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Note: You need to submit your official test scores to the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno in order for them to be used for placement.

The Directed Self-Placement survey placement is meant for placement into one of the three introductory courses: ENG 100I, 101, and 113. Placement into English 102 has a separate process below.

Portfolio placement dates for summer/fall semesters are February 1 – August 1. Placement dates for spring semesters are October 1-December 1. Any portfolio submitted outside these date ranges will not be reviewed until the subsequent review period.

It is important for students to begin college in writing courses that best fit their levels of experience and current ability. If you are confident that you are ready for our second-semester course, English 102, then you can submit a portfolio to be considered for placement into that course. This portfolio consists of a cover letter and a few samples of your writing.

Your placement portfolio will be processed in approximately two-to-three weeks, although this may vary depending on the time of year.

Important notes

• Students may only participate in the portfolio placement process one time. Additional submissions will not be considered.
• If any work in a portfolio is plagiarized, we will not consider it for placement and your fee will not be refunded. In addition, your work and evidence of plagiarism will be kept on file and a copy will be sent to the Office of Student Conduct.

Submission instructions

1. Pay the $40 fee via MyÁùºÏ±¦µä. Review the instructions to make this payment.
2. Review the Portfolio Guide for tips and examples.
3. Choose the writing that you will include in your portfolio. Please include three to four essays, preferably written for classes in the last two years, that represent your writing experiences and abilities.
4. Plan, draft and revise a cover letter. Your letter should include:
   1. Your full name, NSHE ID number, and an email address we can use to reach you
   2. A statement explaining why you should be placed differently than your test scores suggest
   3. The bulk of your letter should make specific references to how your writing samples demonstrate how you have met or exceeded the student learning outcomes of English 101, available on the core writing course descriptions page.
   4. The cover letter is the most important part of your portfolio, so take care to plan your ideas, seek feedback, and revise. Please look at these excerpts with evaluator feedback from portfolio cover letters submitted to our credit-by-exam program. While these letters are a bit different from those seeking placement into 102 (for instance, they reference the 102 outcomes instead of the 101 outcomes), they provide some good detail about what portfolio evaluators are looking for in these cover letters.
5. Combine your cover letter and writing samples into one PDF file with the filename formatted as Last Name_Placement_Portfolio.pdf. Microsoft has instructions for . Please make sure that each essay and each page is clearly labeled so that readers will know where each essay begins and ends.
6. Submit your portfolio via the .
7. Your portfolio will be read by the Core Writing Program’s portfolio readers and you will receive the results via email of your portfolio placement. If you have any questions about the status of your submission, email Isis Lopez Aguilar, the first-year writing placement coordinator.

Note: Due to FERPA regulations, we can only communicate portfolio results to the student in question. Any other person, unless that person is a parent and the student is a minor, must provide a signed privacy waiver (available from Admissions and Records) before the Core Writing Program can communicate the student's placement results or any other academic information.

This guide is designed to assist you in successfully submitting a portfolio for either placement into ENG 102 (placement portfolio) or obtaining credit-by-exam (CBE) by submitting a portfolio for ENG 102. Although there are some differences between these two processes, both portfolios share a common goal: demonstrating your achievement of the student learning outcomes (SLOs) found on our homepage for ENG 101 or ENG 102, which determines whether you can directly enter ENG 102 or bypass Core Writing classes at the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno.

Here are some tips to enhance your success:

1. Carefully follow the provided instructions.
2. Whenever possible, select writing samples that align with the type of assignments in ENG 101 (if you're aiming for placement into ENG 102) or ENG 102 (if you're seeking CBE for ENG 102).
3. Emphasize the importance of your cover letter; it plays a significant role in your application. Aim for a cover letter of at least 500 words.
4. In your cover letter, clearly and comprehensively explain how your writing samples demonstrate your fulfillment of specific ENG 101 or ENG 102 student learning outcomes.
5. Instead of simply stating that your sample fulfills SLO x, point to specific parts or passages within your sample and provide detailed explanations of how these passages demonstrate your achievement of the objective.
6. Your rationale for seeking placement or CBE should focus on your prior learning and fulfillment of ENG 101's or ENG 102's SLOs. The committee will not consider external factors such as approaching graduation or financial concerns.
7. Draft your cover letter, seek feedback from others, and revise and edit it thoroughly.

Additionally, you can find effective cover letter examples in this guide. The first example is from a student applying for placement into ENG 102, while the second example is from a student seeking credit for ENG 102. These examples illustrate how specific instances in their writing are used as evidence to demonstrate fulfillment of SLOs. Remember to reference the latest SLOs posted on the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno Core Writing website, as they may have changed from those mentioned in these examples.

Review our student learning objectives (SLOs).

Example 1: Seeking placement into 102

Example 2: Seeking credit for 102

There are specific windows twice a year to submit your portfolio - February 1 to August 1 for fall/summer, or October 1 to December 1 for spring. Portfolios outside those date ranges will not be reviewed until the next period.

To attempt credit-by-exam, you'll submit a portfolio of your best writing to demonstrate you've mastered the English 102 skills. Clearly show your abilities in areas like analysis, research, and argumentation.

This option is available if your ACT/SAT scores placed you into 102, you completed 101 already, or took a similar writing course. Any current UNR degree-seeking students can try for 102 credit-by-exam.

Portfolios are evaluated in 2-3 weeks, but Admissions processing time is separate.

A few important things to know:

• You only get one attempt at credit-by-exam.
• Any plagiarized work means you fail and forfeit the $25 fee.
• Evidence of plagiarism goes in your file and to Student Conduct.

Submission instructions

Here are the key submission steps I would emphasize to a high school junior pursuing the English 102 credit-by-exam option:

1. Start by emailing MyÁùºÏ±¦µä to initiate the process. It will be reviewed to make sure credit-by-exam is appropriate, which can take 2+ weeks. Pay the $25 fee once approved.
2. Review the Portfolio Guide below for helpful tips on putting together a strong submission.
3. Choose 3-4 essays written in the last two years that showcase your best work.
4. Write a detailed cover letter explaining why you deserve placement in 102 despite your test scores. Most importantly, connect your essays back to the specific English 101 learning outcomes. This letter is critical!
5. Combine the cover letter and essays into one PDF labeled "Last Name_Placement_Portfolio.pdf." Make sure each essay is clearly labeled. Microsoft has instructions for .
6. Submit the portfolio via the official .
7. You'll receive results from the Core Writing reviewers by email. If you have any questions about the status of your submission, email Isis Lopez Aguilar, the first-year writing placement coordinator.

Also, be aware that portfolio results are only shared with the student, not parents or others, due to privacy regulations unless a FERPA waiver is provided.