For Students

Meet with a sophomore, junior, or senior for a lively, hour-long conversation about writing. Peer tutors read drafts, ask questions, and guide you through the process of planning, drafting, and revising your assignment.

Conferences are 60- or 90-minute conversations with a friendly peer about work in progress. Writers can schedule conferences at any point in the writing process, whether they've just received an assignment or already have a complete draft.

What is a conference like?

Tutors are smart, general readers. They ask questions to help you clarify your thinking and share their understanding of what's written on the page so that you can decide whether your meaning is accurately conveyed. They suggest options and strategies for planning, drafting, and revising. Their goal is to help you not only to finish the current assignment, but also to learn strategies that you can use again in the future.

How do I meet with a tutor?

1. Create an account on our online schedule and log on. The white rectangles are available appointment times. You can use the dropdown menu at the top of the schedule to view only the hours of "specialist" tutors, such as public speaking tutors, foreign language tutors, or a multilingual writing specialist.
2. Click on an available appointment to view the appointment pop-up window and read the tutor's bio.
3. Fill in the fields on the pop-up window. Explain what you want to accomplish during the conference.

Please learn how to make the most of your conference and read our policies before your first visit.

Make the Most of Your Conference:

First time making an appointment at the Writing Center? We can't wait to meet you!

• Please keep the appointment. Sometimes writers cancel appointments because they don't feel "ready" or don't have a complete draft. We can help! In fact, having a conference earlier on can often make the entire writing process more efficient.
• Share the prompt, the texts, and any writing that you've done so far. Messy notes, post-its, sketches, outlines written on napkins--we've seen it all. Upload whatever you've written so far as an attachment to the appointment so that the tutor can take a look. During the appointment, be ready to share the assignment and texts. The tutor might revisit them with you during the conference to make sure that you're on track.
• Be open to the experience. Lots of people feel nervous when showing their writing to others. Even your tutor feels that way. That's why we structure our conferences as a friendly conversation between peers. The tutor asks questions, listens, gives suggestions, and teaches you strategies for planning, organizing, drafting, and revising. The more that you participate in the conference, the more you'll learn. We hope you'll not only have better control over the shape and content of your final draft, but also learn strategies to make writing your next paper easier.
• Help us help you. Reflect on what you'd like to achieve during the conference and communicate it to your tutor. If you're unsure what you want to work on, that's okay--the tutor can suggest some potential goals for you to choose from. Also, feel free to share your learning style, preferences, or challenges. The more we know about you as a writer and thinker, the better we can serve you.

Meet with a peer tutor to develop or practice for an in-class presentation, speech, poster or conference presentation, fellowship interview, or oral exam. We also can help you prepare to lead or participate in class discussions. Use the drop-down menu at the top of the online schedule to view hours and available appointments.

Intended for students who want to work intensely on their writing or who are working on a long-term writing project, the Writing Partners program provides students with a weekly guaranteed appointment with the same tutor all semester long.

A writing partnership is a guaranteed, weekly appointment with a Writing Center tutor.

Over the course of the semester, your partner gets to know you and your writing process and helps you set long-term goals for improving as a writer.

Partners might use their time together in a number of ways:

• to review writing assignments and strategize ways to approach them
• to talk out ideas for papers
• to discuss drafts
• to revise and copy edit
• to discuss course readings and figure out how to use them effectively in writing
• to explore resources that will make you a better writer.
• Having a writing partner is like having a personal trainer for your brain! It's great for senior thesis writers, students taking classes with lots of writing assignments, frequent Writing Center patrons, students making the transition to college writing, or writers who procrastinate or have writer's block. The time commitment is small, but the payoff in terms of becoming a better writer is huge.

To request a writing partner, contact Writing Center Leadership Team member Elinor Rivera '25.

The Writing Center runs workshops and events throughout the year for senior thesis writers, ESEM students, and students interested in learning more about writing and public speaking.

When you dread drafting or can't stand another hour working on your thesis in your dorm room, join us for one of our weekly writers' rooms and crank out some pages in the company of friends. Reserve a spot, and you're guaranteed one of the twelve individual work stations spaced around the Center.

When you arrive, check in with the host, who will assign you to a socially-distanced work station. Set a goal for the session and get to work! The host will announce the official kick-off and end of the writers' room, and you'll receive time checks every so often to keep you on task. If you get stuck and want to talk with a tutor, see the host.

Bring your laptop or use one of the two desktops in the room. We have earplugs, or you can bring headphones, as long as the sound isn't audible to others.

The BMC Writing Center is for Bryn Mawr College students or students enrolled in Bryn Mawr College courses.

Writers may have a maximum of two appointments per week. If you participate in the Writing Partners program, you have a guaranteed weekly appointment and may make one additional appointment per week, if you wish.

Appointments may not be canceled within two hours of the start time. If you realize at the last minute that you can't make an appointment, email the tutor directly to avoid being marked as a "no-show." Please note: if you email the tutor after the start time, you may still be marked as a no-show.

The online scheduling system automatically freezes the accounts of students who fail to show up for appointments ("no-show") twice in the same semester. But don't worry--you can continue to use the Writing Center as a walk-in, and you can email the director to ask to be "unfrozen." At the beginning of the next semester, the "no-show" counter returns to zero.

