Orientation

All incoming students are required to take a W-I writing course as part of the general education curriculum. To determine which writing class you will register for at orientation, you are required to take a Writing Self Placement test. 

More information about how to complete the Writing Self Placement will be posted soon. 

Exemptions from W-1 and the Writing Self Placement Test

Some students may be exempt from the W-I course and the writing self placement. Students who are exempt from the W-I writing course do not complete writing self-placement. They may advance to their W-II writing course. Read the full exemption policy here.

Below is a list of exemptions:

• Students with a high school GPA of 2.9 or higher (GPA listed on application)*
• Students who scored a 4 or higher on the Advanced Placement (AP) exam for Language and Composition
• Students with a 33 on the current SAT Writing and Language test or a 600 on the pre-2016 SAT writing test

* If your high school GPA was 2.9 or higher, you will have the option at orientation to choose ENL 110 or ENL 109, both courses satisfy the W-I requirement. You may prefer ENL 109 if you speak more than one language at home or school (this course is designed for multilingual writers). If you would like to speak to a faculty expert who could walk you through the differences between ENL 109 and ENL 110, please email writingplacement@salemstate.edu.

Honors Students

Students accepted and committed to the Commonwealth Honors Program do not need to complete writing self-placement. They are required to take either ENL 110H: Freshman Honors Writing (satisfies the W-I requirement) or ENL 225H: Advanced Writing in Honors (satisfies the W-II requirement). Most honors students will take ENL 110H, but those who have placed out of the W-I requirement must take ENL 225H.

International Students
International students are required to complete the writing self-placement during orientation.

Questions?

Contact writingplacement@salemstate.edu.