roger williams university essay prompt

Home > RWU Theses and Student Work > Award Winning Essays

Award Winning Essays

Browse the award winning essays collections:.

Common Reading Essays

Essay Competition: Roger Williams and the Quest to Understand and Coexist

Advanced Search

• Notify me via email or RSS
• Roger Williams University
• University Library
• HELIN Digital Commons
• Digital Exhibits
• All Content
• Disciplines

Author Corner

Home | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement

Privacy Copyright

Header image courtesy of Wikimedia

Honors Program Application For New/Transfer Students

The Honors Program at Roger Williams University is a community characterized by academic excellence, leadership, and meaningful engagement with the world. The Program provides an enhanced general education curriculum, Honors housing, and unique co-curricular learning opportunities. More information can be found at  http://honors.rwu.edu/

Please respond to the following prompts in 250-350 words each. These essays help us to understand who you are in a way that your transcript and other application materials cannot.

Why do you wish to participate in the RWU Honors Program? What do you hope to gain and what will you contribute? *

All of us want to make a difference in the world. Tell us about something you have done that made a difference in your community or the world. Why was it important to you and meaningful to others? What did you learn? Alternatively, tell us how you hope to use your Roger Williams University education to change the world. Be as specific and detailed as you can.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Essay Contest

Rhode Island elementary, middle and high School students are invited to submit drawings, essays on how iconic U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has inspired them.

Submit Entries Here

Each year, Roger Williams University School of Law, Rhode Island’s only law school, invites Ocean State students from grades K through 12 to submit essays and drawings on how they have been inspired by the legacy of late Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the Supreme Court of the United States, who passed away on September 18, 2020.

“Justice Ginsburg cared about equality for all people,” noted RWU Law Professor Emily Sack, who advises the school’s Women’s Law Society. “When she started her fight for women’s equality under the law, it seemed like an impossible task, but she worked hard and persisted, and made great strides for the things she believed in.

“She also knew that this is not something she could accomplish alone, and that we all have a part to play in making a better world,” Sack added. “She famously said, ‘Fight for things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.’ At RWU Law, we thought this essay contest would be a wonderful way for all of us, and especially our state’s students, to be inspired by Justice Ginsburg’s life and her call to action.”

Rules for the 2024 contest, and past winning entries, can be found below.

2024 Official Contest Rules

Elementary School (Grades K-5)

• Create an original piece of artwork that symbolizes How has RBG inspired me? Artwork may not be traced or copied. Only original works will be accepted.
• Give your artwork a title. Place title at the top of your page.
• Use materials that you have. i.e., pencil, crayons, watercolor, and markers.
• Paper size: 8 ½ x 11”.
• Artwork submissions may be photographed or scanned and then uploaded. JPEG format preferred. Use submission link on this page.

Middle School (Grades 6-8)

• Create an original essay on How has RBG inspired me?
• The essay title should be at the top of page one.
• Limited to one page, double spaced (about 250 words)

High School (Grades 9-12)

• Limited to two pages, double spaced (about 500 words)

Instructions for All Categories:

• The essay/artwork title should be at the top of page one.
• Submissions may be uploaded and submitted via the link on this page. Artwork may be scanned.
• Mailed entries will not be considered.
• Submissions must include student’s name, grade, school, title of artwork or essay, and parent or guardian name & contact information.
• Single Student Submissions only. Artwork and essays submitted are single student submission, no group submissions.

One winning submission will be selected from each category.

• Elementary School (Grades K-5): $100 and one copy of I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy
• Middle School (Grades 6-8): $200 and one copy of Notorious RBG Young Readers' Edition: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon & Shana Knizhnik
• High School (Grades 9-12): $300 and one copy of Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon & Shana Knizhnik

All winning submissions will be featured on the Roger Williams University School of Law website and announced at the annual Women in Law Leadership Lecture to be held in the Spring of 2024. Winning submissions will need to present a W-9 to claim their prizes. Winners consent to submit a quality photograph of themselves to be used in print and social media.

Eligibility:

Students* in grades K-12 and attending school in Rhode Island are eligible to participate. The contest is open to private, public, and home-schooled students. Middle School participants in Grade 5 may select to submit in the Middle School (Grade 6-8) Category and submit an essay. Judges will conduct reviews by category.  *Students who are the children of current Roger Williams University and Roger Williams University School of Law employees or students are ineligible to participate.

Judging: Judging will be conducted by members of the Women’s Law Society of Roger Williams University School of Law. Entries will be reviewed by grade level.

Deadline: Thursday, February 15, 2024 by 5:00 PM EST. 

Teacher Resources:

RBG CURRICULUM RESOURCES

COLOR POSTER 8.5 X 11"

BLACK & WHITE POSTER 8.5 X 11"

Questions may be directed to [email protected]

2023 Winners

Elementary school winner.

“Ruth Bader Ginsburg”

By Samantha Cabrera & Reshmi Unruh, Edward S. Rhodes Elementary School – Cranston (Grade 4)​

* * * * * * * * * *

Middle School Winner

“A Hero's Life”

By Mairead Lapierre, Lawn Avenue School – Jamestown (Grade 7)

While Napa was limited because she was a girl, Ruth Bader Ginsberg was fighting to get rid of those limitations for girls. In her life, Ginsburg faced many situations where she was limited because of her gender. For example, no law firm wanted to hire her because she was a woman. In one of Ginsburg's cases, Reed vs. Reed , she fought because a man was being preferred over a woman based on nothing but his sex. Ginsburg argued that women were being discriminated against in the 14th amendment, which says if you were born in the U.S.A or are a citizen, you have equal protection under the laws. 

