Whether you’re a seasoned symposium participant or this is your first time presenting, it might seem challenging to figure out how to begin preparing for the event. What’s the first step? When should you begin designing your poster or presentation, and how? Are there size requirements for posters? Can presentations be in any format?
This page is here to help. Below, you will find important guidelines, tips, and resources for each step of the symposium preparation process.
The secret to a great poster or presentation is great preparation. We encourage you to allocate some time in the spring to work through each of these steps, and please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you need support or have any questions.
Write Your Project Title, Abstract, & Keywords
Title and Abstract Requirements
Each project presented at the symposium must have a project title and abstract. For film, performance, and art submissions, students can choose to include an artist’s statement instead of an abstract.
All project titles should be in title case (APA style) and should generally be shorter than 20 words.
Abstracts and artist’s statements are limited to 125 words. Abstracts should not include acronyms or citations and should be as clear and accessible as possible.
Abstracts/artist’s statements and titles will be published in the online abstract book, so be sure to proofread them thoroughly!
View examples from the 2024 Undergraduate Symposium.
Abstract Writing Resources
We strongly encourage you to visit The Writing Center as you write and edit your abstract or artist’s statement. The Writing Center can provide advice on structure and organization, help you make your writing more compelling and accessible to audiences outside of your field, and offer grammar and wording advice.
Select Your Keywords
Participants will also be asked to identify 3-5 project keywords. Keywords are words or short phrases that describe your project topic or focus.
To identify keywords, write out your research question or a one- to two-sentence description of your topic. Identify the most important words (most often nouns), and select 3-5 that represent your project’s focus and the methods you are using.
Keywords should be both specific to your project and accessible to audiences who are less familiar with your field of study (avoid jargon and acronyms).
Examples:
I plan to present a poster on the connection between chemotherapy-induced gut microbiome changes and long-term cognitive function in breast cancer survivors. My keywords are: breast cancer, chemotherapy, gut microbiome, cognitive impairment
My group and I plan to perform a short play reflecting on theater as a form of resistance in early 20th century Harlem. Our keywords are: theater, performance, Harlem Renaissance, resistance
Complete the Mentor Approval Form
Mentor Information
A mentor or sponsor is a professor, academic staff member, or graduate student who will advise you on your presentation. This will usually be the person who taught the class in which you originally engaged in the work or who supervises your independent study, thesis, or project.
Your mentor will help you organize your work into a project format. Students should maintain an open and consistent line of communication with their mentor throughout the process of preparing for and presenting at the symposium.
Mentor Approval Form
All titles and abstracts/artist’s statements must be proofread and approved by your mentor before you submit your application. We recommend planning a deadline with your mentor to have your title, abstract or artist’s statement, and keywords finalized and the form signed (before the symposium application deadline).
Students can have any mentor sign the mentor approval form. If you have multiple, we encourage you to confirm with your mentors whether they have preferences regarding who should sign. Generally, we recommend that the mentor who signs has closely supervised your work and can review and provide feedback on your project title and abstract or artist’s statement.
Group Information: If you are applying to present with a group at the Undergraduate Symposium, your group should designate one member to complete the mentor approval form and submit an application for your entire team. All group members who are not the primary applicant (the student submitting the application for the group) should be listed on the mentor approval form as co-presenters.
Additional Co-Authors: Other undergraduate students who worked with you or your group on your project but will be unable to present with you at the Undergraduate Symposium can be listed as “additional co-authors.” Additional co-authors will be given credit in the abstract book, but their names will not appear on any symposium event materials.
Choose a Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Participants presenting posters at the Undergraduate Symposium will design and print a poster 43 inches wide by 36 inches tall in the weeks leading up to the event. Posters use both printed text and visuals (images, data visualizations, etc.) to convey information about your project. On the day of the event, you will pin up your poster in Varsity Hall (Union South, floor 2) on a poster board during your assigned session. You will stand by your poster and discuss your project with symposium attendees circulating the room.
5- or 10-Minute Presentation
Participants who select this format will prepare a 5- or 10-minute long presentation in the weeks leading up to the event. Many students choose to use slides or other presentation materials, but this is not required. You will be assigned a presentation room to present in during your assigned session. You and a group of other participants will share your presentations in the order listed on the Undergraduate Symposium schedule (which will be released in late March). A moderator will be present to facilitate the session. All presentations will be followed by a 5-minute Q&A period.
Art or Project Display
Participants can choose to present displays, interactive projects, and demonstrations at the symposium. Similar to poster presenters, participants will stand by their display for the length of their assigned session and will discuss their projects with attendees circulating Varsity Hall (Union South, floor 2). Some examples of art and project displays include sculpture projects, robotics demonstrations, and virtual reality stations. The Undergraduate Symposium team will work with you in the weeks leading up to the event on the specifics of your space and setup needs. If you have any questions about this format, please don’t hesitate to reach out to ugradsymposium@wisc.edu.
Film or Performance
Films and performances are typically 10-15 minutes long and are followed by a 5-minute Q&A period. Examples of films and performances are animation shorts, short plays, dance performances, and poetry readings. Films and performances will usually be in the Marquee Theater at Union South. You and a group of other participants will present in the order listed on the Undergraduate Symposium schedule (which will be released in late March). A moderator will be present to facilitate the session.
Design Your Presentation
Posters
It can be easy to overcrowd posters. Strive to make information scannable using visuals, bolded headings, and bulleted or numbered lists. We encourage you to start your poster-design process by mapping out your poster’s structure and considering how it directs your audience’s attention.
