Seeking Writing Sample advice

[snickus]

Probably what's causing me the most trouble is picking what to submit for my writing sample for some of the schools. I have one paper I wrote in my Ed.M program that closely ties into my research interests. It's a decent A paper, but I have another one that I think is much better quality: I heavily researched it and the writing is more polished. I presented that one at a conference, but it's not self-evidently connected with my current research interests (which I'll be discussing in my SoP) and even with explanation its connection isn't as tight. So I wonder if I should explain its connection in my Statement of Purpose--describe it as an earlier point in the evolution? Or should I instead spend time revising the other paper. Any opinion?

Edit: I should also note that the more relevant paper isn't just more tied to my research interests. It's also more obviously related to the program I'm applying to, rhet/comp, than the more polished paper, which I think admissions committees will view more as a paper on pedagogy. I suppose it looks like the relevant paper is the obvious choice!  I'm pulled towards the other because it better showcases my research and writing. I won't have time to bring the more relevant paper to the level of the other, which I wrote over the course of an entire semester.

Edited November 9, 2017 by snickus

[a_sort_of_fractious_angel]

Have you shown your papers to your letter writers? They may be able to offer the best advice on which paper is the better option.

[snickus]

My concern there is these professors may feel like they don't know what rhet/comp committees are looking for since they're in different fields (one's in English lit, another's in education, and the third is an interdisciplinary hodgepodge of psych, phil, & education). I also feel like a bit of a burden asking them to read them closely enough to offer a judgement lol. 

One of the professors actually did already read both papers back when I first wrote them, so asking his opinion would make me feel less like a pain. He's currently heavily prepping for a job interview though, so I'll wait until the date he told me he'll be free.

Thanks, you're right that asking their opinion would be smart and I need to just do it! 

[a_sort_of_fractious_angel]

@snickus, that makes a lot of sense - I'm not quite sure how the field-to-field transition is best accomplished. 

However, I do know what it is like to have super busy LWs who you don't want to bug. For what it is worth, I sent my full WS to the LW who led the course that prompted the paper and I sent the intro pages to the other two. The first 4-5 pages gave them a sense of what I'd be arguing (it gave them a "road map," as lame as that term is) and, since they're already familiar with my writing style & interests, kept them from getting bogged down by 18+ pages.

This might be an option for you? They shouldn't need to read the whole thing really closely to get a sense of what paper is doing - the first 4-5 pages should be enough to them figure out what paper makes more sense for the programs to which you're applying. 

I hope that makes sense! 

[Pezpoet]

Please take this with the tiniest grain of salt. 

When in doubt, send what your guts say is the best paper. Even if it falls a bit outside of your research area. Perhaps you can hit on the other paper in your SOP? And your SOP will already speak to your research interests, as you say. So. I know many programs say it's ideal that the WS and SOP go hand-in-hand. But they also say to send that which best represents your writing and research skills. Go with your guts on this one. 

Just my two pennies.

[a_sort_of_fractious_angel]

54 minutes ago, Pezpoet said:

Please take this with the tiniest grain of salt. 

When in doubt, send what your guts say is the best paper. Even if it falls a bit outside of your research area. Perhaps you can hit on the other paper in your SOP? And your SOP will already speak to your research interests, as you say. So. I know many programs say it's ideal that the WS and SOP go hand-in-hand. But they also say to send that which best represents your writing and research skills. Go with your guts on this one. 

Just my two pennies.

Adding my two grains/pennies to this. 

[snickus]

Very interesting! I'm glad I asked because I would've guessed that it would be better to pick the more relevant paper. I'll need to sit with this a while. Thanks guys, I really appreciate your input! I'll run the question by my prof once he's free, as well. Decisions, decisions!

[xolo]

I'm going to offer an alternative opinion. The LWs might be able to advise you, but what you really need to know is what the admission committee members think. If you can communicate with or at least professors in the department, that would be great. I'm of the view, since it is what I did and it worked (more like dumb luck in my case), is that the SOP, WS, and any other important documents, all support themselves with a common theme viewed from different perspectives. And, ideally, they should coincide with the interests of at least one professor in the department, that professor will be your "champion". Anyway, that was my strategy. 

Edited November 10, 2017 by xolo

[snickus]

Thanks @xolo! Forming a theme makes a lot of sense to me. The program's web sites, when they speak to the WS, advise that route. So my guess is that's what admission committee members will say. I think I'll contact at least one though to ask them specifically about my situation and what they'd advise. I'm so relieved that one of the schools I'm applying to requires two writing samples!

[renea]

I'm in a rhet/comp MA program (currently applying to PhD programs) and this is the advice that our graduate director (also on our admissions committee) gave me in terms of writing samples. *Also disclaimer, this is just based on my department 

 

1. Writing samples are generally the last/least important part of your application. Some admissions committees will just skim it to see if you're able to actually write well. However, that doesn't mean you should just submit anything, because...

2. Your writing sample is part of the your package. If you want to go in a rhet/comp program, you should probably submit a rhet/comp paper. If you don't have any experience in rhet/comp, you would want to submit the paper closest to you research experience.

3. Annotate your sample. Give a short (one paragraph or less) introduction to your writing sample. Why was it written? What is it meant to demonstrate to the committee? Why did you include it in your application over others? If you use the second writing sample, this could be an opportunity to explain what the paper was for and why you chose to include it. This last tip was something that never occurred to me, but it makes a lot of sense)

 

You always want to present your best work possible, but for a lot of programs the writing sample is not as important. Don't stress out too much about it. At the end of the day your SOP and LOR are probably the most important part of your application so you should spend the most time there.

[snickus]

@renea Thank you, I appreciate your info! You gave me a game plan and also helped me feel a lot more relaxed about the WS.  

Right now, I'm strongly leaning towards the second paper (the more polished but less directly connected one). 

Edited November 20, 2017 by snickus

[snickus]

I asked one letter writer if he has an opinion on which one I submit, but he hasn't responded yet.

However, a different letter writer sent me a copy of the letter he wrote for me. In it, he discusses both of those papers (plus a third that I wrote in undergrad). So I feel less pressured to submit the more relevant paper, since he covers its material so well in the letter he wrote for me.