<p>I am currently a senior at in Madison, Wisconsin. My high school GPA is 3.58 and my composite ACT score is 26. My GPA has progressed and has been on an upward swing. I have not taken any APs or Honors courses but I have taken two 3 credit courses at Madison College. I have several relatives at the University as well as my father being a tenured professor and a graduate of the University. I am involved in several extracurriculars including National Honors Society, high school freshman transition team, participant in political campaigns, and have accumulated over 100 service hours. I participated in baseball freshman year and have played basketball with the school team freshman and sophomore year. I also participated in a recreational basketball team my junior year. If you could give me any guidance as to how good my chances are of getting into UW-Madison it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!</p>
<p>Ouch. Apply but also apply to other state schools as well. There are many students with better scores, courses, gpa out there.</p>
<p>What do you think my chances are?? What could I do to improve them?</p>
<p>“Ouch” means not good. If your father is a tenured professor at UW, he should be able to tell you that UW expects high grades in honors and AP classes as well as high standardized test scores.</p>
<p>There’s some things you can do to improve your chances:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Spend a lot of time crafting a solid personal statement; from anecdotal stories I’ve heard, it seems that UW is giving these more weight recently.</p></li>
<li><p>Consider taking the SAT if you think it matches your talents better. If you do well, you wouldn’t even have to send ACT I believe. You’re in the 25th percentile of admits in both GPA and ACT…It’s hard to change your GPA, but your standardized test scores are up to you. </p></li>
<li><p>Otherwise, consider retaking the ACT.</p></li>
<li><p>When I applied, recommendations were optional. If they still are, consider sending 1-2 stellar recommendations if you have some references lined up. Give the adcom something else to consider besides your relatively weak GPA/ACT. </p></li>
<li><p>Stay with the extracurriculars you’re doing now, and invest some good time in them. Keep your grades very high senior year–including 2nd semester. If you get waitlisted, then you want to be able to write a letter and let them know about all your progress in the grades and extracurricular departments.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>This matrix might give you an idea on chances: <a href=“http://www.admissions.wisc.edu/images/UW_FreshmanExpectations.pdf[/url]”>http://www.admissions.wisc.edu/images/UW_FreshmanExpectations.pdf</a></p>
<p>Are you taking any Honors or AP courses senior year?</p>
<p>You could retake the ACT. You could do some prep with Kaplan’s Spotlight on the ACT (it’s not one of those oversized books, more like the size of a paperback).</p>
<p>I am planning on retaking the ACT and I have been studying for it this time around. I hope to improve my score to a 28-30. </p>
<p>My GPA is obviously lower than the average UW admitted freshman. My grades have significantly improved from freshman year however. The average GPA of the first three semesters is around a 3.3 and the last three semesters I have an average of about a 3.85.</p>
<p>Like I said earlier I have not taken any AP or Honors courses. However, this summer I took a two classes at Madison College and received A’s in both which translates to a 5.0 at my High School. I also plan on taking Calculus 1 this semester and Calculus 2 spring semester. I do not know how UW Madison looks at these in comparison to AP and Honors courses though.</p>
<p>Madison College is not of the same rigor as UW even if your HS weights their grades. Be prepared to do well at another university and transfer into UW. It could be a blessing in disguise- the opportunity to go away to school. May sound harsh, but a student with better credentials should not have to give up their spot for you. UW La Crosse and UW Eau Claire have a lot of good students. Also apply to U of Minn along with improving your credentials. With rolling admissions you can apply to your top choices next month and get answers before having to do many applications.</p>
<p>“Madison College is not of the same rigor as UW even if your HS weights their grades.”</p>
<p>Don’t get the point, neither are HS honors or AP classes the same rigor as UW.</p>
<p>Take some honors/AP classes as well as the college ones, get your GPA up to 3.65-3.70 considering the upward trend. If you improve your ACT you can certainly give it a shot. Don’t blow off anything on the app. </p>
<p>You aren’t responsible for a ‘better’ credentialed student not getting in. That’s nuts.</p>
<p>Looking at the UW “Likelihood of Admission” chart (<a href=“https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.admissions.wisc.edu/images/UW_FreshmanExpectations.pdf[/url]”>https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.admissions.wisc.edu/images/UW_FreshmanExpectations.pdf</a>), it reads that I have about slightly over a 50% chance of getting in. Do you think this is accurate? </p>
