Apply for the Fall 2025 Writing Fellows program
Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Eligibility 

  • Applicants must be in the Honors Program and in good standing (minimum 3.33 UI GPA) 
  • Applicants must be a sophomore or first semester junior. (Exceptional first-year students will also be considered.) No current seniors or second-semester juniors should apply.
  • Applicants MUST be available to work on campus in both the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 semesters.

Required Application Materials

NOTE: Any use of AI-generated text in any part of the application will render the applicant ineligible for this program and all future opportunities at the Writing Center.

A personal statement: Please write a one-to-two-page letter explaining why you want to be an Honors Writing Fellow and what you would like us to know about you. Describe any relevant skills or special perspectives you would bring to the program as well as any specific experiences that illustrate your ability to do Honors Writing Fellows work. Do not forget to proofread. Include your name on the top right of each page.

Two writing samples: Please include clean copies (free of professor’s or TA’s comments) of two papers that represent your best work. For each paper, type a description of the assignment and a brief explanation of why you chose it for us to review. Include your name on the top right of each page, and make sure all pages are numbered. Please try to keep the total number of pages under 15. Choose papers from courses in different areas of study, if possible. Be sure to include at least one piece of analytical or argumentative writing. Academic writing is preferable to creative non-fiction writing. No fiction or poetry, and no papers from high school please. We will not be returning submissions.

A letter of recommendation: This must be written by a University of Iowa instructor (professor or TA) and emailed directly by the recommender to the program director, Carol Severino at carol-severino@uiowa.edu by the application due date. Applicants should contact their recommender AT LEAST two weeks before the due date and send them the following instructions: 

  • The Honors Writing Fellows Program is a university initiative to improve student writing through peer tutoring. The program prepares selected students from a wide range of majors to serve as peer writing tutors, called Writing Fellows, and assigns them to courses across the curriculum. Each Fellow, under the guidance of a participating professor, works closely with 10-12 students in a writing intensive course. Fellows provide substantial written comments on drafts of assigned papers and hold individual conferences with students to offer advice for revision. 
  • We are looking for highly motivated, independent, articulate, personable, kind, and diplomatic students. We are most interested in students who are not only successful and enthusiastic writers, but who also are dynamic and intellectually engaged in classroom discussions, who enjoy working with others, and who will be able to hold their own in conferences with faculty and with student peers. 
  • In your recommendation, please explain the context in which you know this student’s work and comment on this student’s ability to fulfill the role described above.
  • If you have any questions about the program or the kind of students we are looking for, please contact carol-severino@uiowa.edu. Please send your letter by email attachment directly to carol-severino@uiowa.edu. The deadline for receiving letters is Friday, March 28, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.

APPLY HERE