How to Send Official Application Materials

Course and Grade Information

Official or unofficial transcripts sent by a student, family member, or counselor via email, will NOT be accepted. They will NOT meet the course and grade requirement and should not be sent.

Official course and grade information (transcripts, leaving exams) may be submitted in one of two ways:

Postal Mail

All paper transcripts sent to our office must be sent directly from the school, or a student can send their transcript if it is in an unopened envelope from their school that includes the school’s return address or official seal. Transcripts must bear an official school seal or be printed on the school’s custom watermarked/security paper.

Please use the below address:

Undergraduate Office of Admissions and Recruitment
University of Wisconsin–Madison
702 West Johnson Street, Suite 1101
Madison, Wisconsin 53715-1007

Electronically

All electronic transcripts must be sent from a school counselor through an approved electronic sending service. Transcripts and leaving exams sent via email as an attachment are NOT official.

Approved sending services include:

Common Application (Transcript or Optional Report)
Naviance
Parchment
National Student Clearinghouse
SCOIR
Credential Solutions
ScribOrder
Truecopy Credentials

Additional information for counselors

If you attended a non-English institution: If your school or institution does not issue transcripts in English, we will require an official translation of the entire original transcript with all course names and grades included, preferably in the same format as the original. That translation must be completed either by the school or institution (e.g. a school counselor, English teacher, or other school staff member who can complete the translation) or by an Education USA official within your home country or region. It must also be submitted via the same official methods above; email is not considered official. We must receive both the original non-English transcript and the official English translation to complete your application.

Letter of Recommendation

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. If you choose, you can also submit another letter of recommendation from an additional source, such as an employer, coach, research mentor, community leader, or clergy. 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.

Those who apply using the Common Application should request a recommendation through that system.

If you apply using the Universities of Wisconsin Application, you should select the link that best describes your situation:

Invite someone to submit a recommendation (I have my NetID)
Invite someone to submit a recommendation (no NetID)

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.

Test Scores

To be considered official, test scores must be sent to the UW–Madison Office of Admissions and Recruitment directly from the testing agency.

Please note: Sending official test scores from the testing agency does have an additional costs and will add 3–6 weeks to the application completion process. Plan to send your test scores early to ensure your scores arrive before the the materials deadline.

ACT

Use test code 4656 to send your scores to UW–Madison
Do not rush your results; we receive electronic scores daily
It can take 2–4 weeks for us to receive and process scores

SAT

Use test code 1846 to send your scores to UW–Madison
Do not rush your results; we receive electronic scores daily
It can take 2–4 weeks for us to receive and process scores

TOEFL

Use test code 1846 to send your scores to UW–Madison
We do NOT accept “MyBest” score
We require the full score report for each TOEFL you submit
We cannot accept the TOEFL iTP Plus for China, but we will accept the iBT Special Home Edition
Minimum accepted score: 80+

IELTS

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 do accept the IELTS Indicator.

Duolingo (DET)

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
Minimum accepted score: 115+