klader

Before I get to your question, I'd like to mention that, typically, people in rhet/comp earn the MA first and then apply for the PhD. Some schools have joint MA/PhD programs, but most of the ones I've looked at explicitly say you need an MA to apply for the PhD. I'm bringing this up because I think it makes a difference in the kind of writing sample you'd need. MA programs would probably accept less rhet/comp-focused papers whereas PhD programs would most likely be looking for them (or for papers within the general realm of rhet/comp). (This is, of course, assuming that you're applying straight from undergrad. Please ignore this part if you're actually applying with an MA in hand). My writing sample (for MA rhet/comp programs) took a rhetorical approach and was about rhetoric, but I was also applying while finishing up an undergraduate rhet/comp degree, which I don't think is very common. A lot of people cross over to rhet/comp from literature/professional or technical writing/etc., so I would imagine that adcoms understand this (if not expect this to a certain degree). I've always been told that it's more important to have a writing sample that demonstrates your best critical thinking, ability to do research, and writing technique. These are the kinds of things that are valued in both literature and rhet/comp programs, and if your personal statement addresses why you want to go into rhet/comp, then I think that paired with an excellent writing sample would be a good strategy. You don't want to submit something less than stellar, after all, even if it is tailored more to your subfield. If you're still feeling a bit nervous, though, perhaps you could rework your papers a bit and take a more rhetorical approach? Maybe analyze things through a different lens? Address audience, ethos, etc? Rhet/comp is interdisciplinary in nature and is still growing as a field, so I don't think there's really one concrete answer on this. I think it certainly helps if you know things about the field and can demonstrate that you can analyze things in the way that scholars in this field do, but I'm not sure if it's *completely* necessary. Hopefully others with more experience can chime in here! PS - That picture is adorable!

I worked all of May and June (I graduated from undergrad in April), took the past two weeks easy, will be going on vacation next week (Nashville! Woohoo!), and I just was notified yesterday that I have summer prep to do for my teaching practicum in August (I have to read a book, read my department's teaching manuals, and write a response paper by the first day of class). The summer prep isn't a big deal, but I just wish I had more notice because I've literally been doing nothing but playing Pokemon Go since it came out and I could have been reading the damn book

Thank you all for the advice and input!! I still have my Mercury, but I'm keeping my eyes open for any good deals I might find (better than the Fusion, anyway!). I think I am going to keep it for hopefully another year. It needs new tires and such, but that's a normal expense of vehicles. While the idea of going car-less is very enticing, I don't think that's very feasible in my situation since both my grad town and hometown are very rural areas in the Midwest. I may not need to drive often to campus, but grocery shopping and such might be difficult without my car, and I do plan on driving home a few times a year. Thanks again! I hope this is the right decision.

FWIW, my department's secretary sent out a list of housing complexes students have used in the past, and here's the list: Miami Village http://www.miami-village.com/ Oxford Commons http://www.oxfordcommons.net/ Oxford Real Estate www.oxre.com Park Place Real Estate http://www.parkplacerealestate.net/12-13AvailabilityList.html College Property Management http://www.collegepropertymanagement.com/index.shtml Sundance Management http://www.sundancemanagement.com/pages/default2.asp?active_page_id=83 Fox and Hounds Apartments http://www.foxandhounds-apts.com/ Miami Properties http://studenthousingmgmt.com/miami/?page_id=4 Swift Rentals https://www.facebook.com/pages/Swift-Rentals/108872865864193 (This one is run by a VERY sweet family right in Oxford) Hometown Rentals and CJ Management hometownrentalsinc.com/ CKC http://www.ckcrentals.com/index.html South Campus Quarter http://www.southcampusquarter.com/ Century 21 http://www.c21thacker.com/site/ Also not on this list because this is an older list is Hawks Landing, http://www.hawkshousing.com/. Hope this can help some people out!!

