Want to be a UW–Madison Badger? Apply for the PEOPLE program by January 9! | News Detail

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Want to be a UW–Madison Badger? Apply for the PEOPLE program by January 9!

Reagan drumline students celebrate in the Rufus King gym

December 22, 2025

The University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence, known as PEOPLE, is now accepting applications! Milwaukee Public Schools ninth-grade students should apply by January 9, 2026, to take part in this program through all four years of high school.

The PEOPLE program is available in 10 MPS high schools and is open only to 9th graders who expect to start college in Fall 2029. Participating schools this year are:

Bay View High School
Alexander Hamilton High School
Rufus King International Baccalaureate High School
Golda Meir School
Milwaukee School of Languages
MacDowell Montessori
Milwaukee High School of the Arts
Riverside University High School
Ronald Wilson Reagan College Preparatory High School
South Division High School

Students who are accepted into the PEOPLE program are assigned a precollege advisor and receive support through all four years of high school. Students receive free after-school tutoring, advising sessions, and UW System campus tours. Students also get help with the college application process and scholarship information.

After graduation, participants attend PEOPLE Summer University (PSU) in which they live on campus to access core subject preparation, career exploration, ACT testing, placement tests, and more.

Students in the PEOPLE program who are accepted at UW–Madison may be eligible for a four-year tuition scholarship and may receive support services from the PEOPLE College Scholars Program.

PEOPLE started in 1999 with 66 high school students from Milwaukee. The PEOPLE journey prepares students, especially those who are first generation and/or low income, to be ready for college, apply for admission, and enroll at UW System universities, with an emphasis on UW–Madison.

To find out more, visit the PEOPLE website. If you have questions, email people@cdo.wisc.edu or contact the PEOPLE office at (608) 262-7415.

The PEOPLE application will be open through January 9, 2026. Apply at https://universityofwisconsinpeople.submittable.com/submit/338064/milwaukee-cohort-2029