The Mercile J. Lee Scholars Program

The Mercile J. Lee Scholars Program is a four-year full tuition scholarship program for undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The program offers a community to students who value scholarship, leadership, and service. Scholars selected begin at UW-Madison as freshman and are selected for their demonstrated academic success in high school, the impact of their leadership skills and/or capacity to grow as a leader, commitment to service and civic engagement, and potential to excel in the university’s rigorous educational environment.

To be eligible for the Mercile J. Lee Scholars Program, prospective students must:

• Plan to enroll as a new freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall following graduation from high school.
• Demonstrate outstanding academic performance (e.g., a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA out of a 4.0 scale).
• Come from a background where applicants have experienced hardship / disadvantage that has impacted their educational opportunities*
• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.
• Complete the Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA)

*This can include backgrounds where applicants have experienced educational, cultural, economic, and/or social forms of hardship and/or disadvantage that have impacted their educational opportunities. Such backgrounds could include and are not limited to a background as a: low-income family, being a first-generation student, being the first in their family seeking to graduate from a four-year college in the U.S., coming from an underserved urban, rural, or farming community, attending a school with a limited college preparatory curriculum, attending a school district in an area with high poverty concentration, or other family circumstances that have impacted educational opportunities.

Mercile J. Lee Scholars Program Selection Process
Utilizing a holistic review process, the Office of Admissions & Recruitment reviews all applications to UW–Madison to determine eligibility for the Mercile J. Lee Scholars Program. Scholars are chosen for their demonstrated academic success in high school and intellectual curiosity, their leadership skills or capacity to grow as a leader, commitment to service and civic engagement, and potential to excel in the university’s rigorous educational environment. The program seeks students who will begin as freshmen at UW with aspirations to be part of and contribute to a thriving community that builds relationships with peers, faculty, and staff.
Applicants who wish to apply to the Mercile J. Lee Scholars Program should highlight these experiences and qualifications in their application/essay to UW-Madison. In addition, individuals completing letters of recommendation are encouraged to directly speak to applicant’s qualifications and characteristics aligned with this competitive scholarship. Below, we outline program values that are treasured by Mercile J. Lee scholars and guide our efforts in supporting students through their educational journey.

Intellectual Curiosity: MJL scholars take ownership and responsibility of their own learning, seeking out new experiences to engage in a rigorous educational environment. MJL Scholars demonstrate a deep interest and curiosity to explore complex topics and ideas and have a commitment to understanding and working with others with different perspectives to address current societal challenges.

Leadership Potential: MJL scholars are motivated to continue to grow as leaders and engage in this journey striving to enact different dimensions of leadership (solution-oriented mentality, inclusive approaches to leading, exploring new alternatives, commitment to overcome adversity or setbacks, energized by self-improvement, ethical leadership, self-awareness, etc). MJL scholars seek to create meaningful and sustainable change to improve communities through the state, country, and world.

Service and Civic Mindset: MJL scholars are passionate about extracurricular activities and demonstrate a concern for the public good through service and civic engagement. MJL scholars are connected to their communities and have a strong sense of social responsibility to address challenges that create disparities across society.

Community Building Outlook: MJL scholars seek to belong to an academic community where individuals matter to one another, gaining valuable skills to engage in dialogue and reflection to build an inclusive community. MJL scholars support each other emotionally, socially, academically, and professionally, and seek to build each other through principles such as collaboration, empathy, resilience, problem solving, social responsibility, and innovation.

Please note that there is not a separate application to complete to be considered for the Mercile J. Lee Scholars Program. The Office of Admissions & Recruitment will review all aspects of a student’s application to UW-Madison (e.g., high school transcript, essay, letters of recommendation, etc.) to determine their eligibility and qualifications for the Mercile J. Lee Scholars Program. All questions regarding admission to UW-Madison and selection for the Mercile J. Lee Scholars Program should be directed to the Office of Admissions & Recruitment.
Please contact the Mercile J. Lee Scholars Program at mjlsp@cdo.wisc.edu or (608) 262-9315 with any questions pertaining to the program offerings.

Dates and Deadlines
To be considered for the Mercile J. Lee Scholars Program, students should apply to UW-Madison by the University’s early action or regular decision deadline. If selected for the scholarship, recipients will be notified by May 1, 2026.

Please visit the website of the Office of Admissions and Recruitment for dates and deadlines.