The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a prestigious public state school known equally for its academics and its culture (go Badgers!). Located in Madison, Wisconsin, the school is set in a mid-sized city that isn’t completely taken over by the university but is heavily dominated by it. This isn’t surprising, given that that total student body of nearly 50,000 accounts for nearly 20% of the city’s population. The university is ranked as the 10th best public university in the United States out of over 1,600 schools, and, despite its size, it holds community values at its core. Public service is considered central to the identity of the university, and the school is a top source for Peace Corps volunteers. While the published acceptance rate is 60%, we consider that number very misleading as the acceptance rate for in-state applicants is much higher than for those applying from outside of Wisconsin. A few years ago, the university received a whopping 42,627 applicants for 6,800 spots.
If you’re not a fan of standardized tests, you’ll be glad to hear that the University of Wisconsin-Madison is remaining test optional for the 2023-24 application cycle, and, they say, “you will not be disadvantaged in our evaluation process if you choose to not include these scores for consideration.” Scores are also not required for scholarship consideration. They are very clear about what they do prioritize in decision-making. Namely, they want to see mostly A’s, especially in challenging, high-level classes, and they like to see credit for more than four years of math. They expect four years of English, three to four years of science, social science, and world language, and two years of fine arts or additional academic pursuits. These are minimums, of course, and they’d love to see more.
In exchange for this hard work, they keep the supplement simple — which we’ll get into in a sec.
If you’re planning on applying to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, send us an email. We know how to help.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has one question in addition to the Common App essay, and it’s in a format you’ll be getting pretty used to while writing college applications. It is, as you’ve probably guessed, a “why us” essay. And, while you are able to submit up to 650 words, they recommend limiting your response to 300-500 words (and we beg you to follow that direction). The admissions team also recommends that you give yourself time to brainstorm, draft, and edit (and we agree completely, that’s all sort of our thing), and that you are honest and don’t make spelling mistakes. Hopefully, you knew that already.
Now that you have the lay of the land, let’s get into the supplement.
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. *
*Up to 650 words, but really 300-500 — please.
First up, let’s clear something up. We do not believe in ever marking your major as “undecided” for an application. Why? Well, because one of the things colleges are looking for are students who know what they care about. They know that you may change your major — and that’s fine. But they want to see focus right now even with the possibility of future changes. So, disregard that “if you selected undecided,” part because it’s not relevant to you.
Now that that’s out of the way, it’s time to do some research. All “why us” essays start with research, and there are some things we need you to find before you can start writing:
Major Related Things to Find:
The name of your prospective major
A program or area of focus within your major, if applicable
Two classes within your major
A Professor in your major department that you’d like to study under, and a few specific reasons why you’d like to study under them (remember, you have up to 500 words for this supplement so there is room to put a lot of detail in)
An extracurricular related to what you want to major in
Then there are two other things we need you to find. First, two extracurriculars that aren’t related to your major but that are connected in some way to things you have expressed interest and/or experience in elsewhere in your application. These do not need to be academic in any way. Lastly, something about the university that you connect with on a personal level. It could be the culture of service, the sports ‘stuff,’ the residential neighborhoods, or anything else that, when you heard about it, you said “yes, that, I want that.”
Once you’ve done your research, it’s brainstorming time. You need a story to introduce your supplement that isn’t, “When I came on campus, I knew I belonged here,” or any iteration of that. They know they have a great campus. They know the school spirit is off the charts. They know their academics are top-notch. What they don’t know is you, and that’s what you need to lead with.
We recommend starting from what you want to study, and identify a small story, such as an experience you had as an intern helping count fish off the coast of North Carolina. Use that small story as the introduction to the supplement. This helps them get to know you better before you focus in on how you’ll fit in at the university.
Next, it’s time to use your research. Share what you want to study, the courses you want to take, etc., before finishing by sharing where you see your experience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison taking you into your early career. Do you want to pursue another degree after you graduate? Or perhaps you plan on going straight into the workforce? The know that you don’t have this all figured out and that your plans will probably change, but they want to see that you are confident, clear, and have a potential trajectory.
Applying to college is all about finding a perfect fit, and to do that you need to show the university how you’ll fit in with what they have to offer. By doing your research and tying your past experiences into what they can offer, you’ll make the case for yourself as an ideal member of their academic community.
If applying to college has you pulling your hair out, send us an email. We are experts at this.