Writing Center
Whether you are a beginning or veteran writer, tutors at the Writing Center can help you look critically at your writing.
Grossman Library, Sever Hall
(617) 495-4163
Registered Extension School students can get help with many writing-related issues, such as organization, focus, style, grammar, citation of sources, documentation, and writing a thesis.
Please note that tutors only offer feedback on writing assignments directly related to Extension School coursework and on graduate or professional school application essays. When you meet with a tutor, you should bring a written description of the assignment you are working on, as well as any writing you have done for the assignment. Sessions last 50 minutes.
Hours
The Writing Center is open September 8 to December 18 in the fall and February 1 to May 13 in the spring.
- Mondays and Tuesdays, noon to 2 pm and 3:30 to 9:30 pm
- Wednesdays and Thursdays, noon to 2 pm and 3:30 to 7:30 pm
- Fridays, noon to 2 pm and 3:30 to 5:30 pm
The Writing Center is closed on University holidays.
Scheduling tutorials
You may schedule an appointment through online services up to a week in advance. Students may have up to 2 tutorials a week, up to a total of 7 tutorials a term. If you withdraw from your Extension courses, you may not use the Writing Center.
Tutorials for distance education students
If you are taking a distance education course, you may request an e-mail tutorial with a member of the Writing Center staff by sending a message to writing_center@dcemail.harvard.edu. Include in your message the course you are taking, a brief description of the assignment, and the due date. In addition, include your written work as an attachment and list any specific concerns. You will receive a response within 72 hours of receipt of the message. E-mail tutorials are available on a limited basis. Local students enrolled in distance education courses should schedule an on-campus appointment.
References for citing sources and other writing resources
To ensure you follow the proper forms of citation in your writing, you can refer to Writing with Sources: A Guide for Harvard Students and Writing with Internet Sources, prepared by Harvard’s Expository Writing Program. Both guides are available in the Research Help section of the Grossman Library website. (Log in with your Harvard ID number and select “Research Help” from the menu on the left.) Hard copies of the publications are available at 51 Brattle Street and are on reserve at Grossman Library. For more information and to access a host of other self-help writing guides, see the Expository Writing Program’s Writing Resources.
Publishing oppportunity
Each year the Harvard Extension School publishes a review of student work, the Charles River Review, which highlights selected work of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry written in fall and spring writing classes. Each semester, students registered in a writing course receive an e-mail invitation to submit a piece of writing for consideration. The invitation includes the submission form and guidelines, and is ordinarily sent a few weeks before the deadline (the last day of exam period each term).