KappaRoss

Take fit/opportunity/happiness over money.
 
If you're going to go somewhere that you don't really want to go to, and you're only going there because you got funded, then you probably won't be happy there, and it could affect learning outcomes and overall outcomes.
 
It sounds like you'd much rather go to the R1, so I would go there. Simply put, I'd go to where I wanted to go.
 
It also depends on the money differences. If you're going to be 40K in debt after the MA, then it MIGHT be better to go to the funded MA. But it won't make a damn difference where you go if you don't like it and don't think you'd be happy there.

I can't answer any q's on apartments near campus since I commute from down south but I can tell you that parking is not as bad as people say. As long as you have purchased a semester pass (currently ~$162/sem) from them, you will always find a spot in at least several parking structures (PS). It's just a lot of people have classes in the West end, so they prefer parking in the PS located there and since they fill up by 9am M-Th, people just assume the parking is 'bad'. But the East end, namely the PS near the dorms, have always got room for parking. Since your classes will be in the afternoon, and if you don't plan on coming to class before 1-2pm, then you'd pretty much find parking anywhere, even on the packed West PS. 
I'd say the days that parking will be most annoying for you are when we have events such as basketball and concerts. They close the PS nearest to the event pretty early so anyone with a class in the afternoon will have to keep that in mind. Just park in the open PS though, and you'll be good.
All in all, parking is fine. Just can be a little inconvenient if you have class on one end of campus but have to park on the other end. The campus isn't that big, so it isn't too bad. Street parking though - now that is bad and not worth the time & effort imo.
Hope this was helpful  

Hi, I currently go to SDSU!
You have to live a little bit further from campus if you want cheaper places. The SDSU affiliated apartments (Aztec Corner, BLVD63, 5025, etc) are nice but REALLY expensive.. (think 600 for a shared room) I looked through craigslist and currently live in a room in a house for about ~600/month. The more south and east you go, the cheaper it generally is. La Mesa/Lemon Grove aren't too expensive. 
You might want to try this site: https://sdsu.och101.com/. I haven't used it personally, but my friend did and found a room off the site. 
If you're bringing a car (which I recommend), there's plenty of other neighborhoods to live in (Hillcrest, Pacific Beach, etc) but the buses around SDSU aren't that bad. The green line trolley runs through SDSU and can take you all the way to Santee or Downtown SD (can connect to other trolley lines there). It also passes through Mission Valley and Fashion Valley Malls and the Alvarado Hospital. I commuted by bus for about 2 years and it wasn't too bad besides grocery shopping. The 11 bus takes you to Hillcrest, the 15/215 takes you to downtown, the 955 to National City, the 936/856 to Spring Valley. The bus pass is about ~155/semester and allows you to go on the trolley and the buses. Parking is ~160/semester and can get crowded if it's not in the morning. 

I disagree. I think two years of classroom teaching experience looks better than one year of classroom teaching experience on job applications. The more actual experience you have, the better the chance you have of landing a job. Think about it from the employer's perspective. Would you rather hire a fresh grad with one year of classroom experience or two years of experience?
You are absolutely correct though that it kind of cheapens the initial teaching experience and throws you into it, though most students seem to do OK. In a perfect world, you would take classes and gain an actual educational background of teaching before you actually teach. This is logical sense and why teaching credential programs do not have you teach your own class as soon as you step foot into the program. But for graduate school in English, putting students to work is cornerstone to universities. A line of grad students teaching English 1 to high-tuition freshman students saves a lot of money for the school.

Take a year off and try to figure out what you want to do. That's what I did.
If your initial interest was journalism, I would get a job doing that. You can just try it out and see if it's for you.
If you want to write fiction, perhaps an MFA would be a better fit. How did you like your undergrad Creative Writing classes?
Literature, journalism, and creative writing are usually three separate programs. Try to figure out which one is most for you. The best way to do this is to get actual experience doing it.
As far as your low GPA, you are still a junior. Get all A's from now on -- that's without question. You should aim for a 4.0 for your whole senior year so you show an upward trend. I had a low GPA, similar to yours, and I was able to raise it during my last year.

Hey thank you so much for your comments! I'm curious, if I do believe that I might be able to do better on the verbal (like spending more time studying verbal, as opposed to what I did which is study verbal and quantitative equally), is there a score that would help me? For example, most of the schools I'm looking at post verbals of 166-170, which makes me nervous about whether or not I'll break into that specific category. I personally think I need to do more focused work on vocab and practice RC questions, but i'm also unsure if I hit that range. If I hit like a 164/165, would that help, or is it necessary to break into the range that they advertise? 
I haven't gotten my writing back, but I'll update in a few weeks when I do, but the Quantitative I got a 164, which is a bummer because I wanted to score something like that or higher for the verbal, not the quantitative haha. 
I haven't put together my application yet, but I'm attempting to start early with this exam and see how I can improve my app and tweak to the best ability. Once again, thanks for the speedy reply!

