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The Madison 8th grade application is now closed!

This application will reopen again in early 2027.

Looking for the Milwaukee application? Click here.

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Things to Consider Before Applying to PEOPLE

Participating in PEOPLE requires a large time commitment.

You should be prepared for a year-round college preparation program that requires up to six hours a week during the school year and several weeks during the summer.

Be ready to find your balance.

While program staff fully encourage students to be well-rounded citizens, PEOPLE’s priority will always be making sure participants are solid in their academics. Being a PEOPLE participant will limit your ability to participate in sports, after school clubs, working a job, and participating in community activities.

Meeting all eligibility requirements for admission to PEOPLE does NOT guarantee admission in PEOPLE.

We are a highly competitive program, and we are forced to decline eligible students every year.

Your participation in the PEOPLE program does NOT guarantee admission to the UW–Madison.

PEOPLE does not influence the UW–Madison Admissions process, but we will help you with your application.

Learn more about PEOPLE Precollege

Take a Peek at Our Latest Video!

If you’re interested in applying to PEOPLE, take a peek at our latest video!

Our current high school scholars will walk you through some of the benefits of our program.

Our program helps with preparing for college, picking careers, and financial literacy.  Our students visit colleges to help them become more comfortable with higher education. Our cohort model helps our students to succeed and grow together, and our students feel motivated by our close, diverse community.

Frequently Asked Questions

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A: The PEOPLE Application opens at the end of January each year.  Our admissions process will likely be completed in May each year.

A: Apply online after the PEOPLE Application opens.  Paper applications are not accepted.

A: No.  You can copy/paste your essay from Google Docs to the text box provided on the application.  Alternatively, you can upload your essays in PDF or .docx formats.

A: Applicants from the Milwaukee Public School district all receive Free or Reduced Lunch.  However, your eligibility is determined by your income.

Please see this guide for more details.

A: Yes.

A: Use the information of the parents or guardians legally responsible for your care.

A: Choose “Other (Please specify)” and type in the race(s) you identify as.

A: If you did not give consent for your school district to share your grades, attendance records and free/reduced lunch status, you will have to email those documents directly to the program. Submissions must be in PDF or .docx formats.

A: No, we will not accept late materials.

A: Yes, we will consider those materials.

A: Please use the address where you would like to receive information about your application status.  If you anticipate your address changing during the application process, please notify our office as soon as possible.

A: An admissions committee reviews all completed, on-time applications that meet our minimum requirements. The committee uses a holistic admissions process. The most common reason students are not admitted is lack of space, not sub-par application materials.

A: Yes, some students will be selected for an interview.  If selected for an interview, the student and parent/guardian will need to attend an evening session in April for a student group activity and parent/guardian info session.

A: When we emailed some applicants, the email was returned to us because of an invalid email address. Some applicants did not list an email. Those applicants will be contacted in April. Final admissions decisions will not be made until May. All applicants will be informed of their status on or after that date. Some candidates may be placed on a waitlist.

A: Send us an email with the following information and we will reply within 2 business days to advise on if we received your application and if it’s complete. Please make sure the email contains the students first name, last name, school district (MMSD or MPS), and preferred email address for the response.  You can contact PEOPLE Admissions at peopleadmissions@cdo.wisc.edu.

A: The Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE) is a precollege pipeline scholarship program. Minimum eligibility requirements to apply for the precollege program:

  • Must be an 8th grader who intends to enroll in a partnership school in 9th grade. See a list of partnership schools here.
  • MMSD students must have a 2.75 minimum GPA
  • MPS students must be proficient in most subjects, based on MPS standards-based grading
  • Priority given to economically disadvantaged according to federal USDA guidelines

A:  Yes!  Universities of Wisconsin hosts many precollege programs.  The Boys and Girls Club can also help you find other precollege opportunities.