Does Berkeley's online app have room for writing sample?

[GK Chesterton]

This damned Berkeley app. I just realized that their website doesn't have a spot for uploading a writing sample, at least for German. Have other people encountered this, or am I missing something really obvious?

[Strangefox]

This damned Berkeley app. I just realized that their website doesn't have a spot for uploading a writing sample, at least for German. Have other people encountered this, or am I missing something really obvious?

I don't know about Berkeley but these online apps seem to be created to confuse us potential students (or may be to test our skills and cunning - an additional cut-off tool)

I would contact their grad coordinator and say: "I was not able to upload my writing sample [no need to go into details]. Can I email it to you?" or something similar.

[GK Chesterton]

I don't know about Berkeley but these online apps seem to be created to confuse us potential students (or may be to test our skills and cunning - an additional cut-off tool)

I would contact their grad coordinator and say: "I was not able to upload my writing sample [no need to go into details]. Can I email it to you?" or something similar.

Sigh. The answer is no, it must be mailed. I wrote them. This strikes me as absurd, because I KNOW that Berkeley's Poli Sci lets you upload it. Also, if they can write me emails from that account... why can't they accept my writing sample as an attachment through that account? Gah.

It's like, they should all get one grad student to try and "apply" to like 15 different top schools, write down the best and worst features of each, and make their applications do that. These are people who think for a living, for God's sake!

Edited December 15, 2010 by GK Chesterton

[Strangefox]

Sigh. The answer is no, it must be mailed. I wrote them. This strikes me as absurd, because I KNOW that Berkeley's Poli Sci lets you upload it. Also, if they can write me emails from that account... why can't they accept my writing sample as an attachment through that account? Gah.

That is just mean! Do they have some kind of printing paper shortage??? At Berkeley??? Gr!

[JoeySsance]

I applied to Berkeley's French department and in our case we were required to e-mail the writing sample directly to the department (rather than upload it online with the SOP, etc.). It seems like it varies from department to department. German requires postal mail? That's a bummer... (and I understand your frustration... German and French are both comparatively smaller departments, so you would think it would be a bit more affordable for them to print out writing samples versus other more gigantic departments). But it's not the worst thing that could happen. If you're worried about the deadline, I'm sure that they will consider the postmarked date. I had to mail transcripts and for those the French department said they considered the postmark date. Hang in there!

[GK Chesterton]

I applied to Berkeley's French department and in our case we were required to e-mail the writing sample directly to the department (rather than upload it online with the SOP, etc.). It seems like it varies from department to department. German requires postal mail? That's a bummer... (and I understand your frustration... German and French are both comparatively smaller departments, so you would think it would be a bit more affordable for them to print out writing samples versus other more gigantic departments). But it's not the worst thing that could happen. If you're worried about the deadline, I'm sure that they will consider the postmarked date. I had to mail transcripts and for those the French department said they considered the postmark date. Hang in there!

I suppose this is the econ undergraduate in me, but simple solution: let me pay an extra $5 to email you the paper and have you print it out. Mailing it will cost me at least that much (25 page writing sample plus assorted) is probably at least $7 (not to mention that I'm in Germany right now, so that figure is at least 5x bigger), so I save, and printing it out will cost them .05X30 = $1.50, meaning they make money on the deal as well. Plus, that way someone doesn't have to scan every single page of the paper in order to distribute copies to the admissions committee. Sheesh.