Most Memorial students continue their education beyond high school in order to pursue interesting and rewarding careers. Whether you'll be studying for a few months or a few years, you'll want to plan carefully for your further education.

The developmental guidance classroom units, taught to you by the guidance counselors in tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade will begin to orient you to this process. But also feel free to do some exploring on your own. Talk to your parents, your teachers, to older brothers and sisters, and to family members. Spend time with your guidance counselor, use the Career Resource Center,  the Wiscareers website and this website, of course.

SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT the Wiscareers website: The Madison Metropolitan School District has contracted to gain access to this very comprehensive and helpful website. We strongly urge you to use it as one of your main planning resources. We will train all ninth through twelfth graders in its use. When you sign on to Wiscareers for the very first time, you will need to supply the Memorial High School access code, and then create a personal account. This school code is "mhs-c762". Then establish your own account so that you can store your post high school search results as you go through high school. For your own account username please use the first initial of your first name followed immediately by your last name. For your own password please use your Memorial ID number.This will save you much time if you do this.

General Planning Guidelines for Four-Year Colleges:

A minimum of seventeen high school credits is usually required.
Thirteen of the seventeen credits must be as follows:
English: 4 credits
Social Studies: 3 credits
Mathematics: 3 credits (Algebra 1, 2, and Geometry)
Natural Science: 3 credits
The remaining four credits may be from the above areas, world language, fine arts, computer science, or other academic areas.

Note regarding U.W.-Madison and U.W.-Eau Claire: These schools require 2 levels of the same world language for admission. Each university may specify additional credit requirements for the remaining four credits and may specify required content for all seventeen credits. To see current requirements for each campus, check the Introduction to the University of Wisconsin System booklet, or check on-line at: UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM:

U.W. Madison Admission Policy:
UW-Madison considers both academic and non-academic indicators of success, the learning environment, and the applicant's potential for contribution to the University community. They have no prescribed minimum test score, GPA or class rank above which admission is guaranteed. Further, they admit the most-deserving students for the limited space available. Link: UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON:

Rigor of courses, including senior year, is important. Admitted students have typically completed accelerated, honors, AP and/or IB courses. Approximately 70% of U.W.-Madison students receive credit for AP, IB, or college course work completed while in high school.

Typical Profile of student admitted to UW Madison:
Graduating in the upper 10-15% of your class, as measured by GPA
ACT composite score of 26 or higher
English: 4 credits or more
Algebra: 1 credit
Geometry: 1 credit
Advanced Math: 2 credits or more
Social Studies: 3 credits or more
Science: 4 credits or more
Single world language: 2 credits or more
Additional academic/fine arts: 2 credits or more

World language course work completed in 7th and 8th grades will count toward the university world language requirement if work at the next higher level is completed in high school. For example, a student who takes the equivalent of first year Spanish in 7th and 8th grade and then completes second year Spanish in 9th grade will have fulfilled the world language requirement. (NOTE: Courses taken in 7th or 8th grades do not count toward the 22 credits required for graduation from Memorial.)

Other U.S. colleges and universities
There is no set standard of required high school courses for admission to the 3,000+ colleges and universities in the U.S. A comprehensive and balanced high school program in the major academic subjects will meet most college requirements. You are advised to consult regularly with your counselor about choosing a college and about admission requirements. It is your responsibility as a potential applicant to become familiar with specific college entrance requirements and to plan a high school program, with the assistance of parents, teachers, and your counselor, to meet the various entrance requirements. See the links at the bottom of this page.

Admission Testing (ACT or SAT test):
All University of Wisconsin System Schools require the ACT with the writing component or the SAT I exam to be used for purposes of admission and placement. You are strongly advised to take the ACT/SAT exam(s) in the spring of your junior year. You should check with campuses in which you are interested to find out if they prefer the ACT (with or without the writing component) or the SAT I.
Students planning to apply to private or out-of-state campuses that require SAT II Subject Tests may take the SAT II Subject Tests after a given course is completed rather than waiting until the end of the junior year. For example, if you complete chemistry in 10th grade, you may take the SAT II chemistry test at the end of your 10th grade year. You should check the catalogues in the CRC or on the Internet, for campuses in which you are interested to determine if SAT II Subject Tests are required for admission.

