UW-Madison welcomes talented freshman class

UW–Madison continues to enroll talented and qualified classes of incoming freshman, says Admissions Director Rob Seltzer.

The Class of 2008 is no exception. The group enters the university with the highest average class rank, grade point average and composite test scores of any class in the history of the institution.

Because students were able to register for classes after the semester officially began on Sept. 2, final enrollment numbers are not yet available. However, a class of approximately 5,564 freshmen is expected, approximately the same size as last year’s class of 5,445.

The total number of undergraduates is expected to remain roughly even at a projected 28,217, compared to 28,583 last year. Total enrollment is projected at 41,141, compared to 41,595 last year.

More than half (54 percent) of new freshmen graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school classes.

Almost 4,500 students in the incoming class submitted Advanced Placement scores for credit, the largest number on record for the university. The class also tested strongly, averaging an ACT composite of 27.6. The national average was 20.9. The average SAT Verbal score was 613, compared to the national average of 507. The average SAT Math score was 651, compared to the national average of 519.

While the UW–Madison admissions office places a high priority on academic success when reviewing applications, students’ leadership, service, extracurricular activities, athletics and other talents are also part of a holistic approach to admissions, Seltzer says.

Among the other statistics for the Class of 2008:

• More than 52 percent received an award for leadership.
• Nearly 54 percent performed with a school musical group.
• Nearly 22 percent worked on a school newspaper or yearbook.
• About 64 percent of earned a varsity letter.
• More than 8 percent won a prize or award for scientific work or study.
• More than 21 percent received an award for community service.
• Nearly three-quarters have held a regular part-time job.

> Seltzer’s office received 20,285 applications for admission, approximately the same as a year ago. However, the university saw increases among applications from students of color and out-of-state students. Seltzer adds that initiatives of Plan 2008, an effort to create a more diverse and welcoming university community, such as the PEOPLE and Posse programs, are beginning to pay dividends. The incoming freshman class has 716 students of color, up from 629 last year.

The high demand for access continues to be fueled by UW–Madison’s national reputation for research, learning and quality of life.

“This freshman class gives us a great deal to be proud of,” says Seltzer. “The entire university will benefit from the contributions from this class. In the future, we’ll continue to strive to increase the numbers of students of color coming to UW–Madison.”

The incoming freshman class is also geographically diverse, with students from virtually every Wisconsin county, most of the 50 states and more than 100 countries. The top feeder counties to UW–Madison are Dane, Milwaukee Waukesha, (Cook (Ill.), Brown, Outagamie, Hennepin (Minn.), Dakota (Minn.) and Lake (Ill.)

More than 66 percent of applicants were admitted, compared to 78 percent just seven years ago, he says. Of those admitted, 42 percent enrolled in the university.

Seltzer encourages students who were not admitted into UW–Madison to consider attending another UW System institution. If students keep grades up and take the necessary courses, they can apply to UW–Madison as a transfer student after taking 24 credits.

Also, each year UW–Madison offers the Connections Program to many qualified students that it cannot accommodate. In this program, students start at one of the 13 UW Colleges freshman/sophomore campuses or Madison Area Technical College and finish a bachelor’s degree at UW–Madison.