How many writing samples is too many?

[goldheartmountaintop]

Hi everyone,

 

First post after months of lurking! I was wondering whether there's a maximum number of writing samples that one *should* send to a school? Specifically, I'm referring to MIT, who seem to still let applicants edit and upload documents. I had submitted two on syntax much earlier this month, but am now considering sending a third one (on phonology). The application page lets you upload three, but is actually doing so total overkill?

 

Also on the topic of MIT, does anyone know when they'll no longer let us edit our applications? The deadline was early January but the application site says that we can still modify parts of our application, such as our supporting documents. I'm hella paranoid, so I've tweaked my supporting documents several times since (I don't even know if it makes any difference; maybe they downloaded everyone's documents ages ago)! Here's hoping there isn't some sort of log that tells them how often an applicant has made changes to their application, or else I will look like a crazy person.

 

Any insights would be highly appreciated!

[fuzzylogician]

I don't know about editing docs, but regarding writing samples you should ask yourself whether or not you're wasting the adcom's time. Do you really need three distinct writing samples to show your writing/research skills? Assume that someone will spend time seriously reading all of these papers (because it's true, if you're a strong applicant) -- do they all represent you equally well? Are you applying to work on the syntax/phonology interface and would like to be noticed by both kinds of faculty? Or is one paper much better and the other one(s) won't really make a good impression? You want to make the strongest case possible for your acceptance.

[uromastyx]

I think two is a good number, even for programs that ask for one. Yet, they should be notably different. For example, one on syntax and another on phonology.

However, if MIT allows three writing samples then I would strongly consider submitting three, but only if they are all strong.

[goldheartmountaintop]

Thank you to both fuzzylogician and uromastyx for your replies!! I decided in the end to just stick with the two I had submitted; the third one, while I think strong, is generally irrelevant to my statement and also follows a framework of phonology most worked within at my current school.

[fuzzylogician]

Good luck! FWIW I only submitted one sample and did just fine. Just because you can submit three doesn't mean you have to.