Unlike Napa and Ginsburg, I'm growing up at a time where women are allowed to choose a career they're interested in. Women have less restrictions on what they can and can't study today. Also, women have the agency to pursue opportunities that Ginsburg fought for. Ginsburg has inspired my life in many ways; one of those ways is by fighting for women to have the rights to do things that they couldn't. There are so many more opportunities for me today than there were when Napa was growing up.

Many of those opportunities exist because of women like Ginsburg.

High School Winner

“Steps Toward Equality”        

By Gayatri Buchta, East Providence High School (Grade 12)

Ruth Bader Ginsburg lived a life of unrelenting excellence in the face of hardship. She was a machine, with an almost perfect academic record that she carried into a highly successful career, but she was a human, persevering against the odds, fueled by a passion for equality and women's rights. She was strong in the face of blatant sexism, and fought her way through a hostile educational system while remaining at the top of her class. She was the embodiment of what the Supreme Court represents - justice. However, what characterized her career was not her idealism but her effectiveness. We take some of her successes for granted today, but even her incremental achievements worked to dismantle the foundational elements of legal discrimination.

Her fight for equality was powered by skill and strategy. In her lead opinion in U.S. v. Virginia , she argued that the Virginia Military Institute's policy of not admitting women was unconstitutional. Through this case and others, she made decisive gains for women's rights. But the fight for equality was broader than this. As a litigator, she won cases like Weinberger v. Wiesenfeld, arguing against denial of social security benefits for widowers on the basis of gender. Her consistency in her arguments won her favor with men as well as women and steeled her arguments against opponents who would claim she was biased. She believed in equality regardless of gender, and that's what she fought for. Instances like these where the law explicitly targeted one gender were an easier target to dismantle because they were so blatantly harmful and discriminatory. Though she would have been justified in pushing for immediate and total equality for women, Ginsburg had an eye on what was effective and made many smaller steps towards equality. Her measured but persistent attitude is something to learn from in today's political environment. Through finding points of agreement with even those who are radically opposed, we can maintain both progress and stability.

Though Ginsburg has passed, her legacy has become especially relevant with the fall of Roe v. Wade. She was always a firm advocate for a woman's right to choose her own life's course. On this issue she again took a practical approach, grounded in the reality of women's lives rather than metaphysical debates about when "life" begins. She defended Roe v. Wade, and stood against the erosion of women's autonomy in her Gonzales v. Carhart dissent. She emphasized the drastic impact of having a child, from the health risks of childbirth to the long-term impact on a woman's career, economic prospects, and freedom. She brought the issue down from unproductive theoretical debates to the real issues faced by real women. I was in Washington D.C. when Roe v. Wade was overturned, and I watched the early protests form.

Seeing the pain and desperation of the protestors reaffirmed what Ruth Bader Ginsburg had argued: at the heart of the abortion issue is a woman's right to health care and autonomy. By that point, Ginsburg was no longer on the court, but her spirit lived on in the many protestors that fought to preserve her ideals. We must pick up the torch and fulfill her legacy, protecting the abortion rights that remain and reinstating equality for all.

2022 Winners

BRISTOL, R.I., March 22, 2022 – Roger Williams University School of Law is proud to announce the winning entries in its Second Annual Ruth Bader Ginsburg Essay Contest.

In December, RWU Law invited Ocean State students from grades K through 12 to submit essays and artworks on how they have been inspired by the legacy of late Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who passed away on September 18, 2020.

As part of the prize, Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly generously agreed to publish the winning entries. The winning students also received cash prizes and books.

“Justice Ginsburg cared about equality for all people,” said RWU Law Professor Emily Sack, who advises the Women’s Law Society, which co-sponsored the contest with its members serving as judges. “When she started her fight for women’s equality under the law, it seemed like an impossible task, but she worked hard and persisted, and made great strides for the things she believed in.

“She also knew that this is not something she could accomplish alone, and that we all have a part to play in making a better world,” Sack added. “She famously said, ‘Fight for things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.’” This essay contest ia a wonderful way for all of us, and especially our state’s students, to be inspired by Justice Ginsburg’s life and her call to action.”

This year’s response was once again gratifyingly large and enthusiastic, and the judges found themselves making some very hard choices. But the winners have been selected and (drum roll) they are:

“Justice, Justice, Shall You Pursue”

By Aviva Nierman, North Smithfield Elementary School (Grade 3) ​

“How Has Ruth Bader Ginsburg Inspired Me?”

By Carter Mi, TIMES² Academy, Pro vidence (Grade 6)

Ruth Bader Ginsburg has inspired the world in many different ways, especially for women. But here is how she has personally inspired me. The first way is that she was one of only nine women in her class of 500 hundred at Harvard Law School. She even graduated at the top of her class! How this inspires me is that when I grow older I want to become a lawyer. At the time being a lawyer was a rare job for women since they were thought to be less intelligent or less capable than men. This fact makes it more inspiring because she defied the expectations of society at that time.         

