Academics
University of Wisconsin鈥擬ilwaukee is 鈥渁 large, economical, urban, commuter school offering many good programs,鈥 including an architecture school that 鈥渋s probably the most prestigious at UWM鈥 and a 鈥渧ery intense鈥 nursing school. Both 鈥渁re incredibly hard to get into,鈥 students warn, informing us that 鈥淭hey are small but very powerful when it comes to recruiting students. We have to set our deadlines more than six months in advance for them. I鈥檝e heard of a lot of people being turned away from the programs because they missed a deadline or they weren鈥檛 good enough to get into the program.鈥 Business, accounting, global studies, and pre-dental science programs all earn students鈥 praise. So, too, do a number of offerings in the creative arts; the theatre program is reportedly 鈥済rowing and developing into a very strong program鈥 while the film program is 鈥渉eavy on experimentation but still valuable for traditional film production.鈥 In short, 鈥淯WM is not the slacker school it used to be; it鈥檚 definitely changing its standards for the better.鈥 Affordable and reasonable in its admissions standards, UWM 鈥減rovides a diverse setting where people of any background are able to study and take advantage of opportunities to earn a degree without being spoon fed.鈥
Student Body
鈥淭here is a lot of everyone at UWM,鈥 鈥渢he most diverse school in the state of Wisconsin.鈥 One student observes that 鈥淵ou can find blacks talking to Chinese, whites with Indians. Everyone鈥檚 pretty cool with everyone else.鈥 In addition, UWM is home to 鈥渁 lot of nontraditional students,鈥 and 鈥渟tudents [who] have part-time jobs and can offer a wide range of experience.鈥 The result of all this diversity is that 鈥渋n the same room with someone straight out of high school you can find someone who went to the Middle East in the military, a single parent, and someone who was a result of the Baby Boom. Everyone has his or her own thing going on. The campus can simultaneously be littered with posters for a protest and signs for Bible study.鈥 Undergrads have to make an effort to make connections, though, as the typical student is 鈥渁 commuter who spends little time on campus, [making] it difficult to meet new people. Most students stay friends with their high school friends.鈥
Campus Life
The UWM campus 鈥渉as everything you need for a great time,鈥 including 鈥済reat food鈥 bowling alley in the rec center,鈥 a 鈥渕ovie theater in the dorms where movies are constantly playing,鈥 and a 鈥渨orkout center that is great and just renovated, so it鈥檚 almost like brand new.鈥 In addition, 鈥渂ecause Milwaukee has lots of great venues,鈥 including not only a legendary bar scene鈥攖his is the city beer built, after all鈥攂ut also 鈥渢he Milwaukee Public Museum, the beach, Brewers games, Bucks games, and parties.鈥 Of the last, students report that 鈥淧eople like their weekend parties. House parties pretty much dominate the weekend atmosphere. But people who aren鈥檛 down with house partying can find their place in the downtown scene,鈥 because 鈥淚n the summer, spring and fall there are a million things to do in Milwaukee.鈥 How extensively students can enjoy these extracurricular options varies widely, as many here work and manage family obligations in addition to their school responsibilities, leaving little time for college fun.
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