Relative importance of writing sample?

[Rodao]

I am a philosophy major applying for programs in both philosophy and political science. In philosophy, the writing sample is understood to be one of, if not the, most important part of the application. Does this hold true for political science as well? I ask this because my writing sample is probably the strongest part of my application, and I can imagine it will be of some interest to a certain cultish clique of political scientists that will remain unnamed. However, if poli sci departments don't really weigh the writing sample very heavily, then my app probably won't stand out very much. I am a little concerned about this because I've noticed that certain political science departments, such as Notre Dame, Yale, and even Harvard, don't require writing samples.

[alphazeta]

With the caveat that I'm just another undergrad applying to PhD programs for the fall, I don't think the writing samples tend to matter much. I'm aware of a fairly large number of departments that don't even require a sample, so it seems like it can't really be that important to any of them.

From talking to my professors, I understand the factors that matter most like this. First are the "weed out" factors like GPA and GRE scores. If you don't make it over certain "humps" on these, your file probably gets just a cursory look. If nothing immediately stands out, it goes in the trash. After that, you start to look at the person's SOP and start to evaluate basic "fit". Are there people in the department working in the same general area? If no, discard. Then, you really get in depth with the applicants. You're looking both for synergy with faculty and for potential to do top-quality research. I've been told that the focus here is on the SoP and letters, but it's also where the writing sample comes in. Obviously every department is different, but no one is going to invest the time in really reading your sample unless you've made it over the previous humps, your SoP draws them in, and your letters are good. The writing sample can demonstrate potential and also fit, but I think it's less likely than the other factors do that, which is probably why many departments don't ask for one.

[Rodao]

With the caveat that I'm just another undergrad applying to PhD programs for the fall, I don't think the writing samples tend to matter much. I'm aware of a fairly large number of departments that don't even require a sample, so it seems like it can't really be that important to any of them.

From talking to my professors, I understand the factors that matter most like this. First are the "weed out" factors like GPA and GRE scores. If you don't make it over certain "humps" on these, your file probably gets just a cursory look. If nothing immediately stands out, it goes in the trash. After that, you start to look at the person's SOP and start to evaluate basic "fit". Are there people in the department working in the same general area? If no, discard. Then, you really get in depth with the applicants. You're looking both for synergy with faculty and for potential to do top-quality research. I've been told that the focus here is on the SoP and letters, but it's also where the writing sample comes in. Obviously every department is different, but no one is going to invest the time in really reading your sample unless you've made it over the previous humps, your SoP draws them in, and your letters are good. The writing sample can demonstrate potential and also fit, but I think it's less likely than the other factors do that, which is probably why many departments don't ask for one.

Thanks for the reply. To clarify, I don't think my GPA and GREs will eliminate me during the initial phases; in fact, they're quite solid. However, I'm pretty sure they won't really distinguish me from the many other qualified apps who will be applying.

From what you tell me, it sounds like the SoP is an important part of the application process for poli sci. That's somewhat different from philosophy, where the SoP is used to evaluate fit, but isn't taken as an indicator of philosophical ability, and thus isn't anywhere near as important as other factors. With that said, I've invested a good deal of time in the SoP, and made sure to apply only to schools with faculty with whom I want to work, and who share my interests. Really, my best shot is having my writing sample read by some of the aforementioned political scientists. So assuming I make the cut in the initial phases, and my SoP demonstrates a fit, is there a good chance that my writing sample will at least be read? Or perhaps I should develop my SoP even more? What do professors look for in a poli sci SoP?

Oh yes, I forgot to mention: I'll be applying for political theory. From what I understand, PT is a little different from other poli sci departments. Does this change matters at all?

Edited November 19, 2010 by Rodao

[Purled]

If you're applying for theory, keep in mind that theory is actually political philosophy, and yes, the sample is really rather important, with the level of importance increasing with application to increasingly competitive schools. If you're applying to highly selective theory programs - and most theory programs are very small and selective - then most applicants will have equally strong GPAs, GRE scores, and LORs. You have only two actual areas to stand out from the crowd and win the support of someone on the addcomm - your SoP and your sample.

Good luck!!