Ambermoon24

Between Fields, Thank you for your advice. If it will help any, I have in mind a career teaching at small state universities. I transferred from a community college before I finished at a large state university, so I was used to seeing full-time community college faculty teaching both FYC and introductory literature classes (this also sometimes happened at my state school). Like you said, it doesn't appear having a generalist perspective is negative depending on the institution. Ever since my sophomore year in undergrad, I've been interested in pursuing interdisciplinary work in comp/rhet, which probably is due to the fact that I started college as a health sciences major. I guess that's how my mind works. I do agree that these papers need to be vetted at the grad level before I even think of sending them out. I suppose they must have some promise, since I don't think my undergrad professors would have encouraged me to revise over the summer and plan on sending them out if and when they're ready. I did have one question though. This may be crazy to ask, but I'll ask anyway. Feel free to call me crazy. If I pursued research on the intersection of creative writing and composition theory, do you think it's a possibility that work could translate into a job teaching introductory creative writing? Or is that work solely confined to faculty who have MFAs?

rising_star, Thanks for your comments and the link; it's reassuring to see a faculty member with interests in literature and comp/rhet. I think I've been operating on the incorrect assumption that MA students will have an edge with precise research interests. It's good to know I'll have a little more freedom than I thought. I think in some ways I've been swayed by faculty pages that seem to have area-specific publications. But these professors also have PhDs, and have had long academic careers. Lately, I've been thinking of ways to interweave composition theories with literary construction/publication history. Coming into my comp/rhet program from a creative writing and literature perspective has got me thinking about ways I can merge these theories/experiences into potential research.

Thanks for your suggestions, Between Fields. I don't want to send anything out until it's absolutely ready. What's your opinion on a rhet/comp student having some literature publications? I realize those publications wouldn't carry as much weight as rhet/comp papers, but would it be detrimental if I happened to have literature publications as I progress to a PhD or am on the job market? I wouldn't want to appear less invested in my field, or too scattered in my scholarly focus.

telkanuru, Thanks for your advice. I figured I had nothing to lose revising this summer. I'd hate to send out articles that get accepted only to later find I'm unhappy I sent them for publication. I'm glad I've held off sending some of my creative writing to magazines as well. I've grown so much as a writer just in the last year. I suppose the trick is finding that balance between preparing myself to stand out in the crowd with publications, but also not push too early and either burn out, or end up with a publication I wish I didn't have.

Sorry for the double post! I wasn't sure which forum was best to post, and I forgot to delete the other one. I'll remember that in the future. Thanks ComeBackZinc, Yes, I don't want to rush through the process and send out work that just isn't ready. I was tentatively planning to revise this summer, and wait for feedback next year to see if any of my papers could possibly be ready for publication that year or the next. I wasn't planning on sending anything out this year.There are only three papers I completed two semesters ago that I think are potentially publication worthy. One of my professors encouraged me to keep revising one and eventually send it out somewhere when it's ready. So we'll see. I'm glad to hear my instinct was right on the question of literary vs. comp/rhet journals. I could maybe adopt a more comp/rhet approach to one of the three papers, but I'm afraid it would appear forced. I'll take a look at those papers and keep revising. Otherwise, it's been important for me to return to creative writing projects. I know I won't have much time in the future to pursue those projects. I'm interested in applications of composition theory to creative writing, but I haven't found any journals yet that address this. Any suggestions in this area?

Hello Everyone, So I'll be heading off to my MA program in composition and rhetoric in August, but I'm also not wanting to waste precious time in the summer. Over the past month since I've graduated undergrad and been at home, I've been pursuing some independent creative writing projects. I've set a goal to have enough poems finished for a small collection and I have a novel outlined. I believe the poetry collection is a reasonable goal. But I'm also wondering if I should use this time to revise some of my stronger papers from undergrad for journal publications. One of my professors from my undergrad institution recommended I use the summer to expand my papers into articles. I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on when it's an appropriate time to start sending out work for publications. Also, since my undergrad degree was in literature, none of my papers discuss comp/rhet topics. Should I consider reworking these papers to be more comp/rhet focused, or should I revise them and send them off to literary journals? I might be overthinking this, but I wouldn't want any literature publications to somehow indicate I'm not dedicated to my work in comp/rhet. I've had experience writing abstracts and longer papers. My senior honors thesis was about 46 pages, and I've done work with a faculty member for a research scholarship, so I'm used to revising and expanding shorter papers. Any thoughts about developing a publication strategy? Thanks for reading!

Hello Everyone, So I'll be heading off to my MA program in composition and rhetoric in August, but I'm also not wanting to waste precious time in the summer. Over the past month since I've graduated undergrad and been at home, I've been pursuing some independent creative writing projects. I've set a goal to have enough poems finished for a small collection and I have a novel outlined. I believe the poetry collection is a reasonable goal. But I'm also wondering if I should use this time to revise some of my stronger papers from undergrad for journal publications. One of my professors from my undergrad institution recommended I use the summer to expand my papers into articles. I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on when it's an appropriate time to start sending out work for publications. Also, since my undergrad degree was in literature, none of my papers discuss comp/rhet topics. Should I consider reworking these papers to be more comp/rhet focused, or should I revise them and send them off to literary journals? I might be overthinking this, but I wouldn't want any literature publications to somehow indicate I'm not dedicated to my work in comp/rhet. I've had experience writing abstracts and longer papers. My senior honors thesis was about 46 pages, and I've done work with a faculty member for a research scholarship, so I'm used to revising and expanding shorter papers. Any thoughts about developing a publication strategy? Thanks for reading!

