Dear Student:

To succeed at Buffalo State College, you will have to make many informed and mature decisions about which major to pursue, which courses to take, and how to manage and prioritize responsibilities. At Buffalo State College we will assist you in making clear, intelligent decisions early in order to make your educational experience as beneficial as possible. Directed Self-Placement (DSP) allows you to decide whether to begin the English Composition sequence in the English 099 or in English 101. We want you to reflect upon your preparation for college-level writing, to consult with teachers, advisors, and family members, and then to choose the right course. All new students are required to participate in Directed Self-Placement and should take responsibility for making this important decision.

Before you meet with your advisor to register for courses, carefully review this guide. Past results show that students who are well informed also earn higher grades in whichever option they choose. Please review this information and choose carefully.   The wrong decision can affect your early success and progress through Buffalo State College.

For more information about the specific nature of English 099, 101, and 102, review the2001 Undergraduate Catalog to review the College Wide Requirements. You may also want to take a look at our English web page (http://www.buffalostate.edu/depts/english).

As you decide whether to place yourself in either English 099 or English 101, review the course information and checklists, then fill out the Directed Self-Placement form at the end of this page and bring it with you to your first advising appointment.

Sincerely yours,

Dr. Ralph L. Wahlstrom
Director of Writing

Directed Self Placement: Which course should I take?

Mark the boxes below that apply to you.

  c   I enjoy reading newspapers and magazines regularly.

  c   I read books for my own enjoyment.

  c   In high school, I wrote several essays each year.

  c   My high school GPA placed me in the top 1/3 of my senior class.

  c   My Verbal score was above 500 (SAT) or 20 (ACT).

  c   I consider myself a good reader and writer.

  c   I have used computers to write and revise essays.

  c   I can apply the rules of grammar and punctuation in my writing.

After marking the appropriate boxes above, with the help of your advisor, choose the appropriate course below.

If you checked at least five of the boxes, you should register for English 101.

c    I intend to enroll in English 101

Option 1: English 099

ENG 099 is carefully designed to ensure that students develop the writing skills they will need to successfully complete the English Composition requirement and excel at the University. Students take English 099 in preparation for English 101. Both instructors and students thus have time to address specific writing needs at a pace and in a sequence that helps students develop their writing skills. Students who choose English 099 improve their chances for success in English 101 and 102. In English 099, you will practice the basic forms of writing that will be expected of you in English 101, such as sentence and paragraph structure, exposition, argumentation and analysis. You will learn the writing process, understand the role of the thesis, and learn and practice the patterns of paragraph and essay development.  You will learn to communicate your ideas clearly in writing.

Option 2: English 101

English 101 is a required 3 credit college level writing class.  If you are well prepared for ENG 101 you have done quite a bit of reading and writing in high school, and you are comfortable with the rules of punctuation and grammar. ENG 101 instructors will assume that you have some practice in reading and analyzing published material from magazines, newspapers and books. They will also assume that you are prepared to write a variety of essays in a variety of forms, including expository, persuasive and analytical writing.  In ENG 101 you will write extensively and demonstrate a sense of voice, purpose and audience.  Your writing will demonstrate coherence, unity, a clear thesis, and a logical essay structure.

Option 3:  English 102

ENG 102 is a required 3 credit college level writing class.  To enroll in ENG 102, students must complete ENG 101 with a passing grade (C or higher), transfer in an acceptable substitution, or  enter BSC with an Advanced Placement (AP) score of 3 or higher in English.  ENG 102 instructors will assume you are comfortable with the writing process, library use and informal and formal writing strategies.  You will master research methods and employ appropriate citation formats.  You will practice complex revision in developing well-organized, unified, coherent research-based papers and essays with an eye toward sophisticated style, tone and structure.