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The deadline was February 1st. Late applications will only be considered if slots are available after the first round of decisions has been completed.

Instructions

Note: All the application processes below are completed electronically (online or via email).

Admission to the SAA program is competitive. Applications for the Online program (starts in May) and the On-Campus program (starts in September) are accepted from November 15th through February 1st. Late applications may be considered if spots are still available after the first round of interviews and/or offers have been completed -- check the top of this page for updates. Incomplete applications will not be considered at any point in the process. The step-by-step application process is as follows:

1. Complete the Office of Graduate Studies Electronic Application . Go to the Graduate Admissions website and then to the "Apply Online" link. The SAA Program cannot officially extend an offer of acceptance until applicants have been admitted to the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse through the Office of Graduate Studies. The application fee is $56.

When applying, please be sure to send official transcripts from all institutions ever attended (undergraduate, graduate, and college courses taken while in high school or internationally) to Beth Dummer, Student Status Examiner, Graduate Admissions, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Admissions Office - 142 Cleary Center, 1725 State Street, La Crosse, WI., 54601. Even if you have only taken one class at a college/university and maybe even took the class 30 years ago, you must send the transcripts -- there are no exceptions to this Admissions Office policy. For all questions related to transcripts, contact the Graduate Admissions Office at 608.785.8941. It is suggested that you request all transcripts by January 10th to make sure to meet the February 1st deadline.

Note: the #1 reason for an incomplete application is that the Graduate Admissions Office is still waiting for all the transcripts to arrive. When you request the transcripts from your institution, they will make sure to send them to our Graduate Admissions Office (some send them electronically but most do not) and often can give you a good sense of how long it will take. In addition, as graduate program deadlines approach, there are so many applications that need to be processed that it may take some time on this end as well. If they arrive before the deadline, we certainly take that into consideration. All things considered, it is very important to request these as soon as possible to avoid delays in your application.

    2. Complete the electronic SAA On-Campus Application Form or the SAA Online Application Form . Make sure you complete the correct form because they are different. At the end of the form when you press "done," you should get a "thank you" to confirm that your application has been received. Note: these links will remain active from November 15th until the February 1st deadline or shortly thereafter when the admissions process is closed.

    3. Email your writing sample (see instructions below) and your resume as an attachment to saa@uwlax.edu . In the subject line, please identify what you are sending with your name and program option in the subject line. For example, "Writing Sample -- Jane Doe (Online)" or "Resume -- John Doe (On-Campus)". This helps us know where to file your materials when we receive them. Marie Rieber will be assisting with the admissions process and may be contacted at 608.785.6869 or via email at saa@uwlax.edu if you have any questions about your application or application status.

    4. Two letters of recommendation should be emailed by your references to saa@uwlax.edu by the February deadline to make sure that your application is complete. Please tell your references to send the letter as an attachment and to identify what they are sending with your name and program option in the subject line of their email. Example: "Reference for Eva Doe (Online)" -- this helps us with organizing your application materials on our end. In the email, the letters may be addressed to the "SAA Admissions Committee" at Student Affairs Administration, 135 Wittich Hall, La Crosse, Wisconsin. Letters of recommendation that are received from the applicant will not be accepted.

In addition, you will be asked to submit the names of two additional references in the electronic SAA Application form. Please use any of these four references in the Graduate Studies application (you don't need to come up with new ones). Note: to make sure every applicant receives equal consideration, please ask only two individuals to send letters of recommendation on your behalf -- thank you!

Our Admissions Coordinator, Marie, really appreciates it when you follow these instructions -- thanks! She will email you with updates about your application materials and will make sure to let you know via email when your application is complete. As we approach the deadline, she gets lots of email so please be patient when waiting to hear from her -- thanks again!

SAA Writing Sample Instructions

Please address the following question: How would you like to contribute (or how have you already contributed) to the field of student affairs in higher education? Your response should be a maximum of 3 pages, double-spaced, using a 12 point font. Make sure to include your name, date and program option (On-Campus or Online) on the top of your paper. Submit your paper as an attachment in your email to saa@uwlax.edu and identify it with your name and program option (On-Campus or Online) in the subject line.

Note

SAA application materials will be accepted beginning November 15th. All application materials are due by February 1st for the Online program and the On-Campus program. All application materials must be submitted to be considered for admission by the SAA Admissions Committee. The Committee will not look at incomplete applications. Late application materials will be accepted; however, if you have missed the deadline but eventually have a complete application, you may miss the first round of consideration and interviews. Your completed (but late) application may receive consideration later if there are still slots available after the first round is complete. If all the student slots fill after the first round, late complete applications will not be considered. This is the only open application period for the entire year.

We appreciate your interest in our program and look forward to receiving your application! The SAA Admissions Committee will begin reviewing applications after the February deadlines. We will be in touch with you via email so make sure we have your updated email address.

What happens next?

Once we have received all of your application materials, Marie will email you to let you know that your application is complete. The SAA Admissions Committee will begin reviewing applications after the February deadline to determine who will be offered the opportunity to join the SAA program. The SAA Admissions Committee will consider all aspects of your application in their deliberations including your academic history, campus involvements, and work experiences. You may be contacted for a phone interview or if we need more information regarding your application to make sure that it is complete and can be considered. On-Campus interviews will be held on Thursday, February 18th & Saturday, February 20th. Candidates will be invited to come on one of these days. Offers will be extended in March and must be accepted within a few weeks (Online) or by April 15th (On-Campus). Those who are not extended offers may be put on the waiting list and may be extended offers as space allows. Candidates who had late completed application (missed the deadline) also may be considered for admissions after this first round; however, there is no guarantee that space will be available. Hopefully, this whole process will conclude in April. Given that the Online classes start in May, that admissions process will move slightly faster than the On-Campus process.

Program Start Dates

The Online program starts the third week of May and the On-Campus program starts in September on the Tuesday after Labor Day. Due to the fact that these are cohort programs where the students go through the program together, all students are expected to start their respective programs at the times indicated above with their new student colleagues.

Application Checklist
(all completed online or via email)

_______ Graduate Studies Application
    _______ Transcripts (sent from every institution ever attended to the Graduate Admissions Office, not to SAA)
    _______ $56 fee
_______ SAA Application Form (On-Campus or Online)
_______ Writing Sample -- sent as an attachment to Marie at saa@uwlax.edu
_______ Resume -- sent as an attachment to Marie at saa@uwlax.edu
_______ Recommendation Letter #1 sent to saa@uwlax.edu from the source (not the applicant)
_______ Recommendation Letter #2 sent to saa@uwlax.edu from the source (not the applicant).
                Note: Please do everything electronically -- no hard copies. Thanks!

Questions? Call Marie at 608.785.6869 or email her at saa@uwlax.edu .