Nola… Thank goodness being a large donor does not mean getting your kids into UW. So many deserving kids whose parents can’t afford to donate. Likely a good thing your D was waitlisted since she obviously did not want to attend UW. Perhaps her essays reflected her lack of desire. So much better for her to be where she wants to be. I was actually shocked that my son wanted UW since I went there and we did not get along. Your choice whether to share your good financial fortune with the school that helped contribute to your ability to give.
ccyen… Your D should get involved with the international students organizations- she can find any on the UW website.
@NolaCAR - so glad everything worked out for your D and that she’s at the school - and school environment - of her choice. Totally understand about having a kid who doesn’t want to be in-state or near home, or who wishes for the smaller closer environment of an LAC over the larger state U (even one as rigorous as UW). Doing your college in a different part of the country is a wonderful experience for those who are able to.
I’d feel the same way if my high-stats kid were rejected (EDIT: or waitlisted) from my alma mater which was supposed to be a safety! Maybe she’s the one kid they can point to in order to show that they don’t let in EVERYONE! LOL. We definitely know people who were helped by having a sib. or parent at UW and/or being the child of a donor. We live in MN too so it’s not like those kids would be paying higher tuition. Oh well.
@wis75 “Your choice whether to share your good financial fortune with the school that helped contribute to your ability to give.” Exactly. That’s why I have chosen to give in the first place. I loved my student experience at UW and I am so thankful for my degree that allows me to earn a good income. As soon as I paid off my student loans, I started giving every year. I always specified that 1/2 of my gift had to go to scholarships to help other student have the same good experience I did, and the other 1/2 could go into the school’s discretionary fund.
I also agree that getting in shouldn’t be about having a parent who is an alum and/or gives money. Maybe at a private school this is justifiable, but not at a public school. Which is why, despite my school’s alumni director offering to to “help” D if she decided to apply, I never took the alumni director up on that offer. I didn’t notify the alumni director that D had applied and I let the process play out naturally.
Nevertheless, when I see on this thread that OOS students with noticeably lower stats than D got in, it kind of stings! I’m sure D will flourish at her LAC, her being waitlisted by UW will become a small blip in my rear view mirror, and I will go on singing “Varsity” (and giving) with pride. But right now it still feels a little raw.
Hey guys, I was accepted to L&S last week and I am an international student. Today I received an email telling me to apply for the honors programs in school. Is that an universal thing that everyone gets invited or something else? Could I be accepted if apply? I don’t really know these specificities of US admission, could someone tell me? Thanks
@exheni All admitted students in L&S are invited to apply for Honors program. Search the Wisconsin board for “Honors” or “Honors program” to find lots of posts on the subject. Congrats on your acceptance to UW!
Got a letter today confirming acceptance. Does Wisconsin send out a nice thick congratulatory packet? All the schools my kid has been admitted to have sent out acceptances that have been much more exciting. I have to say the letter was very lackluster to say the least. Is it a foreshadowing of budget cuts?
No, it’s not budget cuts – there is an entering class of about 6000 freshman, so counselors are not handwriting notes talking about a student’s particular essay. We attended an admitted student event and were very impressed with the organization and breadth of information provided and opportunities offered during the visit. UW is a phenomenal school, and the administration works smoothly. I cannot recall how much admission info was online vs. hard copy, but there is plenty to do once a student accepts the offer of admission, from ranking housing choices, registering for SOAR, and taking placement tests. Also, if your student is in College of Letters & Science, look for the email about application to the Honors program. as that due date is tied to your student’s file, and can sneak up on people. Congrats to your student, and if they choose to attend, and you are from California as your name suggests, they will have plenty of west coast company, as my kid has lots of friends from northern and southern CA.
@Midwestmomofboys I know schools who are excepting 9,000 kids and sending beautiful presentations. There was no mention of admitted student tours in his acceptance letter and nothing online I can find. Is the honors program hard to get into? I think he received something today about it.