In addition to that statement, another way she has inspired me is that she did many things for women’s rights. How this inspires me is that women at the time were oppressed. Even though I am not a woman, I feel inspired by this because I am an Asian-American and quite a few Asian hate crimes occur throughout America due to the spread of COVID-19. People of my culture are currently being oppressed, kind of like how women were at the time, so seeing someone stand up for their people in order to prove what they think is right truly inspires me.           

Lastly, the final way she has inspired me is that she kept working at the Supreme Court even though she was sick with colon cancer. How this inspires me is that throughout my life I’ve experienced a few deaths and have seen loved ones struggle to stay alive while they were sick. Now, to see someone who has the strength and willpower to work even though they’re sick with a disease like cancer is truly inspirational. 

In conclusion, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is an inspirational figure, not just for women, but the entire world as a whole. Even though she’s gone now, she will not be forgotten for the ways she has inspired the world.

“Cultivating Change”        

By Isabella Montini, North Kingstown High School (Grade 12)

Ruth Bader Ginsburg not only paved the way for feminists, but she demonstrated what true leadership looks like. Throughout her career she worked with others and led a nation to fight for what they believed in and to encourage others to join them, no matter their beliefs.

She practiced what she preached through the friendship she found with Justice Scalia. Although the two Justices had differing ideologies, they battled in good faith and had a lasting friendship. Her actions and words have inspired me because not only did she fight for justice, but she fought for civility among differing opinions.

This is a key value that I impose as I lead a non-partisan political action committee called Students4Change. Giving students and young members of society a voice in local democracy is a powerful skill to cultivate meaningful change. Ruth Bader Ginsburg inspired me to lead this platform to give everyone a collective voice, no matter their viewpoint.

Our country is lacking good-faith actors on the local, state, and national level. Citizens can become cruel and vile when fighting for what they stand for, as demonstrated during the insurrection. RBG never gave in to foul play or bad actors. She chose to lead in a way in which others will follow. Her passion and leadership inspired me to fight for what I believe in during local municipal meetings, as well as encouraging others to do so despite controversy in opinions.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was also an avid fighter for voting rights and wanted to grant equitable access for Americans to exercise this right. In the case of Shelby County v. Holder , RBG specified that she believed any states with a history of racial discrimination in voting under The Voting Rights Act of 1965 should be required to get federal approval before changing their voting laws.

Because of the history across the country of gerrymandering, limiting ballot drop boxes, and stigmas around mail-in ballots, RBG’s fight for equitable voting rights inspired me to join the Let Rhode Island Vote campaign and work with elected officials to ensure voting rights in Rhode Island. These provisions include no excuse mail voting, a permanent absentee list, rigorous voter registration list maintenance, early voting, enhanced signature verification, online mail ballot request, ballot drop boxes, no witness requirement, and new primary dates.

I door-knocked in Providence to inform citizens on this new act, and encourage them to send Let Rhode Island Vote postcards to their state senators and representatives. My political action committee also met with Alana DiMario, one of the lead state senators sponsoring the legislation, to discuss how efforts can be increased to ensure its passing. As RBG put it, “throwing out preclearance, when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes, is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.”

As a feminist, Ruth Bader Ginsburg continuously stood up for women’s rights and equal representation. She gave us a seat at the table and showed so many that the voices of women need to be heard and respected. Her perseverance has inspired me to fight for equitable access to abortion in Rhode Island. Under the current system, not all healthcare covers this cost. This disproportionately affects women of color and women with lower incomes. We all deserve equitable access to these programs.

Throughout her career, Ruth Bader Ginsburg has worked to protect the rights of so many Americans. Her actions and words of wisdom inspired me to fight for what I believe in in my own town and state. She leaves behind a great legacy of leading in a way where others will follow, and she proved that what makes a great leader is inspiring others to also fight for change as she laid the groundwork for so many after her.

2021 Winners

BRISTOL, R.I., March 3, 2021 – Last December, Roger Williams University School of Law invited Ocean State students from grades K through 12 to submit essays and artworks on how they have been inspired by the legacy of late Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the Supreme Court of the United States, who passed away on September 18, 2020.

As part of the prize, Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly agreed to publish the winning entries. The winning students also received cash prizes and books.

“Justice Ginsburg cared about equality for all people,” said RWU Law Professor Emily Sack, who advises the Women’s Law Society, which co-sponsored the contest, with its members serving as judges. “When she started her fight for women’s equality under the law, it seemed like an impossible task, but she worked hard and persisted, and made great strides for the things she believed in.

“She also knew that this is not something she could accomplish alone, and that we all have a part to play in making a better world,” Sack added. “She famously said, ‘Fight for things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.’ We thought this essay contest would be a wonderful way for all of us, and especially our state’s students, to be inspired by Justice Ginsburg’s life and her call to action.”

The response was gratifyingly large and enthusiastic, and the judges found themselves making some very hard choices. But the winners have been selected and (drum roll) they are:

*  *  *  *  *

Breaking Glass Ceilings

By millin licht, jewish community day school, providence.

Jackpot and Ruth Bader Ginsburg

By mairead lapierre, lawn school, jamestown.

