During the presentation, the admissions officer provided a detailed overview of UW-Madison’s application process. The university adopts a holistic admission approach, considering all aspects of an applicant's profile, including grades, coursework, essays, letters of recommendation, and English language proficiency. The deadline for Early Action is November 1, while the Regular Decision deadline is January 16. UW-Madison does not set a minimum GPA or use a fixed formula for admission, instead placing more importance on students' academic rigor and problem solving abilities.
For the essay portion, applicants are required to write two mandatory essays: one is the Common Application essay, and the other is the "Why UW-Madison" essay. These essays provide students with an excellent opportunity to showcase their interests, passions, and fit with the university, and they allow the admissions officers to learn more about students' personalities and talents.
Regarding letters of recommendation, one letter from a course teacher can offer additional insight and support for the application. As for English language proficiency, UW-Madison accepts IELTS, TOEFL, or Duolingo English Test scores. If students attend a school where English is the primary language of instruction for grades 9-12, they may not need to submit these test scores. Additionally, ACT/SAT scores are optional. Currently, the UW-Madison still uses the Test Optional policy until 2027.