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University of Wisconsin Madison or University of Washington Seattle

JwisgodJwisgod 48 replies15 threads Junior Member
edited February 2013 in University of Washington
Greetings,

I wanted to major in electrical engineering and I'm not sure which is better.

After having conducted some researches, I found it hard to make a decision since both are good and highly ranked unis.

Since it's so hard to make a decision base on academic excellence, I have tried to compare them base on the Student Organization that I wanted to join. Coincidentally, both unis have EcoCAR team (an organization that customize hybrid electric vehicle). Therefore I am left baffled between the unis again.

Can anyone give me opinions on the unis (any other factors such as location, weather, safety, transportation ... etc) and hopefully allow me to better make the decision.

Thank You
edited February 2013
3 replies
Post edited by Jwisgod on
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Replies to: University of Wisconsin Madison or University of Washington Seattle

  • rabbitstewrabbitstew 238 replies1 threads Junior Member
    Both are very good universities in major cities. Seattle is larger, but Madison is more student-based. Seattle is mild but overcast for 80% of the year, Madison is... the midwest. Hot in summer, cold in winter. Both rely on bus transit, both have similar student-friendly neighborhoods in the areas surrounding the university. I can't speak for the EE departments specifically, but the universities and feeling of the cities are very similar, I'd say. If no one else chimes in to say there are major differences between the programs, I'd go for the one that offers you the better scholarship or is cheaper. Additionally, you may want to take into account the distance to travel from home - is one drivable or does another have an insanely priced plane ticket? Those cost burdens can get overwhelming during vacations and if a family emergency comes up (they always do).
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  • triseradadtriseradad 147 replies11 threads Junior Member
    I assume they are both out of state for you? Do you plan pursue a graduate degree or work in industry after your Bachelor's? If the former, then look at the research going on at each institution in your area of interest; if the latter, look at industry connections and internship opportunities. I know UW-Seattle has great undergrad research opportunities; not sure about UW-Madison.

    Look at the time schedule at both schools for current and past quarters for general requirements, prereqs and upper-division in-major courses, and see how large the classes are and how full they are. Large, full classes are a clue that you may have trouble registering for the classes you need in order to graduate in four years, given the chained prereqs in engineering.

    If you still have a toss-up, then where would you like to spend four years of your life?
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  • barronsbarrons 23087 replies1956 threads Senior Member
    UWash is on the qtr system, Madison is on semesters. Some prefer one or the other. Both have plenty of research at over $1Billion each..
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