What to submit as a writing sample

[KleanKanteen]

So I've been digging in this forum trying to find any recent discussion on writing samples and couldn't find any. What do adcoms look for in a writing sample?

My BA did not have a thesis component and my master's thesis text won't be anywhere near ready by the time I apply for PhD programs, and I'm not sure how much I should be worrying about this. Would a literature review submitted as a term paper for a class be enough? What if it's something different from the field I want to do research in? 

Should I dedicate part of my summer to a research paper to submit as a WS? 

 

Saw some guy in an old thread from 2007 say that he got into Chicago by submitting lecture notes as his writing sample, but I think that might've been a joke. Also, 2007 was a very different admissions environment than today..

[dyiwang]

Admission people evaluate a candidate along two key dimensions in hope to identify high-quality future researchers in the field: learning capability and research potential. 

The first dimension is easy, as past academic performance is typically a strong predictor of future learning success. After all, no program wants to accept candidates and later find out that the candidates just can't master the tool kit and pass the comp. 

The second dimension is less observable, hence the word choice "potential." And some programs ask for optional writing samples to help them evaluate this. 

In light of this, I would say rank your writing sample materials in the following order:

1. In the rare case that you already have publications in a respectful journal in the field, then this is a no brainer. But I admit that very few people have this choice pre-PhD.

2. If you have a thesis or a working paper that is ready to be submitted to a journal, even not to a top or top field, then still it is a good choice. As it shows that you at least have had exposure to the research process and can be productive. 

3. A research proposal that describes a topic that might eventually evolve into a paper later into your PhD career, and maybe with luck a chapter in your dissertation. 

4. If you don't have any of the above, and writing sample is optional, then I would consider not submitting one. Because at this point what you are left with is maybe a class essay, or a term paper, but none of these would be too revealing of your potential of a researcher. 

Best of luck.