Undergraduate Thesis Writing Sample

[Polemic]

Greetings all, 

I previously wrote on this forum well over a year ago as an entering undergraduate in history. There was some exceptional advice shared with me that allowed me to develop myself in a manner that has positioned me to graduate with honors in history. I am currently a third-year student, and I plan to graduate in 2018. My current plan is to apply to graduate programs in history in the fall 2017 application cycle (I have already begun looking at programs, and potential POIs). I plan on doing an senior honors thesis, and I recently met with the department's undergraduate advisor to discuss the timing. Most undergraduates at my institution finish the senior honors thesis in two semesters. I would like to utilize my undergraduate thesis as the writing sample for my applications.  I realize I could utilize a seminar paper as the writing sample, but my thesis will utilize sources in German and Polish and will fit more broadly with my research. My plan is to start the seminar in the spring semester, utilize the summer to write more, and finalize the thesis in the fall. 

For those of you that went directly from your undergraduate institution to a history program, can you discuss some of the challenges you had with preparing the writing sample? For those of you that did not jump straight into a graduate program, did you find the time you had between finishing your undergraduate degree and entering a graduate program was valuable? I am slowly beginning to create a timeline for the next year and I want to ensure I am on top of these multiple demands. 

[Neist]

I went straight into a graduate program, and one of my biggest challenges was getting meaningful feedback before my applications were due. My capstone paper wasn't completed until the fall, but because I wanted it to be polished, I asked my capstone advisor if he'd give iterative feedback as I continually polished my paper (which he was more than willing to do). However, burning through half a dozen or more revisions in a matter of weeks is a little demanding, and I often found myself quickly revising my sample upon immediately receiving feedback to minimize delays. 

TLDR - If you're relying on an advisor to help you polish your paper, it's probably apt to have realistic expectations of what that will entail for both you and your advisor.

 

Edited September 23, 2016 by Neist
Typo.

[victoriana]

As a junior who also knew that I wanted to apply directly to PhD programs the following fall, I was able to persuade my advisor to let me enroll in the two semester research seminar/thesis writing sequence in my junior year so I would have the thesis to use as a writing sample.  This worked out for me, so I definitely think you should go ahead and start the honors seminar in the spring if it is offered in the spring semester at your university.

As far as revising and preparing a writing sample from an honors thesis... I was fortunate to have a bit more time for this than most applicants applying directly from undergrad. However, I will second what Neist said about working closely with your advisor to do multiple revisions. I also asked members of my thesis committee to read over some revisions and make suggestions on certain points.  They will already know your thesis, so this probably should not feel like too much of an imposition on their time.  Or, you could ask your letter of recommendation writers.  

One other thing to keep in mind, and that you probably already know, is that many (though by no means all) PhD programs will ask for a writing sample of 20-25 pages rather than accepting your entire thesis.  I don't know how lengthy an honors thesis typically is at your instituition, but for me that meant I submitted a few well-polished chapters from my thesis rather than the entire thing.  It could be very useful to go ahead and look at the application instructions for each program where you intend to apply, and note how many pages they will accept for a writing sample.  This could help as you are planning thesis chapters and thinking about organization, etc.

[maelia8]

@Polemic, I just wanted to jump in and give you the perspective of someone who took a bit of time off between undergrad and grad and what that experience was like. Like you, I wrote a long history honors thesis my senior year that took me two semesters (and at my school, we even had to defend it in front of a faculty committee at the end!). Frankly, my thesis wasn't far enough along in November/December to serve as a writing sample, as yours will be, but I was still super burned-out by the process and wasn't ready to go on to grad school directly. Instead, I applied for Fulbright ETA and the Peace Corps since I knew I wanted to both get the hell out of Dodge and do something different from academia. I ended up working as a Fulbright ETA for two years (my grant was extended for a second year by the government of the country I was working in), and during the second year, I was able to spend a lot of time honing my statement and showing personal development since I'd graduated. I generally suggest that folks who are planning on applying directly put in a plan B application to another organization, preferably some sort of prestigious exchange, so that if you don't get in on your first try, or decide you'd rather take a break after all, you still have options for the next year.