2025 Graduate School Retreat hosted by WAEOPP

The Graduate School Retreat hosted by WAEOPPA offers students the opportunity to learn about navigating your educational journey.

About this Event


Event Overview

The Graduate School Retreat will be held in-person at the Wilderness Resort's Glacier Canyon Lodge in Wisconsin Dells. The conference offers students the opportunity to explore:

• Undergraduate transfer process
• Graduate admissions process
• How to go to graduate school for free
• How to prepare for transitioning to a new institution

The retreat also includes a four-year and graduate school fair! This conference offers multiple tracks and breakout sessions throughout the two days.

This 2-day intensive seminar is designed to jump start students as they prepare for the graduate school application process and prepare for their transition to graduate school. The conference will be in-person only.

Registration

Registration is open through September 22 or until we hit capacity. Registration does not include hotel costs. Registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis. You may register placeholders for you and your students and update student information at a later date by emailing bWNuYWlyc3NzcmV0cmVhdCB8IGVvYSAhIG9yZw==.

Staff Registration: Staff members accompanying students must register as attendees. Staff registration includes meals and a Saturday in-person professional development session.

By submitting this registration, you are agreeing to pay for the total amount of individuals you register, regardless if they actually attend. All registration sales are considered final barring emergency circumstances. Please contact bWNuYWlyc3NzcmV0cmVhdCB8IGVvYSAhIG9yZw== with any registration questions.

For those choosing the invoicing option: The last day to make any changes to your registration or the numbers you are registering is September 25. Please note that invoices will be sent from the WAEOPP Treasurer and not from the conference committee. Payments are due upon receipt of invoice. Failure to pay may result in loss of registration privileges for future WAEOPP events.

A late fee of $25 PER REGISTERED INDIVIDUAL will be assessed to all unpaid invoices if the fee has not been received within 60 days past the conference date.

Any registration fees that are still due beyond 90 days of the initial invoicing will be assessed an additional $25 per registered individual in late fees.

Cancellations

Cancellations sent in writing prior to August 1 will receive 100% refund.

Cancellations sent in writing prior to August 31 will receive 50% refund.

WAEOPP shall reimburse registration fees at the rate determined on the registration form when notification is received by the planning committee of the event before the established cutoff date or in the event of extenuating circumstances. If notice of cancellation is not received before the printed cutoff date, no refund will be given.

*Cancellation dates apply to all SSS Grants.

Lodging Information

Group rate: $179 per night. Call 1-800-867-9453 and request Leader #967810. To obtain the group rate, reservations must be made by Friday, September 12, 2025.

If you are reserving multiple rooms, we recommend you contact Megan Thill (bXRoaWxsIHwgd2lsZGVybmVzc3Jlc29ydCAhIGNvbQ==).

If you need your hotel receipts to reflect tax exemption, email your tax exempt certificate to the Wilderness Resort via ZXhlbXB0Z3JvdXAgfCB3aWxkZXJuZXNzcmVzb3J0ICEgY29t or provide it during check in.

Travel Information

The closest airport to the conference site is Madison, WI (Dane County Regional Airport - MSN). You must arrange your own transport from the airport to Wisconsin Dells.

There are greyhound busses and trains from Madison to Wisconsin Dells (Rome2Rio Transportation Information). The Madison , Dane County (MSN) airport may be more expensive. Although the Milwaukee (MKE) or Minneapolis (MSP) airports typically offer less expensive flights, they are not the lowest cost options as the 2 or 3-hour travel to the conference site would require a rental car and fuel expenses.

Please reach out about any travel-related inquiries or concerns.

Questions?

Reach out to bWNuYWlyc3NzcmV0cmVhdCB8IGVvYSAhIG9yZw== with any questions.

Graduate School Fair Vendors

We are excited to be offering a graduate school fair for our TRIO McNair and TRIO SSS students attending the event. Traditionally, this conference has hosted 250+ students from across the country to learn more about the graduate school application process, and discover graduate school programs that might be a great fit for their future goals.

• Graduate School Fair
• Date: October 4, 2025
• Time: TBD
• Where: Wilderness Resort | Wisconsin Dells, WI
• Cost: $150 per table (this includes registration for two representatives to cover costs of the catered lunch, all day beverage and snacks, as well as facilities use)

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to the McNair/SSS Retreat Committee at bWNuYWlyc3NzcmV0cmVhdCB8IGVvYSAhIG9yZw==

------------------------------

EXTERNAL OPPORTUNITY

(Please note that this is not included in graduate school retreat registration, and you must register for this event separately using the link in the description below). If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Doua at ZG91YWNob25nICEgbGVlIHwgd2lzYyAhIGVkdQ==.

Campus Visit at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Date & Time

Friday, October 3rd
8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Location

Union South
1308 W Dayton St,
Madison, WI 53715

Discover the extensive range of over 160 graduate programs UW-Madison offers. This visit will include a warm welcome from campus leadership, an overview of the opportunities available through UW-Madison’s Graduate School, insights from current graduate students, and an optional campus tour. Program coordinators/directors should register students by Sept 12.

Please note that the UW-Madison campus is about one hour from Wisconsin Dells. No transportation will be provided.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Get Tickets