Undergraduate Admissions

Freshman Admission

Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration

Admitted students participate in our Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration program, which we call SOAR. This mandatory two-day summer program runs throughout June and July. At SOAR, you will:

• Get a taste of what it means to be a student at Wisconsin
• Learn about our academic advising system
• Learn your way around campus on a walking tour
• Work with faculty, staff, and student advisors to become familiar with your academic interest or major
• Take placement tests in English, math, and foreign language
• Select your courses and enroll online
• Begin to form friendships with your classmates

Parents and guests are also invited to attend SOAR. They participate in a specialized program that provides more information on housing, finances, health and safety, and more.

Visit the Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration Web site to learn more.

Wisconsin Welcome

Wisconsin Welcome events begin prior to the start of fall-term classes and continue though the month of September. This campuswide welcome is designed to help you make an easy transition to UW-Madison.

During Wisconsin Welcome you will:

• Meet new people
• Participate in social and cultural events
• Sharpen your academic skills
• Learn about university traditions
• Discover the abundant resources available to you on campus
• Find out where to get help and support when you need it

Visit the Wisconsin Welcome Web site to learn more.

Wisconsin Basecamp

Wisconsin Basecamp is an optional outdoor orientation program for incoming freshman. Interested students participate in canoe camping and backpack trips in July, before the start of your freshman year. Each trip has approximately 10 students and 2 leaders and lasts 5 days.

Visit the Wisconsin Basecamp Web site to learn more.