Endnotes

[semicolon2013]

Does anyone have a large number of Endnotes in their writing sample?  Do you think this annoying to the admissions people?  Mine are mostly elaborations and explanations of the theory I use and some references to further reading.  I figure they can skip it if they want to, but I'm also worried because with the endnotes I am about a page over the limit (without the Works Cited pages).

[aGiRlCalLeDApPlE]

I have a somewhat similar concern about the number of works cited. I really don't know whether I'm using too many or too few. Would 14-18 references be adequate for a 10-15 page paper? I'm sorry I didn't answer your question, but we can wait for someone to answer mine and yours

[Swagato]

I had 34 endnotes. My writing sample was 17 pages of text. I'm not sure if that's "too many" but I really, really doubt that adcoms are going to close-read your endnotes. 

[jazzyd]

I wouldn't worry too much about endnotes (footnotes would be another matter, since they can really bog down a paper). Just don't count on adcomms reading them closely (or at all) as Swagato mentioned. 

Edited November 29, 2013 by jazzy dubois

[hashslinger]

Well, of course you should have endnotes. It's an academic paper.

 

Don't worry about going a page over--no one is going to care.

 

And as others have said, don't worry too much about the content of the endnotes themselves. While you certainly don't want sloppily written endnotes (or sloppily written anything), you want to focus most of your attention on the first three pages of your writing sample. The first three pages (and the first page especially) should be crystal clear, vivid, and make clear the stakes of your argument.

 

No one can tell you whether or not you're using too many or too few sources without seeing your writing sample. (If you're writing about something that hasn't been given a lot of critical attention, then it stands to reason that you'll have fewer sources. If you're writing about, say, Paradise Lost, then it's easy to see how you could have a bunch of sources.)

 

On endnotes: Figure out what style you're using (Chicago or MLA) and stick with it throughout the paper.

[semicolon2013]

Wait, the differences between footnotes and endnotes is simply that the footnotes are printed at the end of the paper rather than the footers of each page, right?  Other than that, they are the same?  Then why would I worry about footnotes but not endnotes?

[hashslinger]

Wait, the differences between footnotes and endnotes is simply that the footnotes are printed at the end of the paper rather than the footers of each page, right?  Other than that, they are the same?  Then why would I worry about footnotes but not endnotes?

As far as I know, both Chicago and MLA require endnotes these days. No one's doing footnotes anymore.

[ComeBackZinc]

Wait, the differences between footnotes and endnotes is simply that the footnotes are printed at the end of the paper rather than the footers of each page, right?  Other than that, they are the same?  Then why would I worry about footnotes but not endnotes?

 

Aren't footnotes at the bottom (the footer) and end notes at the back (the end)?

 

Also, I do actually think that page limits matter. I'm sure people have gotten away with not sticking to them, but why give a department a reason to downgrade your application for not following directions?

[hashslinger]

Aren't footnotes at the bottom (the footer) and end notes at the back (the end)?

 

Also, I do actually think that page limits matter. I'm sure people have gotten away with not sticking to them, but why give a department a reason to downgrade your application for not following directions?

 

This debate comes up every year. There's no good answer, but I don't think the people on my program's adcom even *know* the program's word count or page limit. I think it's wise to do whatever's best for your particular writing sample. Meaning: don't go too long or too short, but don't stress about being a page over the recommended length (especially if you're talking about a page of end notes or works cited that no one will read anyway).