Admissions

In addition to the general application, your application will only be considered complete once we receive the following materials:

• Application Fee: $25, payable online
• Transcripts: Official or unofficial copies from all universities attended. However, those who have been out of school for more than five years are exempt from this requirement. If you will not be submitting a transcript, please state this in your Personal Statement.
• Personal Statement: In approximately 500 words, please address your personal, academic, and professional reasons and goals for wanting to participate in WISLI. Describe how you plan to meet the challenges of an intensive language learning environment and how you can personally contribute to this learning environment. You may discuss your interpersonal and leadership skills, ability to adapt to new and unexpected situations, and interest in creating an environment where each participant feels valued, respected, and supported. Feel free to include relevant info that could impact your time in the program, as well as notable achievements related to your field of study (e.g., study abroad, internships, scholarships, certificates).

• A record of academic success. We want to see that you can commit and dedicate yourself to the time and workload necessary to succeed in an intensive language program.
• Past language learning experience/interest in language studies. Prior language study is not required, and many of our students come without any previous knowledge of their selected language. However, experience studying a language and an interest in a language’s cultural, historical, and political components can benefit you through the application process and your time at WISLI.
• A personal statement is an opportunity to make a case for yourself. Regardless of past grades or experiences, a strong statement can show us that you are ready to commit to the workload necessary to succeed at WISLI. Be sure to follow the prompt and refer to it during the writing process. It is acceptable to resubmit a statement you wrote for a funding opportunity.
• Materials completed and received by the priority deadline. While extenuating circumstances may make this difficult, please submit your materials, including the personal statement and your unofficial transcripts, before the priority deadline.

There is no requirement to submit letters of recommendation to apply to WISLI. However, if you are seeking financial support, such as the WISLI Tuition Scholarship or a program-specific scholarship or fee remission, you will need to solicit letters of recommendation to be submitted on your behalf.

A preferred recommender is someone who knows you well enough to discuss your strengths, accomplishments, and ability to succeed in an intensive language learning program. This person may be an instructor, advisor, supervisor, colleague, or someone who can comment on your academic/language learning abilities.

The application will also ask you to describe your formal study of the language and informal exposure you’ve had to help us identify your level. In general, class sizes will be small enough for our skilled instructors to meet you at your level. In some cases, you may be asked to complete an informal assessment with the instructor before classes begin, especially if switching to another level is not possible.

To determine which level of language to select on your application:

• Review previous syllabi on your program’s page to gauge the expected materials and goals at various levels.
• Ask a prior instructor for guidance on the level to which you should apply.
• Consult the language acquisition “Can-Do” statements by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) to determine which level matches your abilities. These statements represent benchmarks typical for learners at specific levels. They are also helpful for thinking about language learning progress, abilities, and goals.

Read more about placement here.

Please do provide the most recent and updated transcripts. If you are unable to locate or upload transcripts that you previously submitted, please contact wisli@lpo.wisc.edu to transfer these documents from a previous year’s application.