Cotton Joe

I applied only to MA programs, and only one of my applications is for rhet/comp, the rest lit. I wanted to apply to both Louisville and NC State for rhet/comp, but I ran out of application money and picked NC State out of the two. I haven't heard from them yet and likely won't for a while as I believe their app deadline is actually really late at Feb. 1
Broadly, I am interested in identity development through online writing on niche forums like political forums, gaming forums, and grad school forums like this one. More specifically, I want to work with the intersection of political, racial, and religious identities on extremist forums like white nationalist and neo-Nazi websites and forums. I am also interested in the visual rhetoric of memes in spreading extremist ideologies.

I just got accepted to the University of Minnesota!!!!!! I AM SO HAPPY!!! I was completely shut out last year so this is just unreal. I'm so thrilled!! 

@kinoko, that's amazing! Congratulations! Does Emory's Comp. Lit program not do interviews? 
@Cotton Joe, I just did.

Accepted to Literature MA at Alabama (not Strode) with assistantship and Loomis scholarship.

Accepted to Literature MA at Alabama (not Strode) with assistantship and Loomis scholarship.

Accepted to Literature MA at Alabama (not Strode) with assistantship and Loomis scholarship.

Accepted to Literature MA at Alabama (not Strode) with assistantship and Loomis scholarship.

Accepted to Literature MA at Alabama (not Strode) with assistantship and Loomis scholarship.

Accepted to Literature MA at Alabama (not Strode) with assistantship and Loomis scholarship.

Accepted to Literature MA at Alabama (not Strode) with assistantship and Loomis scholarship.

Accepted to Literature MA at Alabama (not Strode) with assistantship and Loomis scholarship.

@renea Thanks so much for the detailed response. I learned a lot from your post, and I appreciate the time you put into compiling the information for me.
@Chadillac I have done some work in writing centers and have presented at writing center and WPA conferences as an undergrad. I enjoy my work, and I do not see myself losing interest in teaching writing or teaching English anytime soon. However, I also want to do some work outside of literacy research. I am interested in bettering myself as a teacher and an instructor, but I am content to follow the field and take the best training and advice on teaching that I can find. However, I want my own research to focus mostly on issues outside of classroom writing. As I stated, I am interested in analyzing and writing about propaganda and political rhetoric. What I am struggling with is finding English departments with rhetoric/composition scholars working in this area. Mostly what I find is those working in literacy and writing program research. I am somewhat constrained geographically right now. Is it possible to do the work I want to do in a graduate program where the faculty mostly works with literacy and classroom writing?

What do Rhet/Comp folks do? Is a Rhet/Comp PhD always focused only on college writing and literacy issues like WPA and writing center work? If I am interested in studying propaganda, advertising, and political rhetoric, is a Rhet/Comp PhD right for me? Do I really have a better chance of finding tenure-line work with a Rhet/Comp degree than with a Lit degree? Am I more likely to find a standard classroom teaching gig as a Rhet/Comp, or am I more likely to work in administrative roles like WPA or writing center director? Why do some universities (looking at you Vanderbilt) not offer Rhet/Comp as a potential focus? If I am interested in literacy research, what are some reputable institutions with decent funding packages that I might look into? If I am interested in rhetoric research (history, propaganda, online and tech writing [like Reddit or Facebook], etc.), what are some institutions I should look into? 
What are some specializations or subfields in Rhet/Comp that are especially popular right now? What are some subfields that I might not know about (given that I clearly know very little to begin with)? What kind of non-academic work does a Rhet/Comp degree open me up to that a Lit degree might not?
And, what other aspects of Rhet/Comp am I clearly trampling over in my ignorance in this post?

@urbanfarmer Thanks for the advice! If any critical approach gets mentioned, it will likely be ecocriticism. As I have said elsewhere (maybe in this thread?), I use feminist and queer theory in my writing sample, so that may be enough to convince a committee that I have some grasp of contemporary lit theory.
p.s. If you're ever near Alabama and you like beer, you should try Good People's Urban Farmer saison, if for no other reason that because has the same name as your GC account (and also because it is a great drink made by great people).

