QuickStart

CALS QuickStart Application

We want all students who want to participate in CALS QuickStart to join us!
The application is non-competitive, 100% of applicants who are eligible (see below) are accepted into the program, all you have to do is fill out the application! Click on the button below to complete the application (it only takes 15-30 min).

The deadline to submit your application is 11:59pm Central Time on May 1, 2025!
You can submit an application even if you haven’t committed to UW-Madison yet and accept/decline our offer after you make your college decision.

Eligibility

• Any incoming first year student who has been admitted to UW–Madison for Fall 2025 and plans to pursue a CALS major may apply for the CALS QuickStart program.
• Students must complete high school classes by 6/6/25 and graduate by 6/13/25 to be eligible to participate in QuickStart.
• Students must submit their final high school grades to UW-Madison Admissions before 6/5/25 or they may not be able to participate in the program. Students will be required to send their final high school transcript or self-report their final grades to UW-Madison Admissions by 6/5/2025 to be eligible to participate in QuickStart.

The QuickStart program is so worth it. I know you may want to take a break in between the end of senior year to the start of a whole new chapter of going into college, but even while taking the optional 3-credit course with this 1-credit seminar course, I do truly believe this has helped ease my nerves at the thought of starting college. UW-Madison is a huge school, but regardless, this program really showed me that I will always have people who will support me when I really need it because they want to see my succeed. If you’re nervous at the idea of going to college, trust me, this program is worth your time.

-Former CALS QuickStart participant
See what other CALS QuickStart alumni say about the program!

CALS QuickStart Program Components

I think everyone thinking of applying for the QuickStart program should go for it! This experience is really fun and gives a lot of opportunity to connect with incoming students and students who have already been on campus.

-Former CALS QuickStart participant
See what other CALS QuickStart alumni say about the program!

Inter-Ag 140 CALS QuickStart Foundations (REQUIRED):

This 8-week course prepares students for a successful transition to UW–Madison. You will learn about yourself and UW-Madison’s campus and complete the course equipped with a personalized roadmap centered around your academic and career goals that will help shape your unique Wisconsin Experience.

• 1-credit course that fulfills your first-year seminar requirement
• Online and asynchronous
• Course dates: June 16 – August 10, 2025 (8-weeks)
• Students should expect to spend approximately 5-6 hours a week on coursework (completing assignments, readings and projects) and need to have consistent access to the internet to be successful in the course.

Take the course! It will help ease your nerves about college a lot, and you’ll feel prepared / familiar with resources at Madison and how things work. You’ll also get to meet people and professors and develop connections, even though it’s all online!

-Former CALS QuickStart participant
See what other CALS QuickStart alumni say about the program!

Early move-in program (OPTIONAL):

Our early move-in and on-campus programming familiarizes students with UW-Madison and CALS to help you make the most of your college experience.

• Move to campus early (2-3 days before regular move-in, date TBA).
• Participate in on-campus programming specially designed to connect students with peers, faculty, staff, and alumni.
• Dive into life at UW-Madison through lab tours, lunch with CALS faculty & staff, mock lectures, student panels, and more!
• The early move-in programming is only available to CALS QuickStart students and there is no extra cost to participate.

Moving in early with only a few other people on campus at the time was beneficial for my college transition, enabling me to start adjusting to living by myself and away from my family without having to deal with the stress of classes immediately.

-Former CALS QuickStart participant
See what other CALS QuickStart alumni say about the program!

Additional summer course of your choice (OPTIONAL):

Take an additional 8-week online course of your choosing to tackle more degree requirements and experience college level courses before the fall semester.

• Students may choose from the approved list of 3-credit courses below.
• Online, synchronous and asynchronous options available.
• Course dates: June 16 – August 10, 2025
• Students should expect to spend 20-25 hours a week on coursework (completing assignments, readings and projects) for the additional 3-credit course. Students need to have consistent access to the internet to be successful in the course.

If you have the time on your hands and you want to get a good overview as to what a college course may be like, I would say taking a 3-credit summer course is worth it. Pick one that you believe is the most interesting to you.

-Former CALS QuickStart participant
See what other CALS QuickStart alumni say about the program!

Program Costs

Costs for the program cover summer term tuition and fees. Summer tuition for QuickStart students will be due shortly after classes begin in June. Other fees may be applied to student’s summer bill, including document fees, or course-specific book fees for the 3-credit course option.

Note: The rates below are from Summer 2024. We will update this table with Summer 2025 rates once they are available from the university, likely in April 2025.

*Other fees may be applied to student’s summer bill, including document fees or course specific book fees. To review the list of fees that may be assessed on a student’s account please visit the Bursar’s website here.

Scholarships

Thanks to generous donor support, need-based scholarships are available to offset summer tuition. Last year, over 40% of QuickStart students were awarded scholarships!

Students can indicate in their program application that they want to be considered for additional scholarships awarded based on financial need. To be eligible for these awards, students must have a 2025-26 FAFSA on file with UW–Madison. Students will be notified in their participation letter whether they have been awarded a scholarship.

For questions about your FAFSA, contact the UW-Madison Office of Student Financial Aid. They have advisors on staff to answer questions.

Being able to get that scholarship really helped me out a lot. It not only enabled me to do QuickStart, but it enabled me to jumpstart my future. I feel like I can succeed a lot more, which will probably, in turn, help me financial-wise, career-wise. I can look back at it and be like, ‘You know what, I’m here because of QuickStart.’ I think that’s great.

-Former CALS QuickStart participant
See what other CALS QuickStart alumni say about the program!

QuickStart Information Sessions

We invite you to register for a CALS QuickStart Information Session, where QuickStart staff and alumni will share a brief overview of the program and answer your questions. These sessions will be held virtually via Zoom. If you are unable to attend these sessions but would like to connect to learn more about the program, please reach out to us at quickstart@cals.wisc.edu.

• Thursday, February 27, 2025; 6 to 7 p.m. Central Time
• Tuesday, April 15, 2025; 6 to 7 p.m. Central Time
• Wednesday, April 23, 2025; 6 to 7 p.m. Central Time

register at visit bucky

Interest Form

Want to receive more information about the program and reminders about events and due dates coming up? Fill out this interest form and we will email you directly.

Student Testimonials

Read about how CALS QuickStart impacted the college careers of a few of our alumni below, and navigate to this Padlet to see what other CALS QuickStart alumni say about the program!