KenAnderson

Oregon English dept. received 176 applicants this year and took less than 10 percent.... alas, I was not in the 10 percent group Received letter last week. Great campus.... It would have been an easy move since I live only an hour away....

Anyone here apply to Rhet. & Comp. at Washington State?

Arizona is a great program... Dr. Enos is there... Rhetoric Review.... and it seems they accept a large number of applicants.... but with the economy and the big increase in applicants this year ( bad economy = people going back to school)..... who knows.... exchanged a couple of very nice emails with Dr. Enos ( one of my recommenders knows her really well..)... well, fingers crossed and said a prayer! Anyone here apply to Washington State? I also have an app there... Pullman Washington is in the middle of nowhere... not the most geographically appealing place, but I have heard good things about the program ...Dr. Eddy, etc......

Excuse the typo in my posting above! it is "canon," not cannon! Although, there are some intersting metaphors that could be argued with "cannon"... I have been reading "Metaphors We Live By" by Lakoff and Johnson, another book I would add to the reading list....although it is more language - linguistic in nature... but still very relevant with Rhetoric and Composition theory... I am fascinated by the cognitive process involved with writing...

This is the anthology we used last year in my English 514 Contemporary Composition Theory....some excellent essays. Susan Miller, ed. The Norton Book of Composition Studies. New York: W. W. Norton, 2009. (NBCS) ESSAYS: Horner, "The Roots of Modern Writing Instruction: Eighteenth and Nineteenth-Century Britain," (1990) NBCS 33-52 Connors, from Composition-Rhetoric: Backgrounds, Theory, and Pedagogy (1997). NBCS 685-705. Connors, "The Rise and Fall of the Modes of Discourse" (1981). JSTOR. Hairston, "The Winds of Change: Thomas Kuhn and the Revolution in the Teaching of Writing" (1986). NBCS 439-450. EXPRESSIVISM Rohman and Wlecke, from Pre-Writing: The Construction and Application of Models for Concept Formation in Writing (1964). NBCS 216-227. Kinneavy, "Expressive Discourse," from A Theory of Discourse: the Aims of Discourse (1971). NBCS 372-386. Britton et al., "Shaping at the Point of Utterance" (1980). NBCS 461-466. Macrorie, from Telling Writing (1985). NBCS 297-313. Peter Elbow, "Some Thoughts on Expressive Discourse: A Review Essay" (1991). NBCS 933-942. Peter Elbow's iconic text, Writing With Power. Hashimoto, "Voice as Juice: Some Reservations about Evangelic Composition" (1987).JSTOR. COGNITIVISM Emig, from The Composing Process of Twelfth Graders (1971), NBCS 228-251. Emig, "Lynn: Profile of a Twelfth-Grade Writer" Young, "Paradigms and Problems: Needed Research in Rhetorical Invention" (1978). NBCS 397-41. Flower and Hayes, "The Cognition of Discovery: Defining a Rhetorical Problem" (1980). NBCS 467-478. Flower, "Writer-Based Prose: A Cognitive Basis for Problems in Writing"( 1979). JSTOR. Sommers, "Revision Strategies of Student Writers and Experienced Adult Writers" (1980) NBCS 323-332. Bizzell, "Cognition, Convention, and Certainty: What We Need to Know about Writing" (1982). NBCS 479-501. Bartholomae, "Inventing the University" (1985). 605-630. SOCIAL-EPISTEMIC Berlin, "Rhetoric and Ideology in the Writing Class" (1988). NBCS 667-684. Bruffee, "Collaborative Learning and the 'Conversation of Mankind'" (1984). NBCS 545-562. Maxine Harris, "The Idea of Community in the Study of Writing" (1989). NBCS 748-758. Peter Elbow, "Reflections on Academic Discourse: How It Relates to Freshmen and Colleagues" (1991). JSTOR. Bartholomae, “Writing With Teachers: A Conversation with Peter Elbow,” and Elbow, “Being a Writer vs. Being and Academic: A Conflict in Goals” (1995) EMOTION IN COMPOSING, WAC Brand, "The Why of Cognition: Emotion and the Writing Process" (1987). NBCS 706- 713. Russell, ""American Origins of the Writing-across-the-Curriculum Movement" (1992). NBCS 15-170. Charles Bazerman, "The Problem of Writing Knowledge" (1988). NBCS 502-514. Clifford, "The Subject in Discourse" (1991). NBCS 861-873. BASIC WRITING Shaughnessy, Introduction to Errors and Expectations: A Guide for the Teacher of Basic Writing (1977). NBCS 387-396. Min-Zhan Lu, "Redefining the Legacy of Mina Shaughnessy: A Critique of the Politics of Linguistic Innocence" (1991). NBCS 772-782. Hull, Rose et al., Remediation as Social Construct: Perspectives from an Analysis of class room discourse NBCS 783-812. WHAT'S NEXT? Brodkey, "On the Subjects of Class and Gender in 'The Literacy Letters'" (1989). NBCS 631-646. Royster, "When the First Voice You Hear Is Not Your Own," NBCS 1117-1127 Reynolds, "Interrupting Our Way to Agency: Feminist Cultural Studies and Composition (1998). NBCS 897-910. Villanueva, "Maybe a Colony: And Still Another Critique of the Comp Community" (1997). NBCS 991-998. Selfe, "Technology and Literacy: A Story about the Perils of Not Paying Attention" (1999). NBCS 1163-1185. George, "From Analysis to Design: Visual Communication in the Teaching of Writing" (2002). NBCS 1429-1449.