Posters must:
- Be 43” wide by 36” high.
- Include your mentor’s name.
- Include the official UW crest beside the title or in the acknowledgements. Print logos can be downloaded from this page.
- Not include any pixelated or blurry images. Good images are large in size and about 150-200 ppi.
5- and 10-Minute Presentations
We encourage students to choose the presentation format and/or visual aid that works best for the project they’re presenting. Students often use slides for their presentations, but many also share video, demonstrations, speeches, project displays, and other formats.
Presentations should:
- Include your mentor’s name.
- Have a clear and logical structure (we encourage you to map out your presentation before creating it!)
- Communicate a take-home message
- Keep information on visual aids minimal and scannable
- Ensure graphics and visuals are easy to read and understand
Art or Project Display
Students using visual displays should be sure to use large, high-quality images and a legible font. We also encourage you to outline your plan for sharing the story of your project and its key contributions or takeaways as you think about your display design. How will you organize your display components? Will you need informational sheets or additional signage? If you plan to invite your audience to interact with your presentation materials, how will you guide them in doing so?
Film/Performance
Films and performances should generally be shorter than 15 minutes. If you plan to present a longer piece, consider sharing a clip/segment or shortened version of your work.
Be sure to plan and practice how you will introduce and conclude your film/performance. Many students briefly share their project title, names of project members, and background.
Make an Appointment at DesignLab
We encourage you to go to DesignLab and work directly with one of their consultants for help with designing your poster or presentation. Make an appointment or drop-in. They are located in 2250 College Library.
Make an Appointment at the Writing Center
The Writing Center can provide support as you think about how to structure your poster or presentation, teach you how to present your project in a way that’s accessible to the wide-ranging audiences at the symposium, and help you proofread your work. The Writing Center is located at 6172 Helen C. White Hall.
Practice & Ask For Feedback
We encourage you to practice sharing your presentation or walking your audience through your poster several times before the day of the symposium. Practice is the best way to feel prepared!
- Practice your presentation at least three times before the symposium. Pay attention to the parts of your presentation or poster you struggle with the most, and practice those sections a bit more.
- If you are presenting a poster or art/project display, prepare a 2-3 minute walkthrough or elevator talk to share with attendees who ask you about your project. Remember, your audience will include individuals both familiar and unfamiliar with your area of study– be sure your talk is clear and easy to understand for a broad range of listeners!
- If you are sharing a 5-minute presentation, 10-minute presentation, or film/performance, be sure to time a few run-throughs of your presentation. Moderators will be tasked with keeping presenters to time, so making sure that your presentation falls within the allotted time can help you avoid having your presentation cut short on the day of the event.
- Share your poster or presentation with your friends, classmates, or mentors ahead of time. Ask them for feedback– what did they like about your presentation? What did they not quite understand? What did they learn?
- Brainstorm a list of 10 to 15 questions your audience might ask you about your project. Think through what your answers might be to those questions.
- Consult with a staff member at The Writing Center to explain your project, practice your presentation, and to hear, firsthand, what your listeners find particularly intriguing and relevant.
Print Your Poster or Submit Your Presentation Materials
Instructions for Printing Posters:
All Undergraduate Symposium participants presenting posters or art/project displays will have the opportunity to print one 43-inch by 36-inch poster for free through College Library.
Poster Printing Deadline: 11:59pm on Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Please note: College Library will be the only venue offering one free poster print to Undergraduate Symposium participants. Participants should not print at MERIT or Steenbock Library. You are welcome to print at non-campus library venues if you would prefer, but please be aware that you will be responsible for the cost of printing your poster anywhere but College Library.
You must follow the instructions below for your order to be processed as a free print. Please do not create a new order from scratch!
Step-By-Step Poster Printing Instructions
Poster Printing Video Walkthrough
Poster Printing Tips & Requirements:
- All posters must be 43 inches wide by 36 inches high.
- Do not forget to include your mentor’s name on your poster.
- Ensure that your images and text are not blurry. If you don’t have access to Photoshop, you can visit any InfoLab location on campus to use the software on their desktops. You can also stop by the help desk at the College Library computer lab (second floor of College Library) and work with staff there to check that your poster images and text will print cleanly.
- Please triple-check your poster for errors before submitting for printing. Each Undergraduate Symposium participant will only be able to print only one poster for free through College Library. Re-prints and additional orders will not be covered.
Instructions for Submitting Presentation Materials:
All Undergraduate Symposium participants presenting 5-minute presentations, 10-minute presentations, and films/performances will need to upload any presentation materials requiring access to the projector/screens or sound systems (slides, Prezis, video, music, etc.). Participants will not be able to connect personal devices to the projector.
Presentation Upload Deadline: 11:59pm on Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Presentation Tips & Requirements:
- Presenters will be able to upload any file type, but we recommend that presenters use web-based presentation materials over downloadable ones (Google Slides over PowerPoint, videos already uploaded to Vimeo or YouTube over MP4 files, etc.).
- We advise against using Apple Keynote.
- Before uploading, do a run-through of your presentation to ensure that it does not exceed your allotted time on the schedule (5 or 10 minutes).
- Be sure to include your mentor’s name in your presentation materials.
- Aim to make your text and visuals large enough that audience members at the back of the room can read and easily understand them.
- Avoid overcrowding slides or other visuals with text. Strive to make your materials scannable and easy to understand.