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AS&E Students
Arts and Sciences, Engineering, SMFA at Tufts
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Become a Writing Fellow

Applications are now open. Deadline to apply: Sunday, February 11!

What Is a Writing Fellow?

Writing Fellows are Tufts' undergraduate peer writing tutors. They are assigned to specific courses and work with the same 7 - 12 students on drafts for 2 - 3 writing assignments throughout the semester. Writing Fellows read drafts of papers before meeting with student writers to discuss their paper, writing process, and goals, asking questions to help them refine their ideas and make decisions about revising their papers. Our program emphasizes collaboration and process as crucial aspects of becoming a more engaged writer. Read more about the program. 

Info Sessions Spring 2024:

  • Monday, January 29 at 12pm in Mayer Campus Center 012 
  • Monday, February 5 at 12pm on Zoom 
  • Wednesday, February 7 at 12pm in Mayer Campus Center 220 

Who Can Apply?

First-year, sophomore, and junior undergraduates from any major (and undeclared students) can apply to be a Writing Fellow. We strongly encourage applications from students who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, multiracial, or POC, as well as from students who are bilingual/multilingual. 

You might want to apply if the following applies to you: 

  • You enjoy writing and language and want to grow as a writer and communicator yourself 
  • You enjoy reading other people's papers and are excited about the opportunity to work with your peers on their writing 
  • You understand the challenges and difficulties of writing, have struggled yourself, and want to support others 
  • You are willing to learn more about and commit to an anti-racist praxis of writing tutoring 
  • You are a good listener who enjoys hearing other's stories, having meaningful conversations, and understanding how other people learn and express themselves 
  • You are excited to join a community of writers with these shared interests 

Compensation and Time Commitment

Writing fellows are paid at an hourly rate of $16 per hour, with an automatic pay increase and opportunities for additional paid responsibilities after the first year. Hours vary and are flexible but concentrated around the paper deadlines for the assigned courses. Writing Fellows should expect to work between 30-45 hours over the course of the semester, which includes individual appointments with students (~15-25 hours), preparation for those appointments (~10-15 hours), and ongoing training meetings (~5 hours). The time commitment for new writing fellows also includes training during orientation week and a fall ex-college course. 

Training and Ex-College Course

Writing Fellows participate in a series of training and educational opportunities, both in preparation for their first meetings with students and to support their ongoing development as writing tutors. 

New Writing Fellows hired for the 2024 - 2025 academic year must be available to participate in the following: 

  • New Writing Fellow Orientation: Wednesday, August 28, 2024 - Saturday, August 31, 2024 
  • Fall 2024 Writing Fellows Seminar (Ex-College Course, 3 credits, graded P/F): Thursdays, 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.  
  • Ongoing training meetings: Wednesdays at 12:00 pm (dates TBD; some flexibility) 

The new Writing Fellows orientation provides a solid foundation and general overview of the program in anticipation of working with faculty and students within the first few weeks of the semester. It also provides opportunities to build community, as well as present writing workshops to incoming first-year students. 

The Writing Fellows Seminar is a pedagogy seminar focused on the history, theory, and practice of writing instruction and writing tutoring at the college level. Together we will read and discuss scholarship, engage in reflective and analytical writing, and practice hands-on activities to apply theoretical concepts and develop as a writing tutor. The seminar is taught through a feminist, antiracist, and anti-colonialist theoretical lens. By the end of the seminar, you will be able to discuss prevailing theories and create your own tutoring philosophy. 

To further these learning experiences, new Writing Fellows will be matched with experienced mentors to support and deepen their understanding of the Writing Fellow experience throughout the first year of fellowing. 

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Justice, and Inclusion

The Writing Fellows Program commits to DEJI through both our hiring practices and our approach to writing support. We actively encourage applicants from students from underrepresented groups and strive to retain Writing Fellows through leadership and community-building opportunities. Currently, 45% of writing fellows identify as BIPOC. 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. Our approach to writing support is informed by feminist, anti-racist and anti-colonialist pedagogies. Together with the Writing Consultant program, the Writing Fellows developed and agreed to a set of position statements to articulate our commitment to antiracist practices that support linguistic diversity and students' rights to their own language. We understand the need to evaluate our policies and approach on a regular basis, as well as to seek and respond to suggestions for improvement in these areas. 

How to Apply

Deadline: Sunday, February 11!

