Accept Admission

How to become a CAE Scholar

Congratulations on being accepted to UW–Madison! Please follow the steps below to confirm your enrollment as a CAE Scholar at UW–Madison.

1. Activate your student email account

Your student email is the official channel for important updates about being a CAE Scholar, the Summer Collegiate Experience (SCE), and other essential UW–Madison communications. Make sure to check it regularly.

To access your student email account:

• Activate your NetID if you have not already 
• Go to email.wisc.edu
• Log in with your NetID

Need help? Instructions for configuring your campus email on your phone or desktop computer are available at kb.wisc.edu/28350.

2. Confirm your enrollment at UW and your participation in CAE

• Confirm your admission to UW:
  • Pay the required enrollment deposit by May 1 to confirm your admission to UW–Madison via your Applicant Homepage. 
• Confirm your participation in CAE and SCE:
  • Confirm your participation in the CAE program  by May 1.

Confirm your participation in the Summer Collegiate Experience (SCE) agreement by May 1 if you plan to attend. This program is not mandatory for CAE Scholars, but highly encouraged.

3. Complete the remaining UW–Madison admitted First-Year Student Checklist items

Important checklist items include:

• Submit your FASFA to be considered for potential funding and scholarship opportunities.
• Explore Residential Learning Communities and submit your housing preferences by May 1.
• Sign up for your SOAR summer orientation sessions before June.
• Register for and complete required placement tests Math B and UW English (or English as a Second Language)
  • We strongly encourage you to also take a placement test for any world languages you’ve studied.
    • Placement tests must be completed at least two weeks before your SOAR session. This allows time for scoring and sharing with your academic advisors. 

Students who choose to attend SCE should take placement tests by May 17.

NOTE: These next steps apply to students NOT Participating in SCE. If you are participating in SCE, visit the SCE Page for alternative next steps. 

4. Sign up for a pre-SOAR advising session and choose your high-impact practice

During your pre-SOAR advising appointment, you can request a seat in your preferred high-impact practice this Fall. CAE Scholars participate in at least one high-impact practice, such as:

• Residential Learning Communities (indicate your preference when applying for Housing).
• First-Year Interest Groups (FIGs).
• Undergraduate Research Scholars (URS).

Start exploring these opportunities to enhance your academic experience.

Note: if you are choosing a residential learning community as your high-impact practice, you must indicate this in your Housing preferences by May 1.

5. Take placement tests

• Ensure completion of required placement tests, including “Math B” and “UW English” (or English as a Second Language). In-person Math B placement testing will be available to all CAE and SCE scholars on April 12 and May 17 on UW-Madison’s campus. Math B placement test can be also taken online but requires a fee. Students in financial difficulty can apply for a fee waiver here: go.wisc.edu/testing-fee-waiver.
• We strongly encourage you to also take  a placement test in any world languages you have studied.
• This allows time for scoring and sharing results with academic advisors before your SOAR session.

6. Attend SOAR (Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration)

At SOAR, you’ll learn about student life, discuss your Fall classes with advisors, and enroll in those classes.

If you need assistance with SOAR housing or registration fees, eligible students will receive an email from the Office of Student Financial Aid in April. If you don’t receive financial assistance but need housing for SOAR, contact cae@saa.ls.wisc.edu before May 29.

Questions?: 608-263-5068 or cae@saa.ls.wisc.edu.