RBG inspired me by not being afraid to work with almost all men. The first time I saw the boys playing Jackpot at recess, I thought “that looks fun.” There were seven boys throwing and catching a football and yelling out numbers and different sayings, like “Pac Man” and “Mystery Box,” as they were throwing the ball. There were no other girls playing with them. I was really bothered, because while the boys were playing Jackpot, all the girls were playing Four Square.

I went over to the boys and asked if I could play Jackpot with them, because it looked like fun and I wanted to try playing something new. The boys said that I had to be able to throw and catch a football. I remember getting ready to throw the football and all the boys moved up close to me –clearly thinking I wouldn’t be able to throw the ball far. I threw the football in a spiral just like my Dad taught me and it went over their heads. Steve turned to Liam and said, “She throws better than you!” My throw impressed them enough, and they let me join the game. Once the other girls saw me playing, a few of them came over and asked if they could play, too. Steve asked them, “Can you throw the ball?” And I said, “Just let them play!” And the boys let them play.

RBG has inspired me in my life to help adjust things that are not equal. She inspired me to play games with boys, and that got some girls to join so that it wasn’t just boys playing with boys and girls playing with girls.

A Seat at the Table

By jasmine stevens, st. mary academy - bay view, east providence.

Ginsburg’s mind worked like clockwork: everything had a place and, if all parts were moving together and correctly, the clock would tick in harmony. She held herself with a silent confidence: she had nothing to prove, no need to justify herself or her actions, no second guessing, just her self-assurance keeping her going. I aspire to acquire the level of confidence she held, and use her as the visualization of what that would look like.

Ginsburg accomplished so much throughout her career. She adjusted with the times and, most of all, she was an excellent listener. She had the ability to empathize with those around her; the ability to see things from a third person’s perspective. She was able to step back and view things from the perspective of those she was listening to, and to understand the disproportionate ways in which individual policies affected certain marginalized groups. Ginsburg seemed to hold all the qualities of an empath, in ways that make me want to see the world in the way she saw it. Her actions have made me strive to be more understanding and compassionate, to think of others and not only myself.

I cannot even fathom into words the level of genius which she possessed. The execution of her argued Supreme Court cases were unbelievably and undeniably brilliant. When I first listened to her court hearings, I was confused at first. I struggled to understand why she was so keen on finding male gender bias victims. It was upon hearing and reading the Califano v. Goldfarb case that it all clicked. Ginsburg got the judges to unknowingly admit the existence of gender bias, an institution they refused to admit exists. Instead of attempting to discuss gender bias against women, where it was strongest, to non-listening ears, she thought to establish it first against men: genius.

Ginsburg understood that people, especially men, did not believe in gender bias, especially against women. Instead of trying to explain that gender bias against women existed, a topic that was and is still currently being forced into silence, she established gender bias against men. In establishing that gender bias against men existed, she established that the fundamental idea and policy of gender bias does in fact exist. And in establishing its overall existence, she established that gender bias against women exists as well. It never ceases to amaze me to look back on Ginsburg’s accomplishments. This case specifically taught me that when people won’t listen to what you have to say, you must make them listen. It taught me that tactical skill and execution are just as important as the facts in front of you, and that confidence in the information you are relaying is so utterly important.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg taught me to not apologize for existing in a world where the odds are stacked against me, to question outdated and biased authority, and make the world a place I can openly and happily exist in. Not only was Ginsburg a women’s rights activist, but she was also an LGBTQ+ ally. She fought against racial injustice, and sought to abolish classist infrastructures within this country. Ginsburg taught me to be confident in who I am, and to fight for what I believe in. She told me and many other girls my age and those older, that we deserve our seat at the table.

While we may have to fight for it more than our male counterparts, we are every bit as deserving as those who have been handed a seat, if not more. Ginsburg earned all that she had. She paved her own path, made her own way in this world, and that is exactly what I intend to do. This past year of 2020 has taught me to be myself even if society will not accept me for it. And with Justice Ginsburg’s guidance throughout my adolescence, I feel as though I’m finally owning my identity.

Course Types

We have classified RWU Law classes under the following headers. One of the following course types will be attached to each course which will allow students to narrow down their search while looking for classes.

Core Course

Students in the first and second year are required to take classes covering the following aspects of the law—contracts, torts, property, criminal law, civil procedure, and constitutional law, evidence, and professional responsibility.  Along with these aspects, the core curriculum will develop legal reasoning skills.

After finishing the core curriculum the remaining coursework toward the degree is completed through upper level elective courses.  Students can choose courses that peak their interests or courses that go along with the track they are following.

Seminars are classes where teachers and small groups of students focus on a specific topic and the students complete a substantial research paper.

Clinics/Externships

Inhouse Clinics and Clinical Externships legal education is law school training in which students participate in client representation under the supervision of a practicing attorney or law professor.  RWU Law's Clinical Programs offer unique and effective learning opportunities and the opportunity for practical experience while still in law school.

Join Now to View Premium Content

GradeSaver provides access to 2356 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 11005 literature essays, 2763 sample college application essays, 926 lesson plans, and ad-free surfing in this premium content, “Members Only” section of the site! Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders.

Providence College

Culture shock anonymous, topic of my choice, my background..