At 48, I finally got this thing called "life" figured out and feel I still can make a significant contribution, but many of the doors of opportunity seem to be only open for the young. Who said, "Youth is wasted on the young..."?

Well, there is no set cannon as with Literature.....some are more Rhet leaning and some more Composition leaning. If you teach composition, Peter Elbow is a must read, This is University of Oregon Rhet/Comp PhD reading list: STRUCTURED EMPHASIS IN RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION EXAMINATION READING LIST Plato, “Gorgias,” “Phaedrus,” “Protagoras” Aristotle, Rhetoric, Topics Demetrius, On Style Rhetorica ad Herennium Cicero, de Oratore, de Inventione Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria Longinus, On the Sublime Augustine, De Doctrina Christiana Vinsauf, Poetria Nova Alcuin, Disputatio de rhetorica... Bede, De Topicis Differentia Margery Kempe, The Booke of Margery Kempe Erasmus, “On Copia of Words and Ideas” Christine de Pisan, The City of Ladies Puttenham, Arte of English Poesie Wilson, The Arte of Rhetorique Ramus, Brutinae Quaestiones Vico, Institutiones Oratoriae Hobbes, Briefe of the Arte of Rhetorique Bernard Lamy, De l'arte de parle Mary Wollstonecraft, Vindication of the Rights of Women Hugh Blair, Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres George Campbell, Philosophy of Rhetoric Edward Channing, Lectures to the Seniors at Harvard Sojourner Truth, selected speeches Kenneth Burke, Rhetoric of Motives, Grammar of Motives Chiam Perelman and L. Olbrechts-Tyteca, The New Rhetoric Wayne C. Booth, Rhetoric of Fiction, Modern Dogma and the Rhetoric of Assent Julia Kristeva, “The System and the Speaking Subject” Adrienne Rich, selected essays James Crosswhite, Rhetoric of Argumentation Andrea Lundsford, et al, eds., Reclaiming Rhetorica Karlyn Kohrs Campbell, Man Cannot Speak for Her

Porridge: Thanks for the comments and for the offer to see your SOP, but I feel awkward about making that a point in my SOP...I would like to be accepted or denied on my academic merits, not on how old I am and remarking on my experience, maturity, etc....or that I grew up in a poor family ( I am avoiding the Life-time network movie narrative in my SOP) but, I DO see the validity in your comments.... a family member even said I should check the Native American box on the graduate application...my great grandfather was Cherokee....but I refuse to play that card, and besides, it seems a bit opportunistic....everyone claims they are Native American ... I consider myself a mutt .... well, it is all good information..... thanks.

Okay, now that brings up another topic, age! obvioulsy they know by DOB, etc... when you are older, you start to wonder if the age factor comes into play.....it does in the job market!! I am 48 and I am the oldest in my MA graduate program...

Good to hear the different feedback... you all have valid points

I agree, but the programs must have some way of weeding out all the applicants.... Oregon received 176 applicants! And I heard UMASS had about the same number. I guess I have a hard time believing that they are reading every SOP and sample paper without first looking at scores .....and on the results board, when you click the red dot for GPA and scores... there is a trend with acceptances having at least a 5.0 on the writing section..... have yet to see one with a 4.0.... ( and my faith in LOR's is not very high at the moment...I had letters from former Rhet and Comp faculty at Louisville and UMASS and it apparently did not help my application....I even emailed specfic POI's in both programs!) Well, it is what it is. Still planing to retake the GRE's... at least for my own personal satisfaction knowing that I can do better! I have a BA in English and Writing and a MA this June in English Rhet and Comp and I scored only a 4.0 ! I think that is what I have a problem with!!! I have issues with standardized timed (yes torture tests) money making tests anyway! Sorry for my rambling and venting..

