Notes on College Application Growth
This trend isn’t unique to Madison. Applications are up at colleges nationally, according to The New York Times. That’s partly because students can apply to more schools through a single method called the Common App. Plus, fewer schools require applicants to submit standardized test scores, the newspaper reported.
Both explanations apply to UW-Madison. The university started using the Common App a decade ago, and the vast majority of applicants now use that method, said Scott Owczarek, interim vice provost of enrollment management. Applicants can decide whether to submit their ACT or SAT score as part of their materials through spring 2028.
Owczarek said the university’s reputation nationally and internationally is another contributing factor. Time magazine recently ranked UW-Madison fourth among public universities in the nation and 23rd overall worldwide. Last year, UW-Madison rose to fifth place in a long-running national research ranking.
The university has also invested in recruiting students from across the state and beyond, Owczarek said.
