Getting Started
Preparing your student for UW–Madison
Starting college involves important tasks and decisions for both students and families. This section covers essentials like student privacy, orientation programs, required courses, and the New Student To-Do List. Use these resources to help your student prepare for a successful transition to UW–Madison.
On this Page
Parent Involvement and Student Record Privacy (FERPA)
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects student education records, such as grades and disciplinary records, and controls who can access them.
Access to Student Records
- Once students begin taking classes at UW–Madison, FERPA rights to their education records transfer to them. Parents and families do not automatically have the right to access their student’s records on their own.
- Students can authorize the university to share records with parents and families by filling out a release form each time records are shared. Students can also make parents and families authorized payers to view tuition and billing information.
Conversation Tip: Students can easily print or send their own records, so encourage open conversations about grades, classes, and finances.
Directory Information
By law, UW–Madison must provide certain directory information to third parties upon request. This includes:
- Name
- Addresses
- Email and phone number
- Major and class standing
- Dates of attendance
- Intended completion term
- Degree, honors, and awards received
Students have the right to restrict the release of their public directory information by placing a FERPA restriction on that data.
Student Rights
- Students can restrict the release of directory information at any time through their Student Center under the Profile tile or during the Pre-Enrollment Checklist.
- Students can review and request corrections to their education records if they believe information is inaccurate or misleading.
Important Note
Restricting directory information can have unintended effects. For example, suppose a student makes the Dean’s List and has restricted their address. In that case, UW–Madison cannot announce their name to hometown newspapers.
New Student To-Do List
The New Student To-Do List helps students track some of the important tasks they need to complete throughout the summer and into their first year at UW–Madison. This central resource is personalized to each student, organized by topic, and provides deadlines. Your student can find the next steps by logging in to My UW with their NetID.
Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR)
The Office of Student Transition and Family Engagement (OSTFE) helps first-year and transfer students begin their academic journey at UW–Madison on a strong footing.
This office coordinates key programs, including:
- SOAR (Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration)
- Wisconsin Welcome
- Wisconsin Experience Seminar (CP 125)
- Transfer Transition Program
- Parent and Family Program
At SOAR, your student will:
- Register for classes for the upcoming semester.
- Discover the academic and social opportunities available at UW–Madison.
- Start building connections and integrating into campus life.
- Define their Wisconsin Experience.
- Understand university policies and processes.
Required Programs for New Students
A safe and healthy social environment is essential to our campus community. As a result, all incoming first-year and transfer students are required to complete several online programs, which are outlined in their New Student To-Do List.
Before starting their first semester, your student will receive instructions via email on completing each course in Canvas, as well as deadlines for each program. Additional details will be shared later in the semester for programs that have two parts.
