Placement Exam Criteria
First Year Students
Mansfield University no longer requires SAT/ACT scores for admission. As a result, we place students into the appropriate first year English composition course using high school GPAs. If your high school GPA is 2.75 or above, you are automatically enrolled into ENG 1112 Composition I. If your high school GPA is below 2.74, you will be provided the opportunity to take an English placement exam during Fall Orientation. Your score determines whether you will enroll in ENG 1112 or in ENG 0090: Basic Writing Skills. If you think you have been placed into the incorrect class, you can appeal your placement by following the Placement Appeals Policy below.
Transfer Students
Transfer coursework is evaluated and if you have successfully completed a university level Math and/or English course equivalent, you will be exempt from taking either or both exams. If you dont have any transfer coursework to evaluate, your SAT scores will be used to make the placement determination.
AP Students
There are two different AP courses that transfer for English:
- English Language/Composition = 3cr ENG-1112 + 3cr ENG-2239 (elective)
- English Literature/Composition = 3cr ENG-1115 + 3cr ENG-2239 (elective)
If you havent already, be sure to contact CollegeBoard.com to have them send your official AP Score Report to Mansfield University Admissions, G-22 South Hall, Mansfield, PA 16933.
Placement Appeals
If you wish to appeal your writing placement result, you will need to take the following steps; this, however, does not guarantee that the composition course you have placed into will be changed. This appeals process is based solely on writing samples, and no other circumstances will be taken into consideration.
You need to complete the following steps:
- Contact Dr. Jimmy Guignard, Chair of the Department of English and World Languages, at 570-662-4592 or jguignar@mansfield.edu to inform him of your desire to appeal your placement result. The initial contact must be followed by a request in writing explaining the reason(s) for the appeal in detail. This action must be taken within two weeks of being notified of your results.
- Dr. Guignard and at least one other English faculty member will access your WritePlacer essay and read it. They may determine to change your placement based on that essay OR they may ask for further writing from you. This choice is made at their discretion.
- If Dr. Guignard and the other English faculty member(s) determine the need for more evidence on which to base their decision, they may request one or more of the following:
- Writing sample from high school
- Writing sample based on a new prompt supplied by Dr. Guignard
- These materials must be submitted within one week of the request for them. Dr. Guignard and at least one other English faculty member will determine the placement from the submitted materials.
- The determination by Dr. Guignard and other English faculty will be final.
Last Updated: March 8, 2021