Tutors are highly trained writing tutors from many majors. We don’t just train and hire English majors. All majors can make great writing tutors. If you’re interested in being a tutor, stop by and talk to us.

Tutors work with undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines, as well as faculty and staff!

You don’t have to struggle with writing to use the Writing Center. We work with strong writers as well as those who might find writing difficult. Even professional writers get a second pair of eyes and ears on their work.

We work with all types of writing including:

Academic writing

Resumes and Cover Letters

Scholarship and graduate school essays

Presentations

Personal writing

MYTHS ABOUT WHAT WE DO:

Edit and fix papers: Sorry, this won't help you become a stronger writer.

WHAT WE DO HELP WITH WRITING:

The University of Michigan-Flint is as an institution learning. Therefore, the Writing Center is here to help you become a stronger writer and editor for your own work. Here’s how we can help with that:

Be a sounding board as you bounce ideas around with us

Offer tips or feedback about outlines, brainstorming, and generating ideas

Provide feedback on drafts about how it sounds to us as a reader

Help you take a look at the opening, body content, and conclusion of your paper for organization and flow

Offer resources and support for research and citations

Help you notice patterns of errors or awkwardness in grammar and style so you can spot them more easily in your work

Be a cheerleader or a sounding board for those writing days when things are going well or not so well

TYPES OF TUTORING:

Face-to-face: 0-5 pages, 25 minutes; 6-10 pages, 55 minutes

E-Tutoring: Digital feedback using Word comment feature

Live-Online: Video Chat with a tutor on a shared screen

0-4 pages, 25 minutes; 5-9 pages, 55 minutes

NEW SERVICES:

Tutor Chat: For quick questions to help you get back on track, log into a video chat session with a tutor on Monday-Wednesday nights from 5:00-7:00pm.

Drop-in Tutoring: Mon-Thurs. 12:00-5:00, we’ll have an extra tutor on for drop-in tutoring, taken on a first come first serve basis. However, to make sure you get an appointment, consider making an appointment ahead of time.

EVENTS AND PROGRAMS:

Creative Writing Group: Writers’ Circle, Wednesday nights, 5:30-7:00p.m.

Love Stinks Writing Contest: Deadline for submissions Feb. 7th, winners announced Feb. 12th.

Valentine’s Day Open House: Meet the tutors and enjoy free snacks and activities! Feb. 14th from 12:00-4:00p.m. Open to students, faculty, and staff!

Scholarship Cram and Pizza: Feb. 15th from 1:00-3:00p.m. Limited to first 20! RSVP

For more details and to sign-up, visit the homepage of our website: https://www.umflint.edu/writingcenter

Tips for writing a scholarship essay

Scholarship essays provide committees with a picture of who you are based on the questions they’ve asked. Often, these questions are meant to reveal where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going in the future. It’s also about learning how and why your experiences are important to you. For information about UM-Flint scholarship guidelines, visit: https://sis.umflint.edu/prod/zrpappl.p_step0. Deadline for UM-Flint scholarships is Friday, Feb. 15th.

Before you begin drafting, brainstorm to generate material about the following:

What does the prompt ask of you?

Make a list of each thing that’s asked of you

Next to each: list several very specific examples from your life that fulfills that category. You may or may not use them all, but it helps you to find the strongest, most compelling ideas if you go beyond the surface

Key: Be specific. Saying, “Ever since I was a child, I’ve always known I wanted…” to a reader this can sound boring, vague, and even if true, many people try to rely on this type of opening. So, why sound like everyone else? Find specific experiences that are interesting and unique to you.

Example of a specific experience: “When I was 14, I visited a snake exhibit. I learned that snake venom was not only deadly but also a lifesaving cure. A herpetologist at the nature center demonstrated how they milk snake venom to create antidotes to treat deadly snake bites. I was fascinated and studied more about it in my high school biology class to understand how this was done. As a result, I realized I wanted to become a herpetologist, too.  To achieve my goal, I am currently majoring in biology at the University of Michigan-Flint.

This example is specific and unique to this writer. It also shows what happened in the past to influence what the writer is doing now and wants to be in the future. What’s your unique story?

What might the committee also be expecting that’s not listed in the prompt?
First, who might your committee be and what might they be looking for?Professors: your academic aptitude, engagement as a learner, dedication, and your thoughtfulness and professionalism in writing. Consider showing examples from:

Specific classes and/or class projects that connect in some way to your goals or interests

What you value about your education and why

A clean essay that demonstrates your maturity and professionalism in writing

Donors: want to make a difference in some way to the field, the world, or a student’s education. They create scholarships to help that difference come true. Show them you can make a difference they can believe in. They are looking for your passion for the field, demonstrated interest in your education, and/or strong goals. Find examples that fulfil the prompt questions that come from:

your life, work, volunteer, personal interests, education etc.

A great reason why they should choose you

Once you’ve completed your brainstorming, you’ll have a much better idea of what you want to say and why. Organizing it can sometimes feel a bit daunting, but think of your essay like a picture, rather than a laundry list. Each step you’ve taken has led you somewhere. Show the cause and effect of the experiences and life choices you’ve had or made. Even if you’ve had challenges, they may have given you the opportunity to re-examine your life and make different choices. That shows learning and growth, just as much as the successes.

Try creating an initial draft or going to the Writing Center to talk with a tutor. Sometimes, having someone to talk to can really help you see what you want to say more clearly.

Coming soon