UW-Madison: Undergraduate Admissions

Freshman Admission

Application Process and Dates

Applications are accepted beginning September 15 of your senior year in high school. All applications completed by February 1 receive full and equal consideration. Refer to the Dates and Deadlines section for details on our two notification periods.

Quicklinks

• How to Apply
• Dates and Deadlines
• Application Materials
• Submitting Your Application
• Admission Decisions

How to Apply

We make it convenient and easy to apply:

1. Apply Online. We encourage you to apply online. Our online application is secure and easy to use. It allows you to save your work and come back later. Applying online also provides you with immediate notification that your application has been received, and will likely speed up the processing of your application.
2. Download a Paper Application. If you prefer to apply on paper, feel free to download and print a copy of our paper application (pdf, 506K).
3. Request a Paper Application. If you would like us to mail you a copy of our application, please e-mail your request to onwisconsin@admissions.wisc.edu.

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Dates and Deadlines

All applications completed by February 1 receive full and equal consideration. We offer two notification periods:

	Application Deadline (postmarked)	Decision Made By
First Notification Period	November 15	January 15
Second Notification Period	February 1	March 15

To receive a decision during the First Notification Period, you must complete the application and submit all required materials by November 15. Admission decisions for these students will be made on or by January 15, and decision letters will be mailed immediately thereafter.

All students who complete their applications during the Second Notification Period (after November 15 but before the February 1 application deadline) will have decisions made on or by March 15, with decision letters being mailed immediately thereafter.

We suggest that you apply well before the application deadlines in order to make sure that all materials arrive on time. All students receive equal consideration for admission whether they apply during the First or Second Notification Periods. Applying during the First Notification Period will not increase the likelihood of admission; it simply gives you the opportunity to receive your decision sooner.

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Application Materials

A complete application file consists of the following:

1. Application for Admission. You can apply online or download a paper application (pdf, 506K).
2. Application Fee. This nonrefundable $44 application fee must accompany your application. Online applicants can pay the fee by credit card at the time of submission. Paper applicants and online applicants who did not submit credit card payment at the time of submission can pay by check or money order (payable to the University of Wisconsin). Do not send cash. (In cases of exceptional need, the fee may be waived. Students should print the Request for Application Fee Waiver and take it to their counselor for completion and submission to the UW–Madison Office of Admissions.)
3. Official Transcripts. We require transcripts for all high school and college-level work. Official transcripts should be sent directly by the school.
4. Official Test Scores. Scores from either the ACT or the SAT are required and should be sent directly from the testing agency. We also require the standardized writing test (the ACT Assessment plus the ACT Writing Test or the SAT ). Our test codes are 4656 for the ACT and 1846 for the SAT and TOEFL.
5. Statements. Section 9 of the application (both online and print) is the Statements Section. Students are asked to respond to two questions: one about life experiences and the impact you will have on our campus and the second is a more general personal statement. Answer both questions; those who do not are less likely to be admitted. For more information about the statements, refer to our Application Statements Tip Sheet.
6. Letters of Recommendation. We would like to see at least one recommendation from someone who can attest to your academic ability (i.e., classroom skills, knowledge, and work ethic). Other recommendations might come from an employer, clergy, research mentor, or coach. Remember that quality is better than quantity—a total of two or three is sufficient. You can use our Recommendation Form (pdf, 39K), or simply ask that your recommendation be submitted to the Office of Admissions on letterhead, plain paper, stationery, etc.
7. Counselor Signature. Your high school counselor will need to complete the counselor section of your application. If you’re applying online, you will be prompted to print the High School Counselor Form and bring it to your counselor. If you’re applying on paper, your counselor will need to complete and sign Section Eight. In either case, you may also print this High School Counselor Form (pdf, 27K), which will take the place of both the online form and Section Eight.

Prospective Dance and Music Majors: Students interested in majoring in dance or music must also complete a separate application and schedule an audition for admission. Visit either the School of Music or the Dance Program Web site for audition dates and application information.

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Submitting Your Application

To ensure proper and efficient processing of your application, keep these tips in mind:

1. Bring all your application materials to your high school counselor for submission. In most cases, your high school will collect your completed application (if applying on paper), application fee, personal statement, and recommendation(s), and send them to us along with your official transcript.
2. Request that your ACT and/or SAT scores be sent directly to us from the testing agency. If you did not request that your score be sent to UW–Madison when you took the test, you can make that request now by visiting the ACT and/or SAT Web sites.
3. Include your campus ID number (if known) and/or date of birth on all materials sent to the Office of Admissions. This will help us match your materials to your application file.
4. Send all materials to the University of Wisconsin, Office of Admissions, 716 Langdon Street, Madison, WI 53706-1481.

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Admission Decisions

We cannot begin to review your application until all required materials are received. Review our application materials to ensure you submit a complete application.

We make one of three admission decisions upon first review:

• Admit: In an average year, approximately 50-55 percent of our freshman applicants are admitted.
• Deny: Students who are not competitive for admission or who fail to meet our application deadlines are denied admission.
• Postpone: Some applicants are neither admitted nor denied upon initial review. These students are postponed. Postponed applicants have strong qualifications and the potential for success at Wisconsin. However we do not know if we will have space for them in our freshman class, and/or we would like to review grades from the first semester of their senior year before making an admission decision. Admission decisions will be made on or by March 15 and students will be notified immediately thereafter. Review our Postponed Applicant Frequently Asked Questions (pdf, 80K) for complete details.

Students who are denied admission after being postponed are offered the option to add their name to our extended waiting list. The waiting list form is included at the bottom of the final decision letter. Please note the following details:

• Likelihood of Admission: We traditionally admit students from the extended waiting list very rarely and at very small numbers when we do. While we did admit students from the waiting list in 2008, we’ve only taken wait-list action three out of the past nine years. It is impossible to estimate the likelihood of the university admitted from the waiting list this year as it is contingent upon many factors.
• Unranked List: The waiting list is maintained in an unranked order. All students on the waiting list will be equally considered for admission in the unlikely event that space becomes available.
• Improving Chances: There is nothing a wait-listed student can do to improve his or her likelihood of admission. Only the application materials we have already received will be used in waiting-list actions. Additional essays, recommendations, interviews, etc., will not influence the decision.
• Notification: In the unlikely event that space becomes available after the May 1 enrollment deadline, we may offer admission to a few additional wait-listed students in late May or June. We will notify these students immediately. We will not notify students who are not admitted from the waiting list. If you are on the waiting list and do not receive further correspondence, that means we are unable to offer you admission.
• Alternative Plans: All students on the waiting list should accept admission to another institution as the likelihood of admission to UW–Madison is very small. If an enrollment deposit is required, you should submit the deposit. If you are admitted to UW–Madison from the waiting list and choose to attend, you may forfeit the deposit you made to the other institution. Please check with the other institution for the policy on refunds.