<p>I also would like to make it aware that I attend a private school so class rank will not be given. The school is also relatively prestigious and has been ranked as the best school in Madison for several years.</p>
<p>Since you attend a “prestigious” private school I would expect you to perform better on the ACT since you presumably have educational advantages most don’t. Taking advantage of the most rigorous courses you school offers is expected. Even if you don’t know your class rank someone does and can report where you stand in your class to colleges. My public HS never gave out rankings, either. Your gpa for junior year counts more than the first two years, some students get their act together for getting good grades after others. You must have some idea of where you stand relative to your peers/classmates- ie do you typically get the best grades in a class, or when you get B’s are there those who get A’s?</p>
<p>Misinterpretation of “better credentials”. No responsibility mentioned. There are some public school kids in Madison (and from elsewhere in the state) who take UW courses while still in HS, most often a more rigorous course selection than other colleges. Pointing out that there is competition out there- the OP can’t consider that his credentials or school give him much, if any, advantage over many others from the state. </p>
<p>OP- I think you know you can’t be guaranteed of a UW admission. Pay attention to what justtotalk said about preparing a good application to improve your chances.</p>
<p>OP, I don’t mean to freak you out or upset you, but if the private school you attend in Madison is Edgewood, I can see on that school’s website that a 3.58 GPA for an 11th grade student as of 5/2010 was a rank of 77/174. Edgewood’s website also shows that 12 AP courses are offered, as well as several honors courses. If you have not taken any AP or honors courses, you have not pursued a rigorous course load. UW-Madison may not be a good academic fit for you. An ACT of 26 is also 2 points below the average ACT score of recently admitted UW-Madison students.</p>
<p>UW admitted literally thousands of students last year with a 26 or lower on the ACT. Don’t count yourself out of the running, but do prepare yourself for the possibility that you won’t be accepted. I can’t understand why wis75 has to be so harsh about it. You’re, what, 17 years old?</p>
<p>Good luick.</p>
<p>Reality check time. OP- you’re 17, not 7- old enough to be told things that won’t make you feel good, right? Ready to be treated like an adult. BTW- never knew Edgewood HS was considered prestigious, must be some newer, smaller HS to be considered better than the area public HS’s.</p>
<p>Edgewood is one of the oldest high schools in Madison - current seniors will be the 130th graduating class from this Catholic school. Perhaps OP was aware of Edgewood’s 2007 Madison Magazine’s ‘Best High School in Madison’ award. Or maybe the ‘prestigious’ comment comes from the almost $10k annual tuition.</p>
<p>Ignore wis75 on Edgewood. She’s on record as considering Catholic institutions to be inferior. </p>
<p>Old enough to be treated as an adult doesn’t mean old enough to be treated rudely or disrespectfully for no good reason. Shame on you, wis75.</p>
<p>Sigh. The neighbor who went to Edgewood for HS was only an average student eons ago and I hadn’t heard that their reputation had improved. No reason to spend money when the public schools can do a great job. The kids at Madison West are lucky- they can walk to the UW campus for any college classes from their HS- and some have taken the Honors Physics sequence there. Most Catholics in the Madison area (and WI in general) have better public than parochial school choices for academic rigor (and there are catechism classes for the religion)- such is the strength of our public education system. Most of the best students are not opting out of the public schools in favor of the parochial ones. Opportunities for gifted students are taken care of more by public schools- a subject I am very familiar with. In states that don’t emphasize their public schools parents may have to resort to private schools. </p>
<p>I deny rudeness or disrespect (respect has to be earned, btw). I would rather tell someone the harsh realities than worry about “delicate sensibilities” or some such Southern stereotype. No hiding meaness under a veneer of “politeness” or “manners” here.</p>
<p>Wisconsin people are open and friendly in general. No social registers.</p>
<p>There are better ways to tell people your opinions. You could tell them the truth and be nice about it, it just seems like you have to make yourself seem superior. I’ve noticed it on other posts and just had to comment, although you can be very helpful at times as well.</p>
<p>Yavko2510,</p>
<p>Well said. Wis75, it ain’t just me.</p>
<p>“No reason to spend money when the public schools can do a great job.” Why, exactly, because you decree that it be so?</p>
<p>I shall continue to provide information and be myself. Disagree with making people feel good instead of being forthright and honest. The majority doesn’t have to agree, not in a popularity contest. Remember that not all people think alike- it is refreshing when some don’t conform. Don’t want to fit in with the average.</p>