Tufts vs UW-Madison vs University of Richmond for History

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Hi everyone! I am trying to decide where to go next year and right now I’m pretty stuck between these three schools so any advice anyone has would be great! I am a history major and from NJ.

Pro Tufts:
I love boston!, incredible school with a lot of prestige, great history program, nice campus, great academics/professors, pretty easy to get to (train ride), good size

Con Tufts:
I’m really worried about the social scene as I have not heard great things. I don’t expect to party every night or anything like that but I really want the college experience. I also really really want school spirit and I’m not sure Tufts has that? sports aren’t very big (football games)

Pro UW-Madison:
fun, school spirit, great history program, Madison is nice, tons of opportunities academically and socially because of its size, great sports, being on a lake is so nice, everyone I know that goes there seems to love it

Con UW-Madison:
Less prestigious, so big, campus is also huge and very spread out, Madison is very nice but it’s no Boston, harder to get to (would have to fly), too party/social?

Pro URichmond:
beautiful campus, professors seem to truly care and be very helpful, good size/tight knit community, some school spirit ?, sports?, great food, also just a train ride to get to, pretty good social scene I think

Con URichmond:
doesn’t have any ceramics and I really love it but I could take classes in Richmond, seems kind of cliquey/preppy, not as good of a history program, not as prestigious/well known as other two? not sure how big sports are and how much school spirit there is (probably in between other two), not as good of a surrounding area, too small?

Thank you!!

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Take “prestige” out of your equation.

Really, these are all fine colleges.

To get into Richmond for ceramics classes, you will need a car, in my opinion.

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HI – I went to grad school in history at UW Madison, so I can shed some light there (more so than on Tufts). The history department is outstanding, as are pretty much all departments (in case you’re considering a minor, a second major, or eventually a different major if you change your mind). As for the History Department, you’ll have top-notch resources (including the Wisconsin State Historical Society library, which is not just a state history library but is instead one of the largest and richest libraries of American history in the country, if not the largest, and it’s right across from the building that houses the History Dept.). For non-US fields of history, the Memorial Library (right across the mall) is also outstanding. Campus is stunning, and Madison is one of my favorite places that I’ve ever lived – very walkable/bikeable from the areas you’re likely to live as a student, and lots to do, and it’s a more diverse city than you might realize because the university/capitol/biotech industry attracts a diverse population. It doesn’t feel small, but it does feel accessible. The campus is large, but it’s also divided between sectors of the university, if that makes sense. So if you’re a humanities/social sciences student, you’re not likely to use the parts of campus where the ag students or health sciences students are, etc. You’ll be mostly near Bascom Hill, and the campus won’t feel so big as a result. There are lots of good reasons why people love it.

I’m not as familiar with Tufts (I also love Boston, so I get why you’d want to go to school there – although it is a T ride away, not steps from your door). I can’t comment on the social environment, though I’ve heard some of the same things that you have. The only thing I can say (because I have a kid at a different NESCAC) is that there’s definitely school spirit surrounding sports. Div 3 might might be very different than Div 1, but NESCAC schools are serious about their sports! And because of the smaller scale, it’s often easier to attend games.

A wouldn’t worry about rankings. Yes, Tufts ranks more highly among LACs than UW does among universities, but UW is still regarded as one of the top flagships in the country, and the faculty and resources are world-class. UW will not hold you back from whatever your next step is going to be after graduation.

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Any. Choose the right fit which sounds like Wisconsin.

I wouldn’t say Wisconsin is less prestigious than Tufts. And you are a history major prestige doesn’t matter. Wis is a lot more well known than Tufts - for sure.

Good luck.

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I would also drop the idea of ‘prestige’ from your decision.

Not so much. Men’s hockey games are popular.

Madison is the quintessential college town. Campus is large, and maybe 90 minutes from Milwaukee airport. There are shuttles. As for too party/social…this is important for you to figure out. You can find people to go out with any and every night of the week. Will you be able to resist that? There are plenty of students who only go out on the weekends (or even less often) and are highly focused on their academics. I agree with you that students are happy there, IMO easier to find students who didn’t have a great experience at the other two schools.

There isn’t anywhere in the surrounding area to walk to. They do run shuttles to some areas in town, but not sure how often. Richmond is cliquey, especially the females…this can really impact one’s social experience. I’ll give you preppy too, but maybe not as preppy as you think. Plenty of students walking around in sweats/Lulu leggings. Agree school spirit is between the other two.

If all of these schools are affordable I would choose the one you like best. The one that has the best combination of academics, school spirit, and social dynamics that you are looking for.

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Like others, I would suggest banning the word “prestige” from your mind. It has no useful definition or measure. And even if you didn’t, or at least substituted something a little more meaningful like academic reputation, I actually don’t think there would be a meaningful reputational difference between these institutions anyway. And if gun to my head I had to vote for one to win that contest, it would actually be Wisconsin, which is a traditional academic powerhouse with a great variety of excellent departments in both STEM and HASS. But I recognize Tufts and Richmond have gained in ways in recent years that really it is a functional tie, at least for undergrad purposes.

OK, and also like others, I have a VERY favorable impression of Madison. I will admit it has been a while since I was there personally, but it was easily one of my favorite few colleges towns, and by all accounts that has not changed.

So all this is leading to the following observation–I don’t think you can lose here, there are only varieties of winning. So one thing you can do is choose your favorite format of college. You have one LAC, one midsize private research university, and one larger public research university. All of those formats have pros and cons, and some people have a preference.

Then the other thing is I do think there is a plausible culture/vibe difference between these colleges. To be sure, each will be a mix of different individuals, but I do think the proportions of that mix will vary. Putting my cards on the table, I would personally have a preference for more academicky and nice kids, which is very much a Wisconsin thing. However, I recognize there are people who would feel more at home at either Tufts or Richmond. Which I won’t try to characterize since I am not sure I will do them justice, but I do think what are negatives for some are actually positives for others.

But if what you understand to be the culture at a place is a net negative for you–that to me is more than enough reason to look elsewhere.

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Knowing it’s very large and students can easily feel alienated by the size, Wisconsin has a lot of programs to help students fit in and “find their peeps”.
Were you invited to/admitted to an Honors or Scholars Program at Wisconsin?

Is there a FIG you find cool that would help you “make the school smaller”?

What about Learning and Theme Residential communities?

Is net cost similar at all 3?

If you remove prestige/rankings from the equation, are there other universities you could consider that’d be a better fit? (Ie., that you’d like better if it were more highly ranked but otherwise seemed pretty great for you?)

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Yes thank you I totally forgot to add that I was admitted into the Honors college!

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*** forgot to add but I am in the Honors College at UW-Madison

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Then you already have a smaller community at your fingertips.
Which Honors program, L&S?
Sounds like the best choice for you, in that case :grinning_face:

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Score another point for Madison, then. The Honors College is another way to make a large university seem small.

Consider Chadbourne Residential College, then – it’s a great way to anchor yourself in a like-minded community. https://www.housing.wisc.edu/undergraduate/communities/chadbourne/

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“Chad” is in a great location – if you choose Bucky, the above housing advice is excellent.

But if you end up in Sellery, Witte, or even… blech… Ogg, you’ll be fine.

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Chadbourne is such a terrific idea :light_bulb::bouquet::star_struck:

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