Registration Protocols, by Student Population:
Incoming first-year students:
All first-year students who did not receive AP or IB credit for an English exam are required to take the Writing Placement Exam.
Students who place into College Writing (355:101) or College Writing Extended (355:104) must take this course in their first year on campus (if all College Writing sections close in the Fall, for instance, there will be an opportunity to take the course in the Spring).
Students who place into EAP1 or EAP2 should take those courses as soon as possible, as these are prerequisite courses for College Writing. See the Placement page for the Directed Sequence of Classes for EAP1 and EAP2 students.
Incoming transfer students:
All students who transfer to Rutgers need to meet with an advising dean in their respective school (SAS, RBS, etc.). All new students need to take the placement exam, unless an advising dean and/or the Writing Program has deemed that they have completed a class equivalent to Rutgers' College Writing course at another university. See the Writing Program's Transfer Students page for more information.
All students after their first semester on campus:
After their first semester, students can register by using the Online Registration System. For more specific information about registration, please visit the Office of the Registrar or the registration page on the School of Arts and Sciences website. Here is information on when students can register, based on the amount of credits they've earned.
Registration Policies: SPNs, Changing Sections, and More
Changing Sections of a Course (during Add/Drop):
If a course is required for graduation (i.e., EAP1 or 2, College Writing), the online system will not allow a student to drop that course without a Special Permission Number (SPN). Students who wish to change sections of a required class, however, can do so without obtaining an SPN; once they add the section they wish to take, the undesired section will immediately be dropped from their schedule.
Special Permission Numbers for Closed Courses in the WP:
The Writing Program does not give SPNs to over-enroll Writing Program courses. It will not be helpful to contact instructors with requests to be added to their classes, as instructors do not have access to and cannot provide SPNs to students because of this policy.
Students who wish to add a specific, closed section of a course should keep checking the University Schedule of Classes to see if the desired section opens.
Dropping a Required Class (during and after Add/Drop):
Students who wish to drop a required course (i.e., EAP1 or 2, College Writing) and receive a "W" grade should contact an Academic Advising office. The Writing Program cannot provide a student with an SPN to drop a course without permission from an advising dean in the student's college. Advising deans who grant requests to drop courses will contact the Writing Program directly to obtain the necessary SPN.
Students need pre-approval from advising deans because dropping a course can potentially disrupt SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress), cause a student to lose their full-time status (being enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits each semester), and thus lose financial aid that is predicated on such full-time status.
Add/Drop Schedule:
The university allows students to add courses during the first eight calendar days of the semester, and to drop courses without being penalized with a "W" during the first seven days of the semester. This time period is referred to as "add/drop." As of the ninth class day of the term, no adds are permitted, and all drops done online will be assigned a "W" grade. Visit the Office of the Registrar for more information.
Please be advised that the Writing Program holds students responsible for all days missed. It is not advisable for students to "shop" for classes they like during this period, as doing so will decrease their potential for success in the class.
Financial De-registration:
Students who are de-registered for financial reasons should continue to attend their classes and complete the assignments. When their financial aid comes through, they should come to the Writing Program office on their class’s campus to request a special permission number allowing them to re-enroll. These numbers are only given out to students who have been faithfully attending class and completing the course work.
Placement:
If students believe they are in an introductory writing course that is too difficult for them, or they have questions about the results of their placement test, they must reach out to the Writing Program email (