Pre-Registration Phase I (Planning)

Dear Class of 2028,


As we finally enter the pre-registration (planning) period, I want to provide you with essential information to guide you in creating your class schedules for the upcoming fall semester.

Pre-registration period: July 8 – July 25, 2024

Beginning July 8, you have the opportunity to start the pre-registration (planning) process. Check out the New Student User Guide to Pre-registration. You can do this by clicking “Registrar Registration Resources” in Phase 2 of the Academic Roadmap under the tab “Pre Reg Planning.” This is an exciting time to explore and carefully consider courses that align with your academic interests and goals. The Academic Road Map will help you make informed decisions and tailor your schedule accordingly.


The pre-registration and registration period has three phases – planning, scheduling, and adjustment. This is only the first step.

Pre-Registration (Planning) – July 8 – July 25, 2024

Scheduling (aka Adjustment)– July 29 – August 1, 2024

Adjustment (aka Drop/Add)– August 26 – September 13, 2024

During planning (that’s what we’re focusing on now), you’ll be ranking courses you are interested in pursuing for your first semester. There are tons of exciting courses to consider. Be sure to use all the resources available in your Academic Roadmap to help guide your selection. The best part of planning? It’s not time sensitive; no one is actually being placed in any class at this point. Take your time to explore the offered classes and come up with a list of courses that pique your interest as an incoming student.

The scheduling phase is when the Registrar’s office kicks off the scheduling process that puts you into as many classes as possible (up to 4 full-credit courses) based on your ranked plans. That will happen later in July, and you’ll have the opportunity to move some things around. The final pre-registration phase is called drop/add, which is just what it sounds like. That takes place during the first two weeks of the academic semester. It’s time to look at the courses you were scheduled, talk to your faculty advisor, and then maybe make some additional adjustments.

To be considered a full-time student, you’ll need at least 3.0 credits by the beginning of the semester, and the average course load is 4.0 credits per semester. During the pre-registration period, ending with even 1 or 2 courses is a great start! Once pre-registration closes, your next opportunity to adjust your schedule will be during the drop/add period, which starts a week before the first day of classes. All students, including rising juniors, like me, use the drop/add period to round out their schedules.

How To Get Help!

  • To ensure a successful pre-registration experience, we recommend referring to the course registration information. This comprehensive resource provides detailed information about the pre-registration process. All of this in included in the Academic Roadmap Phase I and II.
  • Should you have any questions or need guidance, Academic Peer Advisors (APAs) at peeradvisors@wesleyan.edu are available to you this summer. There’s lots of information about our Peer Advisors here. Check out the APA welcome video in the orientation app. (The video is posted in Section 3, Lesson 6, Page 1)
  • For technical issues, the Office of the Registrar and I are here to assist you every step of the way. They can be reached at registrar@wesleyan.edu.
  • As you begin exploring potential courses, I encourage you to utilize resources available in the Academic Road Map, including Advising at Wesleyan. These platforms offer valuable insights for various classes and provide a glimpse into the expertise and teaching styles of our esteemed faculty members.
  • Meeting with your pre-major faculty advisor will occur in late August and early September when they are assigned to you, and you arrive on campus.


In August, you will have the opportunity to meet with your assigned liberal arts advisor. This meeting will provide a personalized opportunity for you to discuss your class selections, seek guidance, and develop an academic plan tailored to your interests for the fall semester and beyond. Remember, this is an exciting time to shape your academic journey, and the course selection process is not set in stone at this stage. Enjoy exploring your options and feel free to adjust as you discover new interests and passions.

As always, should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at wbisese@wesleyan.edu. We are all here to support you and ensure a smooth transition into your academic life at Wesleyan!

The First Year Matters Common Reading
We have had some concerns about accessing the First Year Reading so far, and that is being looked into by the bookstore. However, the book, “Braiding Sweetgrass” will be available to you via WesPortal and VitalSource/Bookshelf. The First Year Matters common reading and response is now open to new first-year students in WesPortal. The deadline is 5 p.m. July 30.