Fall 2023 New Student Orientation

Have you activated your account? Have you accepted your admission? Applied for financial aid? View your progress here. See the new student checklist for details.

All incoming students are required to take placement tests. Tests must be completed at least ten to fourteen days before your scheduled Orientation date. 

You have options for completing your tests this fall:

• Complete your tests in person at UWEC – Barron County
  In-person placement tests are held on our Rice Lake campus and are proctored by a staff member. You must register for in-person placement testing that is taking place at least 10 days before your Orientation date. Please note that it takes about one week for tests taken in person to be scored and sent to UW-Eau Claire. We highly recommend that you take them as soon as possible to ensure you're able to register for your classes on time.

  The following dates are available for in-person testing:

  Thursday, June 8^th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Register here.

  Tuesday, June 20^th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Register here.

• Complete your tests online
  You may also take your placement tests online – click here to register. You will be asked to log in with your campus username and password to complete the registration form before taking the exam. Within two business days of registering (but more likely within a few minutes), you will receive an email from Scantron with a username and password for accessing the exams.
  • Please note that online options for testing are not proctored and require more processing time. Please take the online test ten to fourteen days prior to your advising appointment. 
• All students are required to complete the Math and English tests, and if you have had two or more years of French, German, or Spanish, take the placement exam for that language.
• Transfer students without transferable college credit for English or Math will need to take UW System placement tests. Students can work with their advisor to determine if placement tests need to be taken.

If you have questions regarding placement testing, please contact Sara Potter at pottersk@uwec.edu.

Complete your Pre-Advising Survey (PAS). This form is crucial to the success of your advising appointment, as it helps our advising staff assess your academic preparedness and provide potential class selections. This questionnaire must be completed before your advising appointment. Complete your PAS here.

This Orientation will cover the following important campus information:

• campus resources and technology
• financial aid and tuition
• academic planning
• textbook ordering
• student conduct
• campus activities

 You will also schedule your advising appointment to register for classes, get your Student ID, and have a chance to finish any missing financial aid pieces.

Kick Off Day is a fun kick off to the start of the semester for incoming new students! Students and their families will receive information about library services and learning technology, attend a clubs fair, eat lunch and meet some of their new professors! Kick Off Day will be held on campus August 31st from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm. Register here. 

Students should schedule an appointment with an Academic Advisor. Before the appointment, please send an official transcript for any college work in progress or completed to get the best advice on what courses to select.

It's important to routinely check your UWEC email (username@uwec.edu), as it is the main way faculty and staff will communicate with you. You can expect to receive information about classes, any missing pieces for financial aid, upcoming campus events, and more.