Writing Sample Question

[swissmiss]

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!

[kahlan_amnell]

You can do that if you want to, unless the application specifies that they want a graded paper for the writing sample.

[aquiles]

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.

[swissmiss]

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!

[misterpat]

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.

[swissmiss]

Um I'm a little confused. Is anyone able to clarify/explain?

Thanks so much!

[geigwm6]

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.

[futurePhD]

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.

[swissmiss]

Oh okay... thanks