College- Going to Madison!

[T B0NE 10]

I just got back from my UW-La Crosse visit. I guess I liked it. I really don't have much to compare it too yet. The Rec Sports Gym building or whatever its called is amazing. That really impressed me. If I end up going to UW-L, I think I'd be happy there. They are also building new stadium which is pretty cool.

 

What also impressed me there was their academics, and rankings compared to other UW schools and student success

 

I went to Green Bay on a school field trip a year ago and La Crosse is alot better than UW-GB in my opinion.

 

I'm going to visit UW-Eau Claire next week.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Unless you are an engineer or something, major barely matters.

That is kinda my point. If the major doesn't matter - how much does the degree really matter?

 

I know plenty of individuals who are more intelligent than others with a degree. When in doubt, it is always better to be "certified" in something. (Engineer, Doctor, Lawyer, Teacher, Nurse, CPA etc.)

 

To me, a general education in business (ie Marketing) is a waste of money. You would learn more spending 4 years as an intern at a business. However, the rest of the world doesn't always see it that way.

You're right that the major doesn't matter, but the degree certainly does. You're also right that plenty of people without degrees are smarter than those with them ... but for some stupid reason, not having a degree really does close a lot of doors for you. It's easy to be stuck making 22 grand for 15 years without a degree. Some companies just won't hire a guy without a degree. So ... no degree is a waste, IMO. But you can do almost anything with a degree in history, some kind of writing, etc. Companies want good people. They don't really care where the major is. Unless, as you mentioned, we're talking about doctors, lawyers, etc.

 

[OldSchoolSnapper]

I just got back from my UW-La Crosse visit. I guess I liked it. I really don't have much to compare it too yet. The Rec Sports Gym building or whatever its called is amazing. That really impressed me. If I end up going to UW-L, I think I'd be happy there. They are also building new stadium which is pretty cool.

 

What also impressed me there was their academics, and rankings compared to other UW schools and student success

 

I went to Green Bay on a school field trip a year ago and La Crosse is alot better than UW-GB in my opinion.

 

I'm going to visit UW-Eau Claire next week.

UW-Whitewater's athletic buildings blow any UW school's facilities out of the water. I'm talking about the gyms, weight rooms, track, etc., and that includes UW-Madison. I went to UW-W and UW-L and there is no comparison between the two.

 

[bucksandy34]

I saw you are considering Marquette. That is where I go. I'm not sure about the other schools you listed you are interested in, but I know that we have something in Washington, D.C. called the Les Aspin Center where you can go for summer school and I believe an internship is involved. I don't know a whole lot about it, but if you are interested in working in Washington and you haven't looked into the Les Aspin Center you should definitely ask about it on your visit if you are still considering Marquette. Here's the link http://www.marquette.edu/aspin/index.shtml Also, my friend from down the hall was on the club baseball team. I think the farthest they traveled was Iowa. I don't think it was a huge time commitment, and I think it was pretty laid back. I'm not too positive about that either though since I didn't do it. Anyway, good luck in your searching.

[T B0NE 10]

I saw you are considering Marquette. That is where I go. I'm not sure about the other schools you listed you are interested in, but I know that we have something in Washington, D.C. called the Les Aspin Center where you can go for summer school and I believe an internship is involved. I don't know a whole lot about it, but if you are interested in working in Washington and you haven't looked into the Les Aspin Center you should definitely ask about it on your visit if you are still considering Marquette. Here's the link http://www.marquette.edu/aspin/index.shtml Also, my friend from down the hall was on the club baseball team. I think the farthest they traveled was Iowa. I don't think it was a huge time commitment, and I think it was pretty laid back. I'm not too positive about that either though since I didn't do it. Anyway, good luck in your searching.

Yeah I'm very interested in Marquette. But what about the $ there. I heard its around 30,000 a year. Is the financial aid generous? Because if it is and the cost is reasonable, Marquette will be my top option. If you could give me any information financial wise that would be great

I mean I come from an average family, just going to college at a UW is going to strain my parents even though they aren't going to be helping out that much anyways. Please help thanks.

 

[ewizabeff]

T Bone-

 

I just stumbled upon this thread. It seems like a lot of people are being hard on you. You're not too far behind the curve, unless you're trying to get in to a very competitive school. A 27 on the ACT and a GPA above 3.0 will get you into pretty much any UW school except Madison (and it doesn't necessarily exclude Madison, they're just tougher). I had a 29 on my ACT, a 3.9 GPA in high school, and a crappy guidance counselor, and I didn't apply to any school until February of my senior year. That's pretty late, and I wouldn't recommend it, but I graduated in 4 years, have a good job at UW-Milwaukee, and I will have my masters from Marquette in May. My tuition was cheap (UWSP), and I got a "general" degree (communication), but I firmly believe your marketability after college greatly depends on what you do to develop yourself as a person/leader while you're there. Join organizations, play sports, take leadership roles, form strong relationships with professors, etc.