IF YOU ARE A SENIOR (OR PARENT) IN THE MIDDLE OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS, ALLOW US TO PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES:

DO NOT SEND YOUR APPLICATIONS DIRECTLY TO THE COLLEGE!

Transcripts: Madison Metropolitan School District provides three transcripts free of charge. A fee of $1.00 per transcript is charged for additional transcripts. You must have a Transcript Request Card on file in the Student Services Office before Memorial can send your official transcript. If you are 18 you may sign the card; if you are not, your parent(s) must sign. "Official transcripts" are signed by a Memorial staff member and are sent from Memorial to another institution. Any transcript handed directly to a person is marked "unofficial".

Test Scores: It is your responsibility to see that the appropriate SAT I, &/or ACT, &/or SAT II scores are sent to colleges directly from the testing agencies.

Simple Application: If you are applying via paper-and-pencil to a UW System campus (including UW-Madison), a technical school such as MATC, or an out-of-state public or private institution that has a one-step, simple application, please complete the following steps:
1) It is to your advantage to submit your completed application as early as possible, asfter September17th.
2) Attach the application fee to form where indicated.
3) Include/attach any additional information (resume of activities, letter of special circumstances, etc.) requested by the institution.
4) Give the completed application directly to your counselor.

Multiple-Part Application: You will need to write for paper copies of private and out-of-state applications or download them from the schools' web sites if you choose not to apply electronically. If you are applying to a school that has a multiple-part application, please follow these guidelines:
1) It is to your advantage to submit your completed application as early as possible.
2) Counselors may ask you to complete a "Student Brag Sheet" and a "Parent Brag Sheet" to aid them in preparing a recommendation. These may be obtained from your counselor.
3) Students are encouraged to include a personal resume with all applications.
4) If your application includes teacher recommendations, obtain a "Teacher Brag Sheet" for each teacher from the Student Services Office. Complete the brag sheets, put the teacher recommendation forms from your applications in stamped, addressed envelopes and give all of this material to the teachers you are asking to provide recommendations. (September is not too early!)
5) The "Secondary School Report" section and the "Mid Year Report" must be given personally to your counselor - the earlier the better. Your name and other identifying information must be filled in, and you must be sure to sign if the application requires it. Also return completed student and parent brag sheets to your counselor. If you are applying for early decision or early admission, include a note indicating deadlines. Counselors complete the reports and pass them on to the receptionist, who attaches your transcript, schedule, and a school profile. Applications are logged into the computer and sent to admissions offices.
6) Please remember that any one paper item in a multiple-part application may be sent at any time; there is no special order in which they must arrive. Once the admissions office receives one of the items (application, secondary report form, transcript, test scores), the student's file is started. All items need to be in the student's file before the application deadline for the particular college. Usually the admissions offices send a postcard or an email to the student indicating either that the file is complete or that certain items are missing. This can vary from 3-4 weeks for those institutions with rolling admissions, to 4-6 weeks for those with regular admission.

Electronic Application: Students may elect to apply on-line to any college or university offering that service. Many colleges require you to submit a form from the on-line application to your counselor to request that your high school transcript, schedule, school profile, and/or counselor recommendation be sent. Other colleges do not require this. WHENEVER YOU APPLY ELECTRONICALLY, you must notify your counselor so that the information listed above may be sent.

Attention Early Decision Candidates: Because applications are due between October 1 and December 7, you need to arrange an appointment immediately to talk with your counselor about your application. For an excellent discussion of Early Decision and Early Action go to the following link by some nice people at Boston Latin School

In order to ensure adequate time to process applications, we are asking that all applications with January or February deadlines be turned in to your counselor NO LATER THAN 3:30 p.m. on the first Friday in December. If this deadline is not observed, we cannot guarantee your application will be processed before Winter break. No applications will be processed during Winter Break.

