A 25-page writing sample?

[socaljournalist]

Besides my senior honors thesis in an unrelated field (I majored in English and am now applying for MPP/MPA programs), I do not have a 25-page writing sample.

What should I do in this scenario? Should I submit the first chapter of my thesis and just hope for the best? Only one of my ten schools requests a writing sample.

Also, to what extent should I try to make it better? I graduated four years ago in 2005, and although I made an A on my thesis, I'm not really that proud of it. I feel my writing samples from my work as a journalist are more reflective of my ability and also the kind of writing I would do with the degree. Do I absolutely need to send an academic sample? Or can I send three long newspaper articles?

Guess I need to call the school.

[JerryLandis]

It's strange that they didn't give you a page number range. Most of the places I am applying to say that the writing sample should be between 10 and 25 pages, with only one department allowing an excess of 25 pages. Are you sure they don't just mean your writing sample should be under 25 pages? I think you're right about needing to give them a call.