University of Wisconsin-Madison

I took an introductory sociology course where the professor offered a choice: a take-home midterm or participating in the Alternative Spring Break program. I chose the break and spent a week in DC with ten peers who became close friends. We volunteered during the day, did group activities in the evenings, and went to 18+ clubs until early morning. It was an unforgettable experience that created lasting memories.

I've had great experiences with health services at UW-Madison. I usually see my PCP within 3 days, and if I'm sick, I get a same-day appointment. The longest wait for a specialist when I needed immediate care was also short. I never have to use urgent care. Overall, the medical support is excellent.

Volunteering at St. Mary's Hospital during my pre-med years was incredible. Working night shifts in the ER, I saw a wide range of patients and procedures. Beyond turning over rooms, I shadowed staff, reviewed charts and x-rays, and even helped stitch someone up with consent. The hands-on experience and mentorship were invaluable for my medical aspirations.

Madison has a really vibrant LGBTQ culture, which I appreciate a lot. The police here are okay—they'll respect you and listen if you need them, but they're not as friendly as I'd like. Overall, the city itself is great if you're looking for an inclusive atmosphere.

I've found UWPD to be a professional and LGBTQ+ friendly police organization. They even have an officer dedicated to working with campus LGBTQ+ groups. One advantage of the US policing system is that agencies can adapt to their community's needs. UWPD is a good example, focusing on issues that larger departments might not prioritize. And yes, they are real police with full authority.

Even if your credits don't eliminate any requirements, they still boost your class scheduling priority. With enough credits, you can pick classes alongside sophomores, snagging any freshman class you want. This let me avoid early morning lectures and plan my entire four-year schedule perfectly. I highly recommend sitting down and mapping out your whole undergrad schedule to make the most of this advantage.

I went to UW Platteville Baraboo Sauk County and it was one of the best decisions. Small classes, great instructors, and a cool town. It saved me a ton of money compared to starting at Madison, and with good grades, I got a guaranteed transfer to UW-Madison. A smart path if you want to save money and still end up at a top university.

It's important that party-goers are also academically capable. At UW-Madison, we definitely party hard, but in my experience, Badgers are doing very well academically too. It's a great mix of fun and seriousness.

The estimated total cost is around $50k per year, so a 1.5-year program would be about $75k. Career fairs are mostly local companies with few big names, and since they don't sponsor visas for international students, they aren't very helpful. Given the tough job market, be prepared to manage your finances carefully.

I used Quartz for mental health care and it didn't go well. They seemed more interested in diagnosing rare conditions instead of addressing the common issues I'd been dealing with for years. It felt like they were overcomplicating things instead of listening to my history. Definitely not the supportive experience I was hoping for.

The Madison Police are racist and useless, more focused on busting underage drinking than actual safety. UW Police are a bit better and seem to care about student wellbeing, but overall, if you're white-presenting, you'll likely have no issues. The safety climate here is pretty frustrating.

If you already have the credits, skip Physics 201. The class has hundreds of students and feels like a streamlined factory. You're mostly self-studying, and as an ECE major, the content doesn't even connect to Physics 202, which you actually need.

As an international student from England and Russia, my experience with UWPD hasn't been great. A few months ago, a squad car flew through the crosswalk near Memorial Union without lights on and almost hit me. The officer then yelled at me to yield. I considered filing a complaint, but they wanted my address, and given the current climate, I'm not comfortable giving that to law enforcement. This left a sour taste.

I've had some professors who go completely off the books with their own grading and submission systems. They either ignore Canvas entirely or use it in weird ways, which ends up being a confusing mess that stresses everyone out.