Why Wisconsin?

The University

Three characteristics strike almost all observers who attempt to label the University of Wisconsin-Madison: rigorous academic quality, plenty of socializing and community life, and a tradition of community involvement known as "The Wisconsin Idea."

A public, land-grant college of over 41,000 students and 2,047 faculty, UW-Madison was founded in 1848. Since 1910 it has ranked among the top 10 academic universities in the United States in every study of scholarly reputation. Currently it is eighth academically among all public U.S. universities.

The strength of the University's research program is reflected by a National Science Foundation survey that listed Wisconsin's $554 million in research and development spending (fiscal year 2000) as second highest in the nation and first among universities supported by public funds. UW-Madison also attracts one of the largest concentrations of Fulbright scholars of any U.S. university. Seventeen UW-Madison scholars have won Nobel Prizes. The University has graduated over 25,000 doctoral students (as of the year 2000).

On campus, the UW-Madison general library system has 15 member libraries, four professional libraries, and 25 special purpose libraries with 6 million volumes, and is the 14th largest university library collection in the United States. The State Historical Society library and the Madison and Dane County public library systems have additional resources. University collections include monographs, documents, U.S. patents, most major national and international journals and magazines, photographs, films, music scores and audio and video recordings, all accessible through online computerized cataloging. Each library provides computerized information retrieval assistance with access to all major databases. The Steenbock Library, housing the agricultural sciences collection, including the world's largest collection of cookbooks, is only half a block away from the Soils buildings!

Students at UW-Madison have opportunities for a broad, basic education. Over 4,300 courses with 13,690 sections are offered in 177 departments. Majors are offered in 137 baccalaureate, 157 master's, and 113 doctoral degree programs. Over 3,300 foreign students representing 102 nations attend UW-Madison.

UW-Madison's campus is centrally located in Madison on 933 acres spread along over 2 miles of Lake Mendota shoreline, and includes a 1,262-acre arboretum, 6,100 acres of experimental farms, and 2,354 acres of other property. The campus is just 1 mile from the State Capitol, and at the entrance to Madison's famous State Street--the heart of downtown. The Memorial Library Mall, the Memorial Union Terrace, the beautiful grounds surrounding the capitol, the Monona Terrace, the Henry Vilas Zoo, and many public parks, beaches, and golf courses offer gathering places for popular university and community events, picnicking, fun and relaxation. The farmer's market, outdoor concerts, and annual art and food fairs are long-standing Madison traditions.

The Wisconsin Idea that "The boundaries of the University are the boundaries of the state" promotes statewide campus involvement, from outreach and individual consulting by professors, to providing practical advice to farmers through the Cooperative Extension Service and a network of county agents, or spreading the University's research findings to businesses through the University-Industry Research Program.

The Community

Madison has often been selected as one of the nation's ideal cities. As the area population nears 250,000 Madison is large enough to offer excellent shopping and cultural opportunities, but you can still be in the country within a few minutes to enjoy the scenic beauty of farmland, biking, hiking and nature trails, and county and state parks. The convenient Dane County Airport on Madison's northeast side is served by several major airlines and commuter services to Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Bus services commute to O'Hare, Chicago and Milwaukee several times daily with campus stops and downtown terminals.

Madison is a major cultural center, with activities to satisfy virtually any taste, language or culture. Permanent and special art displays can be viewed at the UW-Madison Art Department (Floors 6 & 7, Humanities Bldg.), the Wisconsin Union Art Galleries, the Elvehjem Museum of Art, the Wisconsin Historical Museum, and many local public and private galleries. Natural-history collections are on display at UW-Madison's Geology Museum, Herbarium, and Zoology Museum. Each semester and summer the University Theater presents a selection of dramas and musicals in Vilas Hall's Mitchell and Hemsley's Theaters. The Wisconsin Union Theater presents annual series of virtuoso performances, travelogs, concerts and ballets. The Music School is home to the internationally renowned Pro Arte Quartet and offers recitals and jazz, orchestral, band, and choral concerts by faculty and student soloists and groups, in addition to modern and classical operas in the old Music Hall. The community boasts additional theater, orchestral, choral and dance groups, including the Madison Repertory Theater, the Madison Opera, and the Kanopy modern dance troupe. Madison offers a variety of presentations in its Civic Center's Oscar Mayer and Isthmus Playhouse Theaters on State Street, 1/2 block from the Capitol, from PDQ Bach to Dame Kiri Ti Kanawa, from farce to classical drama, from Cats to Les Miserables or the Phantom. The Alliant Energy Center on the south Beltline is one venue for major rock concerts. Several local restaurant-bars feature prominent jazz ensembles and night clubs and comedy clubs.

