Graditude

Positive thought for the day: What we're all applying for is really just a job. A poorly paid yet reasonably interesting job that requires us to spend 5 years or so reading and writing. Not all of us will be hired this year. But there's always next year to try again. If we do get hired and graduate, we will use the experience to apply for similar jobs with slightly better pay. And so on. Anyhow, that's my suggested way of viewing it -- for whatever it's worth. I'm only half joking when I say that some of the comments since yesterday have been on the 'slightly alarming' end of the scale... Seriously, if it was just dating, you wouldn't take it to heart. But when it's 'academia', some people think a 'no thanks this year' means 'we hate you and you're hopeless.' End positive thought.

Kamisha: rang the DGS number at ASU to ask when they plan to start notifying. The extension listed has 'not been activated'. Pretty clever of them, right?

Unless -- imagine this -- every mail we send carries the flashing signature not actually one of our students. Oh well. Am off to do kettle bells: good for putting the whole thing out of mind for a bit.

I even activated the free gmail account that came with the My ASU acct: it's your name plus "asu.edu". I reason that this magically guarantees that they will accept me.

Switters: thanks for the heads-up. I did do that, and opened a My ASU acct that I've been checking every day every hour every twenty-three minutes.. That's from the grad school, though. What I meant to say was that they are the only department that didn't send a "thank you for applying" email. At the other programs I applied to, the head of dept also sent emails explaining when they planned to make their decision. It was a nice touch, reduces worry, etc. With ASU, apparently, you never know when they'll notify you.

I was actually in it once, that's how I knew, bwa ha. Anyhow, am on Euro-time here, so it's just after midnight in AZ. Not much chance of updates for the next few hours. Or days, even. Best of luck! Have you ever lived in Phoenix? I did once in the mid-90s, before they had the light rail. Am looking forward to seeing how it's changed since then.

Isn't it from the play, R and G are Dead?

Am wondering the same thing here. They were also the only dept not to send out a "thank you for your application" email. The info on the board suggests that the rejection was for a BA student who wanted to enter the PhD program directly but was offered a place on the MA instead. The acceptances so far seem to be for the Literature applicants, not the Rhet/Comp. Based on results from previous years, though, ASU seems to send out waves of yes and no all the way into March.

Him, interesting question. In deciding where to apply, I checked the lists of recent theses and staff research interests, and tried to find places that emphasized rhetoric as much as composition. Immediate disqualification for any program that was notoriously hard to get into. Then came the real decision, using a sort of Venn diagram of personal interests. These were the sets: places with funding places with reasonable cost of living places that were likely to appreciate an applicant in his 40s with years of teaching experience places with community college physiotherapy programs for my partner, who's switching careers when we move back to the US places that had attractive neighborhoods Then we tooled around town on Gmaps and figured out where we could live between the uni and the community college, and tried to figure out the bus routes, etc. In the end I only applied to 3 places: El Paso, Phoenix and Syracuse. Anybody else?

If you're not emotionally attached to Louisville, I would suggest you say, "Thank God for unanswered prayers" in this case. Something better is in the next email, for sure. Where else are you waiting to hear from?

My heart is set on a small program in a certain mountainous desert city where the majority language is Spanish and the campus buildings seem to have been transported from the Himalayas:

Nope. Can't imagine any situation in which reasonable people would consider it wishy-washy to have two majors and relevant work experience! If I can just give one piece of advice: don't fret so much about how future people will view you, because you can't control what they think. Just study and work at what interests you and suits your skills, and one day you'll be ready when the right program or job comes along. In the meantime, you want to enjoy what you're doing, not be watching yourself from the outside and judging in the third person. Don't let the imaginary admissions committee set up a conference room in your head! Good luck.

The question the original poster should be asking is, "Will this program help me to conduct interesting research and develop my teaching skills?" and not "Is University X prestigious?" Your reputation as a researcher will come with meaningful publications and other work, not through rubbing shoulders.

After graduating, arrange to teach English in France for 5 years. Outside work, read and talk only French. After the 5 years have passed, come back and apply to graduate school. By then you will have learned French perfectly, enjoyed life, overcome any youthful crisis of confidence -- and you will arrive home with savoir faire, sang froid and some excellent clothing. The other applicants will pale in comparison.