In-state student, 35 ACT, 3.8 GPA, waitlisted at public uni. They say I can send updates. What might matter, other than grade updates?
Which school?
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UW Madison
Hmm. Seems you should have got in, if you are instate. I would definitely send a LOCI, and any useful update. I am inclined to think you could ask your GC at school to call admissions on your behalf, providing you will attend if accepted.
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I am not familiar with the UW Madison Waitlist but based on posts from last year’s waitlisted applicants, a letter of continued interest stating UW is your top choice could help.
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@Lindagaf , are there any guidelines for writing such a letter that you’d suggest? Anything to emphasize other than classes or activities? Anything that I should not mention? And does it go to a specific admissions officer or just to the general email?
Agree that your stats are fantastic for instate to UW-Madison. Have you talked to your guidance counselor? How many letters of recommendation did you send and how do you feel about what is probably in them? Sorry this happened to you and sounds like you deserve a spot.
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@UnsentDementor, thank you for your kind words. I’m quite discouraged. I requested 3 letters. Two, I’m certain, were very strong, and I thought the 3rd would be as well. My guidance counselor barely knows me–my class missed almost two years of school because of COVID, and teachers this year have been so busy–but I could ask her.
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Here is a blog with suggestions for the LOCI. I am sure there are other similar ones if you Google for them:
She also has other blogs for handling deferrals/waitlists.
Good luck!
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Ok I checked with someone and heard an “inside tip” - apparently WI doesn’t like it if you don’t submit a class rank…is there any chance this might be a factor? Does your school send a lot of kids there? Also is the 3.8 weighted or unweighted, and did you apply EA or RD?
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@UnsentDementor, I do not know my class rank, but I will ask and including in LOCI. My school does send a lot of kids, as it is in the capitol (same) city. 3.8 is unweighted. I applied RD. I did make some unusual choices that I can now see hurt my chances–I took dual language history classes instead of AP my first two years (because I’m really interested in learning languages, and am working on 3 at the moment), and I took two college chemistry classes (including organic) online during COVID (those were quite hard, and that’s what brought down by GPA).
The LOCI should be brief but clear. Call the admissions office and ask who the regional rep is for your area. Send it to that person and cc the admissions office.
“UWM is my top choice and I will attend if accepted.
I am attaching my most recent grades. Since applying, I have done x,y, and z…. I plan to study …at UWM, which aligns with my current focus on (relevant classes or activities.) This summer I will…
Thank you for taking time to read this.”
Ask your GC to call UWM and ask why you were waitlisted, and state that it’s your top choice. The GC can also provide any other info they need.
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@lindagraf thank you!
As you may or may not know, UW Madison made changes to their admission policy (and this was approved unanimously by their board of regents in 2019), whereby Minnesota residents and all transfer students now count as “in state” as applied to their quota for in state admits. Essentially this allows them to accept more OOS and international students and still maintain their required numbers of “in state” students. Obviously, OOS and international students bring in more tuition dollars than an in state student does. It is a game - and you along with all other tax paying Wisconsinite families now end up on the short end of things. What is the result? Well, in 2015 the freshman class was approx 27% OOS/international. The most recent number I saw was that this number is now 49.9%. It may very well be even higher for this admission cycle.
I hope this works out for you, but if not please do not take it personally. However, I find it sad that now many qualified students will be rejected and possibly will end up going OOS themselves (and paying another state’s OOS increased tuition) I also think it is incredibly unfair to all the parents whose tax dollars have helped to fund this institution only to have it now be basically to the point where it is a statistical disadvantage to be in state, while being told it is a advantage. So much gamesmanship.
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Just curious. Does MN reciprocate?
MN does reciprocate as far as allowing WI residents to pay in state tuition, but I do not know how they structure their admission policies. Meaning I do not know if they give an advantage to their own in state students or not. As far as I know, WI residents do not get any advantage over other OOS applicants at the University of MN
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OOS ED deferred, now waitlisted. 32 ACT, high grades, and everything else that should get into most universities. Moving on at this point.
Not trying to be a downer but realistically you should be looking towards other options at this point. Last year, only 14 out of 4335 students who accepted a waitlist were actually admitted to Madison. That being said, all the things mentioned above definitely will help to increase your chances of being one of the 14.
Source: UW Madison Common Data Set.
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DS’s friend was waitlisted for ME and apparently his letter said 1 in 4 students get pulled off the waitlist.
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