If you are a currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate student, you can schedule an appointment with us in the Main Writing Center in Helen C. White by clicking on the button below. You can also meet with us at our College Library location on a first-come, first-served basis. If you need more flexibility, we also offer limited instruction via Skype and email.
Make an appointment at the Main Center
If you are working on a longer project or on multiple papers throughout the semester and desire ongoing appointments with the same instructor, we recommend that you sign up for a writing mentor instead. Please fill out this form as a first step.
You can also make an appointment by calling the Main Center at 608-263-1992.
We help undergraduate and graduate writers at any stage of the writing process—from choosing a topic to drafting and revising—for any writing project. Each year, more than six thousand students from across the university—from first-year through doctoral students–benefit from talking and working with a Writing Center instructor or participating in one of our workshops.
We work with writers on everything from thesis statements and organization to grammar and citation methods. We will also be glad to help you learn to edit and proofread your own writing. If you have questions, check out more about what we can and can’t do at the Writing Center or read through the questions and answers below. Still have questions? Email us!
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What happens during a Writing Center appointment?
During an appointment, we will talk about your goals, review your writing, and have a conversation about what next steps you might take. After your visit, you’ll leave ready to write or revise!
- You and your instructor will work together to meet your writing goals
- Together, you’ll review the prompt, plan, or project
- Together, you’ll read and talk about your draft or ideas
- You’ll leave with concrete plans or writing strategies
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Who can use the Writing Center?
The Writing Center’s primary audience is currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate students, which means that the majority of our one-on-one instructional hours are devoted to working with students from all across campus.
If you’re a recent alumnus, faculty, or staff member at UW, we’d love to see you at our workshops and other events. Depending on our availability, we can sometimes offer limited one-on-one writing consultations with alumni, faculty, and staff. Please call us directly to discuss this option.
If you’re a member of the community not directly affiliated with UW-Madison, please visit our Madison Writing Assistance webpage to learn more about the Writing Center’s partnership with Madison libraries.
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Do I have to pay to use the Writing Center?
No, all of our services are offered for free. Tuition from currently enrolled UW Madison student funds the Writing Center.
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How should I prepare for a visit to the Writing Center?
Here’s how to make the most of your visits:
- Come early in the semester and come often–make us a regular part of your university experience!
- Know what writing concerns you’d us like to work on together
- Bring anything that helps explain the assignment or project
- Plan time for revision
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What kinds of writing can we work on?
We help writers at any stage of the writing process–from choosing a topic to drafting and revising–for any writing project. Here are some examples of what we can work on together:
Undergraduate Students (New, Transfer, or Advanced)
- Understanding assignments and expectations for academic writing
- Writing for specific disciplines—including History, Biology, Psychology, and Literature—and many more
- Using sources, citations, quoting, and paraphrasing
- Thesis statements, paragraphing, and organization
- Internship and study abroad applications
- Planning for writing longer research papers
- Resumes, cover letters, and business writing
- Applications for graduate and professional school, scholarships
- Poster presentations
- plus many more!
Graduate and Professional Students
- Seminar papers
- Planning long-term projects
- Revising for publication
- Writing and planning for preliminary/qualifying exams
- Theses and dissertations
- Grant proposals
- Poster presentations
- Conference presentations
- CVs, teaching philosophy statements, and job letters
- Literature reviews
- plus many more!
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What if I'm working on a longer project?
If you’re working on a short, one-time writing project, coming once or twice to a Writing Center location in order to meet with an instructor usually is ideal.
If you’re working on multiple papers for multiple classes throughout the semester, a dissertation, master’s thesis, or similar writing project, you’ll want to set up an ongoing appointment with the same instructor every week or every other week in the Main Center. Please fill out this form as a first step. Your answers will help our staff set up an ongoing appointment that’s right for you.
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Where is the Writing Center?
We offer appointments at our main location in 6171 Helen C White Hall. You can make an appointment at our main location using our online scheduler or by calling us at 608-263-1992.
You can also meet with us at one of our 8 satellite locations across campus and online through Skype and email. These appointments are offered on a first-come, first served basis.
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How often can I visit the Writing Center?
One hour per week (or 2 half-hour sessions per week). You may use up to 1 hour of individual instruction per week for a total of 10 hours of instruction time during a semester. This limit lets us serve as many writers as possible!
Want more? Come to one of our great workshops.
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Who are the instructors at the Writing Center?
Your Writing Center instructors are
- Doctoral level teaching assistants
- Trained and experienced writing teachers and writers themselves
- Supportive, professional consultants who take their cues from you
- Eager to work with you on making your writing projects as successful as humanly possible
Read more about them!
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Can I bring my laptop/tablet?
Yes! Please do!
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Will the instructor proofread/edit my paper?
Writing Center instructors are experienced writing teachers who want to help you learn more about writing. Because of our focus on student learning, we don’t proofread (correct all the grammar and formatting errors in a piece of writing), but we do help you learn about grammar, editing, revising, and proofreading on your own!
Here’s what we can do:
- You can learn how to revise and proofread your paper.
- You can ask any grammar and editing questions.
- And you can learn to do this for yourself!
For additional strategies for addressing grammar and style concerns—and much more—take a look at our Writer’s Handbook.
You may be interested in our grammar and style workshops.
You may also find it helpful to start with these links:
- How to Proofread
- Twelve Common Errors: An Editing Checklist