Writing Samples for M.S.

[elweezer]

Hey guys. I'm applying for the Fall 2012 cycle and getting a bit of a head start. I was an English and journalism double major at UF, and I am thinking of applying to some j-school master's programs at NYU (cultural reporting and criticism), Medill, UT-Austin, and Missou. The only thing I'm unsure of is what would make for the best writing sample. I have a million op-ed and editorial clips from my college paper, some stories from an internship at the local paper (mostly boring PR-style fodder), and clips from my job now at a music magazine that are sort of irreverent and esoteric, although they are the most exemplary of my writing style.

I'm unsure of what j-school programs are looking for, especially CRC at NYU. I mean, do they want an excerpt from my English honors thesis as one of them since they are mix between academic criticism and journalism? Should I send a mixture of critical theory papers and articles?

What did you guys send for writing samples?

[KAMALAGRAD]

Hey elweezer,

Only send opinion pieces if that is specifically part of the program you plan to attend. If it is just a regular journalism program that is not mostly about opinion writing than send objective news clips. I hate to be a buzz kill, but I know from experience both in applying to grad school and in the field that you always have to be cautious when sending opinion clips as some editors/writers (who become professors) think experience in opinion writing shows that reporters can't be objective, which is ridiculous, but is their view. The clips can be from a school newspaper though a bigger publication may look even better.

As for me I sent three clips to most of the schools I applied to. They were all from my undergrad newspaper where I was the editor-in-chief and were written during my senior year. Here is the breakdown:

Clip #1: This was the one people saw (or at least were intended to see) first when looking through my clips. Also, at least in one case it was the only clip I sent to a school that just asked for one clip (I think USC) and I got in, partly by using this clip. Anyway, the clip is a hard news story between 1,000-1,500 words and was about a professor refusing to take mandatory sexual harassment training and then facing suspension/possible termination. The story was particularly notable as it had more in-depth reporting than a major local newspaper that covered the story.

Clip #2: This was a shorter piece about 700-1,000 words, I believe. It was about a student at my school who committed suicide inside the trunk of his car. It wasn't the story initially covering it (which I co-wrote), but the story that reported it was ruled a suicide after months of investigation (which I wrote by myself). I think it was good because it showed that I could follow a story long term and still be able to wrap it up concisely.

Clip #3: This was a feature piece covering the struggling equestrian team at my school. It was about 1,300 words. I thought it was good to use as it showed I was flexible in different writing styles.

Well, that is all I have for now. Good luck though and I hope you get into the programs you are applying to. I've looked into NYU and Medill quite a bit and both of those look great!