 

I grew up in Wisconsin Rapids and went to school in Stevens Point and really liked it. It was far enough away that I didn't feel like I was at home, but close enough that mom could come and take me out to lunch or dinner when $$ was tight. They have a decent baseball program, and since they're D3 I doubt anyone is on scholarship, so you could talk to the athletic department about trying out. I loved Stevens Point. For a D3 team, their athletics had a lot going on. I believe one winter we were men's and women's hockey national champs, as well as men's or women's basketball.

 

My experience at Marquette is very different because I'm a graduate student, but I was amazed at the difference between a public and private school. Not sure what kind of high school you're in, but I'm pretty sure I would take the public school route at any point in my education if given the choice, just because it's what I'm used to.

[Chio151]

To me, a general education in business (ie Marketing) is a waste of money. You would learn more spending 4 years as an intern at a business. However, the rest of the world doesn't always see it that way.

I get your point, but there are few things that have a better return on investment than a degree from a public university. The salary difference is proven data. It's not the only path, or even the best sometimes, but it is proven.

 

Ultimately though, your success is driven by your desire to work.

 

[Menotti80]

Financial Aid at Marquette was good enough to make me choose MU over UW Madison (coupled with their engineering co-op program)

 

When I was at MU, Tuition was around $26K a year. Just applying for the Ignatius Academic Scholorship alone can easily get you anywhere from $6K to $12K a year, bringing down the cost a decent amount.

[Chio151]

Military (I appreciate the great country I live in and sometimes I feel I could regret not joining in the future. But I don't know if I want to make the tremendous sacrifices they do. Kinda a reason I want to work in the government is to kinda "serve my country". If I would every happen to join the military I would do something like the Air Force Academy but I think the chances of myself doing this is pretty slim.

Don't discount this option to quickly. If you'd like to get into any type of technology field, the Air Force is an amazing institution to strive for. Plus, with the terrific new Jim Webb GI Bill, you'll still have the financial ability to add a degree later on.

[T B0NE 10]

T Bone-

 

I just stumbled upon this thread. It seems like a lot of people are being hard on you. You're not too far behind the curve, unless you're trying to get in to a very competitive school. A 27 on the ACT and a GPA above 3.0 will get you into pretty much any UW school except Madison (and it doesn't necessarily exclude Madison, they're just tougher). I had a 29 on my ACT, a 3.9 GPA in high school, and a crappy guidance counselor, and I didn't apply to any school until February of my senior year. That's pretty late, and I wouldn't recommend it, but I graduated in 4 years, have a good job at UW-Milwaukee, and I will have my masters from Marquette in May. My tuition was cheap (UWSP), and I got a "general" degree (communication), but I firmly believe your marketability after college greatly depends on what you do to develop yourself as a person/leader while you're there. Join organizations, play sports, take leadership roles, form strong relationships with professors, etc.

 

I grew up in Wisconsin Rapids and went to school in Stevens Point and really liked it. It was far enough away that I didn't feel like I was at home, but close enough that mom could come and take me out to lunch or dinner when $$ was tight. They have a decent baseball program, and since they're D3 I doubt anyone is on scholarship, so you could talk to the athletic department about trying out. I loved Stevens Point. For a D3 team, their athletics had a lot going on. I believe one winter we were men's and women's hockey national champs, as well as men's or women's basketball.

 

My experience at Marquette is very different because I'm a graduate student, but I was amazed at the difference between a public and private school. Not sure what kind of high school you're in, but I'm pretty sure I would take the public school route at any point in my education if given the choice, just because it's what I'm used to.

Well UWSP is darn close to where I'm at. About only a 25 minute drive away. I'm not really considering UWSP too much.

 

I go to a public high school with around 500 kids.

 

[Marc Newfield of Dreams]

T BONE-

 

I'm a recent Marquette Alum ('07) and would love to answer any questions you have about MU. I will offer one piece of advice- don't get hung up on the cost. Their financial aid packages are fantastic. I had similar numbers (grades and ACT) to you, and I had half of my education paid for in scholarships and grants. Keep an open mind when you go in, and don't be worrying about dollar signs.

 

Like I said, any questions or help I can be, feel free to PM me.

[bucksandy34]

Marquette is over 30,000 per year not including scholarships, and it sounds like you should be able to get financial aid. I might recomend figuring out what amount of scholarships/financial aid would make Marquette affordable for you and your family, and set that as a goal and if you can get enough, go for it. I would definitely suggest that you start applying for financial aid (scholarships, loans, whatever you can get) early to make as much available to you as you possibly can.

[Menotti80]

T BONE-

 

I'm a recent Marquette Alum ('07) and would love to answer any questions you have about MU. I will offer one piece of advice- don't get hung up on the cost. Their financial aid packages are fantastic. I had similar numbers (grades and ACT) to you, and I had half of my education paid for in scholarships and grants. Keep an open mind when you go in, and don't be worrying about dollar signs.