I wake up occasionally to the sound of a rooster crowing. I live in Hartford, the only real city in Connecticut and I wake to the sound of a rooster crowing. I am alone when I wake up and there is sunlight pouring into the room. I know when I go downstairs I will be greeted by many of my favorite people. I scurry down and my grandmother (Mama), my grandfather (Papi), Mom, and my aunt (Titi) are all downstairs doing one thing or another. It smells like coffee and melted butter, and Papi's crying Spanish music is playing lightly in the background, as always. This is my childhood home. It is living in this house that that helped instill the strong sense of family and culture that I have today. I have always known that when no one else is there for me my family will still be there to support me.

Mom and I moved out when I was around five years old, into our own house. It was a three family home and we lived on the second floor. We lived here until I was in the fourth grade at Saint Augustine School. I remember starting kindergarten late because my mom refused to send me to a Hartford public school. I always expected the best, because my mom only accepted the best for me. Although we didn't have much my mom would bend over...

GradeSaver provides access to 2312 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 10989 literature essays, 2751 sample college application essays, 911 lesson plans, and ad-free surfing in this premium content, “Members Only” section of the site! Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders.

Already a member? Log in

Williams College 2022-23 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision Deadline: Jan 9

You Have: 

Williams College 2022-23 Application Essay Question

The Requirements: 1 upload

Williams does not require a writing supplement. However, students who are interested in submitting an example of their written work have the option of sharing an academic paper completed within the last year, ideally 3-5 pages in length. The paper does not need to be graded, and can be creative or analytical. Please do not submit lab reports. If submitting this optional paper, please include a description of the assignment or prompt.

This year, Williams did away with their optional essay prompts and are instead offering applicants the opportunity to upload an academic paper completed within the last year. While this is completely optional, we always recommend that students take advantage of every opportunity to flesh out their application and make an impact with admissions. If you’ve written a paper within the last twelve months that you’re particularly proud of, this is the place to share it.

About CEA HQ

View all posts by CEA HQ »

Give our tutorials a try.

Contact us for information on rates and more!

• I am a * Student Parent Potential Partner School Counselor Private College Counselor
• Name * First Last
• Phone Type Mobile Landline
• Street Address
• Address City State / Province / Region Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syria Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania, the United Republic of Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Türkiye US Minor Outlying Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands Country
• Which best describes you (or your child)? High school senior High school junior College student College grad Other
• How did you find CEA? Internet Search New York Times Guidance counselor/school Social Media YouTube Friend Special Event Delehey College Consulting Other
• Common App and Coalition Essays
• Supplemental Essays
• University of California Essays
• University of Texas Essays
• Resume Review
• Post-Grad Essays
• Specialized Services
• Waitlist Letters
• Private School Essays
• General College Counseling
• School list with priorities noted:
• Anything else we should know?
• Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
• Agnes Scott College
• Alvernia University
• American University
• Amherst College
• Babson College
• Bard College
• Barnard College
• Baylor University
• Bennington College
• Bentley University
• Berry College
• Bethany College
• Bishop’s University
• Boston College
• Boston University (BU)
• Bowdoin College
• Brandeis University
• Brown University
• Bryn Mawr College
• Bucknell University
• Butler University
• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
• California Lutheran University
• Capitol Technology University
• Carleton College
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Catawba College
• Centre College
• Chapman University
• Claremont McKenna College
• Clark University
• College of Mount Saint Vincent
• College of William and Mary
• College of Wooster
• Colorado College
• Colorado School of Mines
• Columbia University
• Cornell University
• Culver-Stockton College
• D'Youville University
• Dartmouth College
• Davidson College
• Drexel University
• Duke University
• Earlham College
• Elon University
• Emerson College
• Emory University
• Flagler College
• Fordham University
• George Mason University
• Georgetown University
• Georgia State University
• Georgia Tech
• Gonzaga University
• Harvard University
• Harvey Mudd College
• Haverford College
• Hillsdale College
• Hofstra University
• Illinois Institute of Technology
• Illinois Wesleyan University
• Indiana University Bloomington
• Ithaca College
• Johns Hopkins University
• Kalamazoo College
• Lafayette College
• Lehigh University
• Lewis and Clark College
• Linfield University
• Loyola Marymount University (LMU)
• Lynn University
• Macalester College
• Malone University
• Manchester University
• Marist College
• Mary Baldwin University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Meredith College
• Monmouth College
• Moravian University
• Morehouse College
• Mount Holyoke College
• New York University (NYU)
• North Park University
• Northwestern University
• Occidental College
• Oklahoma City University
• Olin College of Engineering
• Pepperdine University
• Pitzer College
• Pomona College
• Princeton University
• Providence College
• Purdue University
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Rice University
• Saint Elizabeth University
• Santa Clara University
• Sarah Lawrence College
• Scripps College
• Seattle Pacific University
• Smith College
• Soka University of America
• Southern Methodist University
• St. John’s College
• Stanford University
• Stonehill College
• Swarthmore College
• Syracuse University
• Texas A&M University
• Texas Christian University
• The College of Idaho
• The George Washington University
• The New School
• Trinity College
• Tufts University
• Tulane University
• University of California
• University of Central Florida (UCF)
• University of Chicago
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Colorado Boulder
• University of Florida
• University of Georgia
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• University of Maryland
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• University of Miami
• University of Michigan
• University of Minnesota
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Oklahoma
• University of Oregon
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Richmond
• University of San Diego
• University of San Francisco
• University of Southern California (USC)
• University of Texas at Austin
• University of Tulsa
• University of Vermont
• University of Virginia (UVA)
• University of Washington
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Vanderbilt University
• Vassar College
• Villanova University
• Virginia Tech
• Wake Forest University
• Washington and Lee University
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Wellesley College
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
• Yale University

Want free stuff?

