Class of 2000: Academically talented, well-rounded

The fall 2000 freshman class is the most academically talented in the 152-year history of the campus.

But don’t be fooled: these students do more than just study. The estimated 5,789 freshmen who will begin their college careers Tuesday, Sept. 5, are highly involved in out-of-class activities and are very civic minded.

“The myth is that we only focus on academic excellence in admissions,” says Rob Seltzer, UW–Madison director of admissions. “These new students possess many special talents and characteristics beyond their outstanding academic qualifications.”

Seltzer says more than half of incoming freshmen have received awards or special recognition for leadership, almost 30 percent have volunteered in a hospital or clinic, more than 20 percent have received honors or awards for community service, and more than 20 percent previously worked with children or adults with disabilities.

In addition, nearly 300 new students have performed on radio or TV, 29 percent have participated in a state music contest, and nearly 20 percent have performed with professional music groups. Another 232 students have had photos, drawings and other artwork published in newspapers or magazines, 172 have received awards in artistic competitions, and 149 have published their creative writing in books or magazines.

Athletically, 62 percent of new freshmen earned varsity letters in high school, while 820 students gained all-city, league, county or all-state honors in their respective sports.

Overall, more than three-quarters of UW–Madison freshmen regularly worked part-time during their high school careers, and more than 20 percent of incoming students supervised the work of other employees in their jobs.

“The truth is that students who work hard in the classroom generally work hard outside the classroom,” Seltzer says.

Indeed, UW–Madison’s 2000 freshman class has excelled in the classroom. Nearly half of new freshmen graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class, the average grade point average of the incoming class is 3.6 (A minus) out of 4, and 55 percent submitted Advanced Placement scores for credit. Beyond those credentials, the freshman class’ average scores on the ACT (27) and SAT (611 verbal, 638 math) exams far exceed state and national averages.

With 17,834 applications for approximately 5,800 slots in the freshman class, demand for access to UW–Madison reached an all-time high this past year. The number of applications rose 3.5 percent over last year and has increased 36 percent since 1990. The number of new slots in the freshman class, meanwhile, has increased by 24 percent.

This fall’s freshman class is expected to be slightly larger — about 2.2 percent — than last year’s. The increase includes 75 new freshmen above the target enrollment established by the UW System Board of Regents to increase access as directed by the Legislature.

Final enrollment figures will be calculated four to six weeks into the semester, as students can still register during the first two weeks of classes.

Seltzer says the high demand for access is fueled by UW–Madison’s status as one of the nation’s premier public research universities, the university’s exceptional faculty, low tuition and, to a lesser extent, athletic success. He says other states with top-ranked public flagship universities are experiencing the same phenomenon: More students want to attend, yet only a certain number can be admitted or resources will be strained.

“When factoring in the quality of education, quality of faculty and the inexpensive cost to attend here, UW–Madison is the best value in the country,” Seltzer says. “The success of this institution has made my job more challenging.”

When making admissions decisions, Seltzer and his staff place a high emphasis on academic qualifications, rigor of coursework, quality of high school, special talents and characteristics and out-of-classroom involvement.

“At the same time, UW–Madison is Wisconsin’s flagship public university, and we are obliged to be fair and equitable in our treatment of applicants from all across the state,” Seltzer says.

This fall’s freshman class is quite diverse, with students from virtually every Wisconsin county, all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Minority students comprise 9.3 percent of incoming freshmen.

Seltzer says the university actually has admitted a larger percentage of Wisconsin high school graduates this year compared to 10 years ago.

For students who apply but are not admitted to UW–Madison, Seltzer encourages them to consider attending another UW System institution. After two years, if they perform well academically, they can apply to transfer to UW–Madison. In particular, students who attend a two-year UW College, take the appropriate coursework and attain a 2.6 GPA are guaranteed transfer to UW–Madison.

“Wisconsin has one of the finest university systems in the United States, and students and parents would do well to consider the excellent resources available at all of the UW System campuses when making their decisions about post-secondary education,” Seltzer says.