Visit Wisconsin
The best way to find out if a university is right for you is to spend some time on campus. We invite you to visit Wisconsin, explore our campus, and meet the people who study, work, and live here.
We offer a number of visit options—for prospective freshmen, transfer students, admitted students, and groups. Before making your reservation, read the visit option descriptions below and note that options may change based on the time of year.
Pick from the following options:
Admission Information Session and Walking Tour (2.5 hours, reservation required)
This session is geared toward high school students and provides:
- An introduction to UW–Madison
- Highlights of academic and extracurricular opportunities
- An overview of housing and financial aid
- Information about our application process, dates, and deadlines
Following the 45-minute Admission Information Session, our student tour guides will take you on a 100-minute walking tour of campus. The tour highlights the residence halls, academic buildings, research spaces, historic points, and student gathering spaces.
The Admission Information Session and Walking Tour are offered at 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Additional sessions may be offered as necessary during peak visit periods. Place your reservation at least two weeks in advance, as some programs do fill.
Transfer Student Visit Days (reservation required)
Our Transfer Student Visit Day program takes place on select Fridays during the academic year. The day begins with
an Admission Information Session, during which our transfer admission counselors will provide an overview of the university
and give specific information about applying as a transfer student, transfer admission expectations, transfer credit, and
degree requirements. You can then choose to stay on for the Academic Information Session and/or campus walking tour.
Upcoming Transfer Student Visit Days are scheduled for August 21, October 2, and November 6. Our 2010 dates are March 5, April 9, and May 7.
Academic Information Sessions (~1 hour, reservation required)
Many of our undergraduate schools, colleges, and programs offer sessions that provide overviews of their respective academic programs.
Click on the name of the program that interest you below for more information about the session. (Please note that not all academic
programs offer an information session.)
- Agricultural and Life Sciences, College of
- Business, Wisconsin School of
- Education, School of
- Engineering, College of
- Honors Program, College of Letters and Science
- Letters and Science, College of
- Nursing, School of
If you decide to register for an Academic Information Session, we recommend that you also register for the Admission Information Session and Walking Tour to learn more about the university’s admission process.
Campus Walking Tour (100 minutes)
Every weekday at 3 p.m., you can join our student tour guides for a 100–minute walking tour of campus. The tour highlights the
residence halls, academic buildings, research spaces,
historic points, and student gathering spaces. The same tour is offered at 12 noon on Saturday and Sunday.
Walking tours are not offered on university holidays, home football game Saturdays, and on Sundays between November and February.
Recreational Facility Tour (45 minutes, reservation required)
Want to see where our students workout on campus? Tour the
Southeast Recreational Facility (SERF),
one of several recreational centers on campus. This 45–minute tour is offered on Monday and Friday at 11 a.m.
Residential Learning Community Overview (30 minutes, reservation required)
University Housing’s residential learning communities blend students’ residence hall and academic
experiences on campus around an explicit focus: www.housing.wisc.edu/lc. If you would like to learn more about one or more of these programs during your
campus visit by meeting with a current student and touring a residential learning community,
please contact Cal Bergman at cal.bergman@housing.wisc.edu or 608–265–7910.
Classroom Visit
During the fall and spring semesters, the professors of many of our freshman–level
lecture courses open their classrooms to prospective students.
Click here (PDF, 22K) for a list of open courses
for the current semester. There is not a registration process for these classroom visits—just
find a time that works for you, go to the class, and introduce yourself to the professor.
Group Visits
Visitor & Information Programs is pleased to offer customizable group visits for school
groups, university staff and faculty, conference participants, alumni groups, foreign delegations,
civic groups, and others. We’ll be happy to recommend highlights, coordinate the logistics, and
provide experienced tour guides. Please go to the
Visitor & Information Programs Web site to
complete the online visit request form. Once your request has been received, a member of the staff
will contact you to set up your customized visit. Please schedule your visit several weeks in advance.
Self-Guided Tours
Our campus map features many campus highlights,
including key academic buildings, campus landmarks, the residence hall neighborhoods, and several recreational
and athletic facilities. Pick up a map at the Campus Information Center or print a copy today.
