Advisor feedback gets easier to act on once you sort it: what your advisor wants changed, what they want explained, and what they are asking you to decide. Expect several rounds. Comments address this draft, and you're expected to revise it.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) suggests a three-column table: the feedback, your plan, and what you actually did. Grouping similar comments in one row keeps you from fixing the same problem five times. A hypothetical example:
| Feedback | My plan | What I did |
|---|---|---|
| "Where is your argument?" (ch. 2, three times) | State the claim at the start of each section | New first sentences in 2.1 to 2.4 |
| "Is this sample large enough?" | Ask what they expect; look up what similar studies report | Asked by email, added a paragraph to the limitations section |
| "Cite?" | Find the source or remove the claim | Two sources added, one claim removed |
Short comments are hard to read, and advisors use them differently. These are starting points. If you still aren't sure, ask.
| Comment | It may mean | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| "So what?" | I don't see why this matters for your question | Does the paragraph end with what follows from it? |
| "Unpack this" | You compressed a step I need to see | Which reasoning did you skip? |
| "Says who?" | This sounds like a claim that needs support | Is there a source, or data of your own? |
| "Too descriptive" | You report, and I can't find your analysis | Where do you say what the information means? |
| "Too strong" | Your claim goes beyond your evidence | What can your design show? |
| "Awkward" | I had to reread this sentence | Read it aloud. Is the subject clear? |
| "Let's talk" | It would take too long to explain in a comment | Bring your questions and your plan. |
Ask early, with a specific question. IUP's advice: “Ask for clarifications from your advisor and/or committee if there is feedback that is unclear to you.” Yale's physiology program says something similar: “Ask questions if you do not understand the feedback they give you; follow up with a plan to address the issues they raise.”
Instead of "What did you mean?" try: "Your comment on 3.2 says 'too descriptive.' I read that as: I report the interviews without saying what they show. Is that it?" Then your advisor can say yes or correct you in one line.
Bring it to your chair and don't try to satisfy both in the same paragraph. Roles vary from school to school. UT Tyler's guide tells students: “Students should avoid consulting the full committee for feedback without prior approval of the Chair.” Show the two comments side by side, say which way you lean and why, and let the chair decide. Keep the answer by email, so you can point to it if the question comes up again at your defense.
Start from what the comment shows. IUP is direct about this: “Regardless of the feelings you have, you still need to address the feedback.” A comment can come from something missing on the page: someone who misreads you may be telling you the text isn't clear yet.
If you still disagree after that, explain your reasoning with your evidence and ask what would convince them. Your advisor and committee have the final say, so make your case once, in full, and then act on the outcome.
Add a short note on what changed. IUP suggests a bullet list of what you did and why, and says: “Advisors and committee members appreciate a direct discussion of how you have made revisions.” Include the comments you didn't act on and your reason, so your advisor doesn't need to search for them.
Expect more rounds. UT Tyler's guide says: “Students should expect to make multiple revisions to their draft throughout the entire process.” Agree on turnaround times at the start, since they vary by advisor and program.
Esmond evaluates every assignment before you submit. It never writes it.
Run a draft through Esmond before you send it to your advisor, so you can work on what it flags first. Esmond doesn't replace your advisor: it doesn't know what the two of you have agreed on, and your advisor and committee have the final say. Treat its comments as you would any other reader's.
There's no hard-and-fast rule. Ask at the start what turnaround to expect, and check your program handbook. Before a deadline, tell your advisor early when you will send a draft.
Send one short email with what you need and by when. If that gets no response, ask your program's graduate coordinator or director how to proceed.
Deal with every comment, even if you end up doing something else. If you don't follow one, say why in your note.
Both spellings are used in the US, and they mean the same thing. Some schools also say thesis chair or faculty mentor. Your handbook will use one of them.
Read on November 3, 2026.
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