Carnegie Mellon University

We want to help you connect with a consultant who is trained to work with your project.  To do that, please select the appointment category that most closely describes your project.  Not all appointment days or times are available for all types of projects, so unfortunately, you can’t solely choose an appointment based on day/time.  If you choose an appointment for a category that doesn’t fit your uploaded draft or you do not upload a draft, we will need to cancel or reschedule your appointment to give other clients the opportunity to make appointments at that time.


If you need help choosing a category, please look at the descriptions below.  If you need help transferring your current appointment to another category or have any questions , email us at success@andrew.cmu.edu.  We would love to help you find the perfect fit!


All appointment types require that you upload your draft by 10:00 am the day before your appointment except for Brainstorming appointments.

For resumes, CVs, and cover letters please visit the Career and Professional Development Center. You can schedule an appointment with them here.

  • CGA
  • Inquiry Plan
  • Proposal
  • Contribution Paper
  • Comprehensive Summary
  • Synthesis
  • Counterargument and Refutation
  • Comparison/Contrast
  • Proposal and Annotated Bibliography
  • Position Paper
  • Graduate school application essays (master’s, PhD, med school, law school)
  • Applications for additional major or minor, and HCI and BXA program applications
  • Applications for postbac programs
  • Transfer essays
  • Documents with similar purposes to SoP like statement of interest, letter of intent 
Excludes: Professional application materials (contact the CPDC), NSF-GRFP and other grant applications, Statement of Purpose, and Statement of Research
For Graduate Students: This appointment type is intended to help you develop ideas for a project or assignment. While you do not need to upload a draft, you should have a specific project in mind.
  • For Undergraduates: This appointment type is intended to help you develop ideas for a project or assignment. 
  • While you do not need to upload a draft, you should have a specific project in mind.
  • Memos
  • Policy proposals
  • Executive summaries
  • Case studies 
  • White papers 
  • 76-108 Writing about Public Problems, 94-700 Organizational Design & Implementation
Diversity and teaching statements are components of many graduate school and academic employment applications.  They typically explain how an applicant will contribute to the diversity, equity, and inclusion mission of a school (diversity statement) or the pedagogical influences and educational philosophy of a candidate (teaching statement).
  • For help understanding course or supplementary readings. 
  • The appointment type is intended to help you understand the language patterns or cultural background knowledge necessary to meaningfully engage with your readings. 
  • Please read the text at least once and bring specific questions with you to your appointment.
  • For help with verbal communication in both formal and informal contexts. 
  • In this appointment you can work with a consultant on verbal communication in contexts such as giving a presentation, speaking during class, or simply making casual conversation.
  • This appointment type supports multilingual student’s written communication. 
  • Area of focus may include word choice, collocation, source use, or grammar in context. 
  • This category includes any and all projects related to multilingual requests to focus on language patterns in fluency, fit, and pragmatics.

Humanities

  • Thesis-driven essays
  • Argumentative essays (not first-year writing 76-100, 76-101)
  • Most humanities assignments (English, history, philosophy)
  • Reflection assignments
  • Criticism assignments
  • Fine arts documents (e.g. artist statements)
  • Journalism assignments 
  • Argument analysis assignment
  • English 76 106, 107, 108
  • 79-104 Global Histories
  • Excludes: Graduate-level research

STEM

  • Lab reports and similar undergraduate coursework 
  • White papers
  • Text analysis, 76-107 Writing about Data
  • Many IMRD and problem-solution papers for undergraduate courses
Excludes: Graduate-level research
  • Dissertation and Theses
  • Papers and journal articles
  • Some oral presentations
  • Research posters (these are usually under posters & visual design, but it’s also OK for them to be under advanced research.)
  • Revise and resubmit
Excludes: Any and all materials from first-year writing courses, lab reports and other undergraduate coursework
  • Application essays and other documents for obtaining grants, fellowships, scholarships, and other sources of funding
  • NSF-GRFP applications
  • Can include other documents that explain research background, goals, or trajectory
  • Oral presentations with or without slides 
Excludes: pronunciation and fluency (please request a consultation with Language Support)
This genre is a typical component of STEM graduate applications and focuses on how past research and publications of a candidate will fit with and add to the program’s research agenda.
This genre is a typical component of graduate applications and focuses on your past and present coursework and research as they relate to your potential contribution to a specific program or school.
  • Any and all projects with more than one person contributing work
  • Individual or group appts to learn about strategies for effective teamwork
  • Group presentations
  • Research posters
  • Slide design 
  • Any project to work on layout, design, formatting, or data visualization 
Excludes: Resumes and job talk slides (please request a consultation with CPDC)

Make an Appointment

In-Person Appointments

  • Upload your documents in advance, then discuss them in-person with a consultant in a 50 minute appointment.
  • Make an appointment online and come to Posner 287 on your scheduled day and time for your session.

