Madison is the state capital of Wisconsin and home to the main campus of the University of Wisconsin. The university dominates much of the city and influences the attitudes of most residents. It was a big state research university whose reputation was a rare combination of elements: The school was and is considered an intellectual heavyweight with a distinguished faculty, but at the same time it was and is known to be a roaring, free-wheeling party school. The university had (and continues to have) a stellar academic reputation and is one of the most respected universities in the country. The student body has long been diverse, including kids from Wisconsin farms and small towns, students from such big Midwestern cities as Chicago, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis; and serious students from the East Coast who could have been accepted at Ivy League schools.