University of Wisconsin-Madison Top Questions

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

Very friendly, yet competitive

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.

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.

Highly dynamic and well rounded.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.