driftlake

This thread has grown so very quiet, comparatively! For what it's worth, I've turned down offers for Purdue and Michigan State, if anyone is waitlisted for the rhetoric PhD at either one.

No word from CMU either? Seems like a few programs are still keeping quiet...

It's not the same situation as those posting above, I realize, but I figure I'll add my voice in support and to emphasize that those above are definitely not alone in experiencing such predicaments. I have lived in a different part of the country than my boyfriend for the last six years due to school. We see each other for about eight weeks each year. We have been talking for years about finally living in, you know, the same state, but I'm planning currently planning to pursue my PhD, which means I'll spend another 4-5 years away from him--again. So I can sympathize with those who are torn, feel guilty, or just wish they could resolve things favorably for all involved. I mean, it would be really wonderful to be two guys sharing a house rather than two guys separated by a half a country and a dodgy internet connection. Still, I've found that, despite some difficult times, a few years in a less-than-ideal situation isn't forever; we choose to change our lives when we enter a program, and we can choose to change them again when those programs end. All choices feel bigger, messier, and more intimidating when you're trying to make them. Pay attention to your feelings, have candid conversations, and try to not make big choices over the phone. At least use a video screen. It makes a difference when you can see the people with whom you're making the choice, I think. I certainly can't give advice about making those choices, but I can say that I totally sympathize and I sincerely hope it works out in a way that helps your relationships prosper. Seriously, my thoughts go out to anyone in this or a related situation.

Interesting. I've heard only good things about both programs, which is why it's such a difficult choice. I'll do some exploring--thanks.

Agreed--MSU really does provide an amazing range of options for its students, it seems. I finished my MA last year in an English department, and I agree--it has some limitations. The lack of rhet courses is agonizing... EDITED to ask: Is there a resource out there/on this forum with aggregated info on various programs? I know there are some wikis and some surveys, but nothing I've found from the last few years...

Hi all, I thought it might be useful to have a thread in which people can pose comparative scenarios about the programs they're entertaining and/or have been accepted to. At least for me, it's helpful to think about programs against one another rather than each alone. I get the sense that we have a pretty diverse group of people with a great deal of knowledge, so it might be nice to gather some of that in one place. However, If this exists somewhere and I missed it, please ignore. I am currently considering two PhD programs in particular, Michigan State's Writing Rhetoric and American Cultures and the University of Minnesota's Rhetoric, Scientific, and Technical Communication. My advisor has suggested that WRAC emphasizes production and hands-on work whereas RSTC emphasizes a more theoretical rhetoric of a given field. She also suggested that RSTC would be a stronger program for technical writing, Michigan State (possibly) for digital rhetoric. I'm interested in digital rhetoric more than technical communication, but I'm also more intrigued by the rhetoric of science and memory than the production side of things. Anyone have any advice? I'm curious to know what folks here think, either specifically or generally. What do folks think of these two programs? Thanks for feedback, and please feel free to post your own quandaries or scenarios as well.

