Tutorials are by appointment or on a walk-in basis, but since we tend to get quite busy, we recommend that all students make an appointment.

We also keep a waiting list during busy times in case we get cancellations. It’s worthwhile to call us even if you have heard that we are booked.

Students can have up to two appointments per week (no more than one appointment per day). If you schedule an appointment and aren’t able to make it, please call and cancel in advance. We keep a waiting list, so the appointment slot you can’t use will allow us to accommodate another writer.

What Happens in a Tutorial

Tutorials are one hour long and begin on the hour.

Project Types

We will work with students on any writing project, including essays, senior theses, personal statements and more. We can even help with take-home exams. Unlike any other writing project, however, we require instructor permission to work with such exams. You may ask your instructor to email us at writing@wustl.edu.

What to Bring

Bring in a printed copy of what you have written so far, if anything, along with the assignment or prompt, if there is one. If you don’t have a paper yet, that’s fine; we love working with students during the brainstorming process as well as the revision process.

If you bring in a draft, the tutor will spend the first 15 or 20 minutes of the tutorial reading your draft carefully, and then you will have a chance to discuss the paper with the tutor for the remaining time.

In our tutorials, we start with the larger issues first, like argumentation and evidence, organization and development. We help students clarify and strengthen their ideas through the process of revision. We talk about style and some sentence-level issues like word choice and clarity, but we do not proofread. Instead, we will identify patterns of error and help you learn to strengthen the mechanics of your own writing.

Our goal is not only to help you write better papers but to help you become a better writer.

Long Papers

We work with students on longer papers and projects, but we usually can’t cover more than 10-12 pages during one tutorial. Students working on theses and dissertations often work with the same tutor over a period of weeks or months, bringing in a chapter at a time.

Out-of-Town Tutorials

If you are abroad or out of town, we would be happy to work with you remotely.  When you schedule your appointment using our online scheduling system, you will see an option to meet online.  If you have a draft, you can also upload a draft.  If you do not have a draft at this time, you may email it to us later at writing@wustl.edu.

At the time of your appointment, log back into the online scheduling system and click on your appointment.  You will see a link to “Start or Join Online Conversation.”  You will then see a pop-up window for the online session.  Click on the small camera icon near the top right and allow access to your camera and microphone.  Your tutor will be online at the top of the hour to start your session.

University College Email Tutorials

Although we believe a face-to-face conversation is the best way for us to support writers, we also know scheduling a tutorial during our open hours can be challenging for some students, particularly for University College students with other obligations during the day. In order to make our services more accessible, we offer an Email Tutoring option. University College students working on coursework can submit drafts online, and one of our tutors will read it carefully and respond with thoughtful, constructive feedback within three business days. If you are a University College student and would like to submit a draft, please contact us.

Other Languages

If you are writing in a language other than English, we can still help you in the brainstorming stages of your writing process. We can discuss your ideas with you, help you clarify your argument and your organization and more. We aren’t able to read drafts in other languages, however.

Requesting a Specific Tutor

If you’d like to work with a specific tutor for a specific reason (a thesis or dissertation, for example), you are welcome to do so by selecting their name on the schedule.