Writing Sample

[bachr1989]

Hi all,

Longtime reader, first time poster here.

Anyways, the biggest concern of mine in applying to graduate school is the writing sample. I am currently enrolled in my senior research seminar in which I am working on a 15-20 page paper. I am trying to rush it because I think my topic is decent and because it includes many primary sources as well as secondary sources, whereas other papers I've written include a minimal of either. I'm not sure how normal this situation is, as I am only working towards my bachelor's degree. So, my problem is that I don't exactly know what constitutes a decent sample. Is it a very important part of the application? How many others here are encountering the same problem? I hate to have to depend on using the paper that I probably won't finish until mid-November for applications due on December 1st.

Thanks for your time.

[LLajax]

Hey bachr1989- from what I've been told, the writing sample is one of the most important parts of the application. Essentially, the admissions committees want to know that you're capable of intelligent arguments based on original research (which, ideally, would include both extensive primary and secondary materials), since a big part of grad school is completing a dissertation (aka a big walloping research/writing project). If you have a senior thesis, that might be the paper to pick, but it sounds like you're stuck in a situation where you don't have one. If nothing you've written immediately springs out at you as "the piece of writing that will make you shine for the adcom", you can write something new. It sounds like you might be on the path to doing that. If you know that your research paper that you're writing right now absolutely will be done by mid-November, there's no reason why you can't complete the rest of your apps in the meantime and then submit them when you've got there paper done. If you're really worried about it, maybe think about editing through another paper you've written and are fond of.

Some things to think about:

-Primary and secondary research: show that you know how to work with primary sources and that you can familiarize yourself with the academic discourse on a specific topic

-Target length abt 20-25 pages: Any longer and you end up running into page length limits (or having to excerpt), any shorter and you don't show off yourself to the best of your ability.

Don't worry if your writing sample isn't necessarily on what you want to study in grad school . For example, you want to study the cultural impact of Otto van Bismarck, but your paper is on American political discourse in the 1890s- it should be okay (caveat: unless the program specifically requests a writing sample relevant to your proposed research, in which case, do what the nice people have asked).

Definitely ask a professor (or two, or three) to read through your writing sample for you.

[TMP]

From my experience, you really don't want to rush this most important piece of your application. You want to show off your very best research ability (including using primary sources, and lots of them) and understanding of the current historiography surrounding your paper topic. Not to mention writing. There are some professors out there who are truly nitpicky about that and will disregard the entire application based on sloppy, "this is only third draft" writing.

Not just myself but I've seen applicants on this board do better in the admissions if they can take more time with their writing samples. Undergraduate seniors who succeeded on here, at least to my observation, have already written their drafts as early as September (because they had taken a seminar the prior spring or had summer research fellowship) and they just had more time. I wasn't one of those seniors... I was you. :/

I really do wish I had kicked myself and said "You have time. You CAN wait until next year." In retrospect, rushing through my writing samples (in the mist of writing a thesis!) created quite bit of sloppy work compared to my later revisions.

You could try this year and see what happens as long as you gave your best or just hold off your applications and really polish that writing sample for the 2013 cycle. It really does have to be perfect (give or take a few typos).

[iamincontrolhere-haig]

I really do wish I had kicked myself and said "You have time. You CAN wait until next year." In retrospect, rushing through my writing samples (in the mist of writing a thesis!) created quite bit of sloppy work compared to my later revisions.

You could try this year and see what happens as long as you gave your best or just hold off your applications and really polish that writing sample for the 2013 cycle. It really does have to be perfect (give or take a few typos).

I think this is good advice. I was in a similar situation last year: eager to apply for graduate school but in the middle of coursework and researching/writing my senior thesis. After consulting with professors and some students who had been in my position in the past, I opted to take a year out--and I'm glad I did. Your writing sample is arguably the most important aspect of your application. Perfecting it, passing your classes, and putting together convincing applications all at once will certainly be a behemoth of a responsibility. If, on the other hand, you hold off on applying this time around and put all of your energy towards crafting the best senior thesis that you possibly can, you'll improve your chances of admission to good programs next year. You'll also have the chance to improve your application in numerous other ways (i.e., winning academic awards, publishing the fruits of your labor, allowing your letter of recommendation writers to better get to know you and your scholarship, pursuing related work/internship experiences, and broadening and deepening your familiarity with the historiography of your field of interest). You might also avoid burnout at some point in the future by, excuse the mixed metaphor, coming up for air.

If you choose to apply this season, go with whatever piece of writing best demonstrates your ability to work with primary sources and deploy original arguments. This likely means your senior thesis, but could aso mean extending another paper or combining two or more related papers. Whatever you choose, have as many professors as possible look it over and give you their comments and critiques.