<p>NO, according to UW. But if you get postponed which many do it will be a LONG wait. Your alternative is to have a great Fall semester and avoid the postponed bin. So there is some strategy too.</p>
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<p>Thanks Barrons. Do you have a source for that. </p>
<p>Getting postponed is not a disaster if you expect it. Getting in would be a nice surprise that would save some work in filling out other applications.</p>
<p>The new UW adcom rep posted it here last week.</p>
<p>That’s not what the new UW adcom said. </p>
<p>The new UW adcom said that the guidelines are the same for both periods and to make sure applications are received on time. It was also said that they encourage early applications. </p>
<p>The new UW adcom DIDN’T say that students whose applications could be enhanced by mid-year grades risk nothing by applying early. That’s what I was hoping to see, and I didn’t see it. The post said that students who haven’t been denied yet would benefit from submitting mid-term grades. Those who have been denied seem to be out-of-luck.</p>
<p>Obviously if it was clear to me, I wouldn’t keep asking.</p>
<p>Well, that’s why I said there is some strategy if you are borderline. With wholistic UW admissions it is never cut and dried. We saw kids rejected we thought were nearly sure things. They will not give you a cut and dried answer.</p>
<p>So barrons, on the one hand you are saying that there is no downside to applying early other than having to wait a LONG time. But on the other hand, there were “kids rejected we thought were nearly sure things”. How can we be sure that their 7th semester grades wouldn’t have pushed them over the hump, in which case, it MIGHT have hurt to apply early. </p>
<p>Also, back in 2007 when I went to an information session with D1, they made it pretty clear that with rolling admissions, that the bar would increase over time as they filled their class. In other words, it was much less selective if you applied before the priority deadline than after the priority deadline. That’s WHY they encouraged students to apply early. </p>
<p>However, UWMadisonAdmiss said that the guidelines is always the same, in which case, it seems like if you are borderline, then it’s disadvantageous to apply early, but they encourage early application anyway so that you meet the deadlines, which does not seem like a really good reason. I mean obviously if you don’t meet the deadlines, the application doesn’t get read. That’s where the “dead” part of deadline comes from. </p>
<p>So you see, as the parent of a potentially borderline kid who would probably benefit from showing mid-term grades, but might be admittable anyway because of the high SAT, I am still quite unsure as to what the best strategy would be to maximize the chances of getting in with all other non-admissions related considerations aside. </p>
<p>It would seem like something that the admissions office would be capable of advising on but simply chooses not to. Other admissions offices (not rolling or priority) have made it clear that if you need your 7th semester grades to put you over the hump, then don’t apply early. </p>
<p>Anyway, I appreciate the thoughtful discussion.</p>
<p>I think UW is culturally adverse to drawing lines in the sand on most things. Just my observation.</p>
<p>LOL, I’m still hoping that UWMadisonAdmiss would be kind enough to clarify for me. I do appreciate having someone “official” on this board. One can hope right?</p>
<p>You might want to read the thread at UVa discussing exactly the same question with exactly the same answer I gave here. Basically it depends and nobody will tell you much more. But there would be more room for the UW applicant to have a great Fall that might help.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-virginia/1349941-art-science-when-submit-application.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-virginia/1349941-art-science-when-submit-application.html</a></p>
<p>Barrons do you now take the position that it CAN hurt you to apply early, which is different from what you posted in #21.</p>
<p>Back in 2007, a different person was head of admissions, thus policy or philosophy may be different now.</p>
<p>Another reason why clarification would not be unreasonable and would be preferable to speculation.</p>
<p>That was not what I said. I said for there is some strategy (for non slamdunk candidates) to wait if they think they can pull a great Fall and have that counted. If you get denied early you are toast. If you just get postponed you are in the same place and it would not matter.</p>
<p>I would speak to the person who is in charge of reviewing your application.</p>
<p>ClassicRockerDad, you raise a good point in #9, and we would hope a student addresses those issues in their written statement so we know why there was a decline. Heres a way to help clarify our approach given the added discussion following your post:</p>
<p>If a student is taking higher level courses throughout the first three years of high school, and in reviewing other elements of the application, we can make an educated decision about admission without yet seeing the seventh semester grades. We do see the seventh semester course selections even if the grades are not yet available. </p>
<p>If a student was not taking rigorous courses in their first three years, and academic performance was not consistent, the value of seventh semester grades might be questionable.</p>
<p>In each case, applying early in the first notification period would yield the same result as applying during the second notification period.</p>
<p>Thanks for the “official” info UW… We had been told years ago that the junior year of HS was most important- this seems to support that (eg improving grades can offset a poor start in the first year or so). It sounds like you can’t count on a steller senior first semester to offset the previous 3 years, so you may as well get the job done and not try to game the system by timing your application date.</p>
<p>Thanks for trying to clarify, UWMadisonAdmiss. I think I get what you are saying, and I understand that you can’t say any more. </p>
<p>I’ll just leave it at that. </p>
<p>Wis75, while you’ve often been very helpful to me in this thread in the past, and I appreciate that. I don’t appreciate your characterizations of my concerns as “overthinking” or “gaming the system”. My concerns are genuine and different schools would make different recommendations than UW based on the same set of circumstances. </p>
<p>A school would never want you to apply in a situation that would put you at a disadvantage. That’s why I’m asking. </p>
<p>Michigan has changed to pure Early Action and it no longer maximizes the admissions probability to apply early, though it used to. They are very clear about that. If 7th term grades will make the application stronger, it would be silly to risk rejection by applying early and expecting a decision without them. </p>
<p>Illinois, on the other hand, still makes it very clear that they would have no qualms filling up their spaces in their class with students who apply by the priority deadline, and some majors become much more selective or fill up after the priority deadline. Clearly applying early is paramount. </p>
<p>My interpretation from what UWMadison has said and from what’s now on the UW website, is that they have become more like Michigan and less like Illinois. </p>
<p>However, from the most recent post, my sense is that for my hypothetical student who has taken the higher level courses all through high school but had a rough junior year explainable by medical issues, that they might admit her anyway during the first period, and would probably at least postpone her if they couldn’t admit her.</p>
<p>So what if I have taken higher level courses all through high school but had a rough junior year without any medical issues? Should I wait for the Feb 1 deadline? I’m hoping they can see my first semester grades, which come out around Dec 22.</p>
<p>If you think your case will be improved by your first semester grades then wait until the second deadline to apply.</p>