WHS Class of 2026

Greetings WHS incoming senior students and families!

We hope everyone has had a fantastic summer! We are excited to share recent updates from the Universities of Wisconsin system related to Direct Admit Wisconsin and "The Wisconsin Guarantee." Be sure to carefully read the information below to learn more about how you can take advantage of automatic admission opportunities to universities in the Universities of Wisconsin system. Note there are significant differences between Direct Admit Wisconsin and The Wisconsin Guarantee. Read the materials below for additional information! We will continue to send information to the Class of 2026 students and families as it becomes available.

As you are aware, Watertown High School has offered the Direct Admit Wisconsin program for the Class of 2026 and many of our WHS students have chosen to participate. Direct Admit Wisconsin offers early and proactive admission to participating Universities of Wisconsin for rising seniors at participating Wisconsin high schools.

Starting the week of July 21, UW Administration will be sending Direct Admit Wisconsin admission offers to students via their high school email. UW Administration will also be sending admission letters to students and families via the US Postal Service starting on August 1st. Families will also find a copy of the admission letter in Skyward Family Access under Portfolio (left hand side) after August 4.

Direct Admit Website

We are thrilled to share an additional opportunity in light of recent Wisconsin legislation, also known as The Wisconsin Guarantee or Act 95, for Wisconsin High School students beginning in the 2024-25 school year. Recent updates provided by the Universities of Wisconsin include information related to The Wisconsin Guarantee.

“The Wisconsin Guarantee offers guaranteed admission to all Universities of Wisconsin (UW) universities for all who qualify. First-year applicants from Wisconsin high schools who are in the top 10% of their class at the end of 11th grade, or Wisconsin residents who are homeschooled and receive an ACT score in the national 90th percentile ranking or higher, or are a National Merit Scholarship finalist will be guaranteed to all UW universities except UW-Madison.

Additionally, first-year applicants from Wisconsin high schools who are in the top 5% of their class at the end of 11th grade, or Wisconsin residents who are homeschooled and receive an ACT score in the national 98th percentile ranking or higher or are a National Merit Scholarship finalist will be guaranteed admission to UW-Madison provided that they apply on or before the Early Action deadline.”

As a result of the The Wisconsin Guarantee, Watertown High School will:

• Include the Top 5% and Top 10% of the class based on GPA on transcripts.
• Send a communication (emailed and mailed) to the Class of 2026 notifying them if they qualify for the Top 5% or Top 10% of their graduation class based on GPA. (Late July)

Note that, for qualifying students in the Top 5% or Top 10% of their class rank based on GPA, they still need to submit an official application to the University of Wisconsin schools per The Wisconsin Guarantee. Additional information for admission to UW-Madison is available on the UW-Madison Office of Admissions and Recruitment website.

The Universities of Wisconsin will offer three paths to first-year student/freshman undergraduate admission:

1. Traditional first-year student/freshman admission application process
2. Direct Admit Wisconsin
3. The Wisconsin Guarantee

All three paths to admission require students to meet the minimum admission criteria. Neither Direct Admit Wisconsin nor The Wisconsin Guarantee provide guaranteed admission into a specific major, program, school, or college. Rather, they provide admission to Universities of Wisconsin universities.

Direct Admit Wisconsin offers early and proactive admission to participating Universities of Wisconsin for rising seniors at participating Wisconsin high schools. The UWs collaborate with participating high schools to review student academic records (high school courses and GPA) at the end of their junior year and make offers of admission to participating UW universities without the need to submit a traditional admission application.

The table below further outlines the differences between Traditional Admission, Direct Admit Wisconsin, and The Wisconsin Guarantee.

• Universities of Wisconsin website
  
• General information related to the Wisconsin Guarantee
• UW Madison Office of Admissions and Recruitment Website
  
• Review the website for specific information for admission to UW-Madison
• UW LaCrosse Wisconsin Guarantee Information on website
  
• Review the website for specific information for admission to UW-LaCrosse