Haha thanks for the advice. It's crazy how fast the test flew by for me! Those breaks in between sections are really insignificant (or nugatory, as magoosh and other practice outlets have taught me) compared to the overall time. 
Thanks for the advice though! I definitely think I'm building strong relationships with my professors, I'm just hoping I can apply for an honors thesis program in my school that would be helpful for awards and getting to know a couple professors a little better.
On my practice tests I varied. I would sometimes score that, below 162, or above 162. I probably scored at or below more often than above, though. Yeah I definitely was feeling a lot of anxiety from this first test, especially by the end of it when they just tell you your scores! So frightening.
I'll definitely try to work on the section over the summer I think, so then I'm not attempting to study for it during school (big mistake, at least for me). Hopefully I'll be able to maintain the rest of the criteria for these apps, though. Thanks so much for all your help!
 

That's the 90th percentile, which is usually around the "cutoff." It depends on the program and your application. If you have a high GPA, great LORs, SOP, and experience, then it won't hurt you. A 162 will not help you get into a top English PhD program, but it won't hurt you very much either if your entire app is otherwise stellar.
I would advise that you look at the results board and see what the scores were for people that were accepted into the programs that you want to apply to.
How did you score on the writing and the quantitative? The quantitative is not looked at really at all, but if it's really low like it is for some English majors, your overall GRE score could be too low for university-wide scholarships. This is usually a low cutoff though, like 300.
If you think you can score higher on the verbal, then you should probably take it again. If you think 162 is your peak, then I'd focus on more important components of your application. If you don't know, then also consider how you did on your practice tests.

Yeah, it's pretty different for an MA. The general advice is to go to the school that gives you the most funding. This is because you can get an MA at any state school and still go to basically any PhD program. So, you can have different criteria for MA programs, and you can more heavily factor things such as location and support. And of course, support is actually really important in an MA program if your plan is to pursue a PhD afterward.

And as I said in the other thread, I think you should apply to PhD programs. I'm not familiar with NYU, but I think you should apply to several programs and go to the one that fully funds you. I see on the results board that NYU applicants typically have high GRE scores, but there are other things you can focus on. It sounds like you've got some experience at NYU with classes you've had, and it will definitely help that you did your thesis on one of the professor's research.
To stand out at NYU, I would make sure the writing sample is a fit for that professor. I would try to retake the GRE for a higher verbal. And don't underestimate your teaching experience, as you will be most likely teaching a freshman English/composition class while you are there.
I'm pretty sure your main hiccup was that you don't have LORs. Perhaps you can take more summer classes and get those LORs.
Try to work on your application between now and Fall. Obtain good LORs (which is not easy) and study hard for the GRE. The writing sample and SOP are also vitally important; you can use the LOR professors to look over these things to make them even better.

i love your name and avatar...

I think you could take the GRE again. It's not a vital part of the application, but if you could bump the verbal up to 90%+ and keep the writing score you'd be good to go. You're only like 10% away from 90%.

I'm a current student in the Boston College MA Program and am happy to answer any questions! Feel free to PM me as well! I love the program and am very glad that I chose it.
There's about 24 students per MA cohort, so it's a fairly large program. BC is excellent about giving lots of support/attention to their Masters students, and it's a very collegial department. Most people in my cohort are either writing tutors (with the writing centre, ELL students, or student athletes) or writing fellows (where you are partnered with a specific undergraduate class to help them develop their writing over the course of the year). A good number also have other assistantships in various centres around campus. (Here are some listings, to give you an idea.)
As for teaching in the second year, you typically apply during your first semester to be either a Teaching Fellow or a Teaching Assistant. TAs are paired with lit classes, but TFs take a 3-credit course on Teaching Pedagogy & Comp Theory and get a chance to develop their own syllabus for their own Freshman Writing Class during year 2 (1 class per semester). It's a great program because they put a lot of effort into helping prepare you for teaching rather than throwing you to the wolves right off the bat, as some programs might. Payment for these positions is given in addition to your whatever your funding package is. About 75% of the cohort gets TF positions, and those who do not get one (or want one) can be considered for TA-ships.
The professors in the department are really wonderful and committed to their students. This definitely includes working with students applying to PhD programs. I'm sure the MA Director (or POIs in your field) will be able to give you more solid information about placement rates/records, but the support system definitely exists.

Thanks for this! I just got admitted, too, and I'm trying to figure out if I can make it work financially. I know Boston just outstripped NYC in being the most expensive city to live in.
I'll be PM'ing you, too, if you don't mind...

