A study examined the expectations of incoming University of Tennessee at Chattanooga freshmen about an hour-long placement essay. Subjects, 96 randomly chosen students, responded to a series of 5 questions concerning what an essay is, what kinds of writing they had done, how they feel about writing tests, what topics they had written about in English classes, and their attitude toward having to take the required placement exam. Results indicated that: (1) students were confused as to what constitutes an essay; (2) many students engaged in journal writing, but there seemed to be little connection between such informal writing and their formal assignments; and (3) students tended to perceive writing as testing or as second guessing the mind of the teacher. Findings suggest that there is room for improvement in the writing curriculum of some high schools, including: taking the writing process seriously; approaching writing about literature in a more student-oriented manner; making creative writing available to all students; and appointing a director or coordinator of writing across the curriculum in each school. (RS)