Center for Educational Opportunity
Access | Achievement | Success

New First-Year Students

Two students standing in a sand volleyball court on either side of a net. The student on the far side of the net has their right arm raised as they are about to serve the volleyball that is in their air above their head. The student in the foreground has their hands moving to a ready position as they prepare to receive the ball. In the background, there is a university building and the sky is reflecting the shades of pink and blue of the setting sun.
CeO Scholars playing sand volleyball at the 2022 Strategies for Success First-Year Orientation.

We are so excited that you are joining CeO as you prepare for life at UW-Madison!

The Center for Educational Opportunity (CeO) is a community that helps students explore and create connections while achieving their academic goals.

Our mission is to support and increase good academic standing, retention, and graduation rates among CeO Scholars through advising, connecting students with campus resources, and fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment.

 

First-Year CeO Scholar Participation Requirements

  • Cohort SOAR First-Year CeO Scholars should plan to attend one of the listed Cohort SOAR dates listed below. Once a student is admitted to CeO, they will have permission to attend one of the Cohort SOAR dates.
    • June 15-16, 2023
    • June 29-30, 2023
    • July 10-11, 2023
  • Counseling Psychology 115 – CeO Educational Effectiveness (Fall & Spring Semesters) This first-year seminar course is designed to help you acclimate to campus, adjust to the rigor of college academics, and to build belonging among the First-Year CeO Scholar community. CP 115 is taught by an experienced instructor who will guide you through academics, campus life, and vital resources that will support your first year on campus. CP 115 is limited to First-Year CeO Scholars and provides an inclusive, discussion-driven, community-oriented learning environment.
    • 1 credit
    • Not required for transfer CeO Scholars
  • High Impact Practice (HIP) Each incoming First-Year CeO Scholar must select a HIP to enroll in for their first fall semester. The following are your options:
    • FIGs (First-Year Interest Groups) FIGs are clusters of (usually) three UW- Madison courses, linked together to explore a common theme, and offered to incoming first-year scholars who attend these classes together as a cohort.
    • Undergraduate Research Scholars  URS is dedicated to helping first- and second-year undergraduates get hands-on experience in research or other creative endeavors by working with UW faculty and research staff. Discovery – whether in the sciences, engineering, the arts, or the social sciences – is the cornerstone of our greatness as a university. Plan on taking this course for two semesters in a row.
    • Residential Learning Communities  Residential Learning Communities bring together faculty, staff and students around an explicit focus within the University Residence Halls. Unique seminars and class sections and aligned co-curricular activities all help produce smaller, more intentional communities that set students up for success. First-Year Scholar will need to register with the associated courses/seminars to fulfill CeO’s High Impact Practice requirement.
      • This requirement is not fulfilled by enrolling in a reserved residence hall class section (such as Comm Arts 100 or CHEM 103). It IS fulfilled by joining one of the eleven learning communities such as Bradley, StartUp, or GreenHouse.
  • Early Housing Move-In: August 28, 2023
    • First-Year CeO Scholars are assigned an early move-in date to attend CeO’s Strategies for Success Orientation. Orientation begins the same day as Early Move-In.
  • CeO Strategies for Success Orientation (SFS): August 28 @ 4:00 pm – September 1, 2023
    • SFS is a 5-day, fun-filled orientation for CeO Scholars where we create community and prepare you for a successful first year at UW-Madison.
  • First-Year Academic Advising
    • First-Year CeO Scholars are required to meet with their CeO Advisor at least three times each semester. These meetings occur during the third, sixth, and ninth week of each semester. During the sixth week, scholars will complete an academic progress report.
  • Empowering You Conference
    • Empowering You is a collaborative effort between the College of Letters & Science Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) and the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement (DDEEA). It is also supported through SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science and occurs in the spring semester each year. Empowering You is designed to help students clarify their academic goals and connect their academic work with post-graduation careers and opportunities.