rhetoricus aesalon

A piece of advice, unsolicited, for anyone applying to programs (particularly at the MA level, but PhD's as well). Ask about the assistantships. Not just the funding available, but what you are doing in them, how much authority you have over your syllabus, ect.

It isn't even something that occured to me to ask, but after a month in, and talking to friends that went elsewhere, I realize just how amazing my assistanship is. I have nearly complete autonomy over my own class, outside of some core project types, and even they can be replaced if I can justify it. Every member of my MA cohort (minus one part-timer) has an assistantship teaching or in the writing center, and the ones in the writing center have similar freedom to create workshops and programs. Speaking to people in the field, and at other schools, I'm discovering how rare that opportunity is, and how much better I will be situated either on the CC job market or when applying for PhD programs.
 
Again, I'm not bragging (well, a little), so much as giving a bit of my own experience. I never would have thought to ask questions like that when going through the process, I just asked if funding was available, but it's something I'm very glad to have found.

Holla! Glad to see this thread up and rolling. I'm no longer an applicant, but I'm happy to answer questions. I had a successful round of applications a few years ago, so I have a good grasp of a handful of rhet/comp programs (unfortunately, none that you are applying to, JaimeA). 
 
Also, JaimeA: I'm intrigued you're applying to some Ed programs. I considered a similar path but later realized that Ed is far too sociological in its methods/methodology for me. I'm just a humanities gal at heart, it seems. Also, I feel you regarding community college teaching. I loved teaching community college students, but alas, missed writing and research too much to stick it out. However, I was an adjunct at the time; I don't know how I would have felt if I were full-time. How do you feel about potentially leaving a full-time position for grad school?

Thanks to this thread, I have decided to reformat my materials to Arial font. I'm not going to worry about trying to change it for the applications I have already submitted, but after having done a compare/contrast for my most recent application, I definitely noticed that Arial is more readable on the "application preview" than Times New Roman, which has always (literally...since the mid-'90s) been my go-to font. I never particularly liked Arial, but I have to admit, albeit grudgingly, that it's a lot easier on the eyes.
 
I still don't think that font choice is enough of a factor to block any legitimate applicant's chances at acceptance, but if there's a .001% chance, you might as well err on the side of easy readability. A nice little bonus (or possibly a detriment) of Arial over Times New Roman is that in 12 point, it can add at least a page to your WS. My WS was sitting at 15 pages, plus an appendix and two pages of works cited. It's now at a comfortable 20 pages for all materials, which is especially nice for applying to Princeton with their "25 page" recommendation...

Wyatt's Torch's advice is, as always, good, but I'd recommend checking with your advisor, rather than us, to see if those tweaks are necessary given the quality of the paper--published, award-winning--as it stands. I've struggled with this same dilemma--my writing sample is focused on texts in Old English, which is the field I want to work in, but my SOP is specifically focused on a set of theoretical issues that my writing sample doesn't touch. While I'm still mildly concerned about that, I was more worried about it before I spoke to one of my professors about the issue. He's often sat on the adcomm on my university and is usually tapped to write the funding applications from the department to the Graduate School, and he said my worries were absolutely misplaced, since the writing sample and personal statement are used (at least by the adcomms he's served through in his career) for very, very different purposes.
 
In brief, he said the SOP is used to determine three things: professionalism (departments' major fear being investing in someone who washes out), a clear academic trajectory (what work you've done, the research interests you intend to pursue, and how the former informs the latter), and that you have a "sense of the field"--that you know what kinds of research questions are being asked in your subfield, and that you can ask ones that are interesting and relevant to where the discipline currently stands. The writing sample, on the other hand, is used much more basically as, well, what's in the name--a sample of your writing. It should indicate that you can make an interesting argument, sustain it, and engage in a critical conversation w/ other scholars in the process, and the one basic criterion to be used in selecting it is that it's your best work, period. Yes, it should be focused on the literary period you intend to work on (because it will, at least at some schools, be given to that area faculty to read) but beyond that it does not need to be a perfect example of the kind of research you outline in your SOP--especially since most applicants haven't done that research yet! I have another prof who said much the same thing--she gained admission to the most competitive medieval studies program in the country (they accept four applicants per year out of a couple hundred) with a paper on, of all things, a 19th-century topic, but she submitted it because it was her best work. (Gotta say, though, there's no way I'd be ballsy enough to do something like that, myself!)
 
