They will just raise tuition on the rest of the student body. The cost of a college education is insane right now. Your going to see a lot more of this.

A 3% reduction in applications is a lot less than stock market losses or the unemployment increase, etc. We Wisconsinites are very fortunate to have one of the truly great universities in the world. It is unfortunate that those not familiar with academics can only gauge it by football or basketball, (which I love too), but is irrelevant to these wider international markers. They could be even prouder.

We also have a very good statewide system, with good faculty and good programs, especially in areas the respective campuses are strongest in. But make no mistake, Wisconsin is so strong in so many areas, that it is regularly ranked among the top mega-universities in the world, much higher than US NEWS, etc rankings which are also based on criteria other than faculty quality or research output. So for those with higher than localized, parochial aspirations we have probably the greatest value for cost institution in the nation. The state service areas are also very strong, as the “Wisconsin Idea” was in the premier vanguard in the nation in systematically establishing a broad-based program for state service and outreach, with roots going back 125 years.

So, whether History, English Literature, German, Psychology, Chemical Engineering, the Sociology, Business School, Law, Ibero-American studies, several areas of Education, including such central ones as Ed Psych and Curriculum and Instruction, and so many more, we have a tradition and current institution of highest excellence. One key factor in costs, however, is state aid, and every time certain politicians gain among the electorate in screaming about taxes, quality recipients like the University and the State system are jeopardized, and costs for students, necessarily, go up. Competition for top academic reputation is much fiercer than the much publicized collegiate athletics, though mostly complex and beyond the casual observer’s view. And Wisconsin's success has been key to tens of thousands of earnest working class youths' ultimate high achievement and contribution back to society.

KO84, I have a similar 3 school educational background and I am going to disagree with you and say that the value of my UW-Madison bachelor’s degree has outweighed the classes I took at Blackhawk Technical College and UW-Eau Claire. My UW-Madison education got me my foot in the door at a nationally known company that’s been on the Fortune 500 based out of Madison. My interviewing managers there said they like to see the UW-Madison degree, as both of them had it as well. They appreciated my technical college background as well because it grounded my liberal arts education in something practical, whereas my bachelor’s degree showed I could compete in the super competitive research institution environment at the state’s flagship school. At UW-Eau Claire I took my freshman year of general education courses and that school was wonderful, but ultimately I knew I would be competing for jobs in bigger city markets and knew that a UW-Madison degree from the bigger name school would give me an edge on the competition. You might already be aware that UW-Madison has tied Harvard in recent years in the number of CEOs produced for Standard & Poor’s 500 companies. I’d say Madison students are getting their money’s worth even during tough economic times. The down number of applications at UW-Madison is a result of the national economy forcing more people to look at tech and vocational schools as those are the needed positions in this economy. Anybody who thinks the UW only offers badger athletics to its students is blind to the superior quality of professors and opportunities there.
http://www.bus.wisc.edu/news/0292.asp
http://www.bus.wisc.edu/wbanews/august20...

I personally think that students are realizing that UW-Madison is not all that it is made up to be. Students are being wise by trying to save money attending one of Wisconsin other great UW campuses that cost far less. As a college student I have attended UW-Rock County, UW-Whitewater, and now UW-Madison. I honestly think that UW-Rock County gave me the best educational experience, and I would have to say that it was the toughest too. Since the school has smaller class sizes and students get more one on one attention, the professors expect a lot more out of a person compared to the other two campuses I have attended. I also recieved that great education for a lot less. If I could have stayed there to complete my degree I would have. The fact of the matter is, students are realizing the other options they have in the UW system. Unless UW-Madison starts offering it's undergraduate students something that these other campuses can not, other than the badgers, there is really no reason to pay more when you can recieve the same or better education experience somewhere else for A LOT less.

Northman is right, this does not actually decrease the number of enrolled students -- although, as with Beloit College, there may be a slightly higher rate of no-shows among accepted students. (That may be related to financials.)
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What a smaller pool of applicants does, as a rule of thumb, is slightly reduce the quality of the freshman class -- say an average SAT score or GPA that's slightly lower. That can then affect the numbers that the school reports and next year the school will rank lower, further reducing applications.
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This is probably just temporary, it's not the end of the world, but it is a small concern.

I agree. My sister is currently a freshman there & its a struggle to even afford to keep her there. She will spend a long time paying things back. Grants only go so far.

Maybe it's because it costs a fortune to go to UW Madison! My son-in-law will probably spend a good portion of his career paying back the tution. Regular people cannot afford to go to college anymore but we can't really afford NOT to go to college. It's a catch 22.

The UW-Madison freshman class size runs around 6,000 students. This drop simply means they process less applications, and they send out less rejection letters. Which could actually save a few bucks.

I guess they'll have to increase tuition to make up for the loss like Janesville's water utility is doing because it lost GM