@urbanfarmer Thanks for the advice! If any critical approach gets mentioned, it will likely be ecocriticism. As I have said elsewhere (maybe in this thread?), I use feminist and queer theory in my writing sample, so that may be enough to convince a committee that I have some grasp of contemporary lit theory.
p.s. If you're ever near Alabama and you like beer, you should try Good People's Urban Farmer saison, if for no other reason that because has the same name as your GC account (and also because it is a great drink made by great people).

I'm always interested in which dystopic predictions become reality. I noticed that there has been an obsession with post-apocalyptic art recently. I know dystopia and post-apocalyptic has existed for a long time, but post-apocalyptic has made its way into the mainstream and currently seems a prominent genre. Just off the top of my head, there's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Independence Day, I Am Legend, The Matrix, Fallout, Last of Us, Metro, any number of zombie games/films (Shaun of the Dead, World War Z, Walking Dead), The Road, Bioshock (kind of), 2012. In a theory of horror class I took, we discussed how monsters in horror films of the 1950s and 1960s represented cultural fears of the day, like sexuality, communism, drugs, immigrants, etc. Obviously, we (Americans, at least) are culturally obsessed with the end times. Maybe another line of study would be dystopia/post-apocalyptic literature and doomsday death cults. It's all fascinating to me, and I would certainly enjoy delving deeper into the theory of the apocalypse. 
Also, I'm convinced that David Foster Wallace predicted Trump's presidency. President Trump is President Johnny Gentle from Infinite Jest.

Hi friends.
As I am deciding where to apply for graduate study, I am having a difficult time deciding on a focus area. One potential area I am considering but am having trouble finding information on is dystopian and post-apocalyptic literature, film, and video games. Under this categorization, I include anything from classic and contemporary dystopian novels (from mild to extreme dystopian setting) like 1984, Brave New World, and Infinite Jest, to more contemporary post-apocalyptic books, films, and video games like The Road, The Walking Dead, Threads, The Fallout Series, Last of Us, The Metro novel series, etc. I find dystopian art and especially post-apocalyptic art to be enthralling because I find that placing humans in such perverse and inhuman situations can be a fantastic way to investigate some essential elements of human nature and a great way to satirize or otherwise investigate current political and social trends.
I have browsed many English department faculty websites, but of the ones I have searched, I have so far come across zero professors working in this area. One reason I may not be finding anyone working in this area is because I have mainly searched departments in my geographic region, the Southeastern United States.
Here are a few questions I have been unable to answer for myself and with which I would appreciate any help that you all have to offer:
Is dystopian and post-apocalyptic literature a prevalent area of study? Are my searches for professors fruitless because I am looking in the South? Do any of you have experience researching or writing about this area? Can anyone recommend prominent scholars on the topic? Are there other broader areas of study under which a focus like this would fall? How would I go about articulating an interest in this area in an SoP, especially if my university does not have anyone studying exclusively this area?
Thanks so much for any advice, guidance, or helpful nudges that you can offer!

I think it's important to remember (not saying you aren't but might be helpful for other applicants) that what appears to be a high stipend may not get as far as one thinks.

For example, CUNY (while a great school) pays 25k. Alabama pays 13.5k. And you mentioned SC offers 8.5k per semester which equals 17k per year.

In this example, I'll be using myapartmentmap to compare cost of living for rent only within a 10 mile radius.

