<p>"All applications completed by February 1 for the fall term receive full and equal consideration."</p>
<p>Is that 100% true? I'm asking since I'm a chronic procrastinator and just sent my application in yesterday. My grades and stats are good for Madison (3.95 UW, 34 ACT, 6 AP classes) but my EC's are lacking. I keep beating myself up about my procrastination and am worried it could hurt my chances of getting in. Am I worrying over nothing? Also, regarding housing, is applying this late going to limit my selection when choosing a dorm?</p>
<p>You have really, really good stats. I know it’s mysteriously gotten ridiculously hard to get in this year (for example I had a 3.6 and a 30 ACT, only 2 years of a foreign language and only one EC but I got in last year) so it’s really hard to predict much. But I really think that you have a really good shot, especially if your essays/recommendations are good. Also, you don’t have to worry about getting a dorm. You’ll get a housing contract soon, and as long as you send it in by the deadline (it’s easy to get out of if you don’t wind up going) you will get as much of a chance for your top choices as everyone else. It’s a lottery and they don’t assign anything till May.</p>
<p>Here’s a recent post on a badger sports discussion board on this topic. Poster lives in Rye, NY.</p>
<p>"I live in a town that takes its academics almost too seriously and the high school sends a lot of kids to the Ivy League and other top schools. Wisconsin has always been a respected name here and since UW and Michigan are more or less equally difficult to get into, Indiana has become very popular. This year Wisconsin has gone through the roof. It’s arguably the most desirable school among current applicants, ahead of Michigan, Penn and others. I can’t believe how it’s taken off, and it’s almost all attributable to sports. For some reason the Saturday night game against OSU was like a marketing video. Almost everyone I know commented to me about how awesome it looked, etc., and from there people took notice of our season. That matters a lot to kids looking for a rounded experience. Of course the academics are there and people know Madison is a fun town but almost every kid expressing an interest in UW wants a highly spirited, rah-rah vibe with major sports. That’s true for boys and girls. Wisconsin is now one of, if not the leading standard bearer for that type of environment. A lot of parents approach us because we are quite visible about our love for UW (it could have been the flag hanging from my portico Jan.1, or that my kids are rarely seen without some form of UW clothing on). I’ve become like the informal local go-to guy for questions about the university. I had a discussion with father Saturday night and his son has Wisconsin as his first choice with Michigan second. I asked him why and he said his son told him Wisconsin has better sports. Let’s think about that for a while: to a current high school junior, Wisconsin has better, more high profile sports than Michigan. About an hour later a mother excitedly informed my wife that her daughter was accepted to UW. She applied to like 10 schools, including Michigan and Penn, where the mother went, but this was her first choice so they are done. Another guy is dying for his daughter to go to Vanderbilt, his alma mater, but her visit to Madison blew everything else away. He called me because he wanted to find out what all the fuss is about since so many kids are talking up Madison and he knew nothing about it. Our next door neighbor has Madison as her first choice, ahead of Michigan, after her older brother told her to go there. He is currently at Syracuse after being rejected by UW. I could go on and on. I wear my Wisconsin stuff and everyone comments. That wasn’t always the case. Michigan was on a higher plane, but it isn’t anymore. </p>
<p>The brand is exploding and a lot of it’s pretty obvious to me that much of that is attributable to the high profile football season we just had. "</p>
<p>The deadline is the deadline- no difference as long as everything is in on time. Would not have changed UW’s decision if you had applied a month ago. Better to have stellar academics than a ton of EC’s. Everyone given a Res Halls Contract that they sign and turn in by the deadline given to them gets an equal chance for their top ranked dorm when the dorm assignment lottery is done in May. One reason so many people are still waiting for a decision is that UW is waiting for all applications sent in by the deadline before filling up the spots available. Some of the best students are procrastinators and finally decide they better apply to UW sometime in January in case another school doesn’t pan out.</p>
<p>Barrons, I’d agree that your friend from Rye might be a little overly enthused. There’s no question that UW is and long has been a popular school on the coasts, but in terms of reputation, popularity, and selectivity it still plays second fiddle to Michigan. Which isn’t to suggest that it’s not doing well . . .</p>