Freshman Admission

Applications for fall 2012 are accepted beginning September 15, 2011. All complete applications received by February 1, 2012 will receive full consideration for admission. Applications received or completed after that date will be considered on a space-available basis. Students interested in spring 2012 should apply beginning September 1, 2011.

Admission to UW-La Crosse is competitive. For Fall 2011, we received over 7,200 applications for a freshman class of 1,950. Students completing rigorous courses, including senior year, will be stronger candidates for admission.

While academic preparation is the primary criterion used in the admissions review process, we consider other nonacademic secondary factors that may contribute to the strength of an application, including demonstrated leadership, extracurricular involvement, special talent, personal statement, recommendations, or adding a diverse dimension to our campus community.

The following chart reflects the percentage of applicants admitted for fall 2011 based upon class rank percentile and ACT composite score. The general profile of an applicant admitted to UW-L is a student in the 74th to 91st percentile of his or her high school class with an ACT score between 23 and 27. However, 25 percent of the students we admit are above this range and 25 percent of the students are below this range.

 To apply, submit:

• The UW System application, available online at http://apply.wisconsin.edu.

• A $44 nonrefundable application fee, which you can pay online during the application or via check to UW-La Crosse.

• Official ACT or SAT test scores, directly from the testing agency. We cannot accept scores reported on high school transcripts. Applicants who have been out of high school for four years or more may have the ACT requirement waived.

• Your official high school transcript.

• Letters of recommendation are not required, but please submit no more than two letters if you feel they would enhance the quality of your application.

Once we have received all the materials required for your application, you can expect to receive an admission decision in four to six weeks.

Some applicants may be placed on a postpone list, in which an admission decision is made at a later date. Review of the postponed students begins in early December and continues thereafter, dependant upon the number of applications received and space available in the freshman class. These applicants are typically contacted after the application priority date of February 1 with an update on their status. They will be notified of a final admission decision no later than May 1, 2012.