I'm thrilled that I'll be attending Purdue's MA composition and rhetoric program this fall. So incredibly excited to be teaching too!

bhr, That's reassuring about Purdue's stipend. Getting to Indiana from Oklahoma might be an issue, but my parents and I have talked about driving out there if I'm admitted and decide to attend. One thing that always worried me about Purdue was the sheer size of the school itself. I graduated from an urban community college and then moved to a state university (not huge, but not small either), so I'm somewhat concerned about getting overwhelmed on a larger campus. BowTiesAreCool, Thanks for your insights about OU's programs; I'm assuming students spend three years on the MA because they aren't getting the courses they need to graduate in two years, right? I was told by several professors at OSU that our program is actually gaining some traction in the field, and that if I remember correctly, OU hasn't replaced some rhet/comp positions that are now empty. So, I'm wondering if OSU might actually be a stronger program in the long term than OU, even though OU has traditionally had a stronger rhet/comp program.

Hi, I'm still an undergrad finishing up my last year, but I might be able to give some advice about what I've learned about the application process for an MA. Some of this I've learned from forums like this one, from professors, and from articles/research from sources such as the Chronicle of Higher Education. You sound like a strong candidate for grad programs, and it's great you have passion for comp/rhet. As someone who's finishing up my own application materials, the biggest thing I think I'd advise someone to do is to study for the GRE as early as possible. I started this summer, and I honestly think that was too late. I had some minor health problems and got behind on my prepping. Trying to get caught up and stay on top of 18 hours and a research scholarship complicated things too. I ended up not performing as high as I wanted to, scoring only slightly above average on one section, but almost perfectly on the writing. I'm not that great at standardized tests, so I don't think a lot of prep would have dramatically impacted my scores, but it might have lessened my anxiety. So, I'd definitely prep as early as you can. From what I've been told, it's not the most important part of your application, but you still want to score well. Maybe it's just my anti-debt fears, but I'd personally never pay for an MA or a PhD in English. Employment is just not secure, and if a program really wants you, they'll support you either with a fellowship or a TA position. I'll graduate with my BA debt free because of scholarships, yet if a program chooses to not support me, I won't be attending. I'll simply reassess and look at all of my options. I'll either reapply or look at getting certification to teach high school. Ultimately though, I'll end up where I'm supposed to be. I hope everything I've shared is helpful. Good luck on the application process!

Thanks Ramus, Maybe I looked at this, but simply forgot, but it's good to know about the 2/2 class load. I'll definitely consider this, especially since I'll be away from home. The program at OSU has students work in the writing center before they teach their first class (I believe during this time you observe experienced teachers). It seems most of the programs have you only teach one course, so I'm kind of surprised about Arizona's policy. Glad I'm getting good vibes about the program though; before an instructor recommended it to me, I hadn't seriously considered it.

Thanks ComeBackZinc, Yes, I may PM you about some questions about Purdue. Actually, I do have some concerns about the housing around the university. In fact, housing pricing and proximity to the campus was one of the main reasons I rejected some schools (I don't envision myself owning a car in the next year or so). Also, and this is a question anyone should feel free to answer, but is there any benefit to having your application sent out early? Along with my crazy schedule and some minor health problems, I didn't send out my applications as early as I would have liked. Does anyone predict this could be a problem for acceptance and/or funding?

Hi bhr, Yes, it's for an MA. I'm planning on obtaining a PhD later on, so looking at MA programs with funding is crucial for me. Purdue is my dream school of the ones on the list, but we'll see. Not sure if my package will be competitive enough, but I figure I need to at least apply and may be surprised at the result. If I'm accepted and I'm given a sizable amount of financial aid, I'll take it. If not, I'll just end up where I need to be. Hi proflorax, That's reassuring about Arizona. Not sure how I feel living in the desert, but I'm interested in what the program has to offer. What I'm looking for is a program that really stresses FYC, but is also comfortable with interdisciplinary approaches to research. (I bring this up because my research scholarship and honors thesis combines neo-formalist poetry analyses, church history, and 19th century medical literature. Any program that isn't adverse to me bringing in multiple influences is very attractive to me. That's just how my brain works). Thanks guys!

Hi Everyone, I've been kind of absent from this site for a few months. Juggling eighteen hours and a research scholarship has certainly kept me busy, and my grad plans have undergone some changes since I last posted. I'm still working on my application (I'll be finalizing my statement of purpose to send off this week; I plan to get all my applications done before the holidays). I'm still on the composition and rhetoric track, although my schools have changed somewhat. I was wondering if anyone here has any insights into these programs, specifically about their MA rhet/comp divisions. I'm applying to: University of Arizona University of Kansas Purdue University Oklahoma State University (my current institution) University of Oklahoma Here's my basic profile if it would help anyone: The information on this post is still accurate, so info like GPA, research experience, and conference participation hasn't changed. Honestly, though, I think it's highly likely I'll end up staying in state just because of financial reasons, but I'm still applying out of state to see what happens. Any advice would be great! Thanks!

Thanks for the replies, guys! I'll check out that link; it looks like it would be helpful. But as unraed posted, my decision does seems a little more complicated since I'm wanting to enter a comp/rhet program. Anyone want to jump in on this aspect? I do have one paper from an Advanced Composition class, but it's way too short and not representative of my best work. My best papers are from my upper division literature courses.