Placement
Placement At West Shore Community College
Placement helps students start in the right courses so they can build confidence, save time, and move toward their academic goals with the support they need. At WSCC, placement is designed to meet students where they are — whether they are coming straight from high school, returning after time away, or transferring from another college.
Guided Self-Placement
The Guided Self-Placement (GSP) survey is required for all students who plan to take ENG 111 – Composition I, MTH 121 – Intermediate Algebra, MTH 123 – Introduction to Statistics, or MTH 125 – Quantitative Reasoning.
What it is:
An online survey that helps students start strong in college-level English and math. By reflecting on experiences with reading, writing, math, study habits, and confidence, students receive personalized guidance on whether adding a support course would help them succeed. Dual enrolled students share their results with high school counselors to help ensure they feel confident and ready for the college-level challenge.
How it works:
After students complete the survey, they will receive recommendations for English and math. These recommendations may include enrolling in college-level courses or adding support courses to strengthen their skills and confidence. Students will receive their results by email and in their my.westshore student portal. The results will also be shared with their advisor.
Support Courses:
- Writing Essentials (ENG 098): Taken alongside ENG 111, this course provides students with structured support, dedicated class time for completing assignments, and coaching from the instructor.
- Math Essentials (MTH 021/023/025): Taken alongside MTH 121, 123, or 125, these courses offer guided practice and coaching to help students build their math skills.
(Support courses are not available for Dual Enrollment or Early Middle College students.)
Understanding Your Guided Self-Placement Results
After completing the Guided Self-Placement survey, your results are emailed to you and appear in my.westshore under “Guided Self-Placement Results.” You’ll see a short phrase such as Support Course Recommended or Support Course Optional for English and math. These results help you understand which courses fit best with your background, goals, and confidence level.
Support Course Recommended
Students receiving this recommendation are encouraged to take a support course alongside their first English or math class. These small-group labs provide extra time, guided practice, and one-on-one feedback from instructors. They’re designed to strengthen skills and build confidence while earning credit in the main course. Support courses are not prerequisites—they simply add built-in time and support to help students succeed without extra homework or delay.
|
Support Course (taken with) |
College-Level Course |
|
ENG 098 – Writing Essentials |
ENG 111 – English Composition I |
|
MTH 021 – Algebra Essentials |
MTH 121 – Intermediate Algebra |
|
MTH 023 – Statistics Essentials |
MTH 123 – Introduction to Statistics |
|
MTH 025 – Quantitative Reasoning Essentials |
MTH 125 – Quantitative Reasoning |
Support Course Optional
Students receiving this recommendation are ready for college-level work and may enroll in ENG 111 – English Composition I or one of the following math courses:
MTH 121 – Intermediate Algebra, MTH 123 – Introduction to Statistics, or MTH 125 – Quantitative Reasoning without support courses.
You can also choose to add a support course if you’d like additional practice, structure, or coaching as you start college-level work.
Dual-enrolled and Early Middle College students:
Support courses are not part of dual enrollment. Share your GSP results with your high school counselor for review and course approval.
Placement Into Higher-Level Courses
Guided Self-Placement helps determine readiness for gateway English and math courses (ENG 111 and MTH 121/123/125). Students who wish to take courses beyond these levels—such as ENG 112 – Composition II or MTH 161 – College Algebra with Trigonometry—must demonstrate eligibility through one or more of the following:
- Satisfactory ACT, SAT, or Accuplacer test scores (for advanced math).
- Successful completion of prerequisite WSCC coursework.
- Transfer credit showing an equivalent prerequisite course.
Advanced Placement (AP) Credit
Students who took AP exams in high school and earned a score of 3 or higher may receive WSCC credit. AP credit can help them:
- Place into higher-level courses.
- Earn college credit toward their degree.
Next Steps
- Apply for admission if you haven’t already.
- Complete the Guided Self-Placement survey.
- Review your results in your WestShore student portal.
- Meet with your advisor (or high school counselor if dual enrolled) to finalize your course selection.
- Register for classes.