Our graduate writing program offers one-on-one sessions with a professional writing coach.
In addition to providing you with an assessment of a your writing and suggestions for improvement, the writing coach can help you develop strategies for all stages of the writing process—from outlining and prewriting to editing and even publishing.
Specific areas of assistance include:
- adapting to the genre of academic writing
- working through writer’s block
- identifying passive voice and writing for clarity
- combatting wordiness and writing with concision
- overall coherence/structure of a paper/argument
- using correct citation styles
- tips for healthy writing practices and for surviving and thriving in academia
Types of documents students can bring to coaching sessions include:
- term papers
- presentation or conference papers
- journal articles, article abstracts
- sections of a thesis (such as literature reviews, case studies/ethnographies, textual analysis, etc.)
- cover letters and resumes/curricula vitae
- personal statements for doctoral programs
- writing samples for fellowships, scholarships, PhD, or job applications
You must email your document to the writing coach 24 hours in advance of your appointment. Appointments will run approximately 45 minutes. Extended sessions available upon request for longer documents like theses (and, in some cases, dissertations).
The writing program also offers group workshops throughout the semester. Workshops cover the topics listed above.
Get to Know the Writing Coach: Kari Hensley
Kari Hensley is the Writing Coach for MCC’s graduate students. Kari holds a PhD (2013) and an MA (2007) from MCC at NYU, and a BA in the History of Art from the University of California, Berkeley (2000). She has over five years of teaching and writing coaching experience. Additionally, she is a professional academic developmental and copy editor with a roster of clients ranging from graduate students to tenured professors. As a researcher, she has worked with the research institute Data & Society investigating the social implications and political economy of data mining in consumer finance, criminal justice, housing, education, and employment; and at the Debt Collective (formerly Strike Debt) researching the intricacies of student debt and the financialization of higher education. Prior to her career in academia, she ran a non-profit arts organization based in San Francisco with artist Guillermo Gómez-Peña. Outside of work, you'll probably find her teaching someone how to rock climb.