What kind of writing help do you need?
Most students don't need someone to take over a paper. They need to understand what the instructor expects, see how strong writing is organized, and get honest feedback before they submit. Tutor & Writing Help offers writing help in three ways:
- Free guides and printable sheets. Step-by-step writing guides and one-page APA, MLA, and paper-structure sheets you can print and keep open while you write.
- Editing and proofreading. Send your own draft for proofreading, copyediting, or a developmental edit, with comments that explain each change.
- Individual support for bigger projects. Capstones, master's theses, and doctoral dissertations get one-to-one tutoring through Thesis & Dissertation Coaching.
Help with the writing process, step by step
Whatever you are writing, the same stages come up. Here is where each kind of help fits:
| Stage | What usually goes wrong | Help that fits |
|---|---|---|
| Understanding the assignment | Missing a required part of the prompt or rubric | A writing tutor can go through the prompt and rubric with you before you start |
| Topic and thesis | A topic that is too broad, or a thesis that only states a fact | Our research paper guide shows how to narrow a topic into an arguable claim |
| Research and sources | Too few scholarly sources, or sources that don't support the claim | See how a literature review groups and compares sources |
| Drafting and structure | Paragraphs that summarize instead of analyze | One-to-one tutoring on moving from evidence to explanation in your own draft |
| Citations and format | Inconsistent APA or MLA style | Use our free APA and MLA format guides |
| Revision and proofreading | Small errors that cost points and credibility | Editing and proofreading of your own draft |
Writing help by academic level
Writing expectations rise at each stage of college.
Undergraduate (100 to 400 level)
First-year composition, discussion posts, reflection papers, and the analytical and research papers of upper-division courses.
Graduate (500 to 600 level)
Literature reviews, research proposals, case analyses, and capstone projects, where instructors expect synthesis of current scholarship rather than summary.
Doctoral (700 to 900 level)
Dissertation chapters, methodology sections, and publication-style writing. Doctoral support is quoted individually after we review your project scope.
Who provides the writing help?
Every Tutor & Writing Help resource and service is handled by doctoral-level professionals who know American college conventions, including MLA, APA, and the structure U.S. instructors expect. Meet our editors.
Tutoring and editing support your own writing. You are responsible for knowing and understanding your own school or university’s policy on editing and tutoring services.
Frequently asked questions
Is using writing help allowed?
Getting feedback, working with a tutor, and having your own draft proofread are common, accepted forms of writing support, much like a campus writing center. What is not allowed is submitting someone else's work as your own. You are responsible for knowing and understanding your own school or university’s policy on editing and tutoring services.
Do you help with editing my own paper?
Yes. Upload your draft through the editing request form and choose proofreading, copyediting, or a developmental edit. We reply with a quote before any work begins.