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J-1 exchange students

A page within International Education & Engagement

J-1 Exchange Start to Finish

The goal of the exchange experience is academic learning, intercultural exchange, and personal and professional development. International Education & Engagement (IEE) is here to help you achieve those goals! Located in the Midwest in the city of La Crosse, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL) provides exchange students with an authentic U.S. college and cultural experience in a mid-size community within the beautiful scenic Mississippi River valley region in the Upper Midwest. Students coming to UWL will have strong academic opportunities and enjoy the benefits of living in a mid-size city and college, such as personal attention and lower cost of living, but will also have easy access to the large metropolitan cities of Chicago and Minneapolis within driving distance, and many more cities in the U.S. that can be accessed from La Crosse airport.  

IEE serves not only as exchange students’ primary point of contact, but also supports them throughout their acclimation process by coordinating orientation, and cultural and social events that provide opportunities to meet other students and become familiar with campus and the local community. Additionally, exchange students have access to the full range of campus resources and are encouraged to get involved in student organizations and activities.  

So, let’s get started. Review the steps below to understand the process. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us. 

Process

Nomination

To come to UWL as an exchange student, students must be currently attending one of our exchange partner universities abroad and be nominated by them. Find the current list of UWL exchange partner universities here. Students will need to contact the international office at their home institution and follow their application process.  

UWL Nomination Deadlines: 

Fall Semester and Academic Year 

March 15 

Spring Semester 

October 15 

Once students have been nominated to attend UWL, they will be contacted by UWL Admissions Office to complete the UWL application process.   

Application Process

Once students have been contacted by our admissions office, they will need to follow the instructions to complete the UWL application process by clicking on the exchange tab on this page 

We highly recommend students complete the application requirements by the priority deadline to maximize access to course options. Courses will become more limited after the priority deadline. 

 UWL Application Deadlines 

Term 

Priority Deadline 

General Deadline 

Fall Semester & Academic Year 

April 1 

June 30 

Spring Semester 

November 1 

 December 15 

Exchange Fees & Fact Sheet

More information about the process, dates, fees, and contact person can be found on our  Information Fact Sheet  

Admitted Exchange Student

Once an exchange student has been admitted, they will receive this link with information regarding visa, pre-departure, arrival, orientation, housing, course registration, etc. Exchange students please disregard the scholarships, transfer credit and placement testing tabs. Admitted exchange students will also be invited to participate in various workshops to assist with post acceptance step completion.