Incoming First-Year Students Summer Checklist

You might have encountered terms such as ELWR, WPP, AWP, and College Writing. What are they? How do they relate to one another? Visit the Writing Requirements at UC page to learn about them. 

In a nutshell, all UC students must fulfill the Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) within a limited timeframe. If you have a qualifying test score or passed a college composition course prior to your matriculation at UC San Diego, you can submit the official scores/transcripts to fulfill the ELWR.

If you do not have any ways to fulfill the ELWR, you must complete the Writing Placement Process (WPP) in summer. 

All incoming first-year students must complete an Entry Level Writing Requirement (ELWR) Survey on the Applicant Portal as soon as they accept the admission offer from UC San Diego. The ELWR Survey helps you determine whether you have fulfilled the ELWR and whether you need to complete the Writing Placement Process (WPP). Your answer will be one of the following three possibilities: 

1. YES. You have a qualifying test score or have passed a college composition course that fulfills the ELWR. 
2. NO. You do not have any ways to fulfill the ELWR and must complete the Writing Placement Process (WPP) in summer. 
3. PENDING. You are waiting for test results (e.g. some AP and IB results are released in early July) or you are completing or plan to complete a college composition course in a community college's summer term. You must return to the Applicant Portal to fill out the ELWR Survey for the second time once you receive your test results or final grades. 

There are only two remote WPP sessions in summer. It is imperative that you fill out this survey in a timely manner so that you won't miss the WPP registration deadlines. 

Please activate your UCSD account (TritonLink Active Directory Account) immediately and check your emails daily. Always use your UCSD account to contact University staff and faculty so they can verify your identity and protect your education records in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Important information about the Writing Placement Process (WPP) will be sent to your UCSD email, and you need to use your UCSD account to log into the WPP portal.

Before the start of your first quarter, you must have a writing placement either by fulfilling the ELWR with a qualifying test score or composition course (and thus are placed in College Writing) or by completing the Writing Placement Process (and are placed in either College Writing, AWP 3, or AWP 4A-4B). 

After the fall quarter starts, if your degree audit shows that you have not fulfilled the ELWR but you believe you have, contact awp@ucsd.edu immediately so we can help you troubleshoot. 

If you are placed in an AWP course, review the "Incoming First-Year Students" section in the AWP Course Enrollment Instructions page. If you are placed in College Writing, contact your academic advisors via the Virtual Advising Center for enrollment questions.