madison is a pretty accepting place.

Rayna

Madison is an extremely liberal, politically active, and arts-based city. The Union Film Committee created Madison's first ever LGBT film festival, called Reel Love, this year, to great success. We've got a program called First Wave which is for under-privileged kids who couldn't afford to attend UW-M who receive scholarships to complete a program that focuses on slam poetry, dance, and creating art. The whole spectrum of religious groups are represented on campus. Tonight I'm going to a debate between Badger Catholic and UW Atheists, Humanists, and Agnostics. A large majority of students are from WIsconsin, Minnesota, or Illinois, but there is a significant out of state population (I'm from Ohio). One of the things I love most about my school is just how cool the people are. There is a welcoming group for anyone, from Super Smash Bros. club to Student Government.

Brinae

UW prides itself on being a very diverse school. We have students from all different backgrounds, countries, religions, races, sexual orientations, and gender identifications. That being said, the majority of students tend to be white and middle-class, and usually politically liberal. However, Madison is really good for students looking to get involved in political and social justice issues. There is a great dialogue on campus on a wide variety of issues that affect our community at Madison, as well as the world at large. There are many groups for people of all religions, races, political beliefs, etc, which helps students find others who share their views, interests, and backgrounds. You can find all kinds of people at UW, and not one description can describe the entire student body, or even a large portion of them. The one type of student I don't see much, nor would I recommend come to UW are physically disabled students. The campus is very hilly and although it tries to be accessible to everyone, even able-bodied students complain about having to get to classes at the top of Bascom hill.

Brinae

UW prides itself on being a very diverse school. We have students from all different backgrounds, countries, religions, races, sexual orientations, and gender identifications. That being said, the majority of students tend to be white and middle-class, and usually politically liberal. However, Madison is really good for students looking to get involved in political and social justice issues. There is a great dialogue on campus on a wide variety of issues that affect our community at Madison, as well as the world at large. There are many groups for people of all religions, races, political beliefs, etc, which helps students find others who share their views, interests, and backgrounds. You can find all kinds of people at UW, and not one description can describe the entire student body, or even a large portion of them.

Julia

The academics here are rigorous but you leave each class truly learning a great deal. My favorite class so far has been History 120, or Modern European History from 1815 On. It gave an in depth look at the events that shaped Europe and has given me great insight into the continent both in the past and also has influenced how I understand it today (European politics and events have become fascinating to me now). While I am an English major and love studying that field, I enjoy taking a diverse range of electives such as this history class and find them just as worth-while as the classes I'm taking for my major. Students here study ALL the time. It's not uncommon to find people in the library at 3 or 4 in the morning. Students' dedication here is admirable, and with it comes a sense of competitiveness. Everyone studying here is striving for their best, and it shows. People here excited to learn, and I often have my friends sending me links about things they're learning or telling me about projects/experiments/studies they're conducting. Not only is it great that they're excited about learning, but it keeps me motivated too. In large classes, the professor won't know your name unless you introduce yourself. But that is not to say that they do not care about each student--they do, but its impossible to get to know 300 new students every semester. Class participation is common, although there is the occasional silence when the class is asked a question. One thing I especially like that a good deal of my professors and TA's have been doing recently is connecting what we are learning or discussing to the real world. Applying what seems to be just "material" to real life provides a good context and shows that what we're studying really matters! The education at this university is geared in equal parts to getting a job and for learning for the sake of it--people here are realists and know that everyone is going to need a job in life, but they also understand that learning can (and should) be engaging and rewarding. It's a great balance and I believe every university should be this way. It makes for the best experience.

Julia

The academics here are rigorous but you leave each class truly learning a great deal. My favorite class so far has been History 120, or Modern European History from 1815 On. It gave an in depth look at the events that shaped Europe and has given me great insight into the continent both in the past and also has influenced how I understand it today (European politics and events have become fascinating to me now). While I am an English major and love studying that field, I enjoy taking a diverse range of electives such as this history class and find them just as worth-while as the classes I'm taking for my major. Students here study ALL the time. It's not uncommon to find people in the library at 3 or 4 in the morning. Students' dedication here is admirable, and with it comes a sense of competitiveness. Everyone studying here is striving for their best, and it shows. People here excited to learn, and I often have my friends sending me links about things they're learning or telling me about projects/experiments/studies they're conducting. Not only is it great that they're excited about learning, but it keeps me motivated too. In large classes, the professor won't know your name unless you introduce yourself. But that is not to say that they do not care about each student--they do, but its impossible to get to know 300 new students every semester. Class participation is common, although there is the occasional silence when the class is asked a question. One thing I especially like that a good deal of my professors and TA's have been doing recently is connecting what we are learning or discussing to the real world. Applying what seems to be just "material" to real life provides a good context and shows that what we're studying really matters! The education at this university is geared in equal parts to getting a job and for learning for the sake of it--people here are realists and know that everyone is going to need a job in life, but they also understand that learning can (and should) be engaging and rewarding. It's a great balance and I believe every university should be this way. It makes for the best experience.