To apply, compile the following application materials into a single document, add page numbers, and save it as a PDF that is titled with your last name and WFApp (for example: SmithWFApp.pdf). You will also need to download your unofficial transcript from SIS. Then, go to the application portal to upload your materials and answer a few additional questions (you may wish to have your transcript or course history list handy for reference). See the FAQs below for more information. 

Application Materials (compile into a single document, save as a PDF, and submit it here. 

1. Résumé (or list of current and past employment, experience, and activities) 

2. Explanation of writing sample: a paragraph about your writing sample, including what class it was written for, a general description of the prompt, why you chose this sample to represent your academic writing, and what your process was like writing and revising it. 

3. Writing sample: Approximately 7 - 10 pages (double-spaced) of college-level academic writing, whether analytical, argumentative, research-focused, or a combination. (It's ok to be a little under or over the page count. You can also submit two papers if your papers are 6 pages or shorter.) Please do not submit personal essays, fiction, or poetry. (We love these genres of writing, but Writing Fellows primarily work with academic nonfiction!) Academic papers from any discipline are acceptable. If sources are used, please double-check to make sure sources are properly cited, and include a works cited page (or note, if only one source), even if it was not required for the original assignment. We strongly encourage you to choose a paper you've written in college, but if you must submit a high school paper, please read it carefully before submitting and revise it, if necessary, to reflect your current level of analysis and critical thinking.  

4. Writing Fellows extended analogy: Write a short (1 - 2 page double-spaced) analogy that compares a Writing Fellow to someone or something else you think a Writing Fellow is most like. Choose a comparison that accurately reflects what you feel are the most important qualities or responsibilities of a Writing Fellow. Your analogy can be as straightforward or as unusual as you like, but use it to reveal your curiosity, creativity, and insight into the role of the Writing Fellow. 

Note: you must be in good standing with the university (not on academic or disciplinary probation or higher) to be hired as a Writing Fellow. You must also be enrolled as a Tufts student and taking classes on the Tufts Medford campus (i.e., not studying abroad or on leave) in the fall semester be eligible--see FAQs for more info). 

FAQs

  • Writing Fellows orientation is a required and necessary part of NEW Writing Fellows training. Due to the intensive nature of the training period and scheduling conflicts with other programs, new Writing Fellows cannot participate in other programs that have mandatory training or programing between Wed, Aug 28 – Sat, Aug 31. This may include but is not limited to Orientation Coordinators, Resident Assistants, Explorations Leaders, and Identity Center Interns. If you plan to participate in one of these programs, please consult their website or inquire with them about their training/programming dates.  

    If you are accepted as a Writing Fellow, you can do these activities after your first year as a Writing Fellow with no conflicts, as the orientation training is only required once.  

    You are welcome to *apply* to programs with conflicting dates. If you are accepted to a conflicting program and that program is your first choice, please withdraw your Writing Fellows application. If you are accepted to a conflicting program but Writing Fellows is your first choice, you may contact us for more information. 

  • Of course! Students from any major can apply to be a Writing Fellow. Every academic discipline involves writing at some level, and we work with classes in many disciplines. If you are interested in writing and not sure how your discipline approaches writing, now is a great time to find out! 

  • Don't stress out! You can either take this as an opportunity to create a resume (the Career Center can help), or simply write a list with your name and contact info at the top, followed by a list of current and past paid employment, volunteer work, and/or co-curricular activities, including dates you were active with each position. 

  • Generally speaking, we are looking for academic writing with a clear focus and organization and thoughtful analysis of course texts and/or researched sources. We value written voice, creativity, critical thinking, and analytical depth. 

  • Please be patient with us! Our team is small and we receive many applications. We need time to read and process them. Some applicants will be invited for one or possibly two interviews. Decisions will be made by April 15. 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 conflicting training dates. 

  • The Ex-College course is a 3-credit course with significant reading and writing as well as outside work. It is also intended as a placeholder to help students adjust to the unusual time-commitment demands of being a Writing Fellow. We strongly discourage taking a course overload because we want you to stay healthy and not overextend yourself. 

  • If you are going abroad in the fall semester, please do not apply to be a Writing Fellow at the same time; instead, wait until the following year to apply. After you become a Writing Fellow and complete the fall training and course, you may take a leave from Writing Fellows for any reason, including to study abroad.