Deadlines and Decisions

The following deadlines pertain to both domestic and international applicants.

Applications and all required application materials must arrive in our office by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on the noted deadline dates.

We cannot begin to review your application until all required materials are received.

We begin processing applications on September 1.

First-Year Application and Materials Deadlines

Decision Plan	Application Deadline	Materials Deadline	Decision Release
Spring Regular Decision	October 1	October 16	On or before December 31
Fall Early Action	November 1	November 8	On or before January 31
Fall Regular Decision	January 16	January 22	On or before March 31

First-year fall and spring term applications open August 1.

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.

First-Year Admissions Decisions

We cannot begin to review your application until all required materials are received. Review our requirements to ensure you submit a complete application.

Types of admission decisions applicants can receive in our Early Action review period:

Admit: Admission to UW–Madison is competitive and selective, and we review applications using a holistic process. We admit students based on academic strengths who will thrive in our rigorous curriculum and who will also add unique perspectives to our student body. We consider essays, extracurricular involvement (both in and outside of school), letters of recommendation, talent, and interests to consider how students may contribute to our campus community.
Defer: Applicants who are deferred are neither admitted nor denied upon initial review. Deferred applicants have the potential for success at UW–Madison, however, we would like to review midyear grades prior to making a final decision. Decisions on deferred students will be made by the end of March. More information on defer decision can be found on our Defer FAQ page. Note: Students who receive a defer decision are emailed information on self-reporting grades and updating their file at the email address on their application.
Deny: Students who are not competitive for admission are denied admission.

Types of admission decisions applicants can receive in our Regular Decision review period:

Admit: Admission to UW–Madison is competitive and selective, and we review applications using a holistic process. We admit students based on academic strengths who will thrive in our rigorous curriculum and who also add unique perspectives to our student body. We consider essays, extracurricular involvement (both in and outside of school), letters of recommendation, talent, and interests to consider how students may contribute to our campus community.
Wait List: Students who are offered a spot on our wait list are neither admitted nor denied. If space becomes available after May 1, admission may be extended to some students who have accepted the wait list offer. For more information please review our Wait List FAQs.
- Connections Program: A select group of Wisconsin residents who are offered a spot on our wait list will be offered a spot in the Connections Program. Students who participate in the Connections Program are granted the opportunity to start at a partner college or university before finishing their bachelor’s degree at UW–Madison—all while holding the distinctive UW–Madison student status from the beginning. Students offered Connections can choose to accept both offers, accept only their wait list offer, or accept only Connections.
Deny: Students who are not competitive for admission or who fail to complete their application are denied admission.

Appealing a Deny Decision

Every application denied has already been through an extensive review. For an appeal to have merit, it must bring to light new compelling academic and/or personal information, as well as details pertaining to extenuating circumstances that were not addressed in the initial application. Essentially, the appeal must present information that clearly shows the student to be stronger than had been earlier evidenced.

Appeal letters must be written and submitted by the applicant to the Office of Admissions and Recruitment within 30 days of their decision notification. Email is an acceptable format for submission. Be sure to clearly outline the reasons for appealing and present new and compelling information. Do not simply repeat information that was presented at the time of application. At the time of appealing, the letter should accompany any other appropriate documentation as needed.

Defer and wait list decisions cannot be appealed. Any application that is incomplete will not be eligible for an appeal. Applicants can only appeal once and decisions resulting from an appeal are final. We will not accept appeals filed on behalf of the student by a parent, counselor, teacher, friend, etc.

It is our usual practice to respond to appeals within four to six weeks of the date we receive them. While all appeals are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, the rate of a decision being reversed based on an appeal has historically been very low. Application fees are nonrefundable regardless of the result of an appeal. If you wish to submit an appeal, please click here for further instructions.

Deferred Enrollment

Eligible admitted first-year students who wish to defer their enrollment to a future term can do so through the Deferred Enrollment Process.

Transfer Application and Materials Deadlines

Decision Plan	Application Opens	Application Deadline	Materials Deadline	Decision Release
Spring Regular Decision	August 1	October 1	October 16	On or before December 31
Fall Priority Decision	December 1	February 1	February 15	On or before March 31
Fall Regular Decision	December 1	March 1	March 15	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.

Transfer Admission Decisions

We cannot begin to review your application until all required materials are received. Review our requirements to ensure you submit a complete application.

Types of admission decisions applicants can receive:

Admit: Admission to UW–Madison is competitive and selective, and we review applications using a holistic process. We admit students based on academic strengths who will thrive in our rigorous curriculum and who also add unique perspectives to our student body. We consider essays, extracurricular involvement (both in and outside of school), letters of recommendation, talent, and interests to consider how students may contribute to our campus community.
Defer: Applicants who are deferred are neither admitted nor denied upon initial review. Deferred applicants have the potential for success at UW–Madison, however, we would like to review final term grades and other supporting material prior to making a final decision. Decisions on deferred transfer students will be made after final grades are received and reviewed and by the end of June. More information on defer decision can be found on our Defer FAQ page.
Deny: Students who are not competitive for admission or who fail to complete their application are denied admission.

Appealing a Deny Decision

Appeal letters must be written and submitted by the applicant within 30 days of the deny decision to the Office of Admissions and Recruitment. Email is an acceptable format for submission. Be sure to clearly outline the reasons for appealing and present new and compelling information. Do not simply repeat information that was presented at the time of application. At the time of appealing, the letter should accompany any other appropriate documentation as needed.

Any application that is incomplete will not be eligible for an appeal. Applicants can only appeal once and decisions resulting from an appeal are final. We will not accept appeals filed on behalf of the student by a parent, counselor, teacher, friend, etc.

Deferred Enrollment

In most cases, transfer and reentry students cannot defer enrollment. The University of Wisconsin–Madison provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities, chronic medical conditions, and for active-duty military personnel.

Transfer students who have confirmed enrollment and are unable to enroll at UW–Madison in the term specified on their acceptance letter due to one of the reasons listed above may request to defer enrollment.

Reentering Application Deadlines and Materials

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 and Materials Deadlines

Term	Application Deadline	Materials Deadline	Decision Notification
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