New students must complete their English writing samples by July 1. The 500- to 700-word English writing sample is an important part of preparing for the start of a new student’s collegiate years. The writing samples will be provided to each student’s SAGES First Seminar professor so he or she can get a sense of the student’s reading and composition skills.
The top essays, as selected by SAGES instructors, will be eligible for a chance to win a $150 gift card to Barnes & Noble.
The prompt will be based on a passage from the common reading book, Zoobiquity: The Astonishing Connection Between Human and Animal Health by Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and Kathryn Bowers. (Learn more about the common reading book, which students should receive in the mail by mid-June.) Students do not have to have read the book in order to complete the writing sample.
The task should take about 90 minutes to complete and will not be graded. It will not earn students Case Western Reserve University credit nor will it appear on their official transcript. However, it will be used to determine if, and what type of, additional writing support they might need.
Writing samples for U.S. students are due Tuesday, July 1. International students will complete the writing sample during International Welcome Days, Friday, Aug. 15, and Saturday, Aug. 16.
Anyone with questions about the writing sample can contact the Office of Undergraduate Studies at summerreghelp@case.edu or 216.368.2928.