Transfer and returning students who have not completed Phase One through transfer credit should take the Freshman Essay Evaluation during their first term at the Institute.

Students who do not pass the Evaluation have until the end of the eighth week of their third term at MIT to submit Phase One Papers. For example, a student who transferred into MIT as a sophomore in the Fall of 1996 would have until Monday, November 3, 1997 to submit a Phase One paper. If a transfer student does not submit a paper by that date, or if the paper he or she submits is not judged Acceptable after a maximum of two revisions, he or she must complete Phase One by enrolling in an Approved Phase One Writing Subject in the following term.

Students can satisfy Phase One through a subject taken at another institution only if that class receives transfer credit as a designated Phase One subject. Consequently, transfer students seeking to complete Phase One through a subject taken at another institution should contact the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies to determine if the subject is equivalent to an approved Phase One Writing Subject. However, if the subject was for students whose first language is not English, a student should contact the English as a Second Language Program.

Students returning to the Institute after a leave of absence of more than three years should contact the Writing Requirement Office and schedule an appointment to discuss their situation.