While I don't have much to contribute to the MFA part of this discussion (not experienced in this!), I would like to comment on the rhet/comp part here. I hope I don't cause too much trouble. Comp/rhet MA programs typically DO fund students. I know that Carnegie Mellon doesn't, but a lot of other (usually state) schools do, so it's not really a cash cow in the ways that some MFA programs seem to be. Also, composition courses are the kinds of courses us comp/rhet folks want to teach. They're not something we do just to make money during grad school but are also the things we want to study, research, contribute to, etc, so it's all directly related. With that being said, I don't feel like it's fair to call comp/rhet MA programs just as exploitative as other programs. What do you mean by exploitative? Exploitative to the graduate student or to the students the graduate student teaches? Because in both cases, I think it works out rather well - the grad student gets to teach what he or she loves and wants to study, and the students get a graduate teaching assistant who's really into teaching comp. I could understand you saying that all MA TAs are deprofessionalizing writing instruction because of the fact that they're not full professors and are more inexperienced, but I really don't see how you can single out compt/rhet MA students. There's also an increasing amount of students starting their MA in rhet/comp after finishing a BA in rhet/comp instead of literature or a related field, so in that case, I would argue that comp/rhet MA programs are becoming even more professionalized. Just my $0.02, though! ETA: When I say that composition courses are "not something we do just to make money during grad school," I don't mean to imply that other people in other programs view it as such - I just mean that it can double as job experience and research material due to the nature of the comp/rhet field. I wanted to clarify that!

I second @sarabethke in paying attention to programs that require your application to be sent before the letters of recommendation can be submitted!! 3 of the 7 I applied to had this configuration, so I had to finish those applications by early/mid December so that my professors could submit their letters before they started break. It worked out because this kinda forced me to finish all the January deadline ones early, too, but it was added stress. Here's a rough sketch of my timeline (I will elaborate more on it afterwsrds): Summer before: lined up letter writers (informally - more of, "hey, will you write me one later?"), polished up CV's layout/design, dabbled with SoP September - scheduled GRE, nothing else really. My classes were intense October - formally asked for letters, worked minimally on SoP, researched the heck out of schools (the hardest part!), started applications at schools (this is when I finalized my list) November - took GRE (ugh! Should have studied!), tackled SoP head-on with a prof and writing center folks (still didn't feel good with it, though), checked in with letter writers (and kept track with who submitted what where), met with prof and revised/expanded on writing sample (the hardest month!) December - finished SoP at last possible moment for all applications (I still feel that I rushed all these because I was so exhausted and overwhelmed and wanted to get the apps in), tied bow on writing sample, cried, sent panicked emails to letter writers who had gone MIA, cried again, submitted all apps, cried again. Generally speaking, I'd say that I procrastinated waaaay too much on my SoP and writing sample. Work on those ASAP and have anyone who can spare 5 minutes look them over. These are the most important things, and you want to make them perfect, especially when tailoring them to specific programs (and people in the programs). Sometimes MA deadlines are set after PhD deadlines, so that might help you here. However, do double check, and plan to submit them earlier any way. I was at least happy I got them all in by 12/17 (I think), so I could enjoy the holidays without them looming over me. Good luck! ETA: This was for MA applications in comp/rhet

I'm not in grad school yet, but something that's always helped me with burn out in general is writing about it. Some people may like to journal, some may like to write on a blank Word document, some may like to draft an email - whatever works for you, do it! Write about what you're feeling, why you think you're feeling that way, and what you think would make you feel happier (i.e., "quitting my job!", "working less hours!", "moving to France and eating escargot!"). It may sound silly, but it helps (at least for me)! I've found that sometimes all I really want to do is vent to someone, so I type up the email (minus the address), let it sit for a few days, and then I feel better. I get my feelings out that way; I'm honest with myself and recognize what's wrong and what I want (but sometimes can't) do to fix it. To start, maybe you could draft up a more detailed version of this post, sit on it a few days, and then see how you feel after putting a lot of thought into your situation. You might find that you're answering your own questions as you read the post a few days later, and it'll feel good to just be honest with yourself. You'll realize that you want to find more hobbies, exercise more, travel more, etc., and in a few months or so, you can write again and then reflect on your progress and see how you want to continue/improve things. Hope that helps even a little bit, and I hope you start to feel less burnt out soon!

Even though there's no official ranking system in place for MA programs in English, there are still two leagues, I would say - funded and unfunded MAs. The general wisdom is to go with the funding when it comes to MA programs. If they're willing to fund you, that usually means they're more invested in you and that you can get some useful experience (teaching, tutoring, etc) out of the deal that can help for PhD applications/admissions.

Fwiw, one of my writing and rhetoric professors started his MA in English after getting a BA in a math/science area (this was ~1999ish). He went to a decent program but didn't get a TA appointment as funding; he did some editing, math tutoring, and research-assisting to get by. He did have very high GRE scores (in both sections due to his math background), but I don't think he had very much experience with English studies before his MA. He finished his MA, got into a good (fully funded) PhD program, and got a TT job. So, it's been done before, but times are different now, so I don't know if you'd be able to do something similar to my prof. I think your plan of taking at least some (in-person) courses would be good since you'd be able to try out the classes and get some letters of rec. Have you done any editing work before? Any tutoring? Dabbling with that could also help prepare you for MA work in English (especially if you end up teaching some day - tutoring is very helpful for that!). But, hopefully those more experienced with this than me can chime in here!

