Wisconsin Pathways to First-year Student/Freshman Admission
Starting August 1, 2024, with the Class of 2025, the Universities of Wisconsin will offer three paths to first-year student/freshman undergraduate admission for Wisconsin high school students:
- Traditional first-year student/freshman admission application process
- Direct Admit Wisconsin
- The Wisconsin Guarantee
All three paths to admission require students to meet the minimum admission criteria. Neither Direct Admit Wisconsin nor The Wisconsin Guarantee provide guaranteed admission into a specific major, program, school, or college. Rather, they provide admission to Universities of Wisconsin universities.
Direct Admit Wisconsin
Ten of 13 Universities of Wisconsin are currently participating in Direct Admit Wisconsin. Direct Admit Wisconsin offers early and proactive admission to participating UW universities to high school juniors at participating Wisconsin high schools. The UWs collaborate with participating high schools to review student academic records (high school courses and GPA) at the end of their junior year and make offers of admission to participating UW universities without the need for students to submit a traditional admission application.
The Wisconsin Guarantee
The Wisconsin Guarantee offers guaranteed admission to all Universities of Wisconsin except UW-Madison to first-year applicants from Wisconsin high schools who are in the top 10% of their class at the end of 11th grade, or Wisconsin residents who are homeschooled and receive an ACT score in the national 90th percentile ranking or higher or are a National Merit Scholarship finalist. First-year applicants from Wisconsin high schools who are in the top 5% of their class at the end of 11th grade, or Wisconsin residents who are homeschooled and receive an ACT score in the national 98th percentile ranking or higher or are a National Merit Scholarship finalist will be guaranteed admission to the UW-Madison through The Wisconsin Guarantee.
Students must still complete an application to access The Wisconsin Guarantee. Applicants pursuing guaranteed admission to UW-Madison must submit their application (Universities of Wisconsin Application or the Common App) by the Early Action admission deadline (November 1). Applications to all other UWs must be submitted by individual UW university regular application deadlines.
Traditional Admission
The traditional admission process requires students to complete an application (Universities of Wisconsin Application or for some UWs, the Common App). Applications are available on August 1 prior to the year of intended enrollment. Students must submit the application and all requested materials according to the UW university application deadline. Applicant materials will be reviewed holistically on the basis of multiple factors.
| Traditional Admission | Direct Admit Wisconsin | The Wisconsin Guarantee | |
| Which Universities of Wisconsin are participating? | All | All except UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse & UW-Madison | All |
| How is eligibility determined? | Holistic Review of Multiple Student Factors | High School Courses & GPA | Class Rank Determined by GPA on 11th Grade Transcript
Top 5% Admitted to ALL UWs Top 10% Admitted to All UWs Except UW-Madison |
| When are admission decisions made? | Beginning August 1 – August of Senior Year Based on Application Date and UW Decision Date | July Before Senior Year | Beginning August 1 – August of Senior Year Based on Application Date and UW Decision Date |
| Do high schools have to agree to opt in? | No | Yes | No |
| Do students have to agree to participate? | No | Yes | No |
| Are applications required? | Yes | No | Yes |
| Are application fees required? | Yes, if charged by the UW university | No | Yes, if charged by the UW university |
| Available to out-of-state applicants? | Yes | No | No |
| Admission guaranteed to a UW university? | No | Yes* | Yes |
| Admission guaranteed to specific academic programs/majors? | No | No | No |
*Students who receive Direct Admit Wisconsin offers of admission must successfully complete required academic courses, maintain (or raise) their GPA, graduate from a recognized high school and submit an official final high school transcript.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct Admit Wisconsin vs. The Wisconsin Guarantee
No. These are two distinct programs that both offer pathways to first-year student/freshman admission at any UW university, but that operate differently and have unique eligibility criteria.
Ten of 13 Universities of Wisconsin are currently participating in Direct Admit Wisconsin. Direct Admit Wisconsin offers early and proactive admission to participating Universities of Wisconsin to high school seniors at participating Wisconsin high schools. The Universities of Wisconsin collaborate with participating high schools to review student academic records (high school courses and GPA) at the end of their junior year and make offers of admission to participating UW universities without the need to submit a traditional admission application.
The Wisconsin Guarantee offers guaranteed admission to all Universities of Wisconsin except UW-Madison to first- year applicants from Wisconsin high schools who are in the top 10% of their class at the end of 11th grade, or Wisconsin residents who are homeschooled and receive an ACT score in the national 90th percentile ranking or higher or are a National Merit Scholarship finalist. First-year applicants from Wisconsin high schools who are in the top 5% of their class at the end of 11th grade, or Wisconsin residents who are homeschooled and receive an ACT score in the national 98th percentile ranking or higher or are a National Merit Scholarship finalist will be guaranteed admission to the UW-Madison through The Wisconsin Guarantee.
Absolutely! Direct Admit Wisconsin removes the need to submit an admission application. There is no cost to participate, and you will get an early admission decision from any participating UW universities. Participating in Direct Admit Wisconsin does not preclude you from applying and gaining admission to any of the UW universities who are not participating (UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse & UW-Madison) in Direct Admit Wisconsin.
Offers of admission through Direct Admit Wisconsin will be sent out to participating high school students starting at the end of July prior to their senior year and continuing into October of their senior year. Students not admitted through Direct Admit Wisconsin or who are interested in a non-participating UW university should apply through the traditional application process for admission.
You must submit a Universities of Wisconsin Application for admission. The Universities of Wisconsin will begin reviewing applications and admitting students beginning August 1, 2024. Schedules for when admission decisions are released are determined individually by each UW university.
Students interested in the Universities of Wisconsin are encouraged to apply for admission through the traditional application process by submitting a Universities of Wisconsin Application, which opens August 1st.
Further, students who attend high schools participating in Direct Admit Wisconsin should agree to participate in the Direct Admit Wisconsin program. Direct Admit Wisconsin does not require a student to be ranked in the top 5-10% of their class to be considered for early admission to any participating UW universities.