So if your paper is on your basic historic period, check with your profs to see if tweaks are necessary, or not. While this advice is based on conversations w/ faculty who are intimately involve in both the profession and admission decisions at a large research university, it is, like Wyatt's Torch's, that of someone who has not been admitted to a program. The person you should most listen to--assuming they're relatively connected/involved in the profession, understand the dismal situation in the humanities, etc--is your advisor, not us! 

One thing to keep in mind is that the paper should generally be in sync with your SOP. So if you're looking at, like your signature says, programs in transatlantic and gender studies of the 17th - 18th centuries, a paper on patriarchal society in The Tempest sounds like it could work well, but might need a bit of tweaking to make it even more suited to your potential line of study. I haven't read your paper, but I know The Tempest quite well, and I can already imagine that approach, as you mentioned. Indeed, you might want to find an even more specific angle to address in it, if you haven't already (a novel theory about why Ariel is androgynous could be interesting). Good luck with it!

Of course you will want to follow guidelines that you find. But for those schools that do not specify, select forms that you feel best represent what you are trying to achieve in your documents. You're trying to come across as a full-fledged academic, so maybe formatting your letters like a student paper (e.g. double-spaced, header in the top left) isn't the best representation for you here.
 
For my five cents worth, I learned throughout the applications process that Baskerville has been shown to have a positive correlation to a writer's perceived credibility. Sans-serif fonts are disabilities friendly. And Helvetica makes you look like a hipster.
 
I guess what I'm trying to say is design can be your friend. And deserves some intentional rhetorical moves in your SOP/PS.

Thanks for your inputs, especially in the cases they were pertinent 
Thanks a lot, I'm glad this score isn't terrible just like that. I guess it's relatively positive that it is above average...
 
Thanks for your questions. I'll consider the things you mention. Thanks again

You are both BLOWING MY MIND RIGHT NOW. Thanks for the info! I'll have to readjust how I approach fonts in my day-to-day writing. 
 
Chadillac, I hope you enjoyed DC. The weather was nice and cool this past weekend! Your photos from the trip are great, and you looked like you were having a great time. Can't wait to finally meet offline in Tampa! 

Just to complicate matters: if they're going to read it on a computer, Chadillac is correct; sans-serif fonts are easier to read. If they're going to print it out, serifs are easier to read. This has to do with the DPI of the screen, as even my fancy Macbook has insufficient resolution to make the serifs help you. (The link posted also showed that.) http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2013/03/serif-vs-sans-the-final-battle/ As with any other design choice, though, it's going to come down to specific font vs font comparisons for your application.

From what I understand, serifs can complicate the understanding of words for someone who is hard of sight. To be honest, certain fonts and typefaces can be quite difficult to understand even for someone with 20/20 vision. But, in general, the most accessible typefaces are those without flourishes--like Arial, which is the one I wrote my MA thesis in! Surprisingly enough, Times New Roman is a serif typeface--so, a less accessible option.
 
Here's some more info on design and accessibility from an organization in the UK: http://www.abilitynet.org.uk/quality/documents/StandardofAccessibility.pdf
 
(Random note: my wife and I were in DC this past weekend, and I was thinking of you! Hope you and your family are doing well!! Can't wait to see you in Tampa in March.)

Of course you will want to follow guidelines that you find. But for those schools that do not specify, select forms that you feel best represent what you are trying to achieve in your documents. You're trying to come across as a full-fledged academic, so maybe formatting your letters like a student paper (e.g. double-spaced, header in the top left) isn't the best representation for you here.
 
For my five cents worth, I learned throughout the applications process that Baskerville has been shown to have a positive correlation to a writer's perceived credibility. Sans-serif fonts are disabilities friendly. And Helvetica makes you look like a hipster.
 
I guess what I'm trying to say is design can be your friend. And deserves some intentional rhetorical moves in your SOP/PS.

Of course you will want to follow guidelines that you find. But for those schools that do not specify, select forms that you feel best represent what you are trying to achieve in your documents. You're trying to come across as a full-fledged academic, so maybe formatting your letters like a student paper (e.g. double-spaced, header in the top left) isn't the best representation for you here.
 
For my five cents worth, I learned throughout the applications process that Baskerville has been shown to have a positive correlation to a writer's perceived credibility. Sans-serif fonts are disabilities friendly. And Helvetica makes you look like a hipster.
 
