Writing Partners are Yale College or graduate school students selected for both their writing skills and their ability to talk about writing; they have a student’s-eye view of the challenges you’ll face in writing papers. The Writing Center offers drop-in service six days a week, which may be helpful if you face an immediate deadline.
Please note that Writing Partners only work with Yale College Undergraduates. See Tutoring for Graduate Students if you are a graduate student needing assistance.
Sunday - Thursday: 3-5 pm and 7-9 pm
Friday: 3-5 pm
Writing Partner hours usually begin in the third week of each term and run through Reading Period. There are no Writing Partners (or Residential College Tutors) available during the Exam period.
Writing Partners work at The Writing Center, 35 Broadway (directions below). For evening and weekend hours, you must have your Yale ID to get into the building.
Since Writing Partners do not read papers before the conference, you’ll spend time at the beginning explaining the assignment, after which the Writing Partner will read your draft for 10-15 minutes—sometimes this is not enough to read the entire paper, but it's almost always enough to give you substantial help. The Writing Partner will ask questions to help you clarify your meaning, as well as give you advice about effective strategies for structure, analysis, and developing a thesis.
We won't tell you exactly what do to fix your essay, but we will help you figure out strategies for revision and prompt you to take notes on the suggestions that arise. Writing Partners can also help you with grammar and style, although not by proofreading your whole essay; instead, the two of you might edit a paragraph together, looking for suggestions that you can then incorporate into the rest of your paper.
The entrance to 35 Broadway is at the back of the building. Take the passage between Mory’s and Toad’s off York St. Turn left into the small courtyard. 35 is next to the Off-Broadway Theater. Take the elevator to the second floor, and turn left. Once inside, turn right and head all the way down the hall.
