Advice on writing sample?

[enders_shadow]

Hey, so I'm looking to go back to school and apply to some grad programs. I am concerned because I do not have a writing sample. Sadly, all my final year writings disappeared in a computer death. It's been awhile since I wrote anything in a serious academic manner and am worried about crafting a writing sample from scratch

Comments

[tisiphone]

I would whip up something new. It's tough to edit most sophomore writing into something that hints at grad-level capabilities, basically. You also want to show familiarity with new thinking in the field, which if you graduated a while ago will have shifted slightly. If you're worried about sources, Google Scholar and academia.edu are great for working papers and copies of journal articles, and a lot of books you can get on Google Books or Amazon look-inside preview.

[flamingjune07]

Either do something new or use a sophomore paper as more of a prompt than a first draft (i.e., write the better / expanded / more mature version of a paper on that topic). Also, if it's at all possible, email one of your potential letter writers and ask them if they might be able to provide comments and suggestions on a draft (or even grad applications more generally). Good faculty advice is invaluable if you can get it.

-Philosophy PhD student

P.S. Are you applying to MA programs, and/or waiting until next year? Imho, generally funded MAs are great for people feeling a little "out of the game," as it were.

[enders_shadow]

I think I'll be looking at MA programs not only cause I'm out of the game, but my undergrad grades aren't going to impress, so I think it's more strategic to do an MA and shine and then go for PhD (if after MA I want to continue...)

[flamingjune07]

I did an MA myself, and it's really a great idea, for pretty much anyone imho, but especially for anyone who feels like it would be productive to have a sort of "bridge" thing between undergrad and a PhD program. I didn't even bother applying to PhD programs the first time around -- my undergrad grades were, uh, confusing (As and W/Fs with nothing in between) and even if they weren't, I wanted some time to figure out how to orient myself to the whole thing. I managed to get into a very good MA program and I think it really "matured" me as a prospective academic in any number of helpful ways. I also ended up getting a PhD spot at a really great department after that, so hey.

Anyway, all that is to say, anecdotally, that good phil MA programs are a great way to go about acclimating or re-acclimating yourself to the field, so I'm all in favor of people attending them when possible :)

[pretencioso]

Any ideas for funded philosophy MA programs, perhaps with more of a continental twist?

[somniumdraconae]

Can you contact professors you wrote a paper for and see if they still have it? Or, did you keep a hard copy of anything printed out that you can scan? Just because your file is gone, doesn't mean the papers don't exist!