<p>Last year at this point in October, early applicants were starting to get their admission decisions. Has anyone received a decision yet? Also for those of you who have mailed in recommendation letters, did receipt of the letters ever show up on the list of received materials in your application status? Our daughter mailed in 2 letters in early September per the application instructions but they have not shown up in the received items list. We are wondering if its worth calling the admissions department to confirm if they got them.</p>
<p>Per a conversation I had in early September with one of the UW-Madison admission counselors, the system isn’t set up to show receipt of recommendation letters. She also said that they would not begin reviewing applications until early October since she had to work on a ‘build’ in the system (software?).</p>
<p>Thanks for the “insider” information -Madison85! It would be nice for them to update the admissions web page with the applications review not starting till early October -it still states September 15.</p>
<p>This blog answers the question about the reference letters:
[Wisconsin</a> Blogs - Office of Admissions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison](<a href=“http://www.admissions.wisc.edu/blogs/2010/09/16/application-season-has-begun/]Wisconsin”>http://www.admissions.wisc.edu/blogs/2010/09/16/application-season-has-begun/)</p>
<p>“I understand your concern and intrigue, but trust the people you trust to recommend you, and trust us to match these recommendations to your file once they arrive. We build in a delay, between when we have the four required items and when we begin our review, to give letters a chance to catch up.”</p>
<p>From mwdad53’s link. That’s not very comforting. That’s a lot of trust.</p>
<p>When I talked to Bobbie Jean St. Arnauld in early September, I wasn’t certain if she meant none of the admission counselors would begin reviewing applications until early October or if she would not begin reviewing applicants from her assigned schools until early October.</p>
<p>I also looked at the blog link (blog is from mid September) - it says:</p>
<p>“Next week, Ill take you behind the scenes of the process we use to receive you application and materials, and then create an electronic application file for you. Ill also offer some helpful tips to fully understand what youre seeing when you use our Web site to check your application status.
Until then, keep applying
”</p>
<p>I didn’t see any follow-up blog entry taking us behind the scenes :(</p>
<p>Judging by the main page of the blogs [Wisconsin</a> Blogs - Office of Admissions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison](<a href=“http://www.admissions.wisc.edu/blogs/]Wisconsin”>http://www.admissions.wisc.edu/blogs/) it doesn’t seem that Karen is a blogger anymore, so I doubt we’ll ever get a behind the scenes from her. It’s unfortunate she was the one that accepted me and really enjoyed reading those blogs. Now they only have one freshman admissions counselor on the blogs, which is also a shame. </p>
<p>Behind the scenes from last year: <a href=“http://www.admissions.wisc.edu/blogs/2010/02/01/photo-tour-of-uw-madison-admissions/[/url]”>http://www.admissions.wisc.edu/blogs/2010/02/01/photo-tour-of-uw-madison-admissions/</a></p>
<p>What happened to Karen? I interviewed with her and hope that she’s still on the admissions commitee.</p>
<p>They have a new Director so it is highly likely some people were moved around. Also entry level admissions jobs tend to have fairly turnover. They don’t make a ton of money.</p>
<p>The response regarding the blog:</p>
<p>“Thank you for contacting the Office of Admissions at UW-Madison. Karen is no longer with the Office of Admissions so you’ll want to read the blogs of other counselors. Thank you!”</p>
<p>Thanks for the update. That’s too bad, she was really nice.</p>
<p>No admission decision yet, but D showed me that the ‘Student Center’ screen looks slightly different - it was blank down the far right column but now shows categories for ‘Holds’, ‘Enrollment Date’ (no date shown) ‘Advisor’ (none assigned), ‘Contact Us’, ‘Resources’, ‘More Resources’.</p>
<p>^ That cannot be a bad sign.</p>
<p>I have the same info in Student Center (i.e. Holds, Enrollment Date, etc), it might just be something that shows up for all applicants, not sure if its significant or not</p>
<p>Does anyone have any idea why its taking longer for them to start the decisions this year? In past years people started finding out in early October, and I know they have said that they wouldn’t start reviewing till early October because of the ‘build’, but late October is now quickly approaching and I don’t think anyone has heard back yet. So does anyone know whats up?</p>
<p>Called today. Heard ‘early November’ they’d start announcing decisions. “within the next couple of weeks”
Translation: Who knows? Sometime soon…we think…maybe not!
lol I hate waiting. I applied WEEKS ago so that way I would know by now…‘grumble’…</p>
<p>Well if it is at least early November, I should have the Teach Me How To Bucky t -shirt I ordered for D to wear to school when she gets her admission decision.</p>
<p>At least freshmen get notified by early November. I called/emailed them awhile back and they told me they are not reviewing transfer applications until January supposedly! Or whenever they finish reviewing Spring applications I think.</p>
<p>Some incoming freshmen might be notified beginning in November, but there’s no guarantee. UW promises to make admission decisions by January 15, 2011 for the first wave of applicants, but not necessarily sooner.</p>
<p>Daughter’s application status just changed today to:</p>
<p>Your application is being reviewed by one of our admission counselors. Check back here for updates on your application status.</p>