Who can use the Writing Center's services? 

Any UVa student can use our services--undergraduates, grad students, from any program or college. UVa alumni can continue to use our services after graduating as long as they still have a valid UVa email address.

Who works at the Writing Center?

We employ undergraduate and graduate students as Writing Consultants. They come to us from a variety of majors and programs; learn more about our current staff here!

What happens in a writing consultation?

You will work face-to-face with a consultant in a 25- or 50-minute appointment (your choice). Your consultant will introduce him or herself, briefly explain what to expect, then ask you to share what questions have brought you to the Writing Center. Once you have articulated your needs, the two of you will work together on your writing. Depending on your situation, you and your Consultant might review the assignment instructions, brainstorm ideas to get started, think through ways to outline an argument, read through a draft, discuss how to develop your ideas, or review it together for a final edit. During the consultation, you might make changes to your writing or take notes for later. After the session is over, you will receive via email a brief write-up describing what was covered in the session.

I can't come onto Grounds--can I meet with someone online?

All of our face-to-face consultations can be conducted synchronously online; you can choose that modality when you create the appointment, or you can go back after the fact and switch the modality to online. The session will proceed in the same collaborative manner as an in-person consultation. 

At what point in my writing process should I work with a Writing Consultant?

Our consultants help at all stages: from the brainstorming that begins the process, through the development of the ideas, the engagement with sources and evidence, the structuring of the paragraphs, all the way to the final revisions. Visit us early in your process if you're unsure how to begin a project; visit us halfway through your process if you have a draft but you want some feedback on it; visit us at the end of your process if you want one last look before handing it in.

What kind of writing can I bring to the Writing Center?

Students bring us writing for their courses (essays, reports, analyses, critiques, research papers, presentation slides, literature reviews, etc.) and writing for outside projects (application essays, personal narratives, resumes, job letters, etc.). We can also help with multi-modal projects that incorporate audio and visual components.

English is not my first language; is there anyone in the Writing Center with the expertise to work with me?

While all of our consultants are well-positioned to work with any writer, some of our Writing Consultants have English as a Second Language training. They are designated on the scheduling site as "English as a Second Language Consultant."

Is There Anything the Writing Center Does NOT Do?

We do not proofread or edit for you; instead, we will help you identify problems or patterns of error and explain how to address these problems. We also cannot work with students on take-home exams unless the instructor has explicitly permitted students to use the Writing Center.

This Sounds Amazing--How Do I Schedule an Appointment?

Go to https://virginia.mywconline.com/ to create an account in our scheduling system if you do not yet have one . Then you can log in, choose the appropriate schedule (“Bryan Hall 314” for example), and then an appointment.