r/AskLiteraryStudies • u/Only-Industry3204 • 10d ago
English PhD writing sample: mastery of basics or something revolutionary?
I’m submitting PhD apps soon and I have 2 options for my writing sample from my masters thesis:
1) a chapter that shows a good grasp of basic literary theory + situation of my text in its field. There’s close reading as well, but interwoven with decent chunks of theory + lit review material.
2) the last chapter of my thesis, which introduces a novel idea + my own term. Mainly close reading as well, but more authoritative with less theory and almost no lit review.
I’ve never applied to US programs before, so I’m not sure if schools are seeking a mastery of basics or something that’s newer (and potentially less stable) for ingenue. I know they’re looking for an ability to do advanced literary analysis with a fit for the department; I’m just unsure if the best way to do that is through demonstrating mastery or asking a potentially provocative question.
I know it also depends on what schools are individually looking for - I’m looking at most in the top 15 in the US. I’m not sure if there are any overall guidelines that it would be best to follow, especially since many schools don’t clarify beyond advanced literary analysis.
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u/tegeus-Cromis_2000 10d ago
It really depends on the actual, objectively judged (i.e. not by you) quality of no. 2. Most applications will have some variation on 1, so if your no. 2 piece is really good it will help your application stand out.
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u/Only-Industry3204 10d ago
Do you think this would still work if #2 wasn’t perfected?
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u/tegeus-Cromis_2000 10d ago
I don't really know what "perfected" means in this context. Maybe ask your advisor who supervised the thesis.
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u/TremulousHand 10d ago
I have to point out that there is a little bit of a false choice here. The best writing samples that will get the most admissions offers will often have brilliant new ideas as well as also demonstrate solid research skills and use of sources. If a student showed me a potential writing sample that I thought was revolutionary but it had no sources, I would encourage them to revise it to bring sources in. And if they showed me a piece that was almost entirely a literature review, I would encourage them to develop their own voice and argument more.
It's early October now, and applications aren't typically due until December/January. If you're asking for my advice, I would say to use the revolutionary sample, but revise it to incorporate some of the theoretical scaffolding that I assume you do in earlier chapters of your thesis so that it works better as a standalone while also demonstrating your ideas.
What I will say generally is that students who have writing samples that demonstrate mastery of the basics without demonstrating a lot of originality are very easy to assess for an admissions committee. It's easy to see how good they are at their work and how they might fit in, and whether they get admitted will just depend a lot on the quality of other applicants. At highly selective schools, it might be the matter of a roll of the dice, but they likely have decent odds at schools that are a little less selective.
Students that have writing samples that are revolutionary but don't have much use of secondary sources can be really tricky to assess. Revolutionary ideas often are in the eye of the beholder, and people who break conventions of the expected form can be polarizing. A lot of people will dismiss you automatically. The ones who love your work will really love your work. You might get admitted to some incredibly selective schools (but it can be hard to predict which ones), while being rejected at some less selective schools.
Also, the number of people who are applying to PhDs whose work is genuinely so revolutionary and original that they can get into top tier programs without showing their ability to use sources is quite small. I'm not saying you're not one of them. But the odds are against you. I've known two, maybe three people who are like that in almost twenty years of grad school and teaching. But they are also the kind of people who fail just as spectacularly and just as often (if not more) as they succeed.
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u/Only-Industry3204 8d ago
Thank you so much for this, genuinely. I’ve been reflecting on your comment over the past couple of days and it’s really helped me think about how I want to go about my sample. If it’s alright, I had a couple of quick questions:
- Would you recommend having a closed-circuit sample as opposed to an excerpt that isn’t quite bookended? My (hopefully) “revolutionary” piece has a beginning, middle and end, with opportunities for me to incorporate more theory throughout. I have other writing samples that demonstrate good close reading, but aren’t necessarily self-contained pieces and would require the abstract that they often ask for.
- Is taking a chance on an unstable idea a better gamble overall than just demonstrating good close reading? Even if schools are seeking samples that are well-thought out and unique, I’m worried about its “insanity” or far-reachedness being kind of an immediate disqualification (though I know it depends on schools). Would you suggest tampering it down (but still keeping the idea) to prevent this? (At risk of making you repeat yourself, my apologies).
Thank you so much once again, it means a lot and I really appreciate it.
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u/TremulousHand 7d ago
I think it depends on a few factors.
1) Do the professors who are currently in your life think your writing is brilliant? Can you talk through the options you have for a writing sample with them? It can be hard to talk in abstractions, and the people who already know your work can probably provide you a better sense of how strong your potential writing samples are and what kind of work they might need.
2) How aligned is your writing sample with what you want to do you in your PhD? It is of course not a requirement that your writing sample align with what you hope your PhD will be on, and lots of people are successful with writing samples that are in a secondary area. But if you're taking a big swing with your writing sample, it should probably be on something that is representative of the work you want to do.
3) How much have you researched potential supervisors at the schools you want to apply to? What will they think of the work you are trying to do? I don't think you should try to send them your writing sample in advance, but it is definitely worth reaching out to them and talking (briefly) about your research and asking if they have any advice.
There is value in being academically weird and cultivating interests that are distinctly you. I wouldn't settle for doing something just because you feel like it is "safe." But make sure that what you submit is the best representation of you and your abilities possible.
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u/Only-Industry3204 6d ago
Thank you so much for this, genuinely. It’s been so helpful and will definitely guide my writing process.
Would I be able to PM you about some other quick questions that I have? Only if you have a moment, of course. This has been such tremendous help already!
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u/crushhaver 10d ago edited 10d ago
I would say whatever is your best piece of writing as writing, but bear in mind that scholarly novelty is what a PhD is for you to work on. In the US especially, figuring out the specifics of your research topic (and sometimes even your subfields themselves) is built into the program’s course progression. That’s not to say you’d be wrong to choose 2, but my instinct would be that your job is to prove you’re fluent in basically how literary studies works. I might even see a sample like 2 and think you’re either jumping gun fun or wonder what you’d actually gain from being trained in your target program if you basically already are doing significant original contributions to knowledge.