Matt

When teens discuss their college searches in my presence, I always say, "You can make a big school a small school, you can't make a small school a big school". No matter what type of social experience you're looking for, you can find it in Madison. One thing that applies to all Badgers is that we are fiercely proud to be Badgers; just check out Camp Randall on game-day and you'll understand. I've found myself seamlessly moving out of the Coastie sphere, into the Sconnie sphere. Different types of people for sure, but we all get along all right. As far as dress, you get everything from the kid that wears sweats every day to the dude who looks like he stepped out of a GQ article about business casual. Our student organizations are countless and very well organized. It is a great way to find the right crew. Financially, the coasties and out of staters tend to be wealthier, while the Sconnies are largely middle class. However, regardless of where you came from, if you're at Wisconsin, you know you're on a massive island of Democratic Blue smack in the middle of a sea of Republican Red. When Obama visited Madison on the campaign trail, the line to get into to see his speech was literally a mile long. 10,000 were allowed in, more than twice that many people were shut out (I cut the line and got in). This being the situation, this school is devoid of racial and sexual prejudice. I've yet to see a situation arise out of these issues -- it is very much a non-issue.

Alissa

The UW-Madison campus is very diverse. I have met people from India, Russia, Mexico, Venezuela, etc. Based on everything I’ve seen, everyone is accepted here. People love to ask questions about the countries the international students are from. It really is a great way to learn about other countries. I think different types of students definitely interact here. I have become friends with the type of people who never would have talked to me in high school. That sort of clique stigma is not as dominant as it was in high school.

Danielle

The cultural hybridity at this University is most likely unparalleled by most others. There are many groups from many different backgrounds and they all interact with each other.The most prevalent groups on campus are the LGBT, religious groups, and probably the "Coasties." In terms of class-day apparel, think comfortable clothing, which oftentimes has to be warm! Its okay to end up wearing sweatpants and an over-sized sweatshirt to class, because that's what most students do anyway! There are so many students that focus so much of their time on their school work and academics that they just happen to try a little less with their image during class time. Don't be surprised if you see students who look like they spent all morning getting prepared, though! It all depends on their individual schedules. If you don't start class until noon three days a week, you're more likely to have more time to spend on yourself than those who start class at 7:45 a.m. The students are definitely politically active in the campus community. There are many clubs and organizations dedicated to spreading the word about everything from the presidential elections to the additions being made to the Memorial Union. The fact is, the ideals on campus are too diverse to label, but I would say that there is a predominance of liberal students on campus, but it could also just be that the Democrats are more outspoken than the Republicans, but any way you spin it, there is room for every belief system, political system, and social system at Madison!

Katie

My freshman year of college, I had the opportunity to live in the Chadbourne Residential College, which is one of the learning communities on campus. It also happens to be the dorm with the largest number of international students. I honestly do not think I have ever met so many different kinds of people in my life. In a lot of high schools, you see the same kinds of kids everywhere, with everyone breaking off into groups of people who are "like them." In my experience at UW-Madison, this is not the case at all. I don't feel as though any student would feel out of place on this campus. There are numerous student organizations on this campus that include many different cultural groups, religious groups, LGBT groups, sports clubs, etc. Being a scholarship kid myself, I can attest to the fact that there are people on this campus from all different socio-economic backgrounds and I never feel out of place because of it. Because of location, there is a lot of political activism on campus and most students here seem to lean toward the left. One of my favorite things about being a student at UW-Madison is that we have a laid-back atmosphere but there are still things going on constantly. Jeans and sweatshirts are definitely acceptable class attire. But because we have bitter winters here in the Midwest, you'd better bundle up if you're planning to come visit us!

Michael

From my experience, my dominant ethnic group at UW is white. There are efforts at the school to diversify the campus, and taking a diversity course actually is required. I wouldn't say that many students feel out of place here, as UW tends to be a very open minded school when it comes to accepting people's differences. Most students seem to be Christian, but the intelectual nature of the school does lend itself at times towards agnosticism and atheism. The one thing that UW seems to be very adamant about is its liberalism. The College Democrats have a very strong and present image on campus, while there is little to no conservative presence on campus. The professors tend to be liberal, but they very rarely express their political views. During the February protests, the vast majority of students were on the protestors' side, but I actually only had one professor mention anything about the protests at all. I think that this is a good indicator of the pedagogy at the school. Despite the professors' views, they do tend to keep things neutral.

Danielle

Honestly, I live off campus and have had very little in reguards to social opportunities on campus so far. Those students that I have met have been fairly traditional in their belief systems (exept those who weren't), very kind, helpful, but honestly also a bit spoiled....

Laura

Most of my classmates have been very enthusiastic and eager to learn.

Keri

My classmates were hardworking, reflective practitioners who also knew how to have fun. We were active, social, and took time to read and study for class. My friends were diverse in their thinking, their interests, and where they came from. I am blessed to continue many of these lasting friendships to this day.

Kyle

Most students here are very diverse fun group of people with a wide range of interests and hobbies who are very dedicated and passionate about receiving their degree at Madison.

Miriam

Outgoing, smart, ambitious, athletic, spirited, partiers, driven, down-to-earth, fun.

Hannah

My classmates are outgoing, bright, insightful, inspiring, and vivacious young people, who are exciting to study and socialize with on a daily basis.

Sarah

Classmates are very competitive yet easy to talk to depending on the major. Being an HDFS major, a lot of my major-related courses are small with a "family-like" feel, thus making my classmates enjoyable and relatable. However, for big classes, a lot of classmates tend to keep to themselves, going to class with no desire to get to know classmates.

Nancy

Diverse and intelligent

Walter

The classmates that I have experienced have been great. When I first arrived on campus and entered some classes, I was the only Black in a few of my classes, and it caused me to feel out of place. After time had went on, I began to get use to being the only Black in the class and my classmates were receptive to me and didn't treat me any different because of my skin color. In some situation when a conversation is revolved around African Americans, everyine looks for me to ansewer the questions, but they're great people.

Emily

People here are smart but laid back. There is a club for everyone and everything.