I haven't been officially rejected from one school, but they have given out two waves of acceptances, and the last wave was February 19th.
I assume, because it has been so long since the last wave of acceptances, that they are waiting to hear back from the first two waves before they make a decision on me. I was anticipating a rejection a few days after February 19th, but I did not receive anything.
My application was somewhat fringe for the school, and the school tries to only extend fully funded offers, and it's an MA program. Additionally, it is written in their FAQ that they give out decisions in late February or March, so the dream is still alive hopefully. I think they are waiting to see if the money shakes down from the first wave of applicants before they can do anything, but I'm still unsure. And I'm also unsure if it will shake down, as it was fully funded MA offers for the first two waves. Although it feels like, from their stats, that they could have also gotten funded PhD offers from mid-range programs, and that's probably also what the department might be considering.
I was very lucky to get accepted to one program in late January, so this whole cycle has been at least with me knowing that I'll be going somewhere.

I'm going to weigh in briefly, as someone who is applying for PhDs and jobs this semester. An MA in Rhet/Comp, with a couple years of teaching, can put you in position to teach full time at both the 2 and 4 year level, though usually only TT at 2-year colleges. A recent graduate of my program is tenured at a junior college, but most either go on to the PhD or go into the private sector (intentionally, not as a fallback). Fixed-term jobs are not the end of the world, and some schools actually pay them better than you would get as a TT at some places (with lighter (3-3) teaching loads). Look at the type of job you would like, at the type of institution that you would like, and see what background the people in the jobs have. Look at schools with job listings that you would be interested in and look at the requirements. A lot of programs have a progression (Lecture, Senior Lecturer, ect.) for non-TT jobs, and it's always best to look for places that offer some research support/campus leadership/travel funding for NTT positions, as those jobs tend to be more stable and respected within the program.
R/C MA programs run the gamut from PhD prep (OSU) to Professional Writing and Editing focused (EMU). Sometimes you may benefit from a school that only offers an MA, as those programs have an incentive to let you teach immediately and know how to market you to the job market.
The good news is that R/C MA programs are, by and large, fully funded, or at least have fully funded slots. If you really want to teach, you can often negotiate that as part of attendance. The key part is to have honest conversations with both your advisor and the folks at the schools you are considering, as they will try to make sure that you wind up in the right place.
 
(There are lots of places that are teaching focused, without a research component to the jobs you wind up in, but you need to have the degree to get into those jobs). You should consider reaching out to Howard Tinberg (on the NCTE board) if 2 year teaching is your end goal.
 

Only thing you can do is wait, and I'd advise that you wait until you make a final decision.

I'm in the same boat as you, but I've already applied for Fall 2016 rhetoric/composition MA programs.
You can teach writing at the community college level with an MA, but make sure you get experience teaching freshman comp while you are getting your MA. This is really important because when you go on the job market, employers will generally want at least one year of experience teaching on the level. So, only look at schools that offer teaching opportunities for MA students.
Your MA should always be at least partially funded in your specific situation. Schools will offer teaching assistantships because you want to teach freshman comp and they need graduate students to teach freshman comp. You're not going to be working for free.
A good example is Oregon State's MA program, which offers a two year teaching assistantship if you are funded. It comes with a tuition waiver and a living stipend. But a lot of state schools might want you to take a class in teaching writing first, which means you'll only get one year of teaching writing. This can hurt a little when looking for jobs.
I applied to only five schools, but I wish I would have applied to more. I suggest applying to many schools and going to the one that offers a full teaching assistantship.
This is a decent place to scope out programs, especially PhD programs if you are considering that: http://associationdatabase.com/aws/RSA/pt/sp/resources_gradprograms
But also lots of state schools offer an MA in English with a complete focus on composition. It's much more cost efficient to go to one of these state schools, and lots of them aren't on that program list. They might also have Spring admissions, which I see is your target season from your profile.
@ProfLorax Great information; you are a fantastic poster on this forum. I did not know about Fullerton's online certificate program. I wish I would've done that while I am waiting for Fall 2016 to arrive.

I am in the same situation as you with most of my programs, and it seems many other contributors here are too. And I feel very lucky to have been accepted to a very nice choice, although I am still hoping to hear good news from my #1.
Good luck!

I haven't been officially rejected from one school, but they have given out two waves of acceptances, and the last wave was February 19th.
I assume, because it has been so long since the last wave of acceptances, that they are waiting to hear back from the first two waves before they make a decision on me. I was anticipating a rejection a few days after February 19th, but I did not receive anything.
My application was somewhat fringe for the school, and the school tries to only extend fully funded offers, and it's an MA program. Additionally, it is written in their FAQ that they give out decisions in late February or March, so the dream is still alive hopefully. I think they are waiting to see if the money shakes down from the first wave of applicants before they can do anything, but I'm still unsure. And I'm also unsure if it will shake down, as it was fully funded MA offers for the first two waves. Although it feels like, from their stats, that they could have also gotten funded PhD offers from mid-range programs, and that's probably also what the department might be considering.
I was very lucky to get accepted to one program in late January, so this whole cycle has been at least with me knowing that I'll be going somewhere.

