2024-25 Peer Writing Tutor Application

Application Deadline Extended to Wednesday, February 7th at 2:00pm CST

Please read below for important information about submitting your application, along with details about our upcoming information session.

Submission Requirements

  • Your application packet, which must contain:

    • A personal statement. Please let us know about your teaching experience, editing experience, writing experience, approach to writing, and anything else you think relevant.
    • A 4- to 7-page sample of your own writing, and cover sheet. If you are submitting an excerpted sample from a longer paper, please include your introduction and a coherent section. Attach the cover sheet, which asks you to reflect on and evaluate your own work. To preserve the anonymity of this portion of your application, please remove your name from the writing sample and the cover sheet.
  • An unofficial copy of your transcript.

  • A letter of recommendation from someone familiar with your teaching or your potential as a teacher.

    • We ask letter writers to send recommendations by email to writing-program@uchicago.edu no later than Wednesday, February 7th.

Please note that only current second- and third-year undergraduate students are eligible to apply for the Peer Writing Tutor position. First-year students are not eligible to apply for the position, even if you have already completed the HUMA and SOSC Cores in your first year.

What we look for:

In general: We’re not interested in technical knowledge about language or composition. It’s no great advantage to have taken any of our courses. We’re more interested in how you approach the task of teaching academic writing.

With regard to the paper comment: We’ll ask you to pretend you’re writing to the author of the paper, NOT to us. We’re interested in how you engage with the writer, and the way you use the paper comment as an opportunity to teach the writer something about writing.

With regard to the writing sample: We’d like to see a 4- to 7-page (double spaced) sample of expository prose directed toward an academic or professional audience – typically, a course paper.

With regard to the letter of recommendation: It’s less important to get a letter from someone who can speak to the quality of your coursework than it is to get a letter evaluating the way you interact in a classroom. If you have no previous teaching or tutoring experience, ask someone who has seen you participate in a class, seminar, or workshop: A writing intern or TA, a HUMA or SOSC Core instructor, for example. You may optionally submit a second letter of recommendation if you wish; however, it is NOT required and will not necessarily help your chances.

 Interested in hearing more about the Peer Writing Tutor position? Have questions about the application?

We welcome you to stop by our Open House!

In-Person Open House: Monday, January 22nd, 3:30-4:30pm in Stuart Hall 330

(Located in the North Reading Room, which is accessible via the 3rd floor of Harper Memorial Library, east of the Harper Café.)

Ready to apply? Please click here to submit your application materials.