I guess what I'm trying to say is design can be your friend. And deserves some intentional rhetorical moves in your SOP/PS.

I have a different perspective that I think can be applied to many of the GRE questions that will pop up this time of year. Will re-taking the GRE scores make YOU feel better about your application? Do you have the funds to re-take it? Do you have time to re-take it? Are you close to a GRE testing location? If you can answer yes to all those questions, regardless of your score, then consider re-taking it.
 
This is such a bizarre process, so do what you need to do to feel better about your application. Perhaps you will feel fine about your GRE scores once your letter writer has agreed to touched about them. Or perhaps you'll feel great once you have finalized your SoP. But if you're losing sleep over your scores (and you can easily re-take the test), then re-take it. Sit with yourself and really try to figure out what course of action would make you feel best about your application packet, whether that is re-taking the GRE or devoting that time to your SoP and WS instead. 
 
In other words, you do you. Good luck! 

Like pretty much everyone has said, we all have the same job concerns! But there are strategies to help negate that anxiety. The first priority, from what other faculty have told me, is to write a killer dissertation and publish an article in at least one top journal. And I still think that should be our priority, but the reality is that the jobs that base hiring mostly on research ARE evaporating. So also focus on getting some good teaching experience. Try to be the instructor of record (as opposed to a discussion group leader) in as many different classes as possible: composition, literature survey courses, and professional writing. Keep an eye out for administrative assistantships for graduate students: can you work as the assistant director of the writing program for a year? These kinds of experiences can open up community college, full-time lectureships, and high school teaching jobs in a way that just having a killer dissertation doesn't. 
 
Then, as Chadillac suggests, consider working outside of academia. This is more challenging for some because it's hard for us to imagine an outside entity wanting to hire an expert on thing theory or some other esoteric topic, but I do think it's possible. I write about activist rhetoric, which I hope would open up positions in progressive think tanks or non-profit organizations. A TT job is the ultimate goal for me, but I think I could also be happy working in non-profit, political, or activist spheres while adjuncting on the side as my Plan B. 
 
Of course, this may all sound overwhelming: write a killer dissertation, publish, and teach ALL THE THINGS. But I do think it's possible to diversify your CV while also staying grounded. I do want to stress that it is okay to say no to extracurricular activities while in grad school. Maybe pick one or two that you think you'll really love, and just focus on those. You don't have to lead every reading group or be on every board position of your grad student organization. Pick the activities that interest you and think will enhance your CV, and say no to the others. 
 
Lastly, talk to your advisors and the placement director early on, preferably ones who were recently on the market, about your concerns. Brainstorm different ways you can graduate with the most desirable CV possible. Your advisors and DGS also want you to get a job; part of the prestige of a program is having a high placement rate! They are also invested in your success (or should be, at least). 

Keep in mind, too, that the DGS may or may not have much power in swaying admissions decisions anyhow.
 
If you live very close to the school now, you might consider taking a class or two as a non-degree seeking student. I've done this in the past with great results. Yes, you have to pay for the classes you take, but you get to network with faculty and show that you are very serious about enrolling in their program. Plus, the credit you earn will transfer into a degree-granting program in many instances, though you'll want to look more into that. Of course, this option is not for everyone, but it is an option.

Interesting! I'd teach if I couldn't research. In fact, it was only about a year ago that I officially decided to go the distance and get my Ph.D., rather than stop at an M.A. and try to find work at a community college or something. I really love research, and getting lost in a project and having brilliant conversations with other well-read and interesting people is extremely appealing to me. However, my core impulse is to pass on knowledge, kind of like a perpetual "pay it forward" scenario. It doesn't mean that I don't want to write great papers and books and be a guest lecturer in the future, but if I had a gun to my head telling me to choose between teaching and researching, I'm pretty sure I'd choose the former (if I couldn't manage to spring Bond-like into action and wrench the gun from that lunatic's hands, of course).

Jhefflol: this is exactly why I'm not worrying about it. One can always broaden one's knowledge, but the bottom line is that you have no idea what will be on the test. The "Slumdog" principle is at work here: you might luck out and get a test is full of things that you know, or you might get one that deals with most of the stuff you just couldn't find time to study. There are some constants, of course, but beyond trying to broaden your knowledge as best you can, it's just not something that you should be overly concerned about. I'm seriously feeling zero stress about it, personally. Maybe that will change closer to the date, but cases like Chadillac's definitely ease my mind even more.

