I’m applying to Amherst right now, and I was hoping to submit a US History paper from last year. However, I do not have a graded copy. On their description, it stresses how admissions is just looking at how I sort/look at evidence, making a thesis, etc. Would it be alright to submit a paper without a grade? Or would they prefer a paper that is not my strongest, but still has a grade?
I think the reason they want a graded paper is because they want to know for sure that it is your typical work at school - not something that you prepared for your application, or edited a dozen extra times before you submitted it to Amherst, or had a writing consultant look at it. It needs to have teacher comments and a grade to show that.
Good luck.