Levinthal Tutorials
The Levinthal Tutorial is an opportunity for motivated undergraduate writers to work one-on-one with Stegner Fellows in poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. Students design their own curriculum and Stegner Fellows act as writing mentors and advisors.
For each Levinthal, students complete a reading list and writing project that is equal to, and counts for, a 5-unit class (approximately 3 book readings and approximately 50 pages of prose or 10-15 poems). Stegner Fellows help guide progress, but ultimately, the initiative and responsibility for the tutorial rests primarily with the students.
Levinthals are offered during Winter quarter only. Typically, students meet with their Stegner Fellows for 2 hours each week of Winter quarter.
Application Process
The application opens at the start of Week 2 of Fall quarter. The number of available Levinthals varies but can be up to 10 slots in each genre. Once the application closes, Stegner Fellows review the submissions and students are notified of application decisions in late November or early December. If selected, students may count their Levinthal Tutorial (English 190L, English 191L, or English 192L) as one of the intermediate or advanced courses required for the Creative Writing minor.
Guidelines to Apply
- Completed English 92 (or any 92 series course) if applying for a poetry tutorial
- Completed English 90 or 91 (or any 90/91 series course) if applying for a fiction or creative nonfiction tutorial
- Required application materials:
- A writing sample (5-10 poems or pages of prose)
- A brief 1-2 paragraph statement, outlining what you expect to read, how much you expect to write, and what you hope to accomplish during your tutorial
- Students can apply in more than one area (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction), but can only participate in one tutorial
- Students must be active Stanford undergraduates; they must be currently enrolled and cannot be on leave from the university
Deadline for Winter 2024 applications: Monday, October 16 at 11:59pm
Learn More
Our collection of video interviews provide a deep dive into the Levinthal experience:
An overview of the Levinthal Tutorials from peer advisor Surabhi Balachander.
Reflections on the process from Stegner Fellows Aamina Ahmad, Chris Drangle, and Nick Friedman.
Student reflections from Catherine Wong (fiction), Jamie Helyar (nonfiction), and Jackson Roach (poetry).