 

Like I said, any questions or help I can be, feel free to PM me.

 

T-Bone, Im an '07 grad as well and i also had 1/2 my tuition paid for. you can also ask me any questions you may have. marc hit it on the head.

[T B0NE 10]

Yeah like I said before I'm visiting Marquette in two weeks. (and then catching a Brewer game afterwards)

 

From the look of their web site and some video tours, Marquette look like a great campus

The Milwaukee stuff would also be awesome. Catching Brewer games in the spring etc.

 

Yeah the big thing now is the price, and its not really me who's worrying about that, but my parents. Both my parents didnt go to college so they don't really know much about how college works or the cost. But for not going to college they still do well. My family is about average financially.

 

I visited La Crosse earlier this week and they said that the total cost is around 14,000

Madison is around 18,000 I believe I'm visiting them next week

[ewizabeff]

Did you fill out your FAFSA yet? Make sure you get it in sometime during the fall of your senior year so you are in the first wave of financial aid that's granted. That will give you a good idea of what the real cost of any school should be.

[T B0NE 10]

Did you fill out your FAFSA yet? Make sure you get it in sometime during the fall of your senior year so you are in the first wave of financial aid that's granted. That will give you a good idea of what the real cost of any school should be.

You do this before your in college and know where your going? Thanks I guess I should get on that.

 

[ewizabeff]

You don't need to do it immediately, but the earlier you do it, the better chance you have for financial aid. The "real" deadline isn't until spring or summer before you go to college, but your school(s) will have a priority deadline that will allow you to maximize your financial aid. At UWM, I believe that is March 1.

[T B0NE 10]

You don't need to do it immediately, but the earlier you do it, the better chance you have for financial aid. The "real" deadline isn't until spring or summer before you go to college, but your school(s) will have a priority deadline that will allow you to maximize your financial aid. At UWM, I believe that is March 1.

Yeah I wasnt gonna get on right away lol, I'm just gonna let my parents know that we are gonna need their tax information. My parents really kinda are worried about the cost.

 

[Menotti80]

I think that you are looking at or just under $20K for MU if you handle the scholarship thing correctly. Basically similar to or a few thousand more than Madison. Believe me, I would say my parents are a bit above average financially, and I am 1 year removed from school and owe $0 to Marquette. If you take advantage of part time job(s) during school, I think you;ll be fine

[Hammer]

I didn't read the entire thread but I can definitely agree with the people that said to make sure you visit all of the campuses that you are considering. I took the tour (back in 1996...yeah, I'm old) and found that La Crosse was the best fit for me for a couple of reasons. The campus is very compact, the sports teams are fantastic to watch (or play on if you can make it) and the facilities are generally top notch. There are tons of places to do things in the outdoors in the area, they have their own summer baseball team (Loggers) and the nightlife is very good as well.

 

I'm biased because I am a UW-L grad but after visiting all of the state schools none of them even came close to my beloved UW-L.

[Chio151]

I can all but guarantee that if you go to UW-L you will enjoy both the campus and the city. But really, it comes down to whether it's a fit for you and your goals.

[RyDogg66]

I didn't read the entire thread but I can definitely agree with the people that said to make sure you visit all of the campuses that you are considering. I took the tour (back in 1996...yeah, I'm old) and found that La Crosse was the best fit for me for a couple of reasons. The campus is very compact, the sports teams are fantastic to watch (or play on if you can make it) and the facilities are generally top notch. There are tons of places to do things in the outdoors in the area, they have their own summer baseball team (Loggers) and the nightlife is very good as well.

 

I'm biased because I am a UW-L grad but after visiting all of the state schools none of them even came close to my beloved UW-L.

This is spot on and I would recommend UW-L at this point, as you have the grades to get in there (it is pretty competitive these days) and it isnt too late to apply. I was at UW-L from 9/96-12/00 and I really enjoyed it. I toured Marquette, Oshkosh (where I am from), Parkside and La Crosse. UW-L was far away the best fit. It allows you get around well without a car at all as you can walk to downtown and there is a grocery store right off of campus as well as a few restaurants. The school is top notch academically as well.

For quality education + price + stuff to do outside of campus UW-L is where you need to go.

 

 

[davego]

Point grad ('95). Lived in EC and now have emigrated to LaCrosse. All three of the communities are nice places to live and super schools. EC was a bit far from MP and Milwaukee for my tastes, but still nice. LaCrosse is neat. I loved Point, but the schools have to be the right fit. Regardless, if you find one that is, the rest of the 'stuff' will fall in-line (just my opinion).

[AZBrewCrew]

EC is fun! Gotta love Water Street on a Friday night http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[T B0NE 10]

Going to Eau Claire tommorow,

 

I really do think I'm leaning towards going to Marquette or Madison though, because of name recognition. If I really want to get an awesome job someday wouldn't it be of benefit to go to one of those schools?

 

Also I got my AP test results back today.

I got a 5/5 on US History, surprised myself