Can I submit two WS when only one is required

[longforit]

So here comes my last application (so late!)..

I just want to ask if it is ok to submit two writing samples when the program website explicitly says only one paper is needed (and limited to 20 pages)? I plan to submit both my B.A. thesis and M.A. thesis. The M.A. Thesis is most relevant to what I'm working on, but it's just a (long) proposal/literature review+design now. The B.A. Thesis is a complete work but it's in the other field (SLA) and not recent. I want to demonstrate both my analysis ability and my master of the field I'm currently in, so for all the other program I applied to, I submitted both samples and gave the adcom the freedom to choose which one to read. I just wonder if two WS (against their one WS requirement) would affect my application in a negative way.. Any comments are appreciated!

[fuzzylogician]

Ask the school. We can't tell you how they will react. My guess is that they will accept both, but you should make sure before you submit them. 

[Loric]

If they have a page limit, it's because they dont want to read more than 20 pages. What you want and what they want aren't exactly meshing.. and you're very close to "does not follow instructions" territory. (That being one of the "easy" ways to weed out the applicant pool.)

 

You can ask, but you need to understand that what you want really isn't important. It's about what they want.

[fuzzylogician]

If they have a page limit, it's because they dont want to read more than 20 pages. What you want and what they want aren't exactly meshing.. and you're very close to "does not follow instructions" territory. (That being one of the "easy" ways to weed out the applicant pool.)

 

You can ask, but you need to understand that what you want really isn't important. It's about what they want.

 

Hello baseless advice in fields you know nothing about. 

 

OP -- ask the school! Do what they instruct you to do. 

[Loric]

Hello baseless advice in fields you know nothing about. 

 

OP -- ask the school! Do what they instruct you to do. 

 

No, I've just spoken to people in admissions and page limits exist for a reason.

[fuzzylogician]

No, I've just spoken to people in admissions and page limits exist for a reason.

 

Is this a pissing match? I've talked to people in admissions too. In linguistics, no less. Asking about an exception doesn't hurt -- especially when a person has a good reason, which I think the OP does. 

[LinguisticMystic]

How long are both? That would far exceed the 20 page limit, I imagine... I'd be prepared to pick one to submit it alone. After hearing back from them, of course. That's good advice from Fuzzy. But you know. some programs I applied to requested so many materials from me that I'm kind of astounded at the thought of them truly sifting through everything in my file. So it's definitely worth asking!

 

And yay, Loric finally infiltrated the linguistics subforum.

[Loric]

Is this a pissing match? I've talked to people in admissions too. In linguistics, no less. Asking about an exception doesn't hurt -- especially when a person has a good reason, which I think the OP does. 

 

And i also said they could ask - and if it's a pissing match, you started it.

 

I dont think it's a good reason. I don't think there's any reason for the first unrelated to the field item to even be submitted and am at a loss for why it's the "go-to" instead of the masters work in a truncated form.

 

Someone agreeing to take on the extra paper and include it in your file - who is an admissions person no less, not the person making your final decision, is asking for trouble. Nearly doubling the workload for your app is asking for trouble in any field. I don't recommend it and don't see why anyone would.

[fuzzylogician]

you started it.

 

LOL.

 

SLA is not an unrelated field to linguistics. Maybe you should know what you are talking about before you give advice on it?  

 

| stopping to feed the troll |

[Loric]

LOL.

 

SLA is not an unrelated field to linguistics. Maybe you should know what you are talking about before you give advice on it?  

 

| stopping to feed the troll |

 

 

Ahem..

 

"The M.A. Thesis is most relevant to what I'm working on"

 

Again, why submit the "less" related work?

[LinguisticMystic]

I don't actually think we owe Loric an answer to such a silly question.

[Loric]

I don't actually think we owe Loric an answer to such a silly question.

 

It really bugs ya that my principal adviser and advocate has a PhD from Berkeley doesn't it?

[TakeMyCoffeeBlack]

It really bugs ya that my principal adviser and advocate has a PhD from Berkeley doesn't it?

 

Berkeley has many Ph.D. graduates.

[Loric]

Berkeley has many Ph.D. graduates.

 

But the person in question will not be one of them, hence the misplaced grief.

[fuzzylogician]

But the person in question will not be one of them, hence the misplaced grief.

