UW-Green Bay closes most transfer applications; exception for local students

GREEN BAY — Officials at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay announced today that the University is closing applications for most transfer students.

UW-Green Bay is just the third university in the UW System to stop accepting applications from both new freshman and transfer students. The only other state institutions to have closed for both freshman and transfer students are UW-Madison and UW-Eau Claire. UW-Green Bay closed applications to most new freshmen May 18. Today’s announcement indicates continued strong interest in the institution, said Director of Admissions Pam Harvey-Jacobs.

UW-Green Bay is, however, contining to accept applications for new freshman and transfer students from an 11-county region surrounding the campus. New freshman or transfer students who live in Brown, Kewaunee, Door, Oconto, Marinette, Shawano, Menominee, Calumet, Outagamie, Winnebago and Manitowoc counties can still apply for admission through mid-August, Harvey-Jacobs said.

“We know that in today’s economic climate, higher education plans have changed for many students and their families,” Harvey-Jacobs said. “We’re keeping our application period open longer for those local students whose original plans may have changed. They can still get an excellent college education close to home at UW-Green Bay.”

Keeping students closer often has a positive impact on the local economy.

“Having local students will help keep UW-Green Bay graduates local and make the New North region an economic success as they join the workforce,” Harvey-Jacobs said.

Already, about 75 percent of all UW-Green Bay graduates stay in Northeastern Wisconsin, and about 90 percent stay within the state.

The 11-county region has an estimated 11,000 high school graduates this year, with about 5,500 of those students planning on enrolling in a four-year college or university. Last year, more than 4,200 new freshmen from the region started college at a UW System institution (about 3,400 at a four-year campus and about 820 at a UW College), with more than 400 enrolling at UW-Green Bay.

UW-Green Bay officials are encouraging interested students from the 11-county area to apply as soon as possible, as courses are becoming full.

Harvey-Jacobs said the University is nearing its enrollment targets and she expects UW-Green Bay will be full by the start of the fall semester.

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