Information for international students
The following is information for international students attending SOAR during the summer of 2008.
International students entering UWMadison for the summer/fall semester will attend a multi-day orientation program at the end of August, prior to the start of the fall semester. The program includes placement testing, academic advising/course enrollment, and important information about UWMadison and immigration/visa regulation. Students have mandatory activities on each of the orientation days and should plan to be on campus for all sessions. A detailed schedule of all daily events will be provided on the first day when students check in for orientation.
Additional programming is provided for the parents and family members of new students who choose to attend. Parents will learn about the UWMadison campus, take a campus tour, and will have the opportunity to interact with current students and staff members.
Placement testing
New first-year students are required to take placement tests in math and English and are encouraged to test in foreign language. Transfer students should consult page two of their letter of admission for testing requirements. All students should consult their letter of admission to determine whether they are required to take the UW English Placement Test (UWEPT) or the English as a Second Language Aptitude Test (ESLAT). Testing times will be provided to new students the first day of their program.
Location and logistics
Orientation sessions for International Students occur in many locations across campus. Check-in information and location will be provided once students have made a reservation for the program.
New students who are living on the UWMadison campus will be able to move into their residence halls on the first day of orientation programming. Parents and family members will need to make separate arrangements. Lodging availability on-campus can be found at the Lowell Center. A list of local area hotels is also available at visitmadison.com.
SOAR Reservations
Students must make a reservation to attend SOAR program online using their MyUW portal at my.wisc.edu. Invitations will begin to be mailed in March for all students admitted for the summer/fall semesters and reservations must be completed by mid-August.
Please note that there is a separate fee for the SOAR program. More information about fees can be seen on the Fee Explanation page.
We look forward to seeing you at SOAR!