 

Watch it, now you are crossing a line into the realm of personal attacks. 

 

I fail to see how the identity of your advisor or the school they went to (in another program altogether, no less) are relevant here at all. Nor how you imagine your advisor's pedigree validates you or your opinions. That kind of argument is nothing but a fallacy. 

[Loric]

But saying my question isn't worth answering is entirely justified because.. reasons? No, it's about someone's passive aggressive behavior and I'm pointing out a probable cause for such behavior.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Loric

[antecedent]

Haha at first I was like "Damn, Fuzz is grumpy today!" but then I read more of Loric's responses and like...don't you have ANYTHING better to do than antagonize one of the best mods in this community? Like, really? 

 

Where on earth did this troll come from?

[LinguisticMystic]

Yay, my first ridiculous personal attack from Loric. I'm barely able to muster a reply from beneath the substantial weight of all my misplaced grief. Haha.

[fuzzylogician]

But saying my question isn't worth answering is entirely justified because.. reasons? No, it's about someone's passive aggressive behavior and I'm pointing out a probable cause for such behavior.

 

That post pointed out the correct fact that you have no idea what you are talking about here. 

 

Your post brings up an imagined reason for that post, and includes a personal attack. 

 

 

Haha at first I was like "Damn, Fuzz is grumpy today!" but then I read more of Loric's responses and like...don't you have ANYTHING better to do than antagonize one of the best mods in this community? Like, really? 

 

Where on earth did this troll come from?

 

I suppose you could say I am grumpy today. This is the fourth Loric issue I have dealt with today alone. At some point, you lose your patience.

[Loric]

That post pointed out the correct fact that you have no idea what you are talking about here. 

 

Your post brings up an imagined reason for that post, and includes a personal attack. 

 

 

 

I suppose you could say I am grumpy today. This is the fourth Loric issue I have dealt with today alone. At some point, you lose your patience.

 

So.. what's your definition of the word "most" - because that's where I'm at a loss in understanding what you're seeing in that sentence that I'm not.

[VioletAyame]

It really bugs ya that my principal adviser and advocate has a PhD from Berkeley doesn't it?

Why?

 

Why would that bug anyone?

[VioletAyame]

Haha at first I was like "Damn, Fuzz is grumpy today!" but then I read more of Loric's responses and like...don't you have ANYTHING better to do than antagonize one of the best mods in this community? Like, really? 

 

Where on earth did this troll come from?

 

Haha so I'm not the only one who thought that Fuzz is a bit grumpier than usual. And since I've long associated him/her w a cat, the face of the grumpy cat immediately came to mind.

[Loric]

Again.. how is submitting the paper that's older and not the "most" related to her work the better option?

 

In what universe is that the rational course of action?

[Loric]

That post pointed out the correct fact that you have no idea what you are talking about here. 

 

Your post brings up an imagined reason for that post, and includes a personal attack. 

 

 

 

I suppose you could say I am grumpy today. This is the fourth Loric issue I have dealt with today alone. At some point, you lose your patience.

 

If i recall correctly, the other 3 had you saying that people were reporting things that the mods shouldn't be bothered with.. mostly implying that you had whiners. While I sympathize that you had to deal with people unable to fight their own battles as adults, it really doesn't reflect poorly on me. As you said, I'm allowed to disagree with them and voice that disagreement.

 

So sayign that i've somehow caused multiple problems here is really being unfair.

 

About as unfair as being the reader on the adcom who now has to read 40 pages instead of the usual 20, just sayin.

[longforit]

uh.. My M.A. thesis is not actually a complete one -- as I said, it only contains the literature review and the experiment design parts so far.. I don't know if it is acceptable to submit such a WS because I presume (and some programs actually say it) they want to see my analytic abilities and things like that. Is that true?

 

I just wrote to the Departmental Assistant and she didn't say I am disallowed to do so, but two WS won't enhance the application. I do not intend to enhance the application and do not intend to let both WS read. I just want to provide an optional so that adcom members could choose whichever they want depending on the qualifications they look for in applicants (I'll write a clear statement at the beginning of the paper saying which WS demonstrates what abilities and they are free to choose one to read). Is that an appropriate thing to do?

Edited January 29, 2014 by longforit