Updated October 24, 2026

UW–Madison Nursing Interview: Virtual Group Format and Dates

How UW–Madison's virtual group nursing interview works, who is invited, and when decisions come out.

UW–Madison invites every eligible traditional and accelerated BSN applicant to a virtual group interview. Three faculty members interview three or four applicants at once, each applicant gets about one minute per question, and the answer order rotates so everyone goes first once. You need working video and audio.

Practice the UW–Madison nursing interview now How nursing school practice works

Key facts (Fall 2027 entry)

Format: A live virtual group interview.
Who is in the room: Three faculty interviewers and three or four applicants.
Timing: About one minute per answer. Each applicant answers first, second, third and last in turn.
Who is interviewed: All applicants who meet the eligibility criteria, after a 2 to 3 week review.
Apply: Traditional BSN: November 24 to January 15. Accelerated BSN: May 1 to September 15.
Grades: A 2.75 cumulative and prerequisite GPA, with a C or higher in each prerequisite.
Decisions: Traditional BSN: historically by mid-May. Accelerated BSN: historically by the end of December.

What happens in the interview

The interview is live, online and shared with other applicants. The rules are the same for the traditional and accelerated BSN.

3 faculty. Three faculty members run each session.
3 or 4 applicants. You interview alongside two or three other applicants.
About 1 minute. Each applicant has about one minute to answer each question.
Rotating order. Each applicant takes a turn answering first, second, third and last.
Video and audio. Both are required to take part.
One week's notice. Eligible applicants receive an email requesting a convenient interview time, then get a specific interview time and date at least one week before the scheduled interview time along with information about what to expect and how to prepare.

When you go last, do not repeat the others. Add your own example in one minute, and listen well while they speak.

How offers are decided

The School of Nursing uses a comprehensive admission process to identify students for the program, and admission is competitive.

Under half admitted. In recent years the traditional BSN has typically admitted fewer than 50% of applicants.
Unranked waitlist. The waitlist is unranked and unnumbered, and nothing you do can change your place.
No appeals. Admission decisions are final.
Reapplying. You can apply up to three times to the traditional BSN. The accelerated BSN has no limit.
University admission too. You must also be admitted to UW–Madison, and that does not guarantee a nursing place.

How you get an interview

There is no extra cut before the interview. Staff check eligibility in 2 to 3 weeks after the due date, and every eligible applicant is invited.

Traditional BSN

For UW–Madison pre-nursing students, transfer students and second-degree students.

54 credits. Completed or in progress by the end of the spring term.
4 of 7 prerequisites. Done when you apply, each with a C or higher.
2.75 GPA. Both prerequisite and cumulative.

Accelerated BSN

For people with a bachelor's degree in another field, who finish it before the program starts.

Sciences within 7 years. All four nursing science prerequisites done by the time you apply, within seven years of the start date.
2 of 4 general education courses. Done by the time you apply.
2.75 GPA. Both prerequisite and cumulative.

What you do not need

No TEAS and no CNA. Neither is required for admission.
No letters for nursing. The nursing application does not take recommendation letters. Transfer and second-degree applicants need one for the UW–Madison application.

Dates and other details

The two programs run on different calendars. The school lists the windows without a year, so check the page before you apply.

Traditional BSN

November 24 to January 15. Application window. Wait until your fall grades are final to send transcripts.
Mid-May. Admission decisions, by email.
May to early July. Waitlist offers, if any, before the program starts in September.

Accelerated BSN (12 months)

May 1 to September 15. Application window. The UW–Madison second-degree application is due by October 1.
End of December. Historically when decisions come out. Waitlist offers usually come between December and January.
Mid-May. Classes begin.

The written application

Five experiences at most. The school reviews no more than five achievements and experiences in NursingCAS, so choose carefully.
Personal statements and $60 fee. Each statement is limited to 1,250 characters, about 250 words, and the application fee for NursingCAS is $60.

How to prepare

One minute goes fast, and in a group you will be compared side by side. Practice short answers that make one point with one example.

Time yourself. Answer common questions out loud with a one-minute timer until you finish on time without rushing.
Practice going first. Going first means no time to think. Have a ready opening line for why nursing and for teamwork questions.
Be a good group member. Nod, listen and never talk over others. In a group, how you treat the others is on show too.
Test your setup. Video and audio are required, so test both on the device you will use.

Respond to the invitation fast. If you do not reply with interview times, your application is removed, and reschedules are allowed only in extenuating circumstances.

Practice questions

Questions in the style of a Virtual group interview station, written for applicants to University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing. They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.

Why do you want to study nursing, and how have you tested that choice?

Give one specific reason and one thing you did to test it, and fit it in about a minute.

What will your classmates in a nursing cohort learn from you?

Name one real strength with a quick example, which works well in a group setting.

Describe a time when you had to rely on someone in a different role or department to reach a shared goal.

Keep it short: the goal, what you each did and the result.

You are a nursing student on a clinical placement. A very busy nursing assistant asks you to quickly get a patient up to stand on your own, but the care plan says two-person assist. How do you handle this?

Follow the care plan, offer to find a second person, and stay polite to the assistant.

What do you think new graduate nurses find hardest in their first year, and how would you prepare for it?

Pick one challenge, like time management, and a concrete plan to meet it.

Why nursing, and what would you do if you could not become a nurse?

Show commitment while giving a thoughtful backup that still serves patients.

Frequently asked questions

What is the UW–Madison nursing interview like?

A virtual group interview with three faculty members and three or four applicants. Each applicant has about one minute per question, and the answer order rotates.

Does everyone get a UW-Madison nursing interview?

Every applicant who meets the eligibility criteria is invited. Staff check eligibility in the 2 to 3 weeks after the application due date, send an email requesting a convenient interview time, and confirm a specific interview time and date at least one week before the scheduled interview time.

Is the UW–Madison nursing interview online?

Yes. It is virtual, and both video and audio are required to take part.

When does UW–Madison send nursing decisions?

Historically by mid-May for the traditional BSN and by the end of December for the accelerated BSN.

How competitive is UW–Madison nursing?

The school says that in recent years it has typically admitted fewer than 50% of traditional BSN applicants each cycle.

Sources

Official pages only, read on the date shown. Schools change their process every year, so check the school's own page before you apply.

UW–Madison School of Nursing: Traditional BSN Application Process · read October 24, 2026
UW–Madison School of Nursing: Accelerated BSN Application Process · read October 24, 2026
UW–Madison School of Nursing: Traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing · read October 24, 2026
UW–Madison School of Nursing: Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing · read October 24, 2026
UW–Madison School of Nursing: NursingCAS Instructions · read October 24, 2026