First time posting on here, so if I commit some type of taboo, sorry.
I plan on applying to rhet/comp programs this fall, and I've been working on preparing my materials and such. My issue is deciding what to do for my writing sample. I have a 34 page piece that I am heavily attached to, and I really want to use it for my rhet/comp apps. I believe it shows my skills and my individuality the most out of all my papers, but the issue is the length. Most of the programs I am looking at applying to have a requirement.limit around 15 pages. I've been trying to find a way to cut it down, but I'm starting to realize that there is no way to revise that much out of the paper and maintain its original concepts and argument. I was told at some point that I could just take the first fifteen pages and state that it was an excerpt from a larger piece, but that seems like I might be shooting myself in the foot. Has anyone done this before? Is it something programs would accept?
Basically, do I choose the piece that represents my writing (meaning either cut it down and suffer or submit an excerpt and risk it) or do I choose a piece that is a standard research paper with less personality?