Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have demonstrated the potential to deliver quality and cost effective course materials to large numbers of students. Approximately 60% of first-year students at community colleges are underprepared for college-level coursework. One reason for low graduation rates is the lack of the overall college readiness. MOOCs offering "remedial" writing have the potential to better prepare high school graduates for college, thereby increasing their chances of completing a degree and reducing the cost of education for students, families, institutions, and taxpayers. However, MOOCs are typically more suitable for motivated and prepared students. Designing a MOOC on writing for a diverse group of students who lack basic academic writing skills requires thoughtful modifications. In this article, we examine the needs of basic writers and the challenges involved in providing personalized feedback on the content of student writings via a MOOC platform. We recommend some MOOC variations that would be suitable for college readiness writing courses: Limited MOOC (lMOOC), Hybrid MOOC (hMOOC), Flipped MOOC (fMOOC), Mini MOOC (mMOOC), MOOC Workshops (MOOCw).