We thought so. Sign up for free instructional videos, guides, worksheets and more!

One-On-One Advising

Common App Essay Prompt Guide

Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

• YouTube Tutorials
• Our Approach & Team
• Undergraduate Testimonials
• Postgraduate Testimonials
• Where Our Students Get In
• CEA Gives Back
• Undergraduate Admissions
• Graduate Admissions
• Private School Admissions
• International Student Admissions
• Common App Essay Guide
• Supplemental Essay Guides
• Coalition App Guide
• The CEA Podcast
• Admissions Stats
• Notification Trackers
• Deadline Databases
• College Essay Examples
• Academy and Worksheets
• Waitlist Guides
• Get Started

Eckerd College

• Cost & scholarships
• Essay prompt

Acceptance Rate

Average SAT

SAT 25th-75th

Students Submitting SAT

Average (25th - 75th)

Reading and Writing

Average ACT

ACT 25th-75th

Students Submitting ACT

Wondering your admission chance to this school? Calculate your chance now

Applications, how to apply, tests typically submitted, similar schools.

Writing Studies, Rhetoric, and Composition Courses

WTNG 100 – INTRODUCTION TO ACADEMIC WRITING Focusing on the connection between reading and writing, this first-year course emphasizes the understanding and production of academic arguments.  In a series of increasingly complex assignments, students cultivate rhetorical and writing process knowledge as well as an understanding of the general expectations of the academic discourse community.  Assignments focus on summary and analysis of academically oriented texts.  Students must write a series of compositions, submit a satisfactory portfolio, and earn a C- or higher in the course to enroll in WTNG 102.

WTNG 102 – HOW WRITING WORKS This first-year course helps students develop a conceptual map of how writing works by building their rhetorical and writing-process knowledge and by fostering genre and discourse community awareness.  Students draft a minimum of four revised essays and complete a course portfolio.  Students must submit a satisfactory portfolio and earn a C-or higher in the course in order to enroll in 200 or 300-level writing courses.

WTNG 225 – Writing in Professional and Public Contexts Prerequisite: Successful completion (C- or higher) of WTNG 102 Fulfills the second of two University General Education requirements in the University Writing Program Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor

This problem-based course deepens students' understanding of how writing works as a tool for thought and as a vehicle for communication. Moving from academic inquiry to writing in professional and public situations, students will investigate a complex, open-ended problem by researching and synthesizing a variety of sources, voices, and perspectives. Throughout their inquiry process, students will develop additional questions, propose solutions, communicate information, and produce documents aimed at informing and persuading a range of audiences. This course offers students opportunities to think like writers as they address problems that matter in academic, professional, and public contexts.

WTNG 230 – Rhetoric of Film: Writing about Film Prerequisite: Successful completion (C- or higher) of WTNG 102 Fulfills the second of two University General Education requirements in the University Writing Program Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor In this course, students write about film as a rhetorical art.  By analyzing the relationships among purpose, audience, genre, and social context, students learn that film technique functions as rhetorical strategy. Students deepen both their rhetorical and writing process knowledge when adapting to different audiences and producing texts typical to writing about film, such as the screening report, movie review, and critical essay.

WTNG 235 – Technical Writing Prerequisite: Successful completion (C- or higher) of WTNG 102 Fulfills the second of two University General Education requirements in the University Writing Program Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor Students will learn how to apply fundamental concepts of effective technical writing that will prepare them for writing in industry, government and other professional contexts. Technical documents help move industry, government and the professions. The technical writer must make judgments about his or her audience, subject, and purposes that go far beyond transferring information. Students will study key principles of rhetorical theory, the idea of genre and its purposes, and the concept of professional audience. Technical documents may include feasibility studies, proposals, and policy statements. (3 credits) 

WTNG 240 – Writing for Business Organizations Prerequisite: Successful completion (C- or higher) of WTNG 102 Fulfills the second of two University General Education requirements in the University Writing Program Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor This course explores the causes of the success or failure of business communications. The course takes a case-based approach. Students will study the theory and practice of business communications as a pragmatic enterprise to accomplish actual change in the world. The course includes the study of the nature of domestic and global business communication, the causes and effects of communication failures, the social, legal, and ethical nature of professional communication, and the problems in determining the professional interests of readers. (3 credits)

WTNG 245 – Writing About Health Prerequisite: Successful completion (C- or higher) of WTNG 102 Fulfills the second of two University General Education requirements in the University Writing Program Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor In this course, students will further develop their rhetorical knowledge by studying and producing texts about health, nutrition, illness, and the body. Students will track how writers make informed decisions in order to present clear, user-friendly information to public and professional audiences. Students will also practice writing in a range of genres and adapting their writing for diverse rhetorical situations connected to healthcare. The course foregrounds the ethical implications of writing about bodies. A background in the health sciences is not required.  

