How do you prepare a writing sample?
Asked by: Johathan Heidenreich | Last update: October 23, 2025Score: 4.9/5 (4 votes)
Writing samples should be free of spelling, grammatical and typographical errors. They should be easy to read, with ample margins and readable font, and include your name and page numbers on every page of your writing sample. Others may submit a similar writing sample, so you do not want any confusion.
What are examples of good writing samples?
- Research papers from a job or class.
- Narrative papers from a job or class.
- Other writing assignments.
- Blog posts.
- Press releases.
- Articles or other contributions.
What do people look for in a writing sample?
In many cases, reviewers are primarily interested in how well you convey your ideas (structure and grammatical accuracy) as opposed to content. You may provide an excerpt of a longer paper, as long as the excerpt makes sense as a stand-alone document.
What does sample mean in writing?
In summary, while example and sample are often used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings in research writing. Examples are used to illustrate or clarify a point, while samples are used to gather data about a particular population of interest.
What is a writing sample for a teaching job?
Your Writing Sample should be professionally written and reflect who you are and what you offer to teaching. This Writing Sample is a very important component of your student teaching paperwork. It does affect your acceptance in a district/school as a student teacher.
HOW TO create WRITING SAMPLES / a WRITING PORTFOLIO that wins clients! (NO experience necessary!!)
How long should a writing sample be for grad school?
The writing sample should be 20 to 30 pages for PhD programs, or 15 to 20 pages for MA programs, excluding bibliography or appendices.
Can I submit my thesis as a writing sample?
The writing sample may be an academic paper you have previously submitted to a class, or as part of your senior thesis. It does not have to focus on your proposed area of research, but it will be beneficial if it does.
What is the meaning of writing sample?
The purpose of a writing sample is to demonstrate your ability to write professionally and clearly. When selecting your sample, try to find one that is relevant to the position or program for which you're applying. Where possible, your sample should reflect the organization's style and tone.
How to prepare a writing sample?
Writing samples should be free of spelling, grammatical and typographical errors. They should be easy to read, with ample margins and readable font, and include your name and page numbers on every page of your writing sample. Others may submit a similar writing sample, so you do not want any confusion.
What is an example of a sample?
What is sampling? A sample is a subset of individuals from a larger population. Sampling means selecting the group that you will actually collect data from in your research. For example, if you are researching the opinions of students in your university, you could survey a sample of 100 students.
What does a good sample look like?
A good sample should be a representative subset of the population we are interested in studying, therefore, with each participant having equal chance of being randomly selected into the study.
What should a work sample look like?
A work sample is a single piece of writing, portfolio piece or physical product you've completed in the past. Usually, it's something you've created from previous jobs or volunteer work. A work sample helps you show, not tell, how good you are at doing your job.
What do writing samples assess?
Student writing can be evaluated on five product factors: fluency, content, conventions, syntax, and vocabulary. Writing samples also should be assessed across a variety of purposes for writing to give a complete picture of a student's writing performance across different text structures and genres.
Is writing sample important?
A writing sample is an important part of your job application process. Most law firms, public interest organizations, and government agencies will request a writing sample at some point in the application process. Employers use your writing sample to confirm that you are capable of rigorous legal analysis.
How long should a legal writing sample be?
The legal writing sample is an integral part of the hiring process for lawyers. Here are tips for preparing the best sample of your legal writing skills. The writing sample should be five to ten pages in length, unless otherwise indicated by a particular employer.
What makes you a good writer sample answer?
A good writer pays attention to things like headers, consistent formatting, grammatical errors, varying content lengths, and writing in the language their audience likes. The ability to self-edit is another crucial tool the best writers possess. Show your attention to detail by editing your document more than once.
How do you format a creative writing sample?
- Use 1-inch margins, 12 point font. Use one font for the whole document, please, and choose something readable like Times New Roman.
- Prose should be double spaced; poems should be single spaced.
- Put page breaks between your poems and, if you are submitting multiple stories or essays, between each story.
What makes a good legal writing sample?
Legal Reasoning—A writing sample must demonstrate your legal reasoning and analytical skills, i.e., apply law to facts, and distinguish cases on their facts. Thus, an academic survey of case law or a note that summarizes a recently published decision is not the best choice as it does not include legal analysis.
How to make a write-up sample?
- The date and time of the incident.
- A description of the incident or behavior.
- Any witnesses or evidence.
- Any previous incidents or warnings.
- Company policies or procedures that were violated.
- The impact of the behavior or performance issue on the company or other employees.
How do I create writing samples?
- Prepare a content brief.
- Write a headline.
- Hook them with an introduction.
- Break the content into subheadings.
- Add statistics and data.
- Write a conclusion.
- Make the Google Doc shareable.
How can I write a sample?
- Read instructions carefully. ...
- Choose your topic. ...
- Look up keywords. ...
- Choose the tone. ...
- Consider your audience. ...
- Consider the employer's goals. ...
- Create an outline. ...
- Update your samples.
Do writing samples need citations?
Remove any privileged or sensitive information. Do not use anything too old. Submit only your own work. Be sure to cite your sources (A short bibliography does not usually count towards your total number of pages.)
How many writing samples should I send?
Typically, 8-12 pieces showcasing a range of styles, topics, and formats can make a strong impression. Ensure each sample highlights your writing skills, versatility, and expertise relevant to your target audience or niche.
Is writing a sample the same as a research proposal?
Your writing sample should not talk about your plans, in the way that a research proposal does. You can talk about your plans for the future in your personal statement. The writing sample is supposed to show off where you are as a philosopher right now. Most Writing Samples should be 20–25 pages ( 5000–6000 words).
Are writing samples double spaced?
Unless it is a clip, your writing samples should be double-spaced.