Writing sample for psych phd programs

[babyology]

Hi friends,

So one of the schools I'm planning to apply to (for phd program in developmental psych) requires a writing sample. None of the other schools I researched did, so I'm sort of hoping this is pretty uncommon, and that the adcom doesn't weight it every heavily. Specifically, I'm hoping that if I send an uninspired paper I wrote for a sociology class 3 years ago that has nothing to do with the research I'm proposing do to in grad school, that it won't get my application immediately thrown away. I didn't do a senior thesis and I have no published papers, so I can't send that. I've been out of school for 2 years, so the sociology paper in question is embarrassingly the best I can do, I'm afraid, short of sitting down and writing a brand new paper, which is not what they're looking for. They specifically ask that the paper be something that was submitted, either for a grade or for publication.

Any advice?

[schoolpsych_hopeful]

Hi friends,

So one of the schools I'm planning to apply to (for phd program in developmental psych) requires a writing sample. None of the other schools I researched did, so I'm sort of hoping this is pretty uncommon, and that the adcom doesn't weight it every heavily. Specifically, I'm hoping that if I send an uninspired paper I wrote for a sociology class 3 years ago that has nothing to do with the research I'm proposing do to in grad school, that it won't get my application immediately thrown away. I didn't do a senior thesis and I have no published papers, so I can't send that. I've been out of school for 2 years, so the sociology paper in question is embarrassingly the best I can do, I'm afraid, short of sitting down and writing a brand new paper, which is not what they're looking for. They specifically ask that the paper be something that was submitted, either for a grade or for publication.

Any advice?

I'm sure every program weighs the writing sample differently. I don't think your writing sample would get your application thrown out right away (unless it really is atrocious).

Do you have any research papers that you wrote for a psychology class? My advice is to just send your best work. At this point, that's the best you can do.

[TheDude]

I have to do this for 1 or 2 schools. I guess coauthored papers are not appropriate, even when the sections I wrote are delineated. I will just send a research paper with some grammar modifications.