AS&E Students
Arts and Sciences, Engineering, SMFA at Tufts
TUFTS.EDU
AS&E Students
Arts and Sciences, Engineering, SMFA at Tufts
StAAR Center

Become a Graduate Writing Consultant

Applications are currently closed. This information is available to give you a sense of the position if you want to apply next year. Check back in January 2025 for updated application and training dates. 

Read the information below before applying, and note our in-person training dates: August 19 – 23, 2024. There will also be an additional 2-hour training during the week of August 26 -- date and time TBD. 

Position Description 

Graduate Writing Consultants work one-to-one with both undergraduate and graduate students on a variety of writing activities. Primarily, this takes the form of academic papers for coursework, but we also work with students on personal statements, conference papers, and longer projects such as senior theses, master’s theses, and doctoral dissertations. We are also embedded in the Fulbright application process in early fall. Depending on interest and program need, consultants may also have opportunities to lead or help develop workshops, writing groups, writing retreats, or training for other writing consultants. Most Graduate Writing Consultants will work on the Medford campus, but SMFA students may apply to work on-site at the SMFA Fenway campus.  

Our program emphasizes collaboration and process as crucial aspects of becoming a more engaged writer. Since our work is conversation-based, strong interpersonal skills are vital. We are looking for nonjudgmental, collaborative consultants who are good listeners and committed to writing and learning as process. Our approach is informed by feminist and anti-racist pedagogies, and our community values diversity in all forms, especially when related to identities such as race, gender, disability, nationality, and language that have historically been marginalized by language-based oppressions. Writing consultants adhere to our position statements on linguistic diversity. We strongly encourage applications from students who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, multiracial, or POC, students who are bilingual or multilingual, students from the LGBTQ+ community, and students who identify as living with a disability.  

Compensation, Training, and Time Commitment  

  • $21/hour to start, including paid training, ongoing professional development, and preparation when appropriate.  
  • Mandatory, paid training workshop intensive, held in-person on the Medford campus. Fall 2024 Dates: August 19 - 23. 
  • Ongoing, paid, mandatory professional development and staff meetings throughout the academic year, typically held bi-weekly on Wednesdays at 12pm. 
  • Minimum time commitment of 6 hours per week for at least one full academic year, including finals periods (hours during intersessions/summer are optional), some evenings and weekends desirable
  • Modality for consultations and training is in person. 

Qualifications 

  • Tufts graduate student in any discipline from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (including SMFA), the School of Engineering, or the Fletcher School
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, especially listening skills
  • Commitment to and willingness to learn more about anti-racist praxis and writer-focused, process-oriented tutoring approaches
  • Some type of experience working with others on their writing or language skills is preferred

How to Apply 

Submit these materials (see FAQs for more information) through the GWC Application Form: 

  • Cover Letter, addressed to the director of the program (Dr. Kristina Aikens), reflecting on relevant experience for this position. We especially value your descriptions of working with others on their writing and/or of your approach to working with writers, so please prioritize this in the letter; if you do not have specific experience with this, please explain how your experiences will inform your approach to working with others.
  • Résumé or CV 
  • Academic or professional writing sample (any length is acceptable; see FAQs for more information) 

 Interviews will be conducted in April and May. 

Questions? 

Info Sessions (sign up on Tutor Finder or just come by!)

  • Mon, Feb 26, 12pm, Milmore Room, Dowling Hall
  • Fri, March 8, 12pm, Zoom 

Or email the director of the program, Kristina Aikens 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Of course! Students from any discipline can apply to be a graduate writing consultant. Every academic discipline involves writing at some level, and we work with classes in many disciplines. Please note that graduate writing consultants are trained to work with students across disciplines. We seek a diverse group of writing consultants with experience in various disciplines to contribute to our learning community.   

  • Yes! SMFA graduate students will be considered for positions working in-person on the SMFA campus or on the Medford campus if desired (or a mix of both). 

  • No; for budgetary reasons, we can only consider applications from graduate students from Arts and Sciences (including SMFA), School of Engineering, and Fletcher.  

  • The writing consultant program operates primarily in person on the Medford campus, so applicants should expect to work mostly in person. However, writing consultants are permitted to post a small percentage of remote sessions during the academic year. Some additional remote work may also be available depending on student needs. Please contact kristina.aikens@tufts.edu if you have questions or need accommodations.  

  • The August training is mandatory and will be offered in person only, so please do not apply if you know you cannot be available to attend. We can accommodate small conflicts—for example, if you need to attend an orientation event for a few hours that week, we can work around it. Please reach out if you have a specific concern about the dates. The training will be approximately 10am – 5pm each day. 

  • Cover letters can take many forms, but please be reflective and descriptive. The cover letter is the most important part of the written application. We want more than a list of positions you have held. If you have not taught or tutored writing, please make sure to discuss other relevant interpersonal experiences, or imagine how you might approach working with another writer. Descriptions of your tutoring or teaching approach, what you have learned as an educator or as a writer, struggles you have had with writing, what you have learned about receiving feedback on your own writing, and other reflections are all valid things you could include—though of course, you don’t have to address all of these. Please address the letter to Kristina Aikens and/or the Hiring Committee.  

  • The writing sample is intended to give us a sense of you as a writer. Generally, we are interested in academic writing with a clear focus and organization and thoughtful analysis of texts and sources. We value written voice, creativity, critical thinking, and analytical depth. Writing samples can be either from your own academic field or written for a general audience. Although we love (and write!) fiction, memoir, personal statements, and poetry, please do not submit these genres. Any page length is fine; just submit your favorite piece. 

  • We ask for your patience, as our hiring team is small and we receive many applications that we need time to read and process. Some applicants will be invited to interview in April or May. Please do not contact us to inquire about the status of your application, as this only slows down the process. The exception is if you need to withdraw your application or if you have received an offer with overlapping training dates or other conflicts--in that case, please let us know as soon as possible.