That sounds like a good plan! My writing sample came out of an independent study-ish class as well (it was one where I wrote a big thesis project and met with my professor once in a while), and the experience of navigating the research and writing process independently (though with some guidance) was truly valuable for me. My additional major was French, which didn't really coincide with my studies since I'm in comp/rhet and not literature. It has allowed me to check off my program's language requirement, though, so it was good for something!

Thanks so much for all the additional insight, everyone! I've presented at two conferences before myself (one more laid back and one more professional), and there were some that read papers, some with PowerPoints, and some who winged it. I agree that going to other conferences would definitely help me get a better idea of what people (faculty and graduate students) are doing for their presentations.

I ended up finishing my double major even though I could have dropped my second major to graduate early. Like you, I had the scholarships/funds to do it with no extra cost, and I really felt like I grew a lot as a writer/student/tutor during my extra year. I agree that it definitely comes down to which extra classes you would be taking and if it would be benefitting your apps. Which courses in which majors would you be taking? Could you maybe use a paper written during the fall of applying as your writing sample? (I did, and I think it worked out well). In my case, half my classes were for the extra major and the other half was for the already-finished major though in a different track. This allowed me to dabble with comp/rhet in ways I hadn't before, and even though I already applied and was accepted by the time I took the extra courses, I still feel that I benefitted greatly from it. You would probably benefit as well from more exposure to things (as long as it relates to your area of interest/research), so if everything aligns, I'd say go for it!

Thank you both for the input! The public transit isn't anything too fancy since my new school will be in a small town, but there is a bus route I could take to the university and my apartment is within walking distance. I'm definitely leaning toward keeping my car, but I'm also curious how others have handled this situation.

Hey everyone, I currently drive a 2001 Mercury Sable with 128k miles on it that I bought used in 2011 (76k miles for $5,000. Got me through a year of high school and four years of college, which was my goal). I'll be moving about 300 miles away to start my MA program, though, and I'm wondering if it's finally time to get a newer used car? There's a 2013 Ford Fusion with 23k miles for $15,500 in my area (which is a good deal), so I'm feeling a little pressured to make a decision here. Here's the thing: once I'm at my grad school, I don't even know how much driving I'll have to do - campus is 1.5 miles away and there's a bus stop stop right by my apartment complex, which also runs to some of the shopping areas nearby. I know shorter trips are harder on a car's engine, so if I kept my car, I'd try to only use it for making longer trips outside of town/back home. And if I got the newer car, I know that I'd feel safer driving it around more, both long and shorter distances. I do plan on going home at least 4 times a year or so, in addition to living at home for a couple months during the summer. I love my car and I bought it from an older woman who took great take care of it, and I've been keeping it maintained (I recently spent $500 on it to check every nook and cranny and replace anything that needed to be replaced). I feel like it's still reliable (even though there's some rust on the quarter panels and it's not as fast as it used to be), but a part of me also feels like I should buy a newer used car. I guess I could afford it (I have some money saved and a good credit score for taking out a loan), but I don't know how much money I'll need since this will be my first time living away from home, so I'd like having a safety net of cash during this adjustment period. What do you all recommend? What did you do? I'd appreciate any insight! ETA: I could sell my current car privately and hopefully get around $1500 for it, which I could put into my loan payments. I also have $5000 available from a relative as a graduation/early inheritance gift that I could put on the downpayment, which makes the financial burden a little less burdening.

Do you live in an area where there are seasonal farming jobs? You could potentially get some free food while harvesting for farmers, selling at farmers markets for farmers, or working at veggie stands. Farming is grueling work, but it's not always difficult to learn if you have someone showing you what to do. Produce might not come in until later in the summer depending on where you are, but there are spring crops and also lots of planting to do this time of year.

Hi all! I've been doing some research about conferences in our field (specifically in rhet/comp), and while I applied to present at a couple of writing center conferences this fall, I know that I missed the deadlines for a lot of the main ones in the field (WPA, MLA, etc.). This is of course fine because I just graduated from undergrad and will be starting my MA in the fall, but I know from previous experiences with conferences that you can learn so much and get a lot of good ideas from attending them (as well as network). So, I want to attend some conferences anyway, but I don't know if grad students normally do this so early in their careers. Do they (or, rather, we)? I see that the scheduling of MLA and WPA works out so that I could attend these conferences and not miss class/work to do so, but would it be worthwhile? I have the personal funds to be able to attend and not make too large of a hole in my wallet. More generally, how has everyone else gotten involved in the field's conferences? Can attending some big/popular conferences during my first year (or two or three) help me better prepare to present at them down the road? Should I talk to my undergrad professors/new graduate professors to see which ones they're presenting at so I could have some sort of reference point while there? I would appreciate any input, advice, anecdotes, etc. Thanks in advance!

