Admitted Freshman Checklist

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 17 for spring freshmen, or within 5 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.

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.

5. SIGN UP FOR AN 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. We will email you instructions for selecting and registering for an event.

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. You must register for placement testing before selecting a SOAR date.

7. SIGN UP FOR STUDENT ORIENTATION, ADVISING, AND REGISTRATION (SOAR)

Students admitted for the summer and fall will receive information in April 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 using MyUW. 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

*Or next business day if deadline falls on a weekend. 

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.

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.