WTNG 250 – Advanced Composition Prerequisite: Successful completion (C- or higher) of WTNG 102 Fulfills the second of two University General Education requirements in the University Writing Program Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor This course provides writers with advanced practice in drafting, revising, and editing non-fiction prose, with particular emphasis placed on questions of voice and style. Students will experiment with invention strategies and editing techniques as they plan, draft, and revise essays for a variety of purposes and audiences. In addition, they will read and respond to their own and their classmates’ writing in order to propose ideas for revision and editing. (3 credits)  

WTNG 270 – Travel Writing Prerequisite: Successful completion (C- or higher) of WTNG 102 Fulfills the second of two University General Education requirements in the University Writing Program Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor This course familiarizes students with the rhetorical issues of purpose, genre, and audience unique to the field of travel writing.  Students will adopt the curious, open-minded, and adventurous ethos of a travel writer as they write to inform, persuade, and reflect.  They will learn to incorporate key features common to travel writing, such as first-person narration; the quest-as-frame; and cultural, historical, literary, art and architectural references.  They will also learn to uphold the expectations for effective communication travel writers share, including authentic and accurate descriptions; unbiased representation of people and place; and precise, evocative word choice. (3 credits)  

WTNG 299 – Special Topics in Writing Prerequisite: Successful completion (C- or higher) of WTNG 102 Fulfills the second of two University General Education requirements in the University Writing Program Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor Special topics are initiated by student demand, interest of the instructor, or timeliness of offering. Readings and written assignments are appropriate to the Special Topic designation. This course may be repeated for credit, but students may study a single topic only once. (3 credits)  

WTNG 300 – Rhetoric in a Global Context Prerequisite: Successful completion (C- or higher) of WTNG 102 and a 200-level WTNG Course Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor In this variable topics course, students will analyze, evaluate, and synthesize how public arguments are framed globally. Topics may include the rhetorics of decolonization, antiracism, gender and sexuality, sustainability, and public health, among others relevant to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion on a global scale. Applying classical and contemporary rhetorical theories to ongoing conversations about the topic, students will produce texts that consider audiences beyond the academy. The course emphasizes inquiry-based research, engagement with multiple sources, and deep reflection about rhetorical choices. This is a variable topics course.  The course, but not the topic may be repeated for credit. (3 credits)  

WTNG 301 – The Rhetoric of Narrative Prerequisite: Successful completion (C- or higher) of WTNG 102 and a 200-level WTNG Course Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor This course explores storytelling as a rhetorical act that functions to persuade others, build knowledge, fashion identities, and create audiences. Students learn to use rhetorical concepts like ethos and identification to interpret a variety of narratives – such as fables, fairy tales, and parables; white papers, constitutions, and other claims to political autonomy; testimony taken from war crimes trials,  tribunals, and truth commissions; literacy narratives; and their own family stories. Throughout this course of study, students have opportunities to critically reflect upon and write about narratives that have shaped their own identities and/or moved them to action. (3 credits)  

WTNG 302 – Art of Writing: Forms of the Essay Prerequisite: Successful completion (C- or higher) of WTNG 102 and a 200-level WTNG Course Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor This course broadens students’ understanding of the essay as a genre, with emphasis on analyzing and writing the personal essay. Through a socio-cultural perspective, students investigate why the personal essay is persuasive discourse that parallels pathos in argument. Readings proceed from the historical to the contemporary in the arts and sciences. (3 credits)  

WTNG 303 – Environmental Rhetoric Prerequisite: Successful completion (C- or higher) of WTNG 102 and a 200-level WTNG Course Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor This course will examine important writers and thinkers from Henry David Thoreau to William McKibben for ways in which arguments about human/nature relationships have evolved. The tensions in these relationships, this course argues, have forged environmentalism into a counter-hegemonic discourse that challenges fundamental assumptions about the centrality of man, the role and value of “progress,” and the utility of nature. (3 credits)  

WTNG 304 –Feminist Rhetorics Prerequisite: Successful completion (C- or higher) of WTNG 102 and a 200-level WTNG Course Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor Feminist. A polarizing word, people understand it in very different ways. In this course we will  analyze various definitions of feminism by exploring how scholars of feminist rhetorics have recovered the transgressive ways women use their writing, speaking, and silence to intervene in the world. We will focus on the methods and methodologies by which these scholars examine feminist rhetorics. As we investigate the ways feminists (of all genders) have used their writing, speaking, and silence to speak back to power and to challenge implicit rules about who gets to speak (or write) in a given situation, we will consider how these feminist rhetorical theories and practices might inform our own discursive interventions in the world.