My second major is French and I know a French professor who is going to be starting at the University of Utah in the fall! You should totally take a class with him if it suits your level/purposes, but even if you want to self-study, he's a nice guy and I'm sure he would send you a syllabus of one of his classes or something to help you brush up. Feel free to PM me if you'd like any French-specific advice or tips!

I'm going to a conference there pretty soon!! I've never been there before, and I'm really looking forward to it. And to chime in, I made my decision (MA and not PhD, though) on location, faculty, proximity to home, and stipend. Miami University seemed to have the best to offer in regards to all of these things. I'm the first one in my family to go to graduate school, so I didn't get a lot of help at home. I got the most support from my professors, but interestingly, I have the closest ties to the faculty in my second major (which isn't comp/rhet), so it was kind of cool to get their input as people not wrapped up in the comp/rhet field and filled with certain biases (though of course I asked around my rhet/comp department, too). They (second major faculty) sat down with me and asked me what I wanted to do, where I wanted to live, and all of that, and it really helped me dig deep and make my decision from there. And of course I asked some people on here what they thought!!!

Even though I won't be applying to PhD programs until 2018, I think I'm also going to be retaking the GRE soon... I scored so, so mediocre (like omg) because I went in cold. I was just being ridiculous and didn't have my life together. It wasn't a big deal because I only applied to MA programs, but I know it's different for PhD programs and that fellowships are often tied to GRE scores. Donc allez-y!! Not looking forward to it, but it's a rite of passage, I guess. Good luck to all of you for this upcoming application season! I'll be watching and learning!

Congratulations on making your choice!! I wish you the very best

I'm so happy for you!! I've been following your posts with interest and have enjoyed interacting with you here on the forum. Congratulations and all the very best!!! Virginia is a lovely state.

I'll be attending Miami in the fall and pursing my MA in Rhet/Comp!! I went to their open house in March and I was really, really impressed with the English department and campus... I know that the University just recently hosted a creative writing workshop by a faculty member from Cornell, and from what I read in the write up about it on their website, it looked pretty cool. I also had drinks with one of the creative writing profs and students, and he (along with the creative writing students) were all really nice and friendly. It's not my speciality, though, but the other prospective students that were in the creative writing track said Miami's offer was one of the more generous ones they'd received. Hope that helps even a little bit!

You both offer valid, important points, @EmmaJava and @Wyatt's Terps! I hadn't thought of it that way. I agree that it does have a ripple effect if you're left waiting in the dust, and that really is a major problem. I guess I was just trying to say how I'm sure Penn State still has a good program despite its strange application notifications and how I don't think strong applicants should not apply solely due to the potential of not hearing back quickly enough. It's still a practice in professionalism (as you both said), though, and definitely needs to be considered if one plans to attend there (i.e., gets accepted). I read the horror stories of years past as well but decided to apply anyway because I didn't want to miss a possibility (however slight) of acceptance. I guess it's suckers like me who keep applying and keep padding the English department's budget!!

Again, I am very, very confused on what their rejection policy is because I received this email from Cheryl on March 8th: I am sorry to report that we will not be able to offer you admission to our graduate program next Fall. The Graduate Studies Committee reviewed dossiers from an extremely strong pool of applicants. Needless to say, we are frustrated that we can’t offer places to all the applicants whom we would like to admit. Please be assured that we read your application with care and interest. My colleagues and I hope you will be in a position to make other choices and to accept admission in other programs that fit with your plans and interests. They got back to me in a timely fashion without me probing first, so why would they say that they weren't going to officially reject people? Was I maybe on a soft waiting list and they let me know after their offers were accepted? And while I agree that it's pretty inconsiderate to make people wait like that and not even inform them of a rejection (even though I was informed?), I don't think it's fair to judge an entire program by this. Sure, maybe we can judge their timeliness and administrative strengths, but I feel like this isn't enough to "snub" them. I have no hard feelings and I very well may apply again during my PhD application season in a couple years.

This is a good question! I picked Miami particularly for this reason and particularly because they have faculty working in one of their writing centers and publishing with students on writing center research. From what I gathered upon other campus visits/email correspondance, this isn't the norm and is is indeed a type of speciality. I too would like to know of other programs that have similar specializations.