Writing Placement

Writing Placement

1. Bowling Green State University
2. College of Arts and Sciences
3. English Department
4. University Writing Program
5. Student Resources
6. Writing Placement

UWP recognizes that students’ writing skills and knowledge cannot be measured adequately by a standard aptitude test such as the SAT or ACT. As a result, incoming students are asked to demonstrate their writing in a placement essay.

A Placement essay is required of all incoming students*. Students must complete the essay and revision plan by May 1 or at least two weeks in advance of attending SOAR to ensure placement into an appropriate level of writing composition (University Writing Program) course. You complete this essay online through MyBGSU.   

*Please note: Students who score a 3 or higher on AP English Language and Composition Test or the English Literature and Composition Test are not required to write an essay. If you plan to take an AP test this year, you may still want to write a Placement essay before May 1 because the AP scores will not be submitted in time for your SOAR date.

To complete the Writing Placement:

• Log on to MyBGSU.  If you do not have a home computer with an Internet connection, access is available at most schools and public libraries.
• Enter your BGSU username and password; click the login button to enter the web portal.

·       Look for the “New Student: Orientation” card

·       Towards the bottom of the card, click the orange link that says “Placement Tests” and follow the instructions.

Once you have successfully submitted your essay and revision plan, you will receive an email sent to your BGSU email account notifying you that BGSU received your essay.  Please change this to: You will receive an email, sent to your BGSU email account, with your results after your essay has been evaluated. You will be given a choice of three possible writing prompts related to the essay you were asked to read. Read each prompt carefully and then choose ONE you wish to write on.

• While you are expected to spend no more than two hours writing an essay of no more than 800 words in response to the prompt you selected, you will actually have a 24-hour window within which to submit your essay and revision plan. The 24-hour period will begin when you first access the site and will end 24 hours later; you may access the site an unlimited number of times within that 24-hour period, and you may submit your essay at any point within that 24-hour period. However, you may submit only one essay.
• You are encouraged to write your essay using your own word processing software (such as Word or WordPerfect), and cut and paste your essay into the writing placement text box to submit your essay.
• When your 24-hour window for submitting your essay has ended, your access to the site will end, so be sure to complete and submit your essay and revision plan within that 24-hour period.
• If you have computer-related questions, please contact the Technology Support Center at (419)372-0999 or start a live chat now. Technical/computer related questions might include the following situations:  
  • You are not able to enter or locate the test site
  • Your password is not functioning
  • Your computer system crashes during the test
  • Test pages are not loading correctly, or parts of the directions are not visible
  • You do not receive a confirmation email to your BGSU email account within two days after submitting an essay and revision plan.

Is assistance with writing the placement essay permitted? 
Do not obtain any form of assistance while writing your Placement Essay. This includes consulting with a teacher, parent, or friend regarding content of the essay or for proofreading or editing your written essay. It is imperative that you honor this important part of the testing guidelines. It is to your disadvantage to receive a score higher than your actual abilities. A score that is too high would place you in a course beyond your capabilities with a limited probability of success.

Why am I required to write a placement essay online, by May 1st, or no later than two weeks before my scheduled SOAR date?

• Relaxed setting. When you are in a relaxed environment, such as your own home or another familiar location, your performance may be enhanced.
• Convenience. You can write your placement essay at any time of day.
• Skills. You can write your essay while skills from high school are still fresh in your mind.
• Decreased fatigue. Often after a long drive to campus, fatigue may affect your writing performance.
• Increased opportunities. With your essay and revision plan completed before you arrive, you can focus on learning more about BGSU as well as meeting other new students, faculty and staff.