So, I am 0/4 with three to go.... if i stike out with the last three... I AM Ready to retool and reset with my applications again this fall in English Rhet./Comp. What changes and adjustments would you make in your applications?? for me: 1. Retake my GRE's. I had anxiety issues with the timed writing section on the GRE.... a sad 4.0 and only a 620 on the verbal. Despite the denial from programs that GRE's are not the only consideration, I have not seen any acceptances here with Scores less than the 90 percentile on the verbal and at least a 5.0 on the writing section. 2. NEW sample paper.... I am finishing a paper now for a conference and journal publication.... my grad advisor agreed to give it a hard look too. 3. Revise my SOP: More attention to "program fit" and my career goals.....and include more specifics instead of the YADDA YADDAY general goals. 4. Teaching Experience: I graduate in June with my M.A. English (3.95 GPA) and hope I can find something to boost the teaching resume which was very weak.

yep.... I am 0/4 so far with thee to go.... no email from UMASS or UC Irvine, but it is safe to say the sorry letter is in the mail. I do not even bother opening the snail mail....direct to trash.

Josh, congrats on Umass......great program...peter elbow! Did you get accepted to Louisville?

Well, I guess that is an implicit rejection me on Umass since I did not get the call. . First Louisville and now Umass. Two strikes. Depressing. And one of my recommendations was also a former PhD student in the program....oh well..... Arizona, Oregon, UC Irvine , Washington state and Louisiana are up next to the plate. Need some good news! Do not want to work at Starbucks with my MA!

anyone hear back from. Umass English rhetoric and composition? Looks like Umass English Lit. are already posting with interviews.

Josh, did you apply to umass' English literature or the English rhetoric and comp? Different selection panels....

Any here apply to the English Rhet & Comp program at UMASS? I am assuming that it is a different in selection committee...I emailed the grad coordinator awhile back and was told that it would be late Feb before notices went out....

Well, Louisville said NO to moi! Oh well... nice little card in the mailbox....from Karen H:"sorry...blah blah blah..." My teaching experience is a little weak, but have a 3.9 grad gpa , 2 conference presentations, one national poetry award, over a dozen non-academic publications (newspapers, journals, magazines).....and even one of my recommendation letters was from a former Rhet and Comp Louisville faculty member.....oh well ..it is only my first rejection. Six more to go... AND i just sent off another app to the University of Louisiana in Lafayette.......deadline is the 15th for fellowships and all materials by March 1st.

Anyone have any info about University of Louisiana [Lafayette] PhD English Rhetoric and Comp. program? deadline is Feb., 15th

damequixote: congrats on the 3 acceptances! [but really, you need at least one rejection to keep you humble ( you are mortal, yes??) and ALSO it will help the rest of us not to feel like, uh, amoeba I.Q. pond scum. lol]

Okay, no emails so far from Louisville and I just checked the website....nada......only three acceptances so far showing on the grad-cafe for Louisville? I am thinking that if I do not hear back by Saturday, implicit rejection, or maybe waitlist..... I wonder if they make more offers than they have slots for. Also, I did not get my application finished until Dec. 15th! And this stressful, high anxiety scenario gets to be replayed for the other 5 schools I applied to! I am a mess tonight. ...... deep breath.

The only caveat with it being in the Ed. Department, if it is a Phd in education with specialization ( like UC Santa Barbara).....in rhetoric and comp., I was told that your job prospects would be towards teaching in the Education department, and leaning to secondary and elementary levels, or research focused on education writing pedagogy. Personally, I think the PhD in English with specialization in rhetoric and composition is more valued in the collegiate environment, and it offers more elbow room in the subjects You might want to teach.. Depends on what you want to teach I guess.

The rhetoric program at Berkley is also a bit different in nature than the traditional rhet & comp. programs elsewhere...according to a former Berkley PhD alumnus of the rhetoric program. ...more humor needed, huh? I prefer realistic optimism....been playing the grad application game for some time now. ....first with the M.A and now with the PhD. I guess I need more witty French repartees? Lol. ( < see, I included the "lol" to show that this was all intended in a light tone.)

Stanford and Berkley....hmmmmm.......decided not to waste $100 application fee.......unless your undergrad or MA is from a top 15 school, perfect GRE scores,published, presented, and/ or have a vitae that borders on the unbelievable and also have an inside track with faculty , it seems that the odds are better playing the lottery.