WS questions

[ltr317]

I'm not sure if this is the appropriate section, but since it's history related I posted here first.  The mod can move this post to the Applications section if he feels that's where it belongs.  I have questions regarding the WS submission:

1) Should I omit the cover page and type the title and add my name on a header on the first page?  Do admission committees care who the paper was written for?  For my top choice, however, I wrote several papers for a professor who will be my advisor if I'm accepted into the PhD program.  In this particular case, should I include the cover page? 

2) Most programs specify a certain minimum or maximum page length.  I'm an Americanist and every paper I've written exceeds the maximum page requirement for some programs.  Would I be able to submit a shorter paper from a different sub-field (e.g. French Revolution, Early Modern Spain) to meet the requirement.

Thanks all. 

[KLZ]

Yes, you can omit the cover page; it is not necessary. If you are asking if admissions committees care that you wrote the paper for professor X, the answer is no, they do not care--- not even for your top choice program.

It sounds like you are applying as an "Americanist." In this case, you should edit your *best* paper to fit the page requirements. By your best paper, I mean the one that showcases your historical interests (period, region, theme, theory, etc.), writing competency, and research skills (sources and methods). This may require some hard choices when it comes to cutting, but this can be a very useful exercise.

Best of luck! 

[cowgirlsdontcry]

Take one of your American papers and revise it to fit within the parameters of the program requirements. Just your name in the header-upper right with page numbers. I had a program last year want my particular field there, as well. Do not go over the max page length. They will stop reading, especially if they have hundreds to review.

[AP]

11 hours ago, ltr317 said:

I'm not sure if this is the appropriate section, but since it's history related I posted here first.  The mod can move this post to the Applications section if he feels that's where it belongs.  I have questions regarding the WS submission:

1) Should I omit the cover page and type the title and add my name on a header on the first page?  Do admission committees care who the paper was written for?  For my top choice, however, I wrote several papers for a professor who will be my advisor if I'm accepted into the PhD program.  In this particular case, should I include the cover page? 

2) Most programs specify a certain minimum or maximum page length.  I'm an Americanist and every paper I've written exceeds the maximum page requirement for some programs.  Would I be able to submit a shorter paper from a different sub-field (e.g. French Revolution, Early Modern Spain) to meet the requirement.

Thanks all. 

Omit the cover page. It is not necessary because most programs do admissions through portals which prepare the package with a cover page for each applicant. 

Choose one of your American History papers since the Americanists will most likely read them. Take the time to condense them into a coherent whole. This is a sample, not a paper per se so there are some things that can be abridged. For example, I rewrote a summary of my thesis so I dropped much of the details of the methods section and focused on the analysis.