swissmiss Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Are we supposed to edit our writing samples before submitting them? For example, I wrote my thesis senior year, but looking at it now, would love to do some tweaking. Is that allowed, or are we actually supposed to do that? Thanks so much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahlan_amnell Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 You can do that if you want to, unless the application specifies that they want a graded paper for the writing sample. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aquiles Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 You absolutely must edit and improve it! Professors have told me to never stop editing until you turn it in with your application. They're not looking to see a paper in the exact same form as when it was turned in during the class for which you wrote it. Hell, if you can get the professor to whom you turned it in to give it back to you after grading it, with editing done and suggestions made as to how it could have been even better, well, that's one of the best forms of copyediting known to man. No offense personally, but the question made me snicker a little - the image of a graduate school admissions committee asking for a copy of the same writing sample from the professor at your undergraduate institution, and then comparing the two to make sure you didn't pick better adjectives or change comma placement is really quite comical. They're not that hard-working. *In the case that kahlan_amnell specifies, everything I said above doesn't apply, but I have never seen that before and I'm applying to a dozen schools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swissmiss Posted September 11, 2009 Author Share Posted September 11, 2009 Thanks so much! I appreciate your thorough response - I just didn't know what the "rules" were for that kind of thing and didn't want to mess up my application over something dumb. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterpat Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 Are we supposed to edit our writing samples before submitting them? For example, I wrote my thesis senior year, but looking at it now, would love to do some tweaking. Is that allowed, or are we actually supposed to do that? Thanks so much! No, you can't. Don't listen to them. That's cheating. It is SO cheating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swissmiss Posted September 17, 2009 Author Share Posted September 17, 2009 Um I'm a little confused. Is anyone able to clarify/explain? Thanks so much! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geigwm6 Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 I don't see why you wouldn't polish your paper, regardless of whether it was graded. I'm doing an independent study for credit to continue polishing up my paper, see if your professor will do that with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futurePhD Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Um I'm a little confused. Is anyone able to clarify/explain? Thanks so much! Misterpat's post about it being cheating is dripping with sarcasm, just so you know. Of course you should revise your writing sample. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swissmiss Posted September 21, 2009 Author Share Posted September 21, 2009 Oh okay... thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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