u/Additional_Buy2052 — reddlx

Hey everyone,

I’m currently deciding between University of Wisconsin–Madison, Purdue University, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for engineering/math, and I wanted to hear some opinions from people who know the schools well.

A bit about my situation:

Interested in Industrial Engineering / applied math–type fields
Also interested in startups, analytics, and systems/problem-solving work
I care about internships, recruiting, campus environment, and flexibility to explore different paths
Cost isn’t the biggest factor right now

For Purdue, I got in for Applied Mathematics but would likely need to CODO into IE.
For UW–Madison, I’m currently committed.
UIUC is also an option I’m seriously considering.

How would you compare them in terms of:

Engineering reputation
Math program strength
Internship/job opportunities
Campus life/social scene
Flexibility to switch majors or combine interests
Overall student experience

Would love to hear honest experiences or what you’d choose in this situation. Thanks!

Hey, I have commited to UW Madison AMEP, but got off Purdue Applied Math waitlist today and I’m kinda stuck.

I know both are good academically, but I’m trying to figure out which one is actually better overall, not just on paper.

I’d love to know about stuff like:

how strong the academics actually are
professors / difficulty / opportunities
social life and if people are chill
campus vibe and overall atmosphere
what there is to do outside class
internships / job outcomes / grad school placement
whether one school feels more well-rounded than the other
Also, if I wanna transfer to Industrial Engineering or Econs, which one is better and easier to do?

Also if anyone is in UW AMEP specifically, I’d really like to know how the program is since it seems kinda niche and I can’t find as much about it online.

And for Purdue Applied Math, does it feel more theoretical, or are there good applied / industry opportunities too?

Basically, if you had to choose between the two, which would you pick and why?

Would appreciate any honest opinions, especially from people at either school.