Hi I was wondering what my chances of getting into UW Madison were:
1st Gen. Mexican-American
Enrolled in Gifted Program in lower income city’s public school in Illinois
3.1 UW and 3.525 W GPA ACT:28 (retaking) Rank: Weighted 55/301
AP classes:
Chemistry
Physics 1
Biology
World History
US History
US Gov
Comparative politics
English Lit and Comp
English Lang and Comp
Other gifted math, science, and english clases
EC:
Key Club
NHS
Soccer
Tennis
Army JROTC (Top rank position)
Also joining Army Reserves and looking at joining ROTC in college
Senior Year im taking AP Calc, Micro and Macro economics, AP Physics C, AP Psychology
I have a friend who got accepted with similar gpa and ACT as me so im just wondering. Also should I apply before the first deadline or should i wait for the second one in order to get a semester of my senior year on my transcript ?
Also, I help in organizing my family’s landscaping business.
http://provost.wisc.edu/prospective-csp-applicants.htm
Definitely apply before the first deadline. You will likely be asked for your first semester grades later anyway.
Then also apply for the Chancellor’s Scholarship program.
Your GPA is quite low for UW, and you are not a Wisconsin resident but you are an URM.
If your gpa reflects a slow start with much improved grades last year it means more than getting the same grades all years. Be sure to concentrate on learning as much as you can and developing good study habits this coming school year. If you are accepted you will be with students who learned more in their HS classes and have a better foundation to start with. You will need to learn more than those people who already learned material. To do this you will need stellar study skills. If possible see if you can contact mentors (teachers/guidance counselors) in your HS for any help with this.
UW will accept you only if they feel you can succeed at UW. No matter where you attend college you need the best study skills and knowledge base you can achieve. It is not just hours spent studying but how you do it. Also work on your writing skills as these will translate to many college courses. Talk to your past teachers for hints on how to improve. Yes, it is extra work, but worth it in the long run. Good luck.
Thanks for the input. I am heavily interested in science which is why I have taken all the science classes I could have. I think my AP Chemistry is wrong and im working with my school to get it fixed. It should be an A. Also how will my performance my senior year affect my chances?
It certainly can- they will look at your grades. Also, try to do your best- good study habits and knowledge acquisition can only help you.
I forgot to mention something. My high school hosts the gifted program for my city. Most of the students are in regular and honors classes. My fellow students in the gifted portion and I don’t have the option of choosing “honors” classes, but rather “gifted” classes that are not weighted in any way and are counted as regular classes. I have talked to other students who have to go through the regular curriculum and they say that the honors classes aren’t as rigorous as the gifted classes. Our school is very competitive, our Scholastic Bowl team won the Illinois State championship. Will this help in any way? And if so what would be the best medium of showing this to admissions? Rec Letter, Include it in my essay, etc.
@Juju928 When you give a resume to the person(s) writing your rec letters, you should make sure to include the gifted program as one of your academic achievements/activities in your resume. You’ll probably end up putting down the gifted program anyways when you fill out the other required information in the application.
As for your essays, I would avoid trying to shoehorn in your achievements unless it fits your essay’s topic; the essays are meant to show the admissions committee who YOU are as a person, not necessarily how good you are at school.
@silmaril @wis75 @Madison85 For my essay I was thinking of talking about my quadriplegic grandfather who I’ve been providing home care services for for the last 5 years after a car accident he had. Its how I discovered my interest and eventual love for the medical field. I want to go into neurology in the end. The thing is I dont want to make admissons think that Im trying to make them feel bad for me because of my situation with my grandfather. I was thinking of using this in the second essay because I discovered UW Madison through my grandfather’s appointments since I usually translate for my parents. Do you think I should go with this for the first part of the question?
Prompt: Tell us why you decided to apply to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In addition, share with us the academic, extracurricular, or research opportunities you would take advantage of as a student. If applicable, provide details of any circumstance that could have had an impact on your academic performance and/or extracurricular involvement.
UW admissions will not dwell on your grandfather’s problems. Be sure to emphasize what you stated here- your interest. Remember you are not applying to the medical school at this point and your proposed major does not matter. Think how this has inspired you to go to college et al. Do discuss your essays with a teacher or other mentor at your HS. Do not forget to consider the whole question. Now you know why you want UW, answer the next part of the prompt as well.
Also, remember that you have limited space to write your essays, so don’t dwell too much on one aspect of the prompt. You should definitely go onto UW-Madison’s website and explore their opportunities, academics, and extracurriculars before you write your essays. The most important thing to do for that prompt is to connect your interests and passions to the many opportunities that Madison offers- they want to see whether you’re a good match for their school! I also second wis75’s advice about talking with teachers, mentors, parents, etc; they know you a lot better than a couple of strangers on the internet like us, and could give you much more specific and helpful advice on your essays!
Anyways, I hope you get into Madison! I’m going to be a freshman there this coming fall, and it already seems like a wonderful city and campus.