MAKE APPOINTMENT

Zoom Appointments

  • Upload your documents in advance, then discuss them with a consultant over Zoom
  • Late night appointments available for students in different time zones

MAKE APPOINTMENT

Video Response

  • Upload your documents in advance, then receive a 20- to 30-minute recorded video with your consultant's feedback
  • Video will be received within 5 days after your scheduled time slot.

MAKE APPOINTMENT

About our 1-on-1 Consultations

Which appointment type is right for me?

In-person meetings work well for anyone, especially those on campus who can conveniently meet in the Communication Support space in Posner 287.  If you want the face-to-face interaction of an in-person session while staying in your own space, virtual sessions are a great option! To ensure the smoothest online consultation experience, you'll need a strong internet connection, a computer with a microphone, and (preferably) the free videoconferencing application, Zoom.  Video consultations are best when your draft is in its final form and you are looking for help on a specific section of the project.

On what kinds of projects can I receive feedback?

If it involves written, oral, or visual communication, we can probably help you!  Please see the list above and expand each appointment type to better understand the projects we consult.  Please remember that since our sessions are interactive and learning-based, consultants don’t proofread projects.  If you would like to get help with advanced language learning in academic contexts, check out our “English Language Learning” appointment.

How many appointments can I schedule?

You can book a maximum of one session per day, one per week, and 15 per semester. Alumni are welcome to schedule sessions but must make same-day appointments (after 8:00 am the same day as the scheduled appointment time).

How do I make an appointment?

Click on the "Make Appointment" button above, where you'll be taken to our online scheduler. Select your appointment type first.  This is really important so you meet with a consultant trained to specifically work with your project type.  Then, choose either “1-on-1 consultations” or “Asynchronous Video Response”.  Next, note the “in-person only” and “zoom only” labels under the consultant’s name to select the mode you prefer.  Click on the day and time available for your appointment type, answer a few questions about your project, upload your document(s), and click "Complete Appointment." You'll get a confirmation email where you can edit your responses or upload additional documents.

How do I join a Zoom session?

The Zoom Meeting ID appears in your confirmation email, next to your tutor's name.

MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT

Video Response

20- to 30-minute recorded video response

Is this the right kind of appointment for me?

In a video feedback session, you'll upload your document, and within 5 days of your appointment start time, one of our consultants will send you a 20- to 30-minute screen-capture video with detailed advice. If you can't find room for a live session in your schedule, can wait a couple days for feedback, and appreciate having a video you can refer to multiple times, this kind of session is for you!

On what kinds of projects can I receive feedback?

Because you won't be meeting a consultant face-to-face, video feedback sessions are not the best for presentations, interview preparation, or other oral projects. Video sessions are also not appropriate for projects in the brainstorming stages, as your consultant won't be able to ask you questions. However, we can still help you on your academic research article, essays & term papers, posters, and other written & visual documents. Since our video sessions are learning-based, we will not limit sessions to proofreading or copy editing.

How many appointments can I schedule?

You can book a maximum of one session per day, one per week, and 15 per semester. Alumni are welcome to schedule sessions, but must make same-day appointments (after 8:00 am the same day as the scheduled appointment time).

How do I make an appointment?

Click on the "Make Appointment" button above, where you'll be taken to our online scheduler. Next to the date at the top of WCOnline, select the “Asynchronous Video Response” option instead of the “1-on-1 Consultations”. Next, click on an open appointment space, answer a few questions about your project, upload your document(s), and click "Complete Appointment." You'll get a confirmation email where you can edit your responses or upload additional documents.

MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT

"This was the first time I used the video feedback service. I received wonderful and extremely useful advice on the documents I submitted. I am completely satisfied! Thank you!"

— Graduate student, Public Policy and Management

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