"I tell students to make it like a book proposal to a publisher," Watson says.
The process, according to Watson, is daunting to many students.
"We did tell students that it was a competitive process," he says. "That may have a discouraging effect on some people."
Emily N. Ogden '02, whose thesis will be a compilation of poetry about her home state of Iowa, says she has been writing creatively for two years.
"[The writing sample] is just a matter of selecting what I've already done," she says.
Erica B. Levy '02, who is also a Crimson editor, says compiling a writing sample is the most difficult and time-consuming part of the application process.
"People have been collecting poems for years," she says. "They pick out the best ones and turn them in. It's not something you can do in a week."
To those serious enough about writing to be accepted, the program offers what Kalam says is an invaluable and rigorous experience.
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