Apply for a Simpson Undergraduate Writing Fellowship

Applications for 2026-2027 remain open in some departments: Archaeology, Economics, Philosophy, Sociology, and World Languages & Literature. Timelines for applications vary by department, so please reach out if you are interested in applying.

General Information

Students who are rising juniors or seniors in select academic units, including Archaeology, Biology, Classical Studies, Economics, English, History, History of Art & Architecture, Neuroscience, Pardee School, Philosophy, Political Science, Romance Studies, Sociology, or World Languages & Literature may apply for a fellowship position as a department-based writing tutor. The Simpson Writing Fellows provide assistance to students working on writing assignments in their respective departments, publicize the tutoring resource, and serve as ambassadors for their departments or programs. Departments select their own Fellows in consultation with the Associate Director of Writing in the Disciplines.

Training

Students who are selected are required to take the 2-credit course, WR 597 Tutoring Writing in the Disciplines. In this course students learn about disciplinary-specific writing practices, genres, and conventions and develop practical tutoring methods to help peers become more independent writers.

This course traditionally meets on Mondays 4:40-5:55 in the Fall semester.

Pay

Students holding this fellowship position earn a stipend of $1500 for the academic year ($750 in the Fall and $750 in the Spring). Each semester, Fellows provide approximately 40 hours of tutoring.

Application

Application for Simpson Writing Fellowship

Name(Required)

First Last

Pronouns

BU ID#(Required)

Email (bu.edu address)(Required)

Enter Email Confirm Email

Major(s)(Required)

Which department or program are you are applying to work in?(Required)

Year of Graduation(Required)

Local Address(Required)

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code

Cell Phone(Required)

References

Please provide the name, position, and contact information of a person who can recommend you or speak on your behalf. For example, you might identify a professor from your department, an employer, or someone else familiar with your writing, work experience, or character.

Reference 1 Name(Required)

First Last

Reference 1 Position(Required)

Email of Reference 1(Required)

Reference 2 Name(Required)

First Last

Reference 2 Position(Required)

Email of Reference 2(Required)

Application Statement

We ask for two distinct statements about your interest in this position: the first involves your writing experience and interest in the position; the second concerns your experiences that are relevant to the tutoring work. There is an optional third question. The prompts provide more context for your responses.

Writing Experience and Interest(Required)

Please tell us why you would like to be a Simpson Writing Fellow. In doing so, note specifically how you have developed your skills as a writer and communicator in your field and/or what you believe is important about writing in your discipline.

Relevant Experience(Required)

To help us better understand you and your interest in this fellowship, please discuss the significance of any relevant experiences when you have done one or more of the following: demonstrated empathy, patience, and flexibility in working with others (including those whose writing style may differ from your own); engaged with issues of diversity; supported others, including people from cultural or linguistic backgrounds different from your own; and/or overcome adversity, learned from mistakes, and improved your own skills in response to constructive feedback.

Optional/Additional Information

If there is anything else that you would like for us to know about your knowledge, experiences, skills, and/or temperament that are relevant to your interest in becoming a Simpson Writing Fellow, you are welcome to add it, here.

Writing Sample and Resume

Please submit a writing sample (minimum of 5 pages) that demonstrates your writing ability in the discipline for which you are applying. In addition, please submit a resume or c.v.

Upload Writing Sample(Required)

Upload your writing sample in .pdf, .doc or .docx format.

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 100 MB.

Upload Your Resume(Required)

Upload your resume or c.v. in .pdf, .doc or .docx format.

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 100 MB.

Name(Required)

First Last

Date(Required)