Special Admissions Programs
Starting August 1, 2024, with the Class of 2025, the Universities of Wisconsin will offer three paths to first-year student/freshman undergraduate admission for Wisconsin high school students:
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- Traditional first-year student/freshman admission application process: The traditional admission process requires students to complete an Universities of Wisconsin Application for admission. The application and all requested materials are required according to the UW university application deadline. Applicant materials will be reviewed holistically on the basis of multiple factors. See below to get started on the traditional application process.
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- Direct Admit Wisconsin: Direct Admit Wisconsin offers early and proactive admission to participating UW universities to high school juniors at participating Wisconsin high schools. The UWs collaborate with participating high schools to review student academic records (high school courses and GPA) at the end of their junior year and make offers of admission to participating UW universities without the need for students to submit a traditional admission application. Ten of 13 Universities of Wisconsin are currently participating in Direct Admit Wisconsin.
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- The Wisconsin Guarantee: The Wisconsin Guarantee offers guaranteed admission to all Universities of Wisconsin except UW-Madison to first-year applicants from Wisconsin high schools who are in the top 10% of their class at the end of 11th grade, or Wisconsin residents who are homeschooled and receive an ACT score in the national 90th percentile ranking or higher or are a National Merit Scholarship finalist. First-year applicants from Wisconsin high schools who are in the top 5% of their class at the end of 11th grade, or Wisconsin residents who are homeschooled and receive an ACT score in the national 98th percentile ranking or higher or are a National Merit Scholarship finalist will be guaranteed admission to the UW-Madison through The Wisconsin Guarantee. A Universities of Wisconsin Application is required.
All three paths to admission require students to meet the minimum admission criteria. Neither Direct Admit Wisconsin nor The Wisconsin Guarantee provide guaranteed admission into a specific major, program, school, or college. Rather, they provide admission to Universities of Wisconsin universities.
For more information about how to apply for admission or to submit a Direct Admit Form, check out the following page: uwhelp.wisconsin.edu/apply-to-your-uw/apply-today
For more information about the three paths to admission, please refer to the following website: www.wisconsin.edu/students/wipathways
Applying for freshman admission
It’s time to show us what makes you great and why you’ll flourish at the Universities of Wisconsin. The following is what you’ll need to successfully apply for admissions.
Let’s get you started
Step A • Check the Guidelines and Requirements for your UW
Each Universities of Wisconsin have unique admission guidelines. You can review the specific requirements and guidelines for each UW. Remember, if you’re applying to more than one campus, you’ll want to review the guidelines for each.
Step B • prepare your essay
New freshman applicants and transfer students are required to complete an essay as part of their Universities of Wisconsin Application. It’s your chance to tell your story and help your UWs get to know you — the real you — a little better. Please note that students applying to UW-Madison and UW-La Crosse will also need to complete an additional essay.
Step C • Gather up your materials
We created a handy checklist for new Freshman applicants and transfer students to help make sure you haver everything you need on hand when you fill out our Universities of Wisconsin Application.
Step D • apply!
Hopefully after all your hard work, this will be the easy part. Find out how to apply, plus get some tips and pointers to make your application a breeze.
Application Fee
Beginning August 1, 2024 for freshman and transfer applicants for Fall 2025 term: The following UW universities charge an application fee for every application submitted: UW-Eau Claire ($25), UW La Crosse ($25), and UW-Madison ($70). For the other UW universities, there is no application fee.
For domestic applicants, if you are concerned about paying application fees, please note your financial hardship on the Personal Information section of the application.
After You Apply
After you apply, your UW will send you an email to help guide you through their next steps. Each campus will have different requirements, so be sure to keep up with their dates and requirements!