Apply To Tutor

Process:

The Writing Center accepts applications in Winter and Spring term; students who are hired begin work in the following academic year. During winter term, students may submit applications through late January. During Spring term, through late April.

Students should expect to complete the following in the application portal: 

• Answers to an application survey, indicating your reason for applying to be a tutor and explaining your relevant experience (we do not require formal cover letters).
• A writing sample, along with a brief description of the purpose of the document and the context for which it was written.
• One faculty recommendation, completed via a web form (find a recommendation request in the application portal linked below).
• [Optional] a peer recommendation, completed via web form (find a recommendation request in the application portal linked below).

All of these items should be submitted via a webform, which will be live at the start of each application window (early January for Winter; late April for Spring). 

Apply:

Tutor Application Form (will open 3/31/23 for F23 positions).

To complete an application, undergraduate students will submit the following:

• Writing Sample (PDF) w/ brief cover statement (<200 words) describing the purpose and audience of the document
• Answers to application questions (included in the application form)
• One faculty recommendation
• [Optional] One peer recommendation
• [Optional] Resume
• [Optional] Additional writing sample in other language (if applying to be a multilingual tutor)

Guidelines for Applicant Materials

Writing Sample

A writing sample should display your ability to convey and support an argument while engaging with outside sources. While we are looking for writing which displays these strategies, the Writing Center is best able to support our clients when our staff reflect the diversity of language traditions found on Dartmouth's campus. We welcome writing samples in any form or variety of English you use. We also ask for a brief description (<200 words) of the context in which your sample piece was written, including the goal of the piece, your intended audience, your writing process, and any other relevant information for reading your work.

Application Questions

In lieu of a cover letter, applicants will answer several application questions. These questions ask about your interest in peer support and education, in composition, and about relevant experiences.

Recommendations

Faculty Recommendation

One faculty recommendation is required. This faculty member should be able to comment on your writing abilities or how you collaborate with peers. Students will send a recommendation request to a faculty member by completing a simple recommendation request form.

Please note: we do not ask your recommender(s) to write a formal letter of recommendation. Rather, they will fill out a recommendation form that should take ~10-15 minutes.

Peer Recommendation (Optional)

Applicants may arrange for one peer recommendation. A peer recommender should be someone who has worked with the applicant in a setting where they exchanged critical feedback, collaborated on a complex project, or engaged in coaching or mentorship. It can be anyone an applicant considers a peer. Peer Recommendation Request (form active only during active recruitment windows).

A few examples: a classmate whose writing the applicant has reviewed or critiqued, a fellow student the applicant has tutored at Dartmouth, a collaborator on a major group project for a class, or a teammate or member of a student group the applicant has worked with closely.

We hope the peer recommendation will show us your experience in interpersonal settings like those you would encounter as a Writing Center tutor. This optional recommendation is especially useful for applicants who may not have formal experience in tutoring or mentoring.

Resume (Optional)

The resume should describe your past experiences and current activities - academic, professional, athletic, extracurricular - and any notable skills or achievements. It should also include your current cumulative grade point average at Dartmouth.

You may consider consulting the guidelines from the Center for Professional Development for information about preparing resumes and writing cover letters. We also encourage you to reach out to them on Handshake to schedule a mock interview.

Read the Graduate Peer Tutor job description..

The Writing Center is not currently accepting appplications for Graduate Peer Tutor positions to begin in the fall of 2023. 

When applications are accepted, canddiates can submit the following by email to the Writing Center's Director:

• A cover letter indicating your reason for applying and explaining your relevant experience or expertise.
• A current CV.
• An academic essay of ten to twenty-five pages; the document should cite and engage scholarly sources.

Preliminary process:

• The Director will respond to you within 48 hours to confirm receipt and set up a time for a short videoconference interview if the Director would like to advance your candidacy.
• If selected to advance after a preliminary interview, the Director will schedule a mock tutoring session with the candidate to gather feedback on the candidate's approach.
• Hiring decisions for the fall typically do not take place until spring term of the preceding academic year.