writing sample length problems

[andromache]

Including several images plus the works cited page, my writing sample is currently 28 pages long. What is the typical expectation for things like images and the works cited when trying to fit page limits? If a page limit is ten pages, is it alright to submit 12 pages, allowing for things like images and the works cited page? In addition, what would the proper format be for omitting parts of the paper in order to make it shorter? A brief summary of a cut section in italics, maybe?

[fuzzylogician]

You need to ask the schools you're applying to. Many schools will not count the references as part of the page limit and you might also get away with having the images in appendices. But you need to ask.

 

If you choose to omit part of the paper, there are several ways of doing it. One is to just give the part you want them to read and attach an abstract in the beginning that situates this excerpt in the context of the rest of the paper. Another is to add brief descriptions of the omitted sections where they were omitted (I'd avoid that if you could just have an abstract in the beginning of the paper, but if you're giving multiple disparate excerpts it may be easier to have short descriptions of omitted parts where they occur in the paper instead of putting everything at the top). Yet another way is to submit the whole paper with instructions of what to read and a description of the rest. This allows interested readers to read more, and others to just read within the page limit. This should be done with permission from the schools, because technically you are exceeding the page limit, but I think most schools are ok with this. 

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

10 pages seems short for a page limit. Is this a PhD? Is that normal? 

[andromache]

10 pages seems short for a page limit. Is this a PhD? Is that normal? 

 

I was looking into applying for programs last year (ended up not, but) and the page limits were more in the range of 15-25 pages. This year, many more are 10-15 pages, and Carnegie Mellon's PhD program has a maximum of 10 pages.

[ToomuchLes]

I have a similar problem. The institutions Im applying to require 20-25 pages. My writing sample is 27 pages long; however my references account for 3 pages, plus I have two charts and a scanned image. I dont want to resize my images cause Im worried the adcoms wont be able to read it, when they print it out.