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Once we receive your application for admission, we will send you an application acknowledgment*. If you provide us with an email address, the acknowledgement will be sent via email. If you do not supply an email address, you will receive the acknowledgement letter in the mail.
*We do not begin processing first-year fall or transfer spring applications until September 1. You will not receive your application acknowledgement until after this time. Application acknowledgements are sent within three business days of the application being submitted. We are also unable to verify if your documents have been submitted or have arrived in our office until after you application is processed and your application acknowledgment is received.
The acknowledgement will include your campus ID number, which can then be used to activate your UW NetID and check your application status.
The Student Center enables you to:
- Check to make sure we’ve received all your application materials.
- View your admission decision
- Check the details we have on file about you, including residency status and term of entry
- Update your mailing address, phone number, and email address
- Monitor the status of your financial aid application and accept your award
- Accept or decline an offer of admission
Checking Your Application and Materials Status
To check your application status:
- Visit the Student Center*.
- Any outstanding materials will be noted under “Tasks” on the “To Do List.” Please note your document(s) may take up to 14 business days to process, once they are received.
- If an item is added to your To Do List, you will receive an email notifying you to check your Student Center.
- We encourage you to check your Student Center regularly
Note: Applicants who have previously applied to UW–Madison may see “Student Center” in the top left and will need to select “Applicant Homepage” in that drop down to access all of these options.
Activating Your NetID
Before you can access the Student Center , you must activate your UW NetID. To do so, you’ll need your 10-digit campus ID number (found in your application acknowledgment letter or email) and birth date. Once you activate your NetID, you will assign yourself a password and then be authorized to access the Student Center and your application status information.
Forgot Your Campus ID, NetID, or Password?
Your campus ID number was sent to you with your application acknowledgement email. It will likely begin with a 908. If you cannot find your campus ID number, send an email to onwisconsin@admissions.wisc.edu or call our office at 608-262-3961 and we will resend your acknowledgement email to you. (We will not be able to provide you with your campus ID number over the phone.)
If you’ve activated your NetID but have forgotten your NetID password, you can reset it online with the NetID Password Reset Tool. If you have forgotten your NetID, you can recover it using the self-service NetID Recovery Tool.
Apply for Financial Aid and Scholarships
In December, you can submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This form uses tax information and is what the university uses to determine your need-based aid.
We encourage all students to submit a FAFSA and recommend completing that as soon as possible to be eligible the most aid and receive your aid package soon after your decision to help you plan.
Both current and incoming students can research and explore all the scholarships they qualify for based on their program, background, and interests through the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH).
Once you have submitted your application to UW–Madison and activated your NetID and password, you will be eligible for those scholarships that are awarded automatically.
You can also apply for those scholarships that require an application for consideration.
Do not wait until you have been admitted to apply for scholarships. Scholarships will have varying deadlines, but most will have a deadline of February 1.
In addition to our scholarships, we recommend pursuing additional funding opportunities through your work, community, and other organizations.
Deadlines and Decisions
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First-Year Application Deadlines and Decisions
First-Year Application and Materials Deadlines
| Decision Plan | Application Deadline | Materials Deadline | Decision Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Regular Decision | October 1 | October 15 | On or before December 31 |
| Fall Early Action | November 1 | November 8 | On or before January 31 |
| Fall Regular Decision | January 15 | January 22 | On or before March 31 |
Applications and all required application materials must arrive in our office by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on the noted deadline dates.
Please note that it may take up to 72 hours for our system to reflect that you have submitted an application; you will receive an email the next business day acknowledging its receipt.
Students who submit their application within 5 days of the deadline will not receive a reminder of materials that are missing from their application.
Early Action is non-binding. You’ll receive your admissions decision earlier but will not be required to commit until the national deadline of May 1.
Transfer Application Deadlines and Decisions
Transfer Application and Materials Deadlines
| Decision Plan | Application Opens | Application Deadline | Materials Deadline | Decision Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Regular Decision | August 1 | October 1 | October 15 | On or before December 31 |
| Fall Priority Decision | December 1 | February 1 | February 17 | On or before March 31 |
| Fall Regular Decision | December 1 | March 1 | March 16 | On or before April 30 |
Applications and all required application materials must arrive in our office by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on the noted deadline dates.
Please note that it may take up to 72 hours for our system to reflect that you have submitted an application; you will receive an email the next business day acknowledging its receipt.
Students who submit their application within 5 days of the deadline will not receive a reminder of materials that are missing from their application.
Reentry Application Deadlines and Decisions
Reentering Application and Materials Deadlines
| Term | Application Opens | Deadline For Decision Prior to Term Start | Deadline for Priority Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Term | August 1 | January 16 | November 1 |
| Summer Term | December 1 | July 15 | March 1 |
| Fall Term | December 1 | August 25 | March 1 |
Note: The application closes one week after the start of the term/session.
Second Degree Application Deadlines and Decisions
Second Degree Application Deadlines
| Term | Application Deadline | Materials Deadline | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Term | October 1 | October 16 | On or before December 31 |
| Summer Term (Accelerated BSN only) | October 1 | October 16 | On or before December 31 |
| Fall Term | March 1 | March 15 | On or before May 31 |
Learn more about our deadlines and decisions.
Senior Course Changes
The University of Wisconsin–Madison Office of Admissions and Recruitment does not “approve” or “deny” senior-year course schedule changes. You should consult with your high school counselor and other advisors and consider the pros, cons, and repercussions of a course change. Once you have made course changes, please submit the Senior Year Course Change Webform to notify us of the change. Please note that you may only submit this form once.
Be aware that a change that results in a drastically less academically rigorous course of study may jeopardize your admissibility or offer of admission. Admission to UW–Madison is based on our evaluation of a number of factors, including reported senior-year (or college) course work and your predicted continued academic success. Any changes in curriculum or declining grades may be cause for revoking admission prior to the start of the term.
Self-Reporting Mid-Year Grades
Applicants may be asked to self-report their mid-year grades when prompted by email during the application process. To ensure a possible future admit decision is not in jeopardy of being cancelled, applicants must report their grades exactly as they appear on an official transcript or grade report that was issued by their school.