I'm in the same boat as you, but I've already applied for Fall 2016 rhetoric/composition MA programs.
You can teach writing at the community college level with an MA, but make sure you get experience teaching freshman comp while you are getting your MA. This is really important because when you go on the job market, employers will generally want at least one year of experience teaching on the level. So, only look at schools that offer teaching opportunities for MA students.
Your MA should always be at least partially funded in your specific situation. Schools will offer teaching assistantships because you want to teach freshman comp and they need graduate students to teach freshman comp. You're not going to be working for free.
A good example is Oregon State's MA program, which offers a two year teaching assistantship if you are funded. It comes with a tuition waiver and a living stipend. But a lot of state schools might want you to take a class in teaching writing first, which means you'll only get one year of teaching writing. This can hurt a little when looking for jobs.
I applied to only five schools, but I wish I would have applied to more. I suggest applying to many schools and going to the one that offers a full teaching assistantship.
This is a decent place to scope out programs, especially PhD programs if you are considering that: http://associationdatabase.com/aws/RSA/pt/sp/resources_gradprograms
But also lots of state schools offer an MA in English with a complete focus on composition. It's much more cost efficient to go to one of these state schools, and lots of them aren't on that program list. They might also have Spring admissions, which I see is your target season from your profile.
@ProfLorax Great information; you are a fantastic poster on this forum. I did not know about Fullerton's online certificate program. I wish I would've done that while I am waiting for Fall 2016 to arrive.

I was on the track to get a full-time teaching job at a community college before I entered a PhD program. I actually applied for a FT post the same time I applied for grad school. I was offered an interview, but then the FT position got pulled. I was later told I was the top choice. 
I ended up going the PhD route for several reasons, but not because I didn't love teaching community college. I did. My community college students constantly challenged me, taught me, surprised me, and helped me become a better teacher and person. I actually really miss the student demographic and hope I end up at an institution with primarily first generation students when I graduate. 
Depending on where you want to teach, it's absolutely possible to do so without a PhD. At my community college, the chair would automatically discard any applications from Ivy League Lit PhD's because they had no experience teaching first generation immigrant/Gen 2.0 students. I definitely recommend a funded MA with an emphasis on composition and teaching experience. There's a such emphasis on basic writing at the community college level, so if you can take courses in that and teach basic writing courses in your MA, you'll be in a good place to get an adjunct gig. If you're in California, you can also help your chances by taking 12 units in post-secondary reading: in order to teach reading at the college level, instructors need these 12 units (I got a certificate from CSU Fullerton: it was all online). Even if you don't want to teach reading, the certificate demonstrates an interest in basic writing and reading students, which can help you stand out. 
After you graduate, you will have to adjunct. For how long? It all matters on education funding. While adjuncting, you'll want to focus on getting great teaching observations from your peers and cultivating a strong reputation in your department (which is hard because it requires SO MUCH UNPAID LABOR on behalf of adjuncts, so blah). But this will really give you a leg up if a FT spot opens up at your school OR you need letters of rec to apply to a different school. 

I agree with what fuzzylogician has said about what to do -- tell them that you really want to go but that you can't attend without funding, and do not compare yourself to other applicants when you do this. Unless you know the applicant's SOP, CV, LORs, and full life story, you simply do not know enough. Maybe they were a bestselling author or they invented Velcro. And even if they didn't, you are questioning the committee's judgment and also tarnishing the applicant.
 
Not so sure about this blanket statement. I think it depends on the area of study, program, and level. For the GRE it might ring true, but we would be remiss if we said that GPA was not an extremely important factor for many programs. All things considered, GPA is really the only transparent yardstick that admissions committees have to determine whether an applicant can succeed in the classroom. Some schools also have GRE cutoff scores for university-wide aid.
In the OP's scenario, however, it appears like we're splitting hairs. A point less on the GRE is not going to factor majorly into a decision on funding.
 

Think of it this way: If you haven't heard directly from the program that you've been rejected, then your application is still under consideration. So in that sense, not hearing anything is good news.

If this post is a troll.... stop.
If this post is genuine in its question: look up the answer for yourself. It's pretty obvious. Rhet/comp people do a hell of a lot more than regurgitate Aristotelianisms. Rhet/comp is a robust scholarly field. Even the most basic Google search would tell you that.