Apply as a Transfer Student

You will be asked to identify both a first and second choice major when completing the application for admission. If selecting a major in the School of Business or College of Engineering as your first choice major, you must select a second choice major outside of the School of Business or the College of Engineering. If we are unable to offer you admission to your first choice major, your second choice will be considered in our application review. Due to the competitive nature of some of our programs, admission expectations may be different for students pursuing majors in business, engineering, dance, and music.

The application fee is $80.00 US and is non-refundable.

Electronic payment is preferred. If you apply using the Universities of Wisconsin Application, the fee can be paid by check or money order, drawn on a bank located in the United States and payable to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Send the check or money order to the Office of Admissions and Recruitment. Please include the applicant’s name with payment. Do not send cash.

Application fee waivers are available for applicants with financial hardship. Eligible students can request a fee waiver as part of your application. If you did not request an application fee waiver at the time of application, but are eligible to have your fee waived, you may complete the waiver form (PDF) and email it to onwisconsin@admissions.wisc.edu.

The application fee is not required if your last school attended is a Universities of Wisconsin institution and it is within one year of enrollment as a degree seeking student at that institution.

As part of our holistic review, we refer to the essays you submit to understand more about you. What you choose to share gives us an idea of who you are and what you want to accomplish as part of our community. Tell us about you and your unique story to help us know you beyond your GPA and test scores. Your essays might also be used for campus program and scholarship review.

You will need to answer the following prompts:

• Each student is unique. Please tell us about the particular life experiences, talents, commitments, and/or interests you will bring to our campus.
• Tell us why you would like to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In addition, please include why you are interested in studying the major(s) you have selected. If you selected undecided, please describe your areas of possible academic interest.

If you are applying to transfer from another Universities of Wisconsin institution, you will only be required to submit the second essay.

College Transcripts

We require course and grade information from your enrollment in any and all colleges and universities. This should include all college-level coursework completed to date, including your current term in progress, and (if applicable) college classes taken while in high school.

You must submit an official transcript from all institutions(s) in which you were enrolled to meet the course and grade information requirement to complete your application for admission.

Official transcripts should be sent directly from each school attended.

High School Transcripts

We require official high school transcript(s), sent to us by your school. We review your high school record to check for proof of graduation, the completion of core preparation requirements, and to learn more about your educational background. High school grades will play a more important role in the admission review for applicants who have completed fewer transferable college credits. If you earned your General Educational Development (GED) certificate or a High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED), submit your official score report in addition to all high school or home school transcripts. If you were or are homeschooled, we will need additional documentation to complete a full, holistic review of your application.

International Transcripts and Documents

How to Send Official Transcripts

Applicants that are currently or were previously enrolled at a Universities of Wisconsin institution or branch campus, or UW Colleges Online, must submit their transcripts according to the Universities of Wisconsin guidelines.

Students applying from outside the United States have country-specific requirements for their transcripts.

We require you to submit one letter of recommendation written by someone who can attest to your academic ability, such as a teacher, school counselor, or faculty member. Students with an interest in engineering are encouraged to obtain a letter of recommendation from a math or science teacher. Remember to have a discussion with your chosen recommender first to see if they are willing and able to provide a letter.

We encourage applicants who have been away from formal classroom teaching for an extended period to request a letter of recommendation from someone who can speak to their academic potential, such as an employer (preferably a supervisor or manager), a program or departmental trainer, or some other individual in an official instructional capacity.

Recommendations that are mailed to our office letters of recommendation must be sent directly from the school and/or recommender, in a sealed envelope. Recommendations must include the applicant’s full name, birth date, and campus ID number (if known). Additionally, letters of recommendation from a school staff member may also be sent through Naviance. Please note that letters of recommendation expire after one year from the date it is written.

Transfer applicants educated in non-English speaking countries must submit an official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test (DET) score, unless English was the primary language of instruction in all four years of secondary school or a college level English composition course was successfully completed at an accredited US institution. This requirement will not be waived for English composition taken at U.S. branch campuses abroad.

All English proficiency exams should be sent electronically, directly from the testing service.

Please note: Sending official test scores from the testing agency does have an additional cost and will add 1–4 weeks to the application completion process. Plan to send your test scores early to ensure your scores arrive before the materials deadline.

Duolingo English Test (DET)

• Minimum accepted score: 115
• When submitting your score(s): Search category should be “Undergraduate,” then select “University of Wisconsin–Madison”
• Please do not send to offices listed under “Other,” as we are unable to retrieve those scores
• The DET should be sent with sub-scores

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IELTS

• Minimum accepted score: 6.5
• To submit scores electronically, students need to request an “ETRF” request from their testing center. When requesting electronic scores, please note:
  • IELTS does not require a code
  • Select our account name, “University of Wisconsin, Madison Undergraduate”
• Please do not send paper copies of your IELTS scores
• We accept both the in-person and online IELTS Academic test

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TOEFL iBT

• Minimum accepted score:
  • Test date on or before 1/20/26: 80
  • Test date 1/21/26 or later: 4.5
• When submitting your score(s): TOEFL test code is 1846
• We do not accept “MyBest” score from TOEFL nor any English Proficiency exam
• For each TOEFL you submit, we will require the full score report. Wisconsin does not accept the TOEFL iTP Plus for China but we will accept the iBT Special Home Edition

If you believe this requirement does not apply to you, or if you qualify for an English Language Proficiency Exam Waiver based on our policy, please check your “Student eForms” on your Student Center home page for an ELP Waiver Request”. To begin the waiver process, select “Admissions” from the left-side menu, then select “ELP Waiver Request” and complete the form. We are unable review your ELP waiver request until we have received your transcript and it is removed from your To Do List in your Student Center. If you have completed the ELP Waiver Request and this task is still present, please allow our office 14 business days to review your request. If it has been longer than 14 business days, please email our office at onwisconsin@admissions.wisc.edu.

How to Send Official Test Scores

We do not superscore any English Proficiency exam and score reports cannot be older than two years from the time you apply.