How to choose and enroll in a FIG

For first-year students starting in Fall 2025

1. Look through the 2025 FIGs and explore the themes and classes.
2. When you attend your SOAR orientation, talk with your advisor about which FIGs interest you.
3. After you meet with your SOAR advisor and confirm that the FIG you want is a good fit, fill out the “Choose your FIG” form to reserve a seat in a specific FIG.
   • You may fill out this form only AFTER you meet with your SOAR advisor.
   • If you are in a country that does not allow access to Google Forms, or if you have other difficulties accessing the form through a web browser, please contact Kari Fernholz at kari.fernholz@wisc.edu.
   • Since FIGs are in high demand, you can request a seat in only one FIG.
   • You will receive an email to your “@wisc.edu” address after submitting the form, with information on next steps for enrolling.
   • Did you change your mind after submitting the form? You can submit again, and it will replace your earlier request.
   • For in-person SOAR students: within 15 minutes of requesting a seat in a FIG, you will have the necessary class permissions to enroll.
   • You will not be able to enroll without permission from the FIGs Program.
4. You need to simultaneously enroll in all of the classes in your FIG course package. To do this, put all of the FIG courses in your cart before you hit “enroll.”

Step-by-step enrollment instructions with screenshots are here.

Do I need to do anything before attending SOAR?

No. You will talk with your SOAR advisor before you do anything else.

The FIG I want says “WAITLISTED” on the form

If the “Choose your FIG” form shows that your choice is waitlisted, it means that all currently available seats have been reserved or filled.

You can add your name to our waitlist by submitting the form with that FIG as your choice. You may enroll in an open FIG and add your name to a waitlist for another FIG. However, you may only join one waitlist.

Spots may open up in waitlisted FIGs if other students decide to enroll in different classes or if more capacity becomes available. We cannot predict when or if this will happen. If you are next on the waitlist when a spot is open, Kari Fernholz will contact you at your @wisc.edu email address.

Can I take just one class in a FIG?

No. First-Year Interest Groups are a whole package: when you enroll, you commit to taking the full set of specific classes in the FIG. Each FIG class section will meet at a specific time which you can see on the FIG’s page and at enroll.wisc.edu. You must enroll in these specific classes/sections to be in the FIG.

If you want to take only one of the linked classes in a FIG, then you (with your advisor’s help) may be able to enroll in that class outside of the FIG Program, if there are seats available in non-FIG sections. The main FIG seminar is only available to students in the FIG.

Can I drop a class in a FIG?

Just as you must enroll in all of the classes in the FIG, dropping a class within a FIG means dropping all classes in the FIG. This is because we reserve equal numbers of seats in all of the FIG classes and we want everyone in the FIG to have the whole experience. Part of what makes a FIG special is the ability to think about the relationship between all of the classes—which is only possible if everyone is enrolled in the whole package.

However, after the semester begins, if you have concerns about one of your FIG classes, please contact us so we can help. You may be able to drop a single course if that is necessary. (figs@ls.wisc.edu).

Do FIGs cost extra?

No, there is no cost beyond your usual tuition and fee expenses.