Noting that the University of Illinois' Special Options Rhetoric program is designed for special admit students who score 15 or below on ACT tests, this paper investigates the efficacy of the program to help marginal students, and also includes information on writing programs at the University of Michigan and Ohio University. An introduction questions whether one semester of this particular writing program is sufficient. Following a methodology section are a number of interviews with those connected with Special Options Rhetoric, concerning why the program was developed, and descriptions of other rhetoric courses. Included next are samples of Special Options students' work, their evaluations of the class, and a content analysis of those opinions. Following several more interviews with teaching assistants, directors, and administrators is a description of classroom activity in a Special Options class, an EOP (Equal Opportunity Program) rhetoric class, and a standard freshman rhetoric 105 class. Alternative programs from Michigan and Ohio are then described, followed by a findings section, which notes that while the Special Options Rhetoric program has been partially successful in helping athletes with severe difficulties in writing, one semester is not adequate to these marginal students up to even Rhetoric 105 standards; funding is also low, and support from the English Department is minimal. The paper recommends cooperation between the university, the Athletic Association, and the Illinois Board of Higher Education, a stabilizing of the Special Options program, and training and support of Special Options instructors. Appendixes contain a history and description of the writing requirement at the University of Michigan, and a course description for the writing workshop at Ohio State University. (JC)