This page allows you to schedule a GWC appointment with a peer consultant, explains what happens in a GWC appointment, and describes what kinds of topics we can discuss during an appointment. Additionally, although the GWC itself does not provide proofreading or editing services, you will find information about how to find an expert proofreader or editor.

Click here for online scheduling or call 865-8021.  The GWC follows PSU’s academic calendar and is therefore closed when the university is not in session.

At your appointment, you will have one hour to talk with a GWC consultant about any writing-related questions you may have. Most writers visit the GWC to discuss a specific writing project that they have brought with them. Other writers come to talk about more general writing concerns, such as organizational strategies, brainstorming, and project management. In either situation, the goal of a consultation is for both student and consultant to talk about effective ways to improve writing.

Usually, consultants will begin a session by asking you to describe your project and identify specific areas of concern. You may want to point out specific parts of your paper to focus on. During the session, you are in charge of what is discussed--you should feel free to raise questions, describe problems, and focus the conversation on the issues that are important to you. Although sometimes it makes sense for the consultant to read or skim sections of the paper silently, most of the time will be spent talking, not silently reading an entire document. Rather than reading your draft silently, consultants will often read sections aloud with you, asking questions about your goals, your audience, and your specific writing concerns.

Although consultants may write down a few notes or demonstrate some specific writing principles on paper, they usually won't write on your document at all. This is your writing, and consultants want to make sure it stays that way. Of course, you're encouraged to write down notes, corrections, or revisions if you'd like to do so--in fact, it's usually a good idea!

In some cases, consultants will often turn to the GWC's library of writing reference manuals to answer specific questions or to illustrate writing principles. Your consultant may also be able to recommend good reference books if you're interested in buying one for your own use.

What writing issues can we discuss in a GWC appointment?

The focus of a GWC appointment can be almost anything you'd like to discuss, from the "big issues":

• the organization or structure of your document
• the logic or "flow" of your ideas
• the appropriateness of your argument for specific types of readers (e.g., technical audiences vs. the "general reader")

• principles of English grammar, syntax, word choice, and punctuation
• the "flow" of your sentences and sentence transitions
• formatting issues (APA, MLA, and Chicago styles)

Consultants will not edit your paper by marking everything that is “incorrect.” Instead, they will look at your draft for examples of grammatical and organizational issues you might want to consider in revising your work. In fact, our goal in a grammar-focused session is to help you to become better able to revise your own document--both by discussing grammatical principles and by highlighting specific grammatical patterns to watch for in your writing. So, although you shouldn't expect to leave a GWC session with a "corrected" or "edited" draft, you can expect to leave with a better sense of how to edit your draft on your own.

In addition to these topics, we can also talk about more general writing issues, including brainstorming and other idea-generation techniques; document planning, outlining, and drafting; revision strategies; and proofreading methods. In other words, you can come to the GWC for a friendly and helpful conversation about any topic related to your experiences as a writer!

What if I just need someone to proofread or edit my document?

The GWC is a great place to discuss strategies for revising your work, but sometimes it's necessary to get an important document edited or proofread quickly and efficiently. The GWC does not provide this type of editing or proofreading service, but writers are encouraged to hire one of the many editors and proofreaders available at Penn State.

To find an expert editor or proofreader, you should visit one of the following three offices and ask for a copy of their editor and proofreader list:

• Graduate Student Association office (111 Kern Building)
• Thesis and Dissertation office (114 Kern Building)
• English Department Composition Program office (104 Burrowes Building)

Each of these offices compiles a list of (mostly) graduate students who are expert proofreaders and editors of academic English. For a reasonable price, an editor will generally take a copy of your document (on disk or paper), type or write "corrections," and return the document to you. Editors are not affiliated with the Graduate Writing Center. If you think you'd like to hire an editor, you are encouraged to contact people from these lists early, since they may not be able to accept clients on short notice.