1. SET UP YOUR NETID TO ACCESS MYUW
MyUW is a student portal that will present new options to admitted students, such as the ability to confirm your enrollment, review your financial aid package, and sign up for student orientation. Locate the 10-digit campus ID number from your admissions letter. Activate your NetID to access the portal. You can also update any changes to your mailing address, phone number, or email address to make sure you receive important email from other offices.
2. CONFIRM YOUR ENROLLMENT
Log in to the MyUW portal to accept your offer of admission in the Student Center by May 1* for fall freshmen and by December 15* for spring freshmen, or within 14 days from the date of your admission, whichever is later.
You will then pay the $100 deposit online. It is applied toward your tuition and fees for the first semester and is not refundable after the confirmation deadline.
*If deadline falls on a weekend, it is extended to the next business day .
REGARDING COVID-19 AND OUR CONFIRMATION DEADLINES: We understand that you may need more time to make your decision to attend UW–Madison. With that in mind, you will have three options surrounding our May 1 deadline: you may accept your offer, decline your offer, or submit a request for an extension. If you ask for more time, you will have until June 1 to make your decision. If you request an extension, the extension request will also be applied to your housing contract. Transfer students must accept or decline their admission offer by June 1 and must complete their housing contract by May 1. Students who are admitted from the wait list will have 14 days from their admission to accept their place in the class.
Should situations change after confirming your enrollment, please contact our office so that we may assist you.
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How to accept your offer of admission
Log in to the MyUW student portal to accept/decline your offer of admission in the Student Center.
- Click on Student Center down arrow/icon and select “Applicant Homepage”.
- Click on the tile page with “Admissions”
- Within the Admissions tile, it has “Application Status”; it will show you the applications that you have submitted.
- Accept/Decline Admission: follow the instructions it gives you to officially confirm.
- If this is your first time logging in, you must activate your NetID. Your Student Center also gives you access to other personalized information, including your financial aid package.
To complete accept your offer of admission and pay your enrollment deposit by check or money order, please complete and submit the Enrollment Deposit Form.
3. APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID
Financial aid could include scholarships, grants, on-campus work-study jobs, and student loans. All US citizens and permanent residents should follow instructions provided by the Office of Student Financial Aid to file for federal student aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which is available online beginning October 1. Remember to list the UW–Madison FAFSA code of 003895. International students should review a list of scholarships and grants provided by International Student Services.
4. EXPLORE UNIVERSITY HOUSING
Refer to University Housing to learn more about the features of each residence hall and submit your housing application and deposit. After applying, you’ll also select your dining plan, rank your housing selections, and receive your assignment.
At this time, University Housing is still moving forward with residence hall plans for fall 2020. They are working closely with campus leadership and health experts on various scenarios concerning the health and safety of our students, and if plans need to change, any updates will be communicated as soon as possible. If classes do go to an online format for fall and there is no campus housing offered, students will be reimbursed the advance payment of $250. The $50 application fee is non-refundable.
5. SIGN UP FOR A VIRTUAL ADMITTED STUDENT EVENT
We encourage you to attend an admitted student event on our campus in the spring. These events are a great opportunity to learn more about UW–Madison and decide if our campus is your next home away from home. Visit Visit Bucky to register.
6. SIGN UP FOR PLACEMENT TESTS
All freshman students are required to complete placement testing, regardless of previous coursework, AP, or IB credit. You are required to take tests in mathematics and English (or English as a second language) and strongly encouraged to test in the foreign language you studied in high school.
Your scores will be used by your academic advisor to accurately place you in a variety of courses. For information about testing, refer to the Testing and Evaluation Services website for incoming UW–Madison students.
7. SIGN UP FOR ONLINE STUDENT ORIENTATION, ADVISING, AND REGISTRATION (SOAR)
Students admitted for the summer and fall will receive information regarding the SOAR sessions held in summer. Students admitted for the spring will receive information in November regarding the SOAR sessions held in January.
You will then be able to register online. Only students who have confirmed their enrollment and signed up for placement tests will be eligible to register. It is advantageous to have your final grades when attending SOAR.
8. SEND US YOUR FINAL TRANSCRIPT
Make sure to request a final official transcript be sent to our office by the deadline below, after your final grades are posted.
Final Transcript Deadlines
| Admit Term | Final Transcript Deadline |
|---|---|
| Fall Freshmen | July 10* |
| Fall Transfer Students (Semester School) | June 14* |
| Fall Transfer Students (Quarter School) | July 10* |
| Spring Freshmen | January 3* |
| Spring Transfer Students (Semester) | January 3* |
| Spring Transfer Students (Quarter School) | January 3 |
| Summer Students | June 8** |
*Or next business day if deadline falls on a weekend.
**This date is for the June 15 start. Summer term has multiple start dates. Final official documents must be received by our office at least seven days before the start of the summer term you will be taking coursework in.
It is very important that you successfully complete the course work entered on your application. A curriculum change could affect your admission status, and declining grades may be cause for revoking admission.
REGARDING FINAL TRANSCRIPTS AND GRADES: We encourage you to continue to engage in learning as you complete your senior year. It is in your best interest to take advantage of any and all resources your school is providing for virtual or alternative learning to best prepare you for the rigorous curriculum you will encounter as a student at UW–Madison. However, we understand the extraordinary circumstances of COVID-19 and its impact on our admitted students and their schools. Though students intending to enroll in the fall will need to have satisfied their high school’s graduation requirements, we will be understanding of the variety of ways in which schools decide to wrap up the current academic year and will not disadvantage students based on these circumstances.
9. SEND YOUR AP/CLEP/IB SCORES
If you have scores from the AP, CLEP, or IB exams, you might be eligible to receive course credit for your scores. Request that the College Board or International Baccalaureate program send official scores directly to our office, which will arrive electronically directly from the testing agency.
Additional Checklist Items for International Students
In addition to our freshman and transfer Admitted Student Checklists, our international students have some additional steps to complete before arriving on campus, including information on obtaining your visa, the I-20 process, our Financial Verification Form for F-1 and J-1 visa holders, and mailing information for your visa.
The New Student To-Do List
The New Student To-Do List will help you identify and track some of the important tasks you need to complete throughout the summer and into your first year at UW–Madison. Freshmen, domestic students can access the To Do list through your MyUW or at todo.newstudent.wisc.edu.