Page limit question

[mseph]

Different schools require writing sample at different length. I find 20 pgs as the most common. But one school I am applying to says less than 30 pages, while another says between 30 to 50. 

 

My problem is that I have papers with 15 pages or longer than 60 pages. So all my papers are either significantly shorter or longer than most of the page limits required by the adcomms. 

 

Would it be risky to submit a 15-pg paper to the school requiring less than 30 pgs, since it is significantly shorter? How about schools requiring 20 pgs? I thought of somewhat combining two of my papers that are on the similar topic, or just submitting a portion of longer papers (such as thesis). 

 

Can someone give me an insight with the page limit on writing samples? Also, what would be expected length when they do not have explicit length requirement? 

 

Thanks in advance

[danieleWrites]

It's difficult to say.

15 page papers generally (discipline mileage will totally vary) are "conference" papers. 20 to 25 page papers are "journal" papers. Anything over that are "thesis" papers. Different disciplines have different requirements, of course, but these are some ballpark numbers for genre.

As far as a lower limit goes? If you have an outstanding 15 page paper, a school with a maximum of 20 pages isn't going to freak out. If there is a minimum number of pages, that's different. Don't submit less than the minimum. For a school with a 30 page limit, instead of submitting one 15 page paper, submit two papers. I think half of the required writing sample isn't a good plan.

If there is not expected length requirement, submit something that is of conference paper or journal article length.

The key isn't page length so much as it is a good read. A 22 page page-turner will go over better than a 20 page meh paper if the limit is 20 pages. The purpose of a writing sample is so that they can actually see your best scholarship in action. The length limits are so they don't get a bunch of theses (reading 50 to 100 75-page samples would sooooo suck). The minimums are likely set in place because short papers are unlikely to show personal scholarship so much as they show a student's response to what was learned in class.

If you can cut down your 60 page paper into a 25 page paper and still show excellent scholarship, go for it. Otherwise, you're better off submitting two papers instead of one.