New Freshmen

Get Started as an Admitted Student at UWM
Ready to enroll? Review your essential next steps.

  1. Check Your Accounts — Often! 

    Your Admissions Portal and PAWS account contain important application and enrollment information from the Office of Admissions and Student Financial Services. You will receive information about your application and admission status in your Admissions Portal. In PAWS, you have a To-Do List, which lists steps you need to take to enroll.

  2. Complete Your Intent to Enroll

    Your Intent to Enroll is a one-question survey in your Admissions Portal. It’s your way to let UWM know if you plan to be a student in the fall. Click on the Intent to Enroll item as it appears in your Admissions Portal and follow the instructions. 

    The priority deadline to complete your Intent to Enroll for summer/fall is May 1 and Dec. 1 for winter/spring.

  3. Submit Your Housing Contract

    Living on campus can be the perfect transition into college life. Whether you join a housing leadership organization or simply relax in your space, our residence halls offer an ideal blend of classroom, campus and community.  

    Living on campus: You are required to live in University Housing for your first academic year unless you are at least 21 years old or are approved for an exemption.

    Once admitted, you will be automatically granted online access to a University Housing Contract. Once you submit your University Housing Contract online, you are legally bound by the Contract and Guidebook. You will also be required to follow the Resident Handbook found on our Forms & Publications page. Effective 2025-2026, the non-refundable contract fee of $50 will be due in full at the time of contract completion. Payment must be made via debit or credit card through the payment gateway in the Housing Portal. The priority deadline is May 1 for students starting in summer/fall and December 1 for students start in winter/spring.

    Living off campus: While UWM has a residency policy that essentially states first-year students are required to live on-campus, we know that some students will want to live with their parents/guardians and commute or have other extenuating circumstances that might necessitate them requesting an exemption from the policy. Those students will need to request an exemption by completing the Exemption Request Form and submitting documentation to support their rationale. 

  4. Complete Course Placement

    Your course placement can be satisfied by submitting your ACT/SAT scores to UWM or by completing our free UWM online placement tests in math and English.

    Course placement will open in March for students beginning in summer/fall, and at the time of admission for students starting in winter/spring.

    Please note: UWM does not accept the Universities of Wisconsin placement tests.

  5. Register for Orientation

    Get ready to take your first official step as a UW-Milwaukee Panther! When you’re eligible to register for Orientation, you’ll see it as a checklist item in your Admissions Portal.

    Orientation registration opens in March for students starting in summer/fall and October for students starting in winter/spring.

  6. Submit Your ID Photo

    All UWM students are required to have a photo identification card. Download the Get Mobile App to upload your photo or directly upload a selfie to the Panther Card Office. Complete this at least 48 hours prior to your orientation program. 

  7. Complete Your University Terms and Conditions Agreement

    Every student must electronically sign the University Terms and Conditions Agreement. This appears on your To-Do List on your PAWS account and must be signed before you can enroll in courses. For more information, visit the Student Financial Services website.

  8. Send in Your High School Transcripts

    Work with your high school counselor to send us your final high school transcript once your final grades and graduation date have been posted. Transcripts can be sent electronically to undergraduateadmissions@uwm.edu or mailed to:

    University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
    Office of Undergraduate Admissions
    P.O. Box 749
    Milwaukee, WI 53201

  9. Complete Orientation

    At Orientation, you will be introduced to campus, explore student resources, meet other new students and enroll in courses. You will also learn about other important next steps as a Panther, such as Panther Transition Experience.

    For more information about Orientation, check your personal and UWM emails and visit our Orientation webpage.