So, I wouldn't by any means consider my experience typical--especially if you're a lit student, but I scored in the 10th percentile on my first attempt at the subject test. The second? 4th percentile. I'm dead serious.
 
I was accepted to 5 of my top-choice schools, wait listed at 3, and rejected from 3. Even though my subfield is rhet/comp, a number of these schools still required the subject test.

This is a perennial question around here. The broad answer is that programs are very interested in trying to assess their place among programs in their field-- their perceived prestige, the perceived difficulty of getting in, the kind of clustering by discipline/focus/time period, etc. Now there are always people who pop up and say that this is a stealth way for them to evaluate you. I reject this because it's part of the most wrongheaded way to think about the process, which is a) that you need to do something special to get in and that they need to do something special to keep you out. People are forever deciding that they need to find some sort of gimmicky way to make themselves unique in the eyes of the programs that they apply to. They are also forever deciding that the programs are looking for gimmicky ways to keep you out. But the reality is that there are plenty of reasons in your actual application for departments to decide for or against you. It's simply not necessary for them to find sneaky ways to entrap you. There's so many perfectly mundane, legitimate reasons that they might reject your application.
 
So fill out that section or don't, but please recognize: they don't need to find any special pretext for rejecting you. Honest. They aren't looking to catch you up. They're reviewing hundreds of these apps, and they're looking at grades, SOPs, letters of rec, writing samples, and GREs. They don't have time or inclination to read the tea leaves of the other schools you're applying to and come to some conclusion about you. Why would they need to?

I think you're getting some good advice here; with your work experience, getting a teaching position after an online MA may not be a problem, but getting strong letters of rec for a PhD program may be more of a challenge. To answer your question, there was recently a thread about online MA programs in Writing Studies on the WPA listserv. Here are the programs that were listed:
 
The following programs offer MA or MS degrees in technical and professional communication:
Arizona State Chatham East carolina Metropolitan Sate Minnestoa State Mankato Missouri U. of Science and Tech NJIT New England College Northeastern U RPI Southern Polytechnic Texas Tech UCF U. Wisconsin Stout Utah State William Patterson NYU Valdosta State University Also:
The University of Texas at El Paso has Graduate Certificate Program in Technical & Professional Writing
Indiana University East has Graduate Certificate in Composition Studies (and is working on a hybrid full MA program)

In my opinion, anyone who is not having the same worries as you is in serious denial--though I have to be honest and say I've never met anyone who didn't have these same concerns. While there's something to be said for being aware of the issues facing us as we professionalize for the market, realizing this early and having frank conversations with your advisers and colleagues--in my opinion--is healthy and shows you are serious about what you do.
 
But putting that all aside for a moment, why not start asking about what you can do with a PhD besides working in academia? Is there really no value for our work outside the English department? Increasingly, I believe departments (at least the good ones) are trying to consider ways that graduate professionalization might take place outside of academic work.

In my opinion, anyone who is not having the same worries as you is in serious denial--though I have to be honest and say I've never met anyone who didn't have these same concerns. While there's something to be said for being aware of the issues facing us as we professionalize for the market, realizing this early and having frank conversations with your advisers and colleagues--in my opinion--is healthy and shows you are serious about what you do.
 
But putting that all aside for a moment, why not start asking about what you can do with a PhD besides working in academia? Is there really no value for our work outside the English department? Increasingly, I believe departments (at least the good ones) are trying to consider ways that graduate professionalization might take place outside of academic work.

In my opinion, anyone who is not having the same worries as you is in serious denial--though I have to be honest and say I've never met anyone who didn't have these same concerns. While there's something to be said for being aware of the issues facing us as we professionalize for the market, realizing this early and having frank conversations with your advisers and colleagues--in my opinion--is healthy and shows you are serious about what you do.
 
But putting that all aside for a moment, why not start asking about what you can do with a PhD besides working in academia? Is there really no value for our work outside the English department? Increasingly, I believe departments (at least the good ones) are trying to consider ways that graduate professionalization might take place outside of academic work.

Hey, look at it this way: all "real" grad students feel like impostors, so knowing that you feel like an impostor makes you less of an impostor.

Ya. I'm hoping that she stays active in the community after retirement. I walked her through Google Glass after our town hall, which was a thrill for me. Never thought I would get to teach her anything.