Frequently asked questions

Writing Consultants are prepared to help you:

• Clarify assignment requirements
• Turn notes and ideas into drafts
• Brainstorm/organize writing structure
• Paraphrase and summarize sourced information correctly
• Use MLA, APA, Chicago, and other citation styles depending on your discipline/class
• Recognize patterns of errors within a draft to enhance the strength of an essay
• Develop strategies to revise independently
• Develop personal statements, letters of intent, scholarship as well as program application essays, and cover and appeal letters 

Any enrolled UTRGV student can use our services. Alumni of UTRGV are also welcomed to use our services as well as anyone who is applying to enroll at UTRGV.

Edinburg: Monday-Thursday 9 am-5 pm; Friday 9 am-1 pm;

Brownsville: Monday-Thursday 9 am-5 pm; Friday 9 am-12 pm

Limited weekend (asynchronous) sessions: Friday after 1 pm -Sunday 5 pm

Although both Writing Center locations are closed, one tutor is available to provide feedback for asynchronous online submissions from Friday 1 pm- Sunday 5 pm.

Our slowest times tend to be approximately the first 3 weeks of school. Up to now, our busiest times fall around mid-term and final exam days. We highly encourage our students to use our services with enough time to receive feedback and apply any necessary revisions, preferably at least 3 to 4 days before the assignment is due.

Since we typically have a surge of students requesting our services during these times, you may receive a message indicating that we cannot provide feedback the same day and encouraged you to submit your paper the following day. Plan accordingly for these periods by using one of our online services as soon as you receive your assignment or at least 3 or 4 days before it is due.

Writing Center consultants consist of UTRGV graduates and undergraduates from different disciplines and classifications. They are strong, experienced writers who undergo weekly trainings to effectively act as peer tutors and to help students learn better strategies for revising their writing.

In-person on-campus sessions or synchronous online sessions will be available by appointment only. Online asynchronous sessions will also be available. Schedule an appointment or access our online services.

If you are submitting a paper online through our asynchronous “Send Your Assignment” service, you do not need to set an appointment. However, if you would like to have a Zoom consultation or on-campus appointment, then you must schedule an appointment through our website.

Students are sent a link before their appointed time which they will click to join the session. Typically, the Share Screen function on Zoom will be used to read and discuss the paper together. Consultants will comment on the higher concerns of writing first such as clarity of thesis or purpose statement, organization, and elaboration of ideas. Students should either take notes, make comments, or revise their paper as it is being discussed. In addition, students will be made aware of any grammar error patterns that are occurring in their papers and will be instructed on how to revise these errors. Students may need multiple sessions, depending on the number of issues that need to be addressed.

If you are unable to attend your scheduled Zoom consultation or on-campus appointment, simply email us at wc@utrgv.edu to notify the WC.

Provide your assignment’s instructions (i.e. prompt, length, citation style) and any writing for which you would like feedback. You do not need to present a draft of your writing if you need help with brainstorming or planning. In addition, you will need to provide your student ID and UTRGV email address.

Yes, there is a limit of 4 total sessions or submissions per week, including the weekend. You may have any combination of session submission you wish (for example two Zoom sessions, one online submission, and one in-person session). Number of sessions per day depends on the availability of consultants.

Yes, but the paper will be addressed between business hours 9 am-5 pm.

No, we do not proofread or edit writing. Our feedback is intended to respect a student’s voice and encourage independent revision. We provide students with feedback rather than proofreading because proofreading is simply telling you what to fix and delete while receiving feedback allows you to learn and apply these concepts to future assignments.

Our feedback in initial sessions mostly focuses on the higher-order concerns (HOCs) of writing related to purpose, audience, genre, and organization. Feedback about grammar is addressed in later sessions by making students aware of patterns of errors occurring in the writing and providing grammar rules that students can apply when revising.

Zoom consultation or on-campus appointments will provide immediate feedback while online asynchronous sessions may take from 24 to 48 hours for feedback.

This depends on the length of your assignment. Since we only have 30 minutes to respond to a student’s submission, we encourage students to submit their drafts multiple times in case we are not able to provide feedback for your whole paper in one 30-minute session.

We provide proof of attendance as an official email which will indicate the time and date of your asynchronous or synchronous session. All session proofs are emailed. We do not offer proof of session in the form of a stamp or signature. 

Yes, we can help with personal writing, including personal statements, resumes, appeals, blogs, emails, cover letters, creative writing/projects, etc.

We can help you locate credible sources, provide appropriate citation formats such as APA, MLA, and Chicago styles, and instruct you on how to paraphrase properly.

Yes, you can schedule a Zoom consultation with your entire group to receive immediate feedback on the entire paper or send in your individual writing section for partial feedback. If submitting an asynchronous online submission, keep in mind that we can only provide feedback for your section of the paper.

We cannot provide written feedback on an exam or quiz without written permission from your professor or indicated on your course syllabus.

More often than not, we do offer limited tutoring between semesters. Check our social media pages or website for updates on holiday hours or availability between semesters.

Yes, you can use our services if you are alumni, especially if you need help with a personal statement to apply to one of our UTRGV programs.