@curiouscali100 – As I recall, once an admitted student logs onto the admitted student section, there are links about admitted student events etc. I cannot recall if the one my kid attended was two days or just one, but there was a menu of different events/tours etc, including an introductory panel discussion with students and faculty, plus, tours of dorms, learning communities, meals in Gordon, meetings with Honors program etc. As I recall, there were more than 200 admitted students the time my son attended, so the introductory meeting had probably more than 600 people in the room. We were impressed at how well organized the entire event was, and it made a particular impression as compared the disorganization we had seen at our instate flagship.
I have written a lot of posts explaining Honors, as my son is completing the Honors in the Liberal Arts requirements. As best as I can tell from following UW threads here over the years, it is not difficult to be admitted to Honors in Letters & Science as long as a student seriously engages with the application – all admitted students are invited to apply, as the idea is that every student is capable of doing Honors work, but not every student is interested in that deeper intellectual engagement. My kid was lucky to be admitted to UW on his stats, but wrote interesting short essays on his Honors app, and was admitted to Honors. Honors at UW is an “a la carte” program – a student can do as much or as little as they choose, though to graduate with Honors in the Liberal Arts, there are breadth and depth requirements in Honors level courses. Honors gets you the opportunity to take Honors sections of lecture classes, which means the Professor who does the lecture is also your discussion section leader – so you work with them in a section of 18-25 students and have the opportunity to develop a relationship with that faculty member. Or, Honors classes can be smaller classes, capped at 20-25 students, another opportunity for close working relationships. My kid loved his Honors classes, as he worked closely with world class faculty who went on to write recommendations for competitive programs etc. Honors students also get Honors advising at SOAR (summer orientation and registration) which can be helpful as well.
Good luck to your student, and congrats on his admission to UW.
I was admitted to the Department of Education and today I got an e-mail about the honors program saying that “Recognizing your past achievement and your future potential, we invite you to consider UW-Madison honors programs”. Does this mean anything or is this just an informatory email? (I saw the previous comments but it’s still confusing so…)
My son was admitted to Madison’s College of Letters & Science “pursuing entry to the School of Business”. He was having a hard time deciding between Business and Engineering when he applied. He applied Business, but now wishes he would have applied as Engineering. We are going to a admitted student visit next week and of course we will ask, but does anyone know what he would have to do to switch? I’ve been searching the school’s website but can’t find much.
You need to apply to the Honors Program to be in it- by the deadline specified to you. Do so if you have any interest in taking any Honors classes in L&S.
You were admitted to the university as a whole. You can switch majors/schools/colleges easily. It is a good idea to identify your proposed major before SOAR sign up so you can get the most appropriate advising. No matter what just be sure to take required STEM classes for the engineering major as a freshman so you will be on track for that major. Just find out how you change your major (sorry- I don’t know) of record. Can change it again later as well.
Hi, everyone. I applied to the honors program today, and I’m not sure how quickly they would get back to me. Can anyone help me out? Also, how selective are they? Is a 32.25 ACT and 3.9 GPA good enough? Thanks.
Chance me for direct entry into madison’s business school please!
Out of State
Act: 31 Superscore- 33
Gpa: W-3.92 UW-3.3
NHS member, Four years of Scholastic Bowl (three years varsity and couple awards and recognitions), two years robotics, two years Business professionals of america, black belt in karate and many trophies, three years of soccer (2 at jv level), cricket club 4 years. Lot of volunteering at local KinderCare, senior living home, karate, and feed my starving children.
AP World History- 3, AP US History- 4, AP Language and Composition- 5, AP Psychology- 5,and currently taking AP Government and Politics, AP Calculus AB, and AP Statistics. Taking AP Macroeconomics next semester as well.
UW does not superscore tests. UW uses your unweighted gpa. Your test score (single sitting result) is much higher than your low gpa. It therefore looks like you are underachieving, ie not doing the work or studying as you should. UW may have questions about your ability to do the work as indicated by your HS performance. You do not look competitive for UW the university, much less getting a direct admit to the business school. Tons of EC’s do not make up for lesser grades. Top students do the work, get top grades and have time for activities.
No matter where you attend college be sure to treat senior year seriously. Do welll in your classes and on any AP exams you take.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s number one admission factor is unweighted GPA. It is usually difficult for even an in-state kid to get in with anything less than a 3.8 with a challenging class load.