Myth: Back in the day, UW-Madison let everybody in.

Well, not quite. Up until the mid-1980s, UW-Madison did guarantee admission for Wisconsin students who graduated in the top half of their high school classes. That’s certainly not the case anymore — nor, really, should it be.

Looser admissions policies had a deleterious effect on the university and its students. During the 1980s, undergraduate enrollment ballooned to nearly 31,000, and by fall 1985, there were 6,815 freshmen on campus. Students had a hard time finding space in desired courses, and many had to delay graduation to finish up requirements. “We had a lot of complaints from students, parents, and legislators,” says Farrell. “For many students, it was not the quality of educational experience we’re capable of providing. The numbers were not well controlled, and we’re not anxious to repeat that.”

A state legislative audit in 1986 recommended trimming enrollment across the UW System by about seven thousand students, ushering in the modern age of enrollment management. UW-Madison, in fact, now has a Division of Enrollment Management, which includes the offices of Admissions, Student Financial Services, the Registrar, and Integrated Student Information Services. “Having these four key units working together makes it possible for us to make enrollment decisions within the context of how they will impact the whole university, not just the freshman class,” says Joanne Berg MBA’01, vice provost for enrollment management.

UW System campuses now set enrollment targets based on how many students they can serve without diminishing the quality of their education; for UW-Madison, that means scaling back undergraduate enrollment to around twenty-eight thousand. By doing so, the university also rids itself of some of the obstacles undergraduates used to face in completing their degrees. More students have been able to graduate on time, allowing the university to nudge up the size of the freshman class, from around 4,600 in the early 1990s to approximately 5,600 this year.

“It makes this a very efficient place,” says Reason. “Because the nature of students here is so highly qualified, we graduate at a very high rate. The net result of that is that more students are able to come.”

Next myth » Applicants from outside Wisconsin are taking up spots that could go to state residents.

• Introduction
• Myth: It’s a secretive process.
• Myth: A formula determines whether students are admitted or denied.
• Myth: UW-Madison has raised its admissions criteria in recent years.
• Myth: The UW turns away students with perfect GPAs.
• Myth: Some students get special treatment in the admissions process.
• Myth: It’s impossible for regular students to get in anymore.
• Myth: No one reads personal statements.
• Myth: It pays to apply early.
• Myth: Minority students get in with lower grades than some white students who are rejected.
• Myth: UW-Madison caps the number of students who can be admitted from one high school.
• Myth: Back in the day, UW-Madison let everybody in.
• Myth: Applicants from outside Wisconsin are taking up spots that could go to state residents.
• Myth: Connections with important people can get you in.
• Myth: Alumni can get their kids in if they pull the right strings.
• Myth: Being postponed is the same as being on a wait list.
• Myth: An A is always better than a B.
• Myth: One grumpy admissions counselor can doom an application.
• Myth: Admissions counselors like rejecting people.
• Myth: My son or daughter isn’t emotionally ready to be turned down by the university.
• Myth: It’s a perfect system.