Your Advising & Registration Experience

Your Student Online Advising and Registration (SOAR) appointment will take place between May and July. You will start by choosing orientation program weeks through your Admissions Profile on MyUI. The reservation system opens March 4 for all students who have paid their acceptance fee and answered their health insurance question in the Admissions Profile on MyUI. 

You will begin preparing for your SOAR appointment by learning about UI systems and completing placement tests on the SOAR page in MyUI. The page will open on April 22 and must be completed at least one week prior to your SOAR appointment week. Approximately one week before your SOAR appointment, you will be invited to choose a date and time (30-45 minute appointment) for the appointment. At your appointment time, you will meet virtually via Zoom with your academic advisor in a 1:1 meeting and register for classes.

Advising During the Academic Year

It is important to meet on a regular basis with your Academic Advisor once on campus. Academic Advisors will help students create a path for what they want to accomplish during their time at the University of Iowa. Academic advising is an interactive process between both a student and their advisor.

An Academic Advisor provides students with:

• Guidance
• Academic Program Planning
• Discussions regarding life goals and future career endeavors
• Development of life goals and clarifying what those goals are
• Evaluation on the progress of established goals
• Information related to the University of Iowa campus
• Information related to different services provided at the University
• Information related to degree requirement

You should visit your Academic Advisor when you:

• Have questions about majors, minors, certificate programs
• Want to plan a schedule for the next semester or create an academic plan for your major
• Have questions about the registration process
• Are preparing to register for the next semester. Students must meet with an adviser to be cleared for registration.
• Have questions about anything on campus from "How to drop or add classes" to "Where can I get career information?"
• Are having academic difficulties
• Need someone to talk to about personal issues

Determining your Academic Advisor

Students can find out who their Academic Advisor is by reviewing their degree audit. Many first-year students are advised by a professional advisor in the Academic Advising Center. Transfer students with fewer than 30 s.h. are also advised at the Academic Advising Center.

Academic Advising Center
Maureen Schafer, Director
C210 Pomerantz Center
319-353-5700