<p>Hi! So I was looking around at the UW-Madison website and found these essay questions. Now, I'm not sure if these questions are the same every year or these are just last years. Also how long are these essays normally?
Your help would be greatly appreciated :)
-Collegehelp111</p>
<p>Sorry forgot to post the questions I found</p>
<ol>
<li> Written Statements
We want to learn more about you, so we ask you to complete three written exercises. First, describe which of your extracurricular activities was most important. Then write about any perspectives, life experiences, interests, or talents that you will bring to our campus to enrich our community. Finally, state your academic goals and explain any challenges or circumstances you may have encountered.</li>
</ol>
<p>I believe that these essays have been the same since the 2009-2010 entering class.</p>
<p>I think the ‘how you enrich UW community’ has a limit of 500 or 750 words…maybe someone else recalls.</p>
<p>I’m confused. I thought there were two different questions. <a href=“http://www.admissions.wisc.edu/images/UW-Madison_Application.pdf[/url]”>http://www.admissions.wisc.edu/images/UW-Madison_Application.pdf</a></p>
<p>There are 3 questions (49,50,51) requiring a written response. #49 is clear about the number of words allowed. I would recommend you stay within those parameters, regardless of what you want to write about. For #50 and #51, I would recommend you focus on a clear, concise response that can be articulated in one page. I would not recommend submitting an essay that goes over 2 pages. Write it, revise it, and have several people read it and offer advice. It’s less about word count and more about your thought process, and ability to write. Don’t worry about counting words unless you see a specific required count.</p>
<p>We are currently revising our written statements for the application. The new questions will be posted online in late August along with the following sheet: [Application</a> Tip Sheet - Office of Admissions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison](<a href=“http://www.admissions.wisc.edu/appTipSheet.php]Application”>http://www.admissions.wisc.edu/appTipSheet.php)</p>
<p>When will UW adopt the Common Application-at least for OOS/Int students?</p>
<p>Why late August? High School Counselors are pushing students to work hard in July and August before HS starts up so they have a draft ready for critique before September. It’s great to get this rolling before you enter (5) AP classes!</p>
<p>[New</a> Common App member overshadows the others - Baltimore College Prep | Examiner.com](<a href=“http://www.examiner.com/article/new-common-app-member-overshadows-the-others]New”>http://www.examiner.com/article/new-common-app-member-overshadows-the-others)</p>
<p>I see no reason for public flagship U’s to adopt the common application- it would be far too easy for OOS students to just add UW or others instead of truly wanting to apply. Let UW choose what to put on the application without forcing instate students to add material the common app requires. Keep it simple for admissions and the majority of applicants with one single application form that addresses all issues pertinent to UW-Madison and only those. It costs money, including the extra time, to read a different form.</p>
<p>I suspect UW lets one admission cycle finish before working on the next and it isn’t confusing for applicants.</p>
<p>Fact is many state flagships that want to attract the best OOS applicants ARE going to the CA. You either adapt or get passed over. Just because we did not do it before is not an answer in the modern age. The environment is far more competitive than it was 30 years ago. Almost every top public is now competing for more OOS students.</p>
<p>I don’t think it really matters if some far away students don’t choose to apply to UW. There are still only around 6000 freshmen and I find it ridiculous to feel as though higher numbers of applicants who aren’t all that interested in actually attending a school apply is better. It has gotten out of hand when students apply to far more schools than in the past. The floods of applications still mean each student only attends one school and the stats for UW are unlikely to go up significantly. UW should do what is best for it. It doesn’t matter what other schools do. I haven’t heard that UW has had trouble getting sufficient high quality OOS applicants- it does not matter if another school gets twice as many. It would be of concern if getting more applicants meant a lower percentage of those accepted chose UW, something that could happen with easy common apps.</p>
<p>Remember, despite being a major national university UW still has the primary mission of educating state residents. </p>
<p>Back to the original topic. Patience is required in finding out the fall admissions cycle essay topics. Relax and enjoy your summer.</p>
<p>It also has a primary mission of remaining solvent which is now only possible with the OOS tuition paid by some very important customers. It now is more than the state’s contribution to the UW Madison. As I said, doing what used to work is a recipe for future failure. See Kodak and scores of once top US companies. Change and adaptation are now fundamental. But doctors always had trouble understanding economics and markets.</p>
<p>@UWMadisonAdmiss: Will the new essay questions be similiar to the ones that used to be used, or will they be drastically different? If I wrote my essays according to the previous prompts, will I be able to adapt to the new ones? Thank you,</p>
<p>@barrons: At this time, we don’t have plans to use the common application.</p>
<p>@Aaronyah: It probably won’t work in your favor to adapt previously written essays, or to work on the written statements without seeing the questions. As part of our holistic review, we will refer to the written exercises you submit to understand more about you. What you choose to share will give us an idea of who you are and what you might be like as part of our community.</p>
<p>barrons- you are thinking purely like a businessman. UW is getting quality OOS applicants, there is no need to change a good working system to cater to OOS students who can’t be bothered to use the UW application. UW isn’t hurting for numbers of OOS attending and they pay the same tuition those extra applicants you propose would. No need to attreact more applicants. The academic bar is high enough to atteract the appropriate peer group to satisfy the top instate students (the Honors program especially). Those who truly want to go to UW over myriads of other schools will bother to fill out the form and do the essays. </p>
<p>Remember, making the most money possible from the application process is not what it’s all about. Bragging rights for admissions statistics isn’t either. Keeping it consistent for instate and OOS applicants is more important. Not forcing Wisconsin residents to do the common app is important. Remember the primary function of the state schools is to educate the state’s residents. Having a world class university benefits the state’s people, especially the state residents who get to go to UW. Think Midwest sensibilities, not East Coast snobbery.</p>