We are here to support you!
See below for essential Enrollment Information and Ways To Connect with an advisor.
We know it’s complicated; Review our FAQs
Still have questions? Email writingprogram@ucsc.edu
Get In Touch
Want to meet one-on-one with an advisor? The Writing Program is excited to be getting set up on Slug Success to offer appointments and drop-ins focused on holistic advising. More details coming soon.
In the meantime if you’d like to schedule a virtual or in person advising appointment, please email Writing Program advisor Rebecca Dizon (readizon@ucsc.edu).
Enrollment Information
When is the course I need offered?
Refer to the table below to see when each Writing course is offered.
| Course | Fall | Winter | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WRIT 1 & 1E | Yes | Yes | Limited* | Varies |
| WRIT 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (continuing students only) |
| WRIT 26 | Yes |
*A very small number of WRIT 1/1E sections are offered in Spring, specifically reserved to accommodate students needing to repeat the course before their ELWR deadline.
Enrollment Tips
Consider Class Modality: The Writing program offers several different modalities which can be viewed in each section’s Class Search listing.
SWAP don’t Drop: Once enrolled in a section, remember to Swap NOT Drop when switching sections to make sure you don’t end up without a seat in any section.
Utilize Waitlists: Make sure you understand how waitlists work and set up your waitlist details appropriately to maximize your chances of getting a seat in the section you want.
Spring 2025
~~~ The DEADLINE to add/swap a WRIT course is Friday, APRIL 4 @ 4PM ~~~
Writing courses have a different add/swap deadline from the rest of campus due to the importance of attendance in the first week of class. Apr 4 @ 4PM is the deadline to add, swap, or be enrolled off the waitlist for WRIT 1, WRIT 1E, or WRIT 2.
*You may still choose to drop by April 18th (the campus wide deadline)
Frequently Asked Questions – Spring 2025 Enrollment
Do I need to take Writing 2 this quarter?
Writing 2 is the only UCSC course approved to satisfy the General Education Composition requirement (or “C Requirement”) which all students must complete (minimum C grade) by the start of their 7th quarter.
In addition to being a graduation requirement, WRIT 2 is also a prerequisite for many upper division major courses.
Priority enrollment is given to 6th quarter students only. Remaining seats are available on a first come, first served basis. Writing 2 is offered every quarter (including Summer).
Do I enroll myself or will I be auto-enrolled?
As a courtesy, the Writing Program works with the Registrar to auto-enroll students who are at their writing deadline into the appropriate course.
For Spring 2025:
- 6th+ quarter C-required students will be auto-enrolled into WRIT 2 on Feb 25.
- Beginning with your first pass appointment, you may swap your auto-enrolled WRIT section with a different one, based on availability and your preferences.
- 3rd+ quarter ELWR-required students will be auto-enrolled into WRIT 1/1E on Mar 5*
- Beginning with your second pass appointment, you may swap your auto-enrolled WRIT section with a different one, based on availability and your preferences.
- *Students with priority enrollment will be auto-enrolled on Feb 25.
All students being auto-enrolled will receive an email notification in advance of the auto-enrollment. See also: Issues that Prevent Auto-Enrollment.
All other students should self-enroll provided they meet the course prerequisites and there are seats available.
What if I want to change the section I’m enrolled in?
You may swap into any other section of your WRIT course provided there is an available seat.
- How to Swap a Class
- It’s important to SWAP (not DROP) to ensure that you don’t lose a seat in any WRIT course altogether.
If there is not an available seat in your desired section, you may waitlist for the section. Jump to: Utilizing Waitlists
What are the chances I will get off the waitlist?
When it comes to waitlists, we are not able to predict your chances of enrolling as it depends solely on whether other students in your chosen section drop the class.
WRIT 2 sections are capped at 25 or the fire capacity of the room (whichever is lower). WRIT 1/1E sections are capped at 20 or the fire capacity of the room (whichever is lower). There are no exceptions in regards to class capacity.
