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The prompt for the writing sample limits the words at "7000 maximum". The best piece of scholarly writing (which the program demands) is my MA thesis, which however, is 20,000 words. It includes a few chapters, of differing word counts and concerns. I really want to submit it, since it clearly relates my future research interests and my past research.

I wanted to know if I can mix and match i.e., for example, I take chapter 1 and chapter 4 and submit these two, or some other combination, so I'm under 7k words. Or should I further reduce the word count, take certain sections out and skip some paragraphs. Essentially, I'm finding it hard to figure what could count as a valid writing sample; an extract, a full text, a mix-match sample and if I'm allowed to edit the work to make it 'better' etc.

Additionally, my appendices and bibliography are more than 40 pages on their own, which I think I might have to alter if I'm to cut certain sections out.

Would love some thoughts on this.

Thanks!

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  • Do your field publish their MA thesis? Often science thesis and dissertations get chop-shopped into papers. Personally, I would pick your "best" chapter and share that.
    – Richard Erickson
    Commented Oct 28 at 17:01
  • @RichardErickson No, MA thesis are not published. Although I have condensed it into an article and submitted that for publishing, it is currently under blind-PR. Actually, picking a chapter, since they're so interconnected it's difficult to pick one without it missing some context. Would it be okay if I use a part of the article-version as the writing sample, I'd be able to include more context that way, since its much more condensed?
    – nightcat
    Commented Oct 28 at 17:39

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I would not spend time editing your master's thesis. While it would conceptually remain your work (after all, you're submitting a sample of your writing), it's probably not where your time is best spent.

Likewise, I would not spend inordinate amount of times removing paragraphs, etc. Pick the best contiguous part of your work that keeps you under 7,000 words. The committee will understand they are reading an extract, and not something meant to stand on its own.

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  • I have condensed my MA thesis into an article, and its under blind-PR currently. Would it be fine to use a part of it as the writing sample and mention in its first page that it is an extract of an article-version of my MA thesis?
    – nightcat
    Commented Oct 28 at 17:36
  • @nightcat Yeah.
    – Azor Ahai -him-
    Commented Oct 28 at 18:02
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Based upon a clarifying comment from the authors, I would use the draft manuscript from the MA thesis. Or, if the draft is longer than 7,0000 words, the "best" 7,000 words (possibly by editing out the abstract, and references).

Although it is under blind peer review, and it is possible one of the reviewers may be at the target PhD programs, the reviewers would likely figure out it was you from part of the thesis as well or your CV and application.

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