Writing Courses

杏吧原版影音 offers specialized writing courses for multilingual students.

WRIT 120: Workshop for Multilingual Writers
This full-credit course is offered in the fall. It is a good companion course for first year students as they write for their Emily Balch Seminars. The course covers the basics of college level academic writing in English.

Diagnostic Essay: Before entering their first semester in college, international students write a diagnostic essay. The writing task is an analytical response to a short reading. Students have 60 minutes to write and no preparation is required. After Writing Program faculty have evaluated the essay, the Program Director will email students advising them as to whether they should take a Workshop for Multilingual Writers (WRIT 120), whether they should be meeting regularly with a Writing Partner, or whether they should only take the Balch Seminar.

The deadline to take the Diagnostic Essay test for upcoming international students in the summer 2023 are listed below:

Deadline Dates
Online (Moodle) Friday (August 4th, 12AM ET) - Monday (August 7th, 8AM ET)

WRIT 120 is open to all multilingual students. If you are a multilingual student who is not required to attend International Student Orientation and you would like to be considered for admission to WRIT 120, please email the Director of Multilingual Writing, Vanessa Petroj.

Email Vanessa


WRIT 210: TBD
This full-credit course is offered in the spring. WRIT 220 counts toward CI. Course description and class topics are available here, but if you would like more details, email Vanessa.

Student Advice

Photo of Carmen Li '15

Carmen Li '15

"Hello freshmen and congratulations for making the decision to come to Bryn Mawr. It has been four tough yet rewarding years for me and I hope you will have a similar experience. There's so much to say and honestly I love advice and tips. I always wished that I would have had a mentor, especially an international student, to guide me at least for the first few months to make sure that I am well-adapted or perhaps acculturated to the Bryn Mawr culture. However, before I continue to write further about potential tips, everything I say is from my personal experience and may not apply to everyone. One of my favorite words that I have learned based on my four years at Bryn Mawr is 鈥渃ontextual.鈥 Every Bryn Mawr students' experience is contextual and there is no typical experience. I think a little biography helps and if you have any further questions, I am a happy Mawrter who would love to keep in touch after graduation.  

"Perhaps among the few pieces of advice are to have goals, make a plan, understand your limitations and set priorities. I came to Bryn Mawr thinking that I could join five clubs, take five classes and still have a social and healthy life. Before I knew it, I was sleeping fewer than six hours a day, struggling in classes and losing valuable friends. Freshmen year was very hard for me. The school and students usually encourage freshmen to explore and take a variety of classes. They made me think that everything was possible and that there are no such things as limitations. This is not to blame anyone, but it would have been helpful to emphasize that everyone has limitations as well and how students should learn how to say "no." Learning my own limitations and weaknesses has helped me push myself further. This doesn't mean I did not enjoy challenges. I admit, I wasn't the brightest at quantitative subjects but that didn't stop me from doing Intermediate Microeconomics. I struggled but I attended office hours almost twice a week, studied in groups and still passed. It was a personal satisfaction and felt like I had just run a marathon.

"I wouldn't want freshmen to entirely rely on Bryn Mawr and hinder their opportunity to discover life outside of campus. Having goals and planning ahead involves not only enjoying the present but also thinking about the future. Think about possible careers, sectors and internships that would benefit you. I didn't know what I really wanted to do and am still unsure sometimes, but I know for sure what I do not want to do after completing a few summer internships. Enjoy the process and journey but at the same time be realistic and keep your priorities straight. Have friends who will emotionally support you and avoid drama at all possible. It's better to be surrounded by positive friends who will foster a positive learning environment.

"I'm graduating in a few weeks and I cannot wait for the next journey. I will be working in the United Nations in NY this summer and attend my dream college, Cambridge University, for my graduate studies this October. Dreams do come true if you work hard and believe in yourself. Don't try to achieve everything and most importantly, do not compare yourself to others. All you need to remember is that you are the captain of your ship and no one should decide what's best for you."



Tutoring Hours

Monday-Thursday
10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Friday
1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday
2 p.m. to 9 p.m.


Read Our Blog

by BMC Writing Center tutors


Canaday Library, First Floor


Tutoring Hours

Monday-Thursday
10 a.m. to 10 pm.

Friday
1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday
2 p.m. to 9 p.m.


Read Our Blog

by BMC Writing Center tutors


Contact Us

Canaday Library, First Floor
writingcenter@brynmawr.edu