Why This College Gives Every Accepted Student A Giant Pretzel

Most colleges send a simple letter, informational packet, and maybe some swag with their notification of acceptance to prospective students. Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, goes one step beyond. In addition to their acceptance, admitted individuals receive a giant soft pretzel in the mail, a signature snack sold in Milwaukee's numerous bars and restaurants, which likely also carry the city's famous Old Milwaukee beer.

But this isn't just any soft pretzel — it's made by one of the most popular and well-known soft pretzel companies in the area: Milwaukee Pretzel Company, which also happens to be owned by two Marquette alumni, Katie and Matt Wessel. In spring 2025, over 10,000 admitted first-year students received a special box with the Marquette logo inviting them to join the university. Inside the box was a fresh soft-baked pretzel the size of a small pizza, wrapped in a clear plastic bag along with a packet of pretzel salt. Under the pretzel, there are baking instructions as well as a personal letter from the Wessels welcoming incoming students to the university. 

Milwaukee Pretzel Company's soft-baked pretzels (which, as a Milwaukee native, I've had the pleasure of enjoying) are indeed super tasty with a soft, chewy inside and a crispy, salty shell. They are also the perfect regional representation of a Milwaukee favorite, and a great success story for entrepreneurs who received an education at Marquette University. 

College admissions teams are always looking for new ways to attract prospective students. In 2017, Marquette's marketing team decided to hop on the higher education trend of sending small gifts to admitted first-years as a way of making their school stand out. The team began by sending jelly beans in tins with the university's logo but didn't notice much excitement among the students who received the gifts.

The team ultimately decided to work with Milwaukee Pretzel Company in 2020, and the university sent 2,000 students the acceptance pretzels as a trial run to gauge reaction. It became clear that students loved the pretzels, which was ideal timing since the pandemic had a negative effect on enrollment in universities nationwide. In 2021, Marquette increased the number of pretzels sent and saw an outpouring of positive reactions on social media from students opening their special acceptance boxes. 

Milwaukee Pretzel Company began in 2013 after Matt and Katie Wessel finished a year abroad in Germany and returned to their home in Milwaukee. While in Munich, they discovered their love for Bavarian soft pretzels and quickly started an LLC in their hometown. Over the years, they have grown their business from baking pretzels for family and friends in Matt's mom's kitchen to running a 50,000-square-foot facility that, in 2023, was producing over 40,000 pretzels per day. The company's pretzels can be purchased online via its website, which ships nationwide, and can also found in some regional grocery stores in the frozen foods section. While there's nothing better than getting a soft pretzel the size of a dinner plate in the mail, amateur bakers can also make their own pretzels at home with store-bought dough.