WTNG 305 – Writing the City Prerequisite: Successful completion (C- or higher) of WTNG 102 and a 200-level WTNG Course Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor In this course, students analyze the city as text—a complex, multilayered environment that includes densely textured landscapes, platforms for creativity and innovation, and sites of systemic injustice and political struggle. This course prompts students to explore—physically, emotionally, and rhetorically—the discourse communities of the city; the situatedness of knowledge; the relationships between design, identity, and power; questions of location, representation, and globalization; and the creation of publics and counterpublics.  (3 credits)  

WTNG 310 – Rhetoric of Science Prerequisite: Successful completion (C- or higher) of WTNG 102 and a 200-level WTNG Course Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor

This course examines the rhetoric of science, or how scientists persuade one another and the public regarding what is known about the natural world, how we go about knowing it, and, based on what we know, how we should act.  Students will apply the rhetoric of science to analyze and engage in scientific discourse, science writing for non-scientific audiences, and debates around science in the public sphere. (3 credits)

WTNG 321 – Multimodal Writing in Public Spheres Prerequisite: Successful completion (C- or higher) of WTNG 102 and a 200-level WTNG Course Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor This course explores the theory and practice of writing that serves public interests. As writing in public spheres is produced across a variety of media – from blogs to tweets to visual images to print-based texts – students will produce and analyze multimodal compositions meant to accomplish a specific outcome for a particular audience. Students will explore the theoretical, rhetorical, and ethical considerations of writing in public spheres, and produce a variety of multimodal genres. Note: previous experience with digital or multimodal composing not required. (3 credits)  

WTNG 322 – Advancing Public Argument Prerequisite: Successful completion (C- or higher) of WTNG 102 and a 200-level WTNG Course Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor

Equality. Knowledge. Happiness. Freedom. The public sphere is where the meaning and implications of these words are constantly defined, contested and renegotiated. Beginning with readings that offer definitions of rhetoric role in the public sphere itself, students read a wide range of historical and contemporary public discourses that have sought to advance persuasive arguments to the American citizenry. By analyzing a variety of public genres (letters, photographs, speeches, film, statistics, art installations) with attention to the ways authors deploy the rhetorical appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos, students gain fluency as critically engaged citizens, able to participate in the reading, writing, and resisting of on-going public arguments. Writing projects privilege student interest but emphasize the development of visual, cultural, and quantitative rhetoric’s. (3 credits)  

WTNG 340 - Advanced Topics in Workplace Writing Prerequisite: Successful completion (C- or higher) of WTNG 102 and a 200-level WTNG Course Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor

In this variable topics course, students will examine how writing plays a central role in the workplace. Students will draw from case studies in order to learn how to transfer advanced rhetorical concepts to future contexts, especially at the workplace. This inquiry will support students as they practice planning, writing, and revising high-quality documents. The course focuses on writing ethically, document design, collaborative writing, persuasion, writing with data, language diversity, and/or related areas in print and digital texts. Course topics may include professional editing, professional writing in a global context, corporate language and writing, and writing related to different fields. The course but not the topic may be repeated for credit.  The course but not the topic may be repeated for credit. (3 credits)

WTNG 400 – Writing for Social Change Prerequisite: Successful completion of a 200 or 300 Level WTNG course (or higher) and at least Junior Standing Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor

After forming a partnership with a local, non-profit social service agency, participants in this course will determine which of the agency’s goals can be met by collaborating on research and writing projects. The writing projects will vary, depending on the objectives of the agency and the needs of the people it serves. The purpose of the texts produced will range from raising public awareness of agency-specific problems and issues to securing resources for the organization. On-going reading and class discussions will center on the potency of texts, the role of the writer in bringing about social change, and the value of civic engagement. (3 credits)  

WTNG 405 – Grants and Proposals Prerequisite: Successful completion of a 200 or 300 Level WTNG course (or higher) and at least Junior Standing Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor

This course gives students an introduction to grants and proposals from a rhetorical perspective. Non-profit, corporate, and government organizations offer many opportunities to fund projects; and clear, persuasive writing is a key part of securing this funding. Students will learn about the grant application process—from researching opportunities to submitting final drafts—and the basics of writing strong proposals. Throughout the course, students will study genre conventions such as the letter of transmittal, abstract, problem statement, timeline, and budget. Ultimately, the course aims to help students understand how to make thoughtful rhetorical decisions in order to produce effective, persuasive arguments about their projects and research plans.

WTNG 430 – Special Topics Prerequisite: Successful completion of a 200 or 300 Level WTNG course (or higher) and at least Junior Standing Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor

This course offers an in-depth study of an aspect of writing theory or practice. The specific focus varies from semester to semester and may include such topics as composition pedagogy; advanced argument; rhetorical analysis of modern culture; civil discourse; community-based writing; and argument in advanced writing for the sciences or for the professions. As topics vary, the course may be repeated for credit. (3 credits)  

WTNG 460 – Writing Studies Internship Prerequisite: Successful completion of a 200 or 300 Level WTNG course (or higher) and at least Junior Standing Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor

Projects may include professional, disciplinary, or technical writing situations; advanced or capstone projects, courses, or work experiences; or a deeper understanding of college-level composition and the research required for the field. Students must have completed at least 3 of the 5 writing courses required for a Writing Studies Core Concentration and have maintained a 3.0 GPA in those courses. (3 credits)  

WTNG 470 – The Writing Thesis/Portfolio Prerequisite: Successful completion of two Writing courses at the 300-level or above. At least junior standing or consent of instructor. Fulfills a course requirement in the Professional and Public Writing Core Concentration and Minor

This course offers students the opportunity to concentrate on one of two genres – the thesis or the portfolio. If students choose the thesis option, they will select a topic of inquiry related to theory, history, pedagogy, or practice of rhetoric and/or composition. The portfolio option entails assembling, analyzing, and evaluating a body of original work that demonstrates the students’ ability to apply their knowledge of writing to a variety of professional, academic, and public contexts. (3 credits)