You must attend your waitlisted section in the first week of class in order to maintain your spot on the waitlist. We encourage you to read further waitlist info/tips here.
This will be my 2nd or 3rd time taking the same WRIT course. What do I need to know?
If this will be your second attempt at WRIT 2 or WRIT 1/1E, you may use self-enrollment to enroll normally. If you are at or beyond your deadline for the requirement, you will likely be auto-enrolled to guarantee you a spot in the class. (See FAQ #2 above)
If this will be your third (or more) attempt at WRIT 2 or WRIT 1/1E, you must work with your college to submit a Double Repeat Petition prior to the start of the Spring quarter.
Enrollment in will not be possible until a double repeat petition is approved by your college. We strongly encourage you to start this process with your college as soon as possible since Double Repeat petitions can take up to 2-4 weeks for processing.
Important Spring Dates
Mar 31 | First Day of Classes
Apr 4 | WRIT class Add/Swap Deadline
Apr 18 | Campus Add/Drop Deadline
May 9 | Deadline to withdraw (W) from a class (withdrawal FAQs)
May 30 | Grading option change deadline
Jun 6 | Instruction ends
Jun 9-12 | Final exams
Jun 12 | Quarter ends
Jun 17 | Grades due
Understanding ELWR and C status
“ELWR” and “C” are terms we use to refer to writing requirements that ALL UCSC students must satisfy.
ELWR or the Entry-Level Writing Requirement is satisfied one of three ways:
- Approved and submitted official test score
- Via Directed Self-Placement (DSP)
- Completion of WRIT 1 or WRIT 1E (grade of C or higher)
ELWR must be completed by the start of the 4th quarter. Failure to meet this requirement can result in delays to graduation and, in some cases, suspension from the university. More info on ELWR (Entry-Level Writing Requirement)
C or the Composition requirement is satisfied by completion of WRIT 2 with a C or better.
The C requirement must be completed by the start of the 7th quarter. Failure to meet this requirement may result in delays to degree progress and graduation. More info on C (General Education Composition) Requirement
Utilizing Waitlists
If there is not an available seat in your desired section, you may waitlist for the section. Comprehensive waitlist information is available here. Here are some important highlights:
- You can waitlist for a WRIT section while also being enrolled in a different WRIT section.
- You must set up “drop if enrolled” to be successfully enrolled into your waitlisted section if a seat opens up.
- You may waitlist for two sections of the same course at once.
- Be sure to review the details of how your enrollment for these is managed if seats become available.
- Waitlists are processed based on waitlist position if/when a seat opens up in the waitlisted section. You will not be enrolled from the waitlist if you have any enrollment errors, such as
- Enrollment hold
- Attempt Limit
- Time conflict
- Credit Overload
- Make sure to set up “drop if enrolled” to avoid credit overload and time conflict errors.
- Waitlists will continue to be processed from the start of second pass until the second week of instruction for the quarter.
Issues that Prevent Auto-Enrollment
Students with registration errors (e.g., at credit limit, at course repeat limit, enrollment hold) will not be auto enrolled in a writing course for Spring quarter 2025.
- If this will be your third attempt at WRIT 1/1E or WRIT 2, you must work with your college to submit a Double Repeat Petition prior to the start of the quarter.
- Students with an enrollment hold should log into MyUCSC to resolve the hold as soon as possible. Once your hold is resolved, you may self-enroll into a class with open seats or waitlist for closed sections.
Winter 2025
Important Winter Dates
Jan 6 | First Day of Classes
Jan 24 | Campus Drop Deadline
Feb 18 | Deadline to withdraw (W) from a class (withdrawal FAQs)
Mar 7 | Grading option change deadline
Mar 14 | Instruction ends
Mar 17-21 | Final exams
Mar 21 | Quarter ends
Mar 25 | Grades due
More Questions? Check out our Writing Program FAQs, and view general Enrollment Info here.
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