Writing Sample - Under suggested minimum by a page

[mostlytoasty]

Hi all. I have a writing sample I wrote for a seminar that has been polished/revised/reworked etc. BUT it comes up to 14 pages (13.75 if you want to get exact about it). All of the schools I'm applying to suggest to submit one that is 15-20, no more than 25, or 10-12 pages in length. While I don't think 14 pages is too much of a problem for the last option (I'll probably cut it any way), is it a problem for schools wanting at least 15? I didn't really think a page would make a difference but now I'm having second thoughts. I feel like if I try to push the document to hit the 15th page, I'd just be adding fluff—but then again, there's always room for further analysis. I feel like my paper is exactly what it needs to be in these 14 pages, but I don't want to look like I didn't try to meet their requirements. I wrote a senior thesis so I'm pretty sure they'd know I'm capable of producing "long" work.. but.. any thoughts?

Edited November 29, 2010 by mostlytoasty

[bigdgp]

Hi all. I have a writing sample I wrote for a seminar that has been polished/revised/reworked etc. BUT it comes up to 14 pages (13.75 if you want to get exact about it). All of the schools I'm applying to suggest to submit one that is 15-20, no more than 25, or 10-12 pages in length. While I don't think 14 pages is too much of a problem for the last option (I'll probably cut it any way), is it a problem for schools wanting at least 15? I didn't really think a page would make a difference but now I'm having second thoughts. I feel like if I try to push the document to hit the 15th page, I'd just be adding fluff. I feel like my paper is exactly what it needs to be in these 14 pages, but I don't want to look like I didn't try to meet their requirements. I wrote a senior thesis so I'm pretty sure they'd know I'm capable of producing "long" work.. but.. any thoughts?

I doubt it. My sample is about 14.33 or so pages, and many of my schools say they want a writing sample of approx. 15-25 pages in length. I am sure that 14 or so really good pages is far better than 15 pages where you have obviously made it a page longer than it needs to be. Also, If they read your paper and are impressed by it, I can't imagine that their impression will immediately fade upon reaching a "premature" conclusion. I wouldn't worry.

[lifealive]

Forget about overall length and instead focus on making your introduction as strong as possible. Most committee members only read the first two pages or so before deciding to forward the application to the next round, so it's important to make your introduction a winner.

For the same reason I just mentioned, I don't think you need to cut the sample for the 10- or 12-page writing sample requirements. Seriously, the only way your writing sample is going to get a thorough, evaluative read is if you're down to the final round. And by that point, no one is going to nix your application on the basis of some bureaucratic nicety about page requirements.

[tinapickles]

Forget about overall length and instead focus on making your introduction as strong as possible. Most committee members only read the first two pages or so before deciding to forward the application to the next round, so it's important to make your introduction a winner.

For the same reason I just mentioned, I don't think you need to cut the sample for the 10- or 12-page writing sample requirements. Seriously, the only way your writing sample is going to get a thorough, evaluative read is if you're down to the final round. And by that point, no one is going to nix your application on the basis of some bureaucratic nicety about page requirements.

What lifealive said. Focus on content vs. length. I've been advised to really focus on making the beginning and the end super strong (of course, you want the ENTIRE paper to be strong for that final round) for the specific reason that lifealive states--adcoms may read the whole thing, but more likely they're going to focus on the beginning and the end.

[fall-11]

I second what people have said about quality rather than quantity ... but if that one page is really bothering you, you might try playing with the line spacing. E.g. you can change the line spacing to 2.1 (i.e. slightly over regular double-spacing). It might help you spill over onto that last page, and the difference between 2.0 and 2.1 is small enough that no one will notice it. Same thing if you need to make it a page or so shorter -- try 1.9 instead of 2.0. But yeah, what really matters is the content, and I don't think a page over or under will get you disqualified.

[ryanweb]

Okay, so what about being a few pages short? SUNY-Buffalo asks for a sample 20-30 pages long, which is definitely larger than many other programs. My sample comes to 17 pages, INCLUDING bibliography (2 double-spaced pages of sources), and I'm not sure I have time to extend it, especially since I will probably have to cut it down for other programs.

I guess I'm not too worried about this, but... should I be?

[lifealive]

Okay, so what about being a few pages short? SUNY-Buffalo asks for a sample 20-30 pages long, which is definitely larger than many other programs. My sample comes to 17 pages, INCLUDING bibliography (2 double-spaced pages of sources), and I'm not sure I have time to extend it, especially since I will probably have to cut it down for other programs.

I guess I'm not too worried about this, but... should I be?

At the end of the day, the evaluation is really going to be about quality. However, when a school asks for 20-30 pp, I'm inclined to think that they're expecting samples to be article length, and many candidates WILL have written full-length seminar papers. I don't think you should be as concerned with cutting your sample down as much as making sure you've fully explained all of your points.

And just for future reference, we don't count a bibliography as part of the paper.

[charles mingus]

Along these lines, does anybody know about the expectation for degree of polish in a writing sample?

Would an adcomm excuse minor mechanical and technical blemishes to appreciate the originality and sophistication in a rougher draft of an independent study paper? Is it better to omit sections which might show strong scholarly promise yet haven't undergone meticulous formatting/editing?

I realize that one answer to this is that I need to work extensively to make my WS as polished and professional. I am asking also, though, to get a sense of how I should distribute my efforts across my remaining applications--i.e. whether I obsess over an already solid SOP's minutiae or get the proofreading pen out for the WS.

Thanks to everyone for their terrific and perennially enlightening advice on these boards; your suggestions have been very helpful to my application process, logistically and psychologically.

-CM