We reserve the right to ask you to reschedule if you arrive late and we don't think we have enough time remaining in the hour to give your draft the attention it deserves.

We can't help with midterm or final exams unless we have written permission from the instructor. It's against the Honor Code! Papers in lieu of exams are usually not a problem, but ask your instructor just in case.

It opens on the Monday of the second week of classes.

Yes, but our schedule changes. During the last week of classes, check the whiteboard in the Writing Center or the login page of the online schedule for information about our finals week hours.

Yes! All writers can benefit from the feedback of an interested reader. In fact, most professional writers--including your professors--show their work to others in order to improve it.

Yes! The Writing Center sees students from all class years.

Yes! We offer tutorials for writing in all disciplines. Staff members are trained to respond to writing outside of their majors, and some tutors, because of their major or coursework, specialize in non-humanities writing. Check out the Meet the Staff page or the staff roster posted on the wall in the Writing Center to learn about our tutors’ special skills.

Yes! We help with all different kinds of writing tasks, including personal statements for graduate or professional schools (law school, medical school, etc.), applications for internships, and applications for funding. We don't help with resumes, though.

Yes, if we have a tutor on staff who is fluent in the language. Use the drop-down menu at the top of the online schedule to view the hours of foreign language tutors. Please note: we only help with writing assignments for upper-level foreign language courses, and you need to try to converse with the tutor in the target language for at least part of the conference.

If you're clear about the kind of help you want with your creative writing, we may be able to assist. Some staff members have a special interest in helping students of creative writing; areas of specialization are listed on the staff roster posted on the wall in the Writing Center.

Yes! We won't fix your grammar for you, but we will teach you how to find and fix errors on your own. Students who use the Writing Center consistently will make steady progress from semester to semester. Or, email the director, Jen Callaghan, to ask about the "Grammar Squad," a 6-week writing partnership for students who want to work exclusively on grammar, mechanics, and style.

We sometimes end up helping with skills related to academic writing, such as time management, critical reading strategies, or the basics of library research. However, we're not the main resource on campus for study skills. For non-writing-related study skills (for example, how to study effectively for a foreign language or math class), contact a Peer Mentor. If you're having trouble in a particular class, contact the professor and your dean.

Theoretically, yes, but our schedule fills up quickly, and it's unlikely that your favorite tutor will always be available. Try working with another member of the staff--you'll probably find a few more "favorites"!

Yes! Lots of writers visit to talk through ideas with a friendly conversation partner.

No. We take pride in the care we give to each assignment.

Yes. Students may have a maximum of one conference per day, and they can meet with a tutor up to twice per week. It's important to have time to work on your paper between visits and to ensure that everyone has a chance to book an appointment at the Writing Center.

Tell your tutor or contact Prof. Callaghan, Director of the Writing Center.

Writing Center employees are trained to work with students during any stage of the writing process and to help with all kinds of writing tasks. Some tutors volunteer for additional training so that they can help with public speaking.

Tutors work 6-8 hours per week, are well paid, and gain valuable experience. During their scheduled hours at the Writing Center, tutors meet one-on-one with peers for 60-minute in-person or online conferences. Tutors are expected to submit reports and timesheets on time and participate in professional development activities or special projects while on shift. Mandatory training takes place at the beginning of each semester and during weekly staff meetings.

Strong candidates exhibit excellent interpersonal and critical thinking skills. They are acute readers, able to analyze the structure and content of an argument, and good at carrying on conversations about complex ideas. You don't have to be a perfect writer to work at the Writing Center—a love of writing, intellectual curiosity, and eagerness to learn are what matters. We hire students from all majors, and students who are pre-med, natural science majors, or fluent in languages other than English are encouraged to apply.

Writing Center Peer Tutor is a Level II position. Tutors are hired for one academic year and receive preference during the next year's hiring cycle. Students who are rehired for a second or third year are eligible for pay increases.

Hiring occurs once per year, in the second half of the spring semester.

Step 1: Download the detailed instructions and read them carefully.

Step 2: Download and fill out an application form.

Step 3: Prepare a writing sample.

Step 4: Ask an instructor or campus staff member to serve as a reference.

Step 5: If you have never visited the Writing Center before, make an appointment to work on a current assignment.

Step 6: Turn in your application and writing sample by Friday, April 18, 2025. Email the documents to Dr. Callaghan (writingcenter@brynmawr.edu).

Step 7: Finalists will be selected and invited for an interview during the last few weeks of the semester.

Job offers are extended during finals. The applicant pool is competitive: only a small number of new staff members are hired each year, and there are always more qualified applicants than openings. If openings arise mid-year, a qualified applicant from a past hiring cycle is invited to fill it.

Use the Writing Center. The best way to gain an understanding of the work that we do is to experience it first-hand. Try bringing in assignments at different points in the writing process, and work with more than one tutor so that you get a sense of different tutoring styles.

Hone your written and oral communication skills. Take advantage of your instructors' office hours to seek advice about which aspects of your writing could be improved. Take courses with frequent writing assignments and with professors who provide feedback on writing.

Gain experience tutoring or teaching. Take the Department of Literatures in English's writing pedagogy course, an Education course, or a creative writing workshop. Work as a content tutor or teaching assistant. Swap drafts with friends and classmates.