Well, I'm probably not qualified to comment on getting into top programs, as I'm honestly not certain what constitutes a top program in digital rhetoric even at this point. But I do have a couple thoughts based on coaching writers with their personal statements for a number of years. Based on conversations with faculty and admissions committees, I think there are a couple things that we all can miss when writing our statements. These are things that ultimately promote that ephemeral thing called "fit." I'm not saying that you can just create fit from nothing--and, yeah, that's often something known only to the program--but you can certainly make a few moves to help show programs why you could be a genuinely good fit: --As others have said, mention faculty you would like to work with, mention courses that interest you, mention groups or projects that you would love to be part of, and/or talk about what personal research projects you would like to do in the program. People are rarely as specific in their statements as they could be, and I include myself in that. Also, folks stress out big time about how to mention faculty they want to work with. "Dr. X would fit my interests and be a great candidate for working with me" is never as good as "At X program, I would really like to work with Dr. X, whose work on raises questions that intrigue me." In other words, don't put faculty into your sentence in a way that makes them seem to fit you. This was a major paranoia for me as tone can be so hard to create and/or judge. Others will pick up on tonal things you never noticed, though, so pester them for help. -- "Tell me why this experience is relevant." Despite telling this to people for years, I still found that I had trouble doing it myself in my own statements. It's so very easy to think that the words on the page explain themselves, but you sometimes really have to make their importance blatant. These folks are reading massive numbers of statements, so it's not always enough to discuss your thesis research; it helps to end a point or paragraph with a linking statement: "This project represents the kind of work I hope to extend and deepen in X program at X school." "I hope to continue engaging in these types of conversations in the X community." Sounds silly, but this alleviates a lot of muddiness and blurring together for people who are reading and reading and reading these things. --Strike a balance between confidence and timidness. "This program gave me skills in X" isn't as strong as "Through this program, I gained skills in X." However, "I am a superb researcher" isn't as strong as "I have worked to become an effective researcher." Also, it's not a bad thing to show humility. "This project taught me important lessons about X" is kind of refreshing if used carefully. Kind of obvious, I suppose, but again--tone is tough! So, I don't know. I'm just going from what I've seen and the things I've heard. But as viviandarkbloom said, faculty will see ways you fit their program that you never will, so be candid and honest and show your enthusiasm, but do so genuinely. When you care and are honest, it shows. ---------------------------------------------- One final thought, and it's one that hopefully reassures someone out there. I come from a small program filled with excellent faculty, but we have no real reputation. We're near the bottom of the World News rankings, and I've had faculty comment to me and others that we'd be very hard pressed to get into good programs with an MA from our school. Worse, I have no major conferences and no publications. But I still got into what I consider some wonderful programs. So if you're like me, please don't despair or feel like you don't have a shot. It can be rough when even other academics tell you the outlook is grim. Work hard at it and please, please, please don't do it alone. Find a friend, find a writing tutor, find a teacher who can give you the insight you need. And don't despair.

I can't recommend Firefly or (particularly) Breaking Bad enough, but I haven't seen Buffy or House of Cards. It seems like a long silence from programs at the moment. Guess I should start watching Netflix again, too...

Actually, my image of the program was that it did indeed have a strong digital focus, which is part of why I applied. I'd recently heard to the contrary, which is why I was hoping to hear a bit more, and I think you confirmed my initial impression. As always, thanks for the very enlightening commentary. Extremely helpful, and I hope my comment didn't seem to disparage Purdue--I reread it and it might have seemed critical when I merely meant to inquire. BowTiesAreCool, that makes sense as well. There is certainly a link between engineering and writing even at my program, which is pretty small. All of the programs I'm looking at are Midwestern ones at this point, too...

Last night, I was diligently adding to a massive spreadsheet of data about the schools to which I applied when I realized that of all the programs, Purdue is the one I just don't have a full grasp of. Perhaps because of their size and diverse offerings, I'm having a hard time pinning down their identity or its fit with my interests. Any insight on this front? I've heard from Purdue grads that they don't do much with digital work or science rhetoric, and if I had to pin down my work, I'd describe it as happening at the meeting point of digital rhetoric, science rhetoric, and remembrance rhetoric. Still, I've always thought of it as a very well-respected school, but it looks like many of their grads take jobs in the Midwest, South, or West, and I'm definitely looking on going East, East, East. Any thoughts? I really want to give the program a full consideration.

Hey! I don't know if I'll come up in any context, but I'm the one weird guy who couldn't visit MSU this weekend and visited last weekend. Hope it's a good time and sorry I missed it!

Good to know. I don't want to cause mass panic.

Heads up--I don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but Purdue is now making offers.

Hey, dmariebelle. This is unlikely to make you feel better, but I received an emailed rejection from Syracuse today too. It's a small program, and they only admit one person per focus/area within rhetoric each year. I feel like it was a long shot for me, at least, especially since my focus and theirs are least aligned of the schools to which I applied. Do you have other programs you're applying to?

I reckon you're right. Which is unfortunate. On a semi-related note, I'm struck by how much more URI offers than programs such as MSU or UMN. I'm sure cost of living is a factor, but still--MSU and UMN both offer less than what I received as an MA at a very small program.