Writing Program

Welcome to Wake Forest! We are so excited to welcome you to campus and hope you are looking forward to your arrival in Winston-Salem. On this page you will find some information about the College Writing Requirement, along with answers to some of the common questions new students often have about the requirement and about writing at Wake Forest. A link to the First-Year Writing Decision Tool can be found at the bottom of the page.

Welcome Message from Director of the Writing Program, Dr. Erin Branch

Please click here for a transcription of the video.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please click each question below to see the answers to some of the questions new students often have about the College Writing Requirement.

What is the First-Year Writing Decision Tool?

Can I make a wrong choice between WRI 109/110 and WRI 111? What’s the difference?

Are First-Year Writing classes hard?

What does a typical day look like in a first-year WRI class?

What sorts of things do we write in a first year WRI class?

Will my first-year WRI class be similar to my high school English class?

What’s the difference between the first-year WRI class and FYS?

What’s college writing really like?

How will my first-year WRI class prepare me for the other writing I will be doing at WFU?

What kind of writing support does WFU offer?

Now that your questions have been answered, it’s time to fill out the First-Year Writing Decision Tool! Click on the link below to get started.

First-Year Writing Decision Tool — AY 2026-2027

Already taken the First-Year Writing Decision Tool and want to read more sample student profiles?
Click here!

Have more questions? Please reach out to us at writing@wfu.edu!