University President Michael Adams may approve a proposal to add the SAT writing section as a requirement for first-year applicants for Fall 2009.

The College Board, which administers the SAT, added a writing section three years ago.

“There is a lot of history as to why [the College Board] did this,” said Patrick Winter, senior associate director of admissions. “Most schools agree the writing section is a good predictor of how all students performs in college. We did not want to use it until we gathered more information.”

Admissions will not place more emphasis on the writing section, he said.

“The importance of the SAT depends on how a student applies,” Winter said. “Early action is driven solely by numbers but regular decision is holistic … activities, student involvement, essays, leadership.”

“This [proposal] is not new. We have been telling students for three years.”

The section will help students who are strong writers, he said.

“I do not think this is a big deal,” said Andrew Szymanski, a senior from Topsfield, Mass. “I would prepare the same way I would for the verbal and math section – by taking prep classes.”

Most high schools do not prepare students for college-level writing, said Jeffery Threat, a junior from Lawenceville.

“[Admissions] should consider the writing section, but it should not be the primary factor that determines who gets in,” Threat said.