According to this, the cost of rent near CUNY runs around $2,757 monthly. $2,757*12= $33,084
According to this, the cost of rent near Alabama runs around $697 monthly. $697*12=$8,364
According to this, the cost of rent near South Carolina runs around $744 monthly. $744*12=8,928

Stipend-Rent costs
CUNY: 25,000-33,084= -8,084
Alabama: 13,500-8,364= 5,136
South Carolina: 17,000-8,928= 8,072
While I would never advise choosing any school based on income after rent, I think it's an important factor to consider. These are unfortunately just generalizations in the average rent cost and assumes you'd be living alone in a 1 bedroom apartment with no roommates. CUNY could work out greatly for someone who splits housing costs with another individual. (and it's much easier to find a roommate in NYC than it is in most other places.)

I'd also like to point out that Alabama does have an additional amount provided to those who are accepted into their Strode program, but it is a lot harder to gain admission into since it's sort of separately funded from everything else. From the scholars I've spoken to in the strode program, their previous coursework has been focused on the early modern period.

On a side note, I'm not sure on their reputation in southern literature, but Vanderbilt offers a free application to apply.
 

A couple of notes here:
Alabama is mostly renowned for its Strode Program within the English Department + the Creative Writing MFA.  I think the Strode Program boasts a 100 percent placement rate at the Ph.D. level.
If you're really interested in southern lit:
Southern Carolina is a good place to check out
Mississipi is a good place for it
LSU is another place I'd consider
Western Carolina has a decent number of faculty interested in Southern Lit and they also offer a funded MA.

@Cotton Joe: I can't speak to any of these schools, so I hope you won't think me too forward, but - since you're looking in the South - I would DEFINITELY check out Dr. Robert Brinkmeyer, over at the University of South Carolina. I know his work, and he's bloody-brilliant, and I believe USC has a history of a.) offering decent stipends, and b.) having a very healthy, collegial English department.
Sorry if this is a detour from the info you want, I just wanted to put in a good word where I've heard good things happening!

I think you might want to consider the MA at Virginia Commonwealth University. There are a number of faculty there working on Southern Lit, 19th Century, and/or African American. Definitely check out Les Harrison and Kathy Bassard. The stipend is in the ballpark of the other programs you are considering but the teaching demands are a little less. Richmond is a great city, housing is relatively inexpensive, and there is a ton of civil war history and really great resources and research opportunities for that. The department is a good size and the faculty are all lovely. I had 2 great years there. I'm at Rutgers doing a PhD now but I really miss my VCU times. GO RAMS!

I'm finishing up my MA at Mississippi, and it's been lovely. Small, inclusive department in a college town. The $10000 is just the base pay, they might offer you merit bonuses (I got an extra $1000 a semester for the first two years), and summer teaching and research assistantships are readily available, paying $3500 and $2000, respectively. MS is obviously a cheap state, and it's not like you'll be loaded, but I've found my stipend (including bonuses and summer work) adequate. Plus, the three-year program is excellent with an eye toward the PhD; it's longer, sure, but you get a full year beyond coursework to write a thesis (meaning you're digging deeply into your intended field) and to prepare your apps with much greater leisure than you would if you were scrambling to finish coursework in the second year.

Actually, in my opinion, I feel like something that challenges the more mainstream aspects of WC studies could look well (if your arguments are solid and such)! A lot of scholarly writing challenges and complicates existing viewpoints, so if your project is able to demonstrate that and is written well, then I might consider using it (after revisions and advice from faculty, of course). For example, if you challenge the idea that non-directive tutoring is always better and offer a thoughtful argument filled with session observations, secondary sources, etc., I feel like that would show a.) Your understanding of the field and what people are saying about it and b.) Your ability to think critically and find faults or holes in existing research/scholarship. That's just one way to look at it, though.
I don't think your projects will be viewed in a negative light because, after all, you are coming out of undergrad and you did your own research projects while there. And if one of your projects was invited to be revised for publication (and was ultimately accepted), it may not be as "crappy" as you think it is
When it comes to your writing sample, you want to submit something that reflects your best writing and best critical thinking. If either of your projects can fit that bill, then I'd say to go ahead and use one of them! I don't think you necessarily have to play them up as anything too fancy - