Our 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.