Writing 1/1E Introduction to Composition is the only course at UCSC that satisfies the Entry-Level Writing Requirement (ELWR), which is a UC system-level requirement.
Writing 1 and Writing 1E are the same, except that Writing 1E offers pedagogical support for multilingual learners. See the current schedule to find information about instructors and modalities for Writing 1/1E.
Course Outcomes:
| 1. Demonstrate understanding of the purpose-driven nature of academic writing. |
| 2. Identify and use rhetorical concepts (such as audience, purpose, context, or genre) to analyze and write about a variety of texts. |
| 3. Use strategies such as response, analysis, interpretation, or critique to produce purpose-driven writing that draws connections between texts and student writers’ perspectives. |
| 4. Support their ideas through the use of appropriately acknowledged texts and, as appropriate, examples, personal experience, and/or observations. |
| 5. Compose projects through multiple drafts using both writer- and reader-based strategies and revising for focus, quality of content, and/or coherence. Implement strategies to edit work according to genre and disciplinary conventions such as arrangement, language use, mechanics, or documentation style. |
| 6. Reflect cognitively and metacognitively on processes for writing and analysis, building on strengths and addressing weaknesses. |
Catalog description: Provides declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge about writing, with a special focus on genre, rhetorical situation, revision, editing, and making connections between texts and one’s own perspective.
Prerequisites:
In order to enroll in Writing 1/1E, students must have a DSP of WRIT 1 OR C or better in WRIT 26. If you are a continuing student, view your DSP in your student portal. If you are an incoming student, learn more about DSP here.
ELWR – The Entry Level Writing Requirement
All undergraduate students in the University of California system are required to meet the Entry-Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) during their first year. The ELWR has taken many forms over the decades it has existed, including a placement exam which was discontinued system-wide in 2023. At UCSC, ELWR is a support system that makes sure that all students are prepared for their college writing careers.
ALL incoming frosh participate in Directed Self-Placement (DSP), the process through which students learn about and determine which writing courses they will take at UCSC. More than half of UCSC students complete the ELWR requirement by taking Writing 1/1E in the Fall or Winter of their first year.
Note: Writing 1 and Writing 1E are NOT remedial courses. In fact, UCSC requires comparatively less writing than many universities, which often require two quarters – if not two semesters – of writing courses for all students. (For example, Stanford requires all students to take two semesters of writing with no test-out options.
Satisfying ELWR Prior to Starting at UCSC
There are some students who arrive at UCSC having already met the ELWR. These students are sometimes referred to as “ELWR-satisfied.” Students meet ELWR by having certain scores on standardized tests or applicable transfer credits, and these students go directly to Writing 2. These criteria are determined by the University of California (not by UCSC).
There are 3 ways to satisfy ELWR prior to starting at UCSC
- ELWR-satisfying test scores (see below)
- Complete with a grade of C or better a UC-transferable college course in English composition (worth 4 quarter or 3 semester units) prior to UC matriculation
- Directed Self Placement (DSP) of WRIT 2
Satisfying ELWR After Starting at UCSC
Students who start at UCSC as ELWR-required must satisfy ELWR by completing WRIT 1 or WRIT 1E at UCSC. There are two exceptions to this rule
- If you have ELWR-satisfying test scores that were not submitted prior to starting at UCSC, you may submit them to Admissions now.
- Test dates for these scores must be from prior to starting at UCSC
- Once processed by Admissions, your record will be updated to show ELWR satisfaction
- Articulated transfer credit may be used to satisfy ELWR while not enrolled at UCSC. See full eligibility and requirements here.
Test Scores that Satisfy ELWR
As noted on the UC ELWR site, here are the scores that meet the ELWR requirement, meaning a student enters UCSC as ELWR-satisfied and goes directly to Writing 2:
- Score 30 or better on ACT English Language Arts, or 63 or better on ACT English + Reading.
- Score 680 or higher on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section of the SAT. Please note: The digital SAT Reading and Writing section score has not been approved to meet the ELWR.
- Score 3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement Examination in English (Language or Literature).
- Score of 3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement assessment in Research.
- Score 3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement Examination in Seminar.
- Score 5 or higher on an International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examination in English (Language A only) or 6 or higher on a Standard Level Examination in English (Language A only).
The Writing Program at UCSC recognizes standardized tests are often not equitable. Many students do not have the opportunity to obtain these scores (if they did not have opportunities to take AP courses or tests, for example). This is an equity issue, and at this time, if you have the test scores to satisfy ELWR, you cannot take Writing 1 or 1E.