What to Expect When You’re Accepted

You’ve just been accepted to JWU for Fall 2023 — congrats! You’ve done a lot to get to this point, and now everything can start coming together. But after the initial excitement of your acceptance, you might begin to wonder: what happens next?

Don’t worry — we’ll outline it all for you. Here’s what to expect (and when to expect it) after you’ve been accepted.

Once you’ve been accepted

One of the first things you’ll receive after you’re accepted is directions for how to access jwuLink. jwuLink is a central hub where you’ll find announcements, task reminders and key information as you move through the process of enrolling in the fall. It’s also a social network where you can connect with fellow Wildcats. Follow the directions and access it to learn where everything is in this portal — it's going to come in handy later!

October 1

FAFSA Opens: Make sure to file your FAFSA

Depending on when you applied to JWU, you may have already filed your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and are past this point. In that case, you can expect to receive your financial aid offer around the time of your acceptance or shortly after.

But, if you haven’t filed your FAFSA yet and it’s after October 1, make sure you get it filed as soon as possible and be sure to enter our school code when prompted. JWU’s school code is 003404. Then, we can get to work on your financial aid offer!

File the FAFSA

Students walking through Gaebe Commons with trees that have orange leaves for the fall

Fall/Winter

Get a jump on financial planning

Once you have your financial aid offer from JWU, you can start creating your plan for financing whatever your offer doesn’t cover. This is a great time for your family to connect with your personal financial planner, who will walk you through all of the details and help you build a plan that works for you.

Schedule an appointment with your personal financial planner

This time is also perfect for finding and applying for additional third-party scholarships. JWU has partnered with ScholarshipUniverse, a search tool for our accepted students that can match you to scholarships you qualify for.

Browse ScholarshipUniverse

The Charlotte Campus Academic Center in the background with spring flowers in the foreground

Spring

Visit campus and celebrate your acceptance

You and your family will receive exclusive invitations for accepted student events to celebrate your acceptance. But, if you’re unable to make it to one of these events, we’re happy to welcome you on a day that’s convenient for you. You can schedule a visit to campus anytime.

Plan a Visit to JWU

May

May 1 Deposit Deadline: Submit your deposit before this date

This is a big one! Submitting your deposit unlocks important next steps. Once your deposit has been received, you’ll be given instructions for creating your Wildcat Email and housing profile so you can apply for housing if you’ll be living on campus. Plus, you’ll be able to take your Placement Testing, which needs to be completed before you can get your schedule for fall.

Submit Your Deposit

It’s like dominoes! Submitting your deposit unlocks a series of important steps. But, don’t be overwhelmed — just take one step at a time.

Step 1: Submit your deposit
Step 2: Create your Wildcat email
Step 3: Create your housing profile to apply for housing
Step 4: Take your Placement Testing to get your class schedule

See? Piece of cake!

Invoice sent

Sometime in May, you can expect to receive your invoice, which includes your financial aid offer and payment balance. Email notices will be sent when invoices are available, and you can access your invoice on jwuLink under the Financial Tab. The payment deadline is June 29th.

Summer

June – New Student Orientation sessions begin

Besides the invoice payment due date at the end of the month, June is also when the first New Student Orientation sessions begin. Orientation is required for all students, so make sure you register for one of the session options offered throughout the summer.

Register for New Student Orientation

Students gathered on the Harborside Greenspace in front of the Wildcat Center for Summer Orientation

July

This month, you’ll be instructed to get your health forms completed and uploaded to jwuLink. If you’ve completed your housing application, you’ll receive a notification during this month with a date and time for you to select your housing after you’ve been financially cleared.

And, if you’ve done your Placement Testing, you can also expect your class schedule to be available this month, and you can view it on jwuLink.

August

It’s time to move in! The end of August is an exciting time when campus comes back to life, students move in, classes start and Wildcat Welcome week begins.

You made it — great work, Wildcat!

Wildcat Willie surrounded by students at Ignite the Night with a banner behind him that says One JWU

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