The University of Wisconsin - Madison has received a record number of applicants for the 2008-2009 school year. The admissions office reports receiving 24,747 applications, about 500 more than last year.

But this year, UW-Madison will only admit 12,000 students, which is 2,000 fewer than last year.  Of the 12,000 students, about 60 percent of Wisconsin residents and 25 percent of nonresidents, are expected to accept the offer and enroll.

According to Robert Seltzer, the director of admissions, the University is aiming for a freshmen class of about 5,700 students. Recently the desired class size has been approximately 5,600, but last year an additional 400 students were admitted and enrolled. 

Because of the large number of applicants this year, there has been a delay in the application process. Now students will receive their admission decision letter later than normal.  The large number of applications is due in part to a presumption that students are also applying to more colleges. Many do this to be on the safe side.

Many colleges around the United States have reported a similar increase in applications. The New York Times reported recently that other colleges and universities such as the University of Chicago, Amherst College, Northwestern University, and Dartmouth College also received more applications than they expected.

The bottom line is that getting into UW-Madison is getting tougher. There are a limited number of openings when compared to applicants. This makes transfer options, such as offered by MATC, an attractive choice for many students.

[Sources: Wisconsin State Journal, The New York Times.]