Getting Ready for your GWPL Appointments
During every appointment, our goal is to help you grow as a writer and speaker. In each session (which lasts up to 50 minutes), our trained consultants will work with you to set goals and support you in achieving them—whether you’re just starting a project, revising a draft, or preparing to present. You’re welcome to come at any point in your process: from brainstorming to the final draft.
We assist with a wide range of graduate-level writing and presenting projects, including (but not limited to) seminar papers, dissertation or thesis proposals and chapters, conference abstracts and talks, journal articles, grant proposals, and teaching materials such as personal statements or teaching philosophies. We also help you develop or revise professional documents like CVs, research statements, and job application materials.
Rather than line-editing, our focus is on “higher order concerns.” This means we help you strengthen your ideas, organization, argumentation, thesis, audience awareness, and overall clarity. We aim to provide feedback that not only improves your current project, but builds your writing skills for future projects.
Please arrive on time and prepared with whatever materials will help us work together (e.g., your draft, assignment prompt, syllabus, or presentation slides—you can upload/share these documents on our writing appointment platform). Students may schedule up to two (2) appointments per week (but only one per day). Visit our scheduling page for detailed instructions on making appointments. If you have accessibility or accommodation needs, please contact us in advance so we can best support you.
Need to Hire Line Editors?
One of our most common misconceptions is that we focus on “lower order concerns” such as proofreading grammar and punctuation. GWPL consultants are here to help you grow as a writer, not to ‘fix’ your paper. What this means is that GWPL Consultants do not line edit documents.
However, we do maintain a list of freelance editors who you can contact to line edit your writing.
Freelance Editors: if you are interested in being added to our list, please reach out to the GWPL. Please note we only update this list about once per semester.
Please note: the Graduate Writing and Presenting Lab does not assist with comprehensive or qualifying exams in any way. See sections 8.27.11 and 8.27.15 of the University Manual.