Please Note: it is your responsibility to furnish addresses with all applications turned in, except for the UW System and MATC.

UW System, Including Madison: UW campuses prefer electronic applications. If you prefer not to go on-line, paper applications for all UW System campuses are available in the Student Services Office. The application should be completed and submitted to your counselor along with a $35 check made out to the specific UW campus. We will attach a high school transcript and send the application to the designated school. Refer to the Application Timeline for recommended dates to submit your applications to your counselor.

UW MADISON ADMISSIONS UPDATE:
1) You must include a thoughtful, well-written Personal Statement with your application. Admissions staff say they are looking for 1-2 typed pages. Suggestions for writing the Personal Statement include being especially careful with your grammar and spelling. Provide details you would like UW to know about you. This space is an opportunity to shine or to explain circumstances that have affected academic performance. You may also describe an extra-curricular experience that was most meaningful to you.
2) Request a letter of recommendation from an English or social studies teacher and one from a math or science teacher. Remember to follow the directions regarding teacher recommendations that counselors gave recently in your English class.
3) UW-Madison is serious about schedule changes and about your senior-year grades. They state, "Admission is based on our evaluation of a number of factors, including senior year courses. If admitted students change any of their current courses without our approval, their admission may be canceled. We strongly advise students not to change their course list. However, if extenuating circumstances prevent a student from pursuing the current course list, the student will need to write a letter of appeal explaining and justifying the course change(s). Any course change must be approved by our office, or the student's admission may be canceled. Admitted students who have school work in progress must provide us with a copy of their final transcript showing senior year grades and certifying graduation. It is important for them to do the best work they can during their senior year. Their admission will be made final only if their senior courses are completed with grades of the quality they presented for admission consideration.

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA: Applications are available in the Student Services Office. Completed applications should be submitted to your counselor along with a $45 check made out to the University of Minnesota covering the application fee. The priority freshman application deadline for the fall semester, 2008, is December 15, 2008. U of M has notified us that all applicants will be evaluated on a variety of criteria. See your counselor for more specific information about the General College. Student Help-Line: (800) 752-1000.

Tuition Reciprocity Agreement: The University of Minnesota System and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System campuses have a reciprocity agreement whereby residents of one state pay in-state tuition in the other state. In the spring students must complete a Reciprocity Application in order to be eligible for in-state tuition. Students must file the application on-line. The site is http://heab.state.wi.us.

MADISON AREA TECHNICAL COLLEGE (MATC): MATC offers an excellent variety of one-year diploma and two-year associate degree programs. MATC offers a two-year college transfer program that is accepted by the UW System. Brochures and catalogs describing all programs are available in the Career Resource Center. See the MATC link on the Guidance homepage.

Applications for admission to MATC for the fall of 2008 will be considered on a first-come-first-served basis. Applications will be available in the Student Services Office in early October and must be completed and returned to your counselor along with a $30 check made out to MATC for the application fee. Several programs at MATC fill up on the first day applications are accepted; therefore, early application is advised. Applications received by MATC after the third Monday in November will be considered on a program availability basis. The ACT is required in the following fields at MATC. Animal technician, Associated Degree in Nursing Technical, Dental Hygiene, Medical Laboratory Technician, Occupational Therapy Technician, Optometric Technician, Respiratory Therapy, Radiography. Students applying for these programs should take the ACT on the first date offered.

If you are a current junior, be sure that you and your parent or guardian attend the "Post High School Options Planning night, during Spring semester (date to be announced). Speakers from UW Madison, the UW System, private colleges, MATC, the University of Minnesota will be there just for you! See Junior Class Reminders for details.

HELPFUL INTERNET LINKS: