Request a Consultation

Ready to make an appointment? You must use the online appointment system. Follow these instructions for using the system.

Please review our consultation policies.

While classes are in session (fall, spring, and summer terms), fellows hold several kinds of consultations; read-ahead and brainstorming consultations are scheduled for 60 minutes and must be reserved in advance through the online scheduling system. During consultations, graduate students can expect to engage in attentive conversation about their writing with a peer. A graduate student can work with a writing fellow to. . . .

Talk through, develop, and organize ideas into clear, coherent prose.
Develop skills in editing and revising.
Learn to interpret the structure, style, and requirements of writing required at the graduate level (including seminar papers, manuscripts, literature reviews, and chapters of longer projects).
Get constructive feedback from a thoughtful reader.

Fellows do not edit a student’s writing; instead, students can expect to work collaboratively with the fellows to develop as a writers.

Read-ahead consultations may be face-to-face, online (synchronous), or eTutoring (asynchronous, via email). These appointments require students to submit writing at least 24 hours in advance. Fellows read and comment on the submissions in preparation for the hour-long consultation.

Brainstorming consultations are ideal for students who are in the planning and development stage of their writing project. These appointments do not require students to submit writing in advance and offer an opportunity to meet with a fellow and brainstorm about a project, review shorter documents (such as cover letters, personal statements, or other documents shorter than three pages), or discuss questions and concerns about style or usage.

Drop-in consultations are best for last-minute requests and for reviewing shorter documents. Writing Fellows will offer drop-in consultations on a first-come, first-served basis in the GS Writing Center, 5100B McKeldin. Drop-in consultations will be 30 minutes long (students may extend the consultation if availablity permits), and students are asked to bring documents of no more than 1500 words for these consultations or to use the time to brainstorm current projects. For Spring 2018, drop-in consultations will be offered from 12pm-3pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays (beginning Feb. 8, 2018). No advance registration is required, but students may call the GS Writing Center with any questions before coming to drop-in hours.