Madison has 56 public cinema screens showing contemporary domestic and foreign films. Student film societies have low-cost showings almost nightly in University auditoria or the Union's Frederick March Play Circle; free movie showings are offered in the Lakeside Cinema series on the Union Terrace and the Starlight Cinema in Union South. Video rental stores abound.

Two free campus newspapers, the Daily Cardinal and the Badger Herald, are published daily; the Isthmus, a cultural weekly newspaper, is also widely distributed gratis in the community. Student- rate subscriptions to most national dailies and magazines are available through the Unions or Bookstores.

The University has AM and FM radio stations and a TV station as part of the Public Broadcasting System. Whad'Ya Know?--the popular, widely syndicated radio talk show with humorist and master of repartee Michael Feldman--originates from UW-Madison's WHA-AM, "the oldest station in the nation." Another University TV station, devoted exclusively to cultural and educational, programs is available to cable subscribers. WORT, a local listener-sponsored radio station with a sophisticated international flair, is supported mainly by and caters mainly to students. Music? Pops, evergreens, country, folk, jazz, rock, classics, you name it ... some local station is sure to be playing your style almost any time of the day.

The culture, museums, restaurants, and professional sports of the greater Milwaukee area and Chicago are also only 1.5 and 3 hours away by car or bus.

Outdoor activity lovers thrive in Wisconsin. With Wisconsin's 8,500 lakes, it is no surprise that one of the state's principal industries is recreation (agriculture and forestry are others). Nearby Devil's Lake is a popular choice for swimming, picnicking, and hiking. Canoeists can enjoy a day's outing nearby on the Baraboo or Wisconsin Rivers or at home on the Madison lakes. Whitewater canoeing enthusiasts will want to try the Flambeau, St. Croix or one of many other wild scenic Wisconsin rivers. Sailing, windsurfing and waterskiing are also popular on Lake Mendota and other Wisconsin lakes. Equipment is available for rent from the UW-Madison Hoofers, right on the lakeshore in front of the Memorial Union. The fall brings ample opportunities for duck, wild turkey and goose hunting, as well as bow and rifle seasons for deerhunting. Winter sports are plentiful with cross-country skiing in the UW-Madison Arboretum and some local golf courses, and opportunities for skating and hockey at several local outdoor facilities and ice rinks.

The University's recreational and intramural sports program is extensive, offering opportunities to participate in both team and individual sports. If you are a tennis enthusiast, you will have access to many outdoor courts as well as the twelve-court indoor Nielsen Stadium. Collegiate teams include nationally ranked football, basketball, hockey and soccer--both men's and women's--squads, with reduced admission rates for student spectators, or free student admission for non-income sports.

The UW-Madison Armory, Natatorium and SERF facilities offer swimming pools, diving wells, handball, racquetball and squash courts, basketball, volleyball and badminton courts, weight-lifting and exercise machines and similar amenities for both male and female participants.

Tired of home cooking? If you don't want fast food from McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Hardee's, KFC, Perkins, Country Kitchen, etc., pizza from Shakey's, Rocky Rococo's, Pizza Hut, Domino's, Little Caeser's, etc., or tacos from Taco John's or Taco Bell, you can try some French, Italian, German, Mexican, Greek or other cuisine at one of Madison's many ethnic restaurants. Even if you want oriental dishes, you can try Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, etc. Or you can get a hearty steak, prime rib or fish fry at many supper clubs or a brat or burger and fries and a beer at almost any Madison bar or pub. Last, but not least, the Unions and the Babcock Dairy Store (one block from the Soils building) offer over 70 flavors of ice cream and other dairy products from UW production for consumption on the premises or as takeouts! Welcome to America's Dairyland!