Changes to Requirements for the 2021 UW-Madison Applications

Greetings from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Office of Admissions and Recruitment.

I hope this email finds you and your family safe and in good health. I want to assure you that our office remains committed to serving our future Badgers in their college decision process during this difficult time.

Our Chancellor, Rebecca Blank, recently made an announcement regarding when our students, faculty, administrators, and staff will be able to return to campus, known as Smart Restart, including our hybrid model for Fall 2020. As additional decisions are made, they will be shared on the Smart Restart site. The safety of every member of the University of Wisconsin-Madison community remains the top priority.

In light of the limited availability of ACT and SAT testing because of COVID-19, the University of Wisconsin-Madison received authorization from the University of Wisconsin System to waive the requirement for applicants to submit an ACT or SAT test score as a part of their application to the university through December 31, 2020. For students applying during the waiver period, including scores from either the ACT or the SAT with their application is optional and they will not be disadvantaged in our evaluation process if they choose to not include these scores for consideration in their application. Students can indicate their choice regarding including test scores at the time of application.

Note: UW-Madison will go before the Board of Regents in August to seek a longer-term waiver of the test score requirement. Please check our website for updates.

More information can be found by viewing our news release and our ACT and SAT Score FAQs.

Out of concern for the safety of our community and yours due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, we are planning a virtual fall, including a virtual tour and a variety of sessions for students and their families online, and call-in options for one-on-one or small group conversations. We understand the value of visiting a campus and connecting with our admissions counselors and will offer these and other opportunities virtually throughout the fall. Prospective students and their families can register on Visit Bucky for any of our virtual programs to learn more about UW-Madison and to connect with our team.

As we begin to re-open our doors, we are determined to continue offering a world-class education. We will soon flock to the Memorial Union Terrace, jump around at Camp Randall, order a scoop of Babcock Ice Cream, and welcome your students as Badgers on this one-of-a-kind campus.

We are here as a resource to you and to support your students and their families at this ever-more-complicated time. We are grateful for all that you do and look forward to being in touch soon.

Thank you.