The reentry application is available for students who left the university before finishing their graduate degree and wish to return to the same program within ten years of their last enrolled semester. Like the application for new students, a reentry applicant must go through the same process of being recommended for admission by the program, then officially admitted and matriculated by the Graduate School, and finally term activated by the Office of the Registrar.

The reentry application is available for all open terms and for all programs. The cost for a reentry application is the same as a new student application: $75 (plus a $6 fee for international applicants).

For additional information about the reentry application, please review the sections below.

Eligibility

Reentry applicants must have been enrolled in classes in their program within 10 years of the requested entry term. Reentry applicants can only rejoin the same program plan and sub-plan they were previously enrolled in and must be granted access to the reentry application by the program (see below).

How to apply and be granted program approval

To begin a reentry application to the Graduate School, reentry applicants need to follow the steps below: 

1. Find the online application at https://gradapply.wisc.edu/apply/ 
2. Log in to the application
   • First-time users will need to create an account
3. Select Start New Application link and open the application
4. In the Application Type section of the application, reentry applicants will need to answer the following two questions (see screenshot below):
   
   
   • Are you currently enrolled in a UW-Madison Graduate Program? (Answer: I am not currently enrolled in a UW-Madison graduate program)
   • Is this a reentry application to a previously enrolled graduate program? (Answer: Yes)
5. In the Reentry Form section of the application, reentry students are given directions to contact the program to be approved to submit an application (see screenshot below) and provide the following information (see screenshot below):
   
   
   • Select the program to which to you previously enrolled (select previously enrolled program from drop down)
   • Which term will you restart this program? (select available term from drop down)
   • UW-Madison Campus ID
6. The applicant can fill out the rest of the application at this time, but the applicant will not be allowed to submit and pay for a reentry application until approved by the Graduate Coordinator. See steps below.

To allow an applicant to submit the reentry application to the Graduate School, Graduate Coordinators need to follow the steps below: 

1. Search for the applicant's file in Slate and navigate to the reentry application tab they have started.
2. Select the Reentry Approval link on the application tab (shown in the screenshot below)
   
3. Fill out the Reentry Approval form and Submit (see screenshot below). If you wish to approve make sure to select the I approve that the applicant above is allowed to submit a reentry application checkbox. You also have the option to waive the resume and CV requirement and/or the statement of purpose requirement by selecting those checkboxes. 
   

To submit a reentry application to the Graduate School, reentry applicants need to follow the steps below: 

1. Once approved by the Graduate Coordinator to submit a reentry application (see above), the applicant will need to fill out the rest of the application, submit the application, and pay the application fee.
2. The application will then be submitted and available for review by the program similar to other applications.

Finally, to recommend a reentry application for readmission to the Graduate School, Graduate Coordinators need to follow the steps below: 

1. When the applicant submits the reentry application, the application will likely first move into the Awaiting Recommendations bin -- unless the applicant's recommendations have already been received, in which case the application will move directly into the (G08) Reentry Request bin.
2. Once the letters of recommendation arrive, the reentry application will automatically be moved into the (G08) Reentry Request bin. The program can also choose to move the application from Awaiting Recommendations bin into the (G08) Reentry Request bin if waiving the letter of recommendation requirement.
3. Finally, if choosing to readmit, the program should send the application to the Reentry Approved bin in the Decision column. This action will deliver the reentry application to the Graduate School admissions team for processing.
   
   

Parts of the Reentry Application

Welcome

Application Type

Personal Information

Citizenship

Reentry Form

Supplemental Application

Educational Background

Test Scores

Statements & CV/Resume

Test Score Registration Numbers

Recommendations

Funding and Program Participation

Residency

Academic or Behavioral Misconduct

Signature

Review

Payment

Note: the reentry application requires letters of recommendation. If programs would like to waive the letter of recommendation requirement for reentry applicants, the program should tell the applicant to put in dummy emails so they can submit the application.

Deadlines for Reentry

The reentry application is available for any open term. It is not dependent on whether the program has an open application for new students for that term. 

Applicants will need to follow the same deadlines as outlined in the Admissions Deadlines KB document. To ensure they are matriculated and prepared for the term, applicants should fill out a reentry application at least 4 weeks before the fall semester, at least 3 weeks before spring semester starts, and at least 2 weeks before summer starts (term DHH). If a student wishes to rejoin a program after the application system has closed for that term, please contact our office at admissionstaff@grad.wisc.edu to discuss options. 

For international students, specific timelines vary greatly depending on the student’s current visa status and country of citizenship among other factors. Broadly, applicants will need to follow the same deadlines as outlined in the Admissions Deadlines KB document. We advise that the student also review the ISS resource Becoming a Global Badger, which provides additional timeline information for the processing of immigration documentation.

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