We take writing very seriously at Goucher;  all students must earn CWP - College Writing Proficiency.  CWP is a requirement for graduation. To help you earn CWP, we offer a 4-year vertical curriculum. All incoming first-year students are required to follow the 4-year curriculum. Transfer students, on the other hand, come to Goucher with a variety of writing experiences. We evaluate all transfer students' requirements on an individual basis.

The Standard Route to College Writing Proficiency

After students take WRT 181 or WRT 181H and after they have taken a WEC course, they may apply to earn CWP by submitting a portfolio to the CWP committee. This committee will be composed of Writing Program and WEC faculty. We will accept portfolios twice/academic year. 

Students who do not earn CWP will need to take WRT 201, a 2-credit course designed to help them earn CWP. They will resubmit a portfolio afterward. 

Transfer Students

Transfer students may submit CWP application portfolios if they have taken at least one college writing course at another college or university. AP courses do not count. Here are the instructions for submitting your portfolio: 

• Choose two papers that were written for college classes. 
• The total length should equal about ten pages.
• These papers must demonstrate your ability to find, evaluate, incorporate and document sources and should be thesis-driven and/or argumentative.
• The papers do not need to come from English classes, but they must come from college classes.
• Please include a cover letter (or cover e-mail) that includes the following information:  name of previous college or university (if applicable), completed college-level writing courses (please state the name of the course and the institution where the course was offered), your year in college (i.e. 1st year, sophomore, junior, or senior). 

Transfer students choosing to submit a portfolio must do so over the summer in order to register for fall classes. 

Shortly after you submit your portfolio, you will receive an email detailing our recommendations.  Some  students will earn CWP, and some students will receive recommendations to enroll in a particular course or series of courses before resubmitting their portfolio. 

Questions?  The best way to contact me is by email:  phaye.poliakoff-chen@goucher.edu

Phaye Poliakoff-Chen
Director, The Center for Contemporary and Creative Writing