The deadline for the next round of applications is Friday, March 15th, 2024, at 5pm. The application will be available through WiSH on Nov 8, 2023.
Learn about the program and get application tips at an Info Session:
Attend one of our Info Sessions to hear about the program from current Fellows and learn more about the application process!
Please fill out our registration form in advance of the Info Session you’d like to attend (for online Info Sessions, you will need to register in order to receive a Zoom link).
- Fall Info Session:
- Wednesday, Nov. 8th, 2023, 6pm, Memorial Union
- Tuesday, Nov. 14th, 2023, 6pm, Memorial Union
- Spring Info Sessions:
- Wednesday, February 7 at 6 PM (Union South)
- Tuesday, February 13 at 6 PM (Virtual/Zoom)
- Monday, February 19 at 6 PM (Memorial Union)
Application Process
Apply online through WiSH (the application opens Nov 8, 2023).
- Log on to WiSH and click on the “Visit My Scholarships” link. After logging-in and answering a few yes/no questions, you will be presented with links to applications for scholarships for which you are eligible, with open application cycles. A previous version of our application is provided here if you would like to begin work on your application before it goes live. The application will go live on November 8, 2023 and is due March 15, 2024.
- If you do not see the Writing Fellows application on your list of opportunities, and you believe you meet the eligibility requirements, please contact Emily Hall, Director of the Writing Fellows Program, (ebhall@wisc.edu).
The Undergraduate Writing Fellows Application
- Personal statement in the form of a 1–2 page (600 words max.) letter which discusses why you want to be a Writing Fellow and what you would like us to know about you. Describe any relevant skills or special perspectives you would bring to the program as well as any specific experiences that illustrate your ability to do Writing Fellows work.
- Short answers to several application questions including a description of any relevant extra-curricular activities, honors, or teaching experiences.
- Two academic writing samples that represent your best work. Choose papers from courses in different areas of study and be sure to include at least one, preferably two, pieces of analytical or argumentative writing (feel free to include a lab report as long as it illustrates your analytical writing – e.g. the Introduction and/or Discussion sections). For each selected paper, you will need to write a description of the assignment and a brief explanation of why you have selected it for us to review. Excerpts from longer papers are acceptable, but please provide context.
- A UW–Madison transcript (automatically attached to your online application; you do not need to order a transcript)
- A recommendation letter from a professor or teaching assistant at UW-Madison. Recommendations are used to determine whether you are a strong candidate for the Writing Fellows Program. Please ask a professor or teaching assistant who has taught you in a course at UW-Madison and who knows you and your written work well. Contact the recommender(s) before you list them on this application. We recommend asking them at least two weeks in advance.
Becoming a Fellow is both an honor and a serious commitment. As you decide whether to apply, keep in mind that applicants to the Writing Fellows program must be currently enrolled UW-Madison students in good standing with the University. To be considered for the program, applicants must have at least two semesters remaining at the University. Students selected to be Fellows must enroll in a three-credit, writing-intensive honors seminar on tutoring writing across the curriculum This seminar examines fundamental theories about writing and provides a forum in which Fellows share their experiences as tutors and as writers.
All Writing Fellows (including those who are new to the Program) are assigned to work with a faculty member who is teaching a writing-intensive or Communications B course. Each Fellow assists 10-15 students in the class, reading drafts, giving thoughtful written feedback, and holding individual conferences with students to offer suggestions for revision. For their service, Writing Fellows receive a $1100 scholarship per semester.
If you are interested in learning more about the program, please contact Emily Hall, Director of the Writing Fellows Program (ebhall@wisc.edu).