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Writing Placement Information

Writing Placement

Taylor courses require a significant amount of high-quality writing. Because of the emphasis on writing at Taylor, we have three freshman writing placements: ENG 110 (expository writing); ENG 110 with Writing Center "lab"; ENG 101.

Writing placement is determined by using test scores, high school GPA, and your answers to four questions about your writing. Since your answers to these questions are essential in order to decide your placement as well as your entire registration, it is imperative that you answer these questions in your registration packet or online (on the registrar's website ) as soon as you receive the registration packet.

As soon as you return your registration materials (or complete the online registration), we will determine your placement and will send you both an email and physical letter to let you know your placement (please allow two weeks to process your information to determine your placement). If, however, after receiving your placement, you believe you have been placed into the wrong writing course - either at too high of a level for where you believe you should begin or at too low of a level - then you can send Cyndi Carder (testing assistant) an email (jccarder@taylor.edu), and tell her that you would like to take a writing test. She will then send you the instructions for that test. We will then evaluate your writing, along with all the other information about your writing (GPA, test scores, question responses) in order to determine if your writing placement should be changed. You will receive an email and a letter within two weeks of completing your writing test letting you know where your final placement will be. In order to have your placement altered, this writing test must be completed by June 1. All students admitted after June 1 cannot have their placement altered.

Taylor University Writing Requirements

Taylor University believes that writing plays a significant role in both learning and communication; thus, Taylor has several writing requirements. First, all students in their freshman year take Expository Writing , with some students taking Fundamentals of Writing prior to Expository Writing. These writing courses set the foundation for the college-level writing that will be expected of you throughout your years at Taylor. After your first-year writing course(s) you will take two additional courses (usually in your major) that are designated as WR, meaning those courses have a major writing component. Additionally, you will encounter numerous writing assignments in many of your other courses.

Taylor University Writing Center

Because writing is so important to your success at Taylor, throughout your years here, you can get help with your writing from the Writing Center. The writing consultants in the Writing Center are available to help you with your writing in all of your classes, from freshman English to your senior paper, and help you with all aspects of the writing process, from brainstorming to final editing. The Writing Center also has a more intense writing consultant program available to you, called Writing Mentors, that is specifically designed for students who want focused attention on their writing abilities beyond working on particular papers. Please see the Writing Center website (linked from the English Department website) for more information about the Writing Center.

Transfer Credit

Writing courses transferred from other institutions to meet ENG 110 must represent the total writing requirement at that university (the last course in a sequence if more than one semester is offered). The course should include process writing, finished essays and a research paper. The Registrar's Office (in consultation with the English department at Taylor) must approve transfer courses.

AP Credit

An AP score of 5 qualifies for credit, while a score of 4 requires evaluation of the essay by the English department at Taylor University. If a score of 4 is received, it is the student's responsibility to request that AP send the essay to Taylor by September 15 (for fall enrollment) or March 15 (for spring enrollment). The AP process must be completed with the Office of Academic Assessment before October 15, for students entering in the fall semester or March 15, for those entering in the spring semester.

CLEP Credit

Students wishing to attempt CLEP credit must have scores at or above 660-SAT Critical Reading or 27-ACT English. A scaled score of 69 or higher on the CLEP Freshman College Composition exam qualifies a student to write an essay evaluated by Taylor's English department. The CLEP exam must be taken and passed by October 15, for students entering in the fall semester and March 15, for students entering in
the spring semester. Students not completing all requirements by the appropriate date must register for ENG 110 in their second semester at Taylor.

If the AP or CLEP exam for ENG 110 Expository Writing is passed and approved by the Office of Academic Assessment, the fee for posting credit to the transcript must be paid by November 1, for those entering in the fall semester and April 1, for those entering in the spring semester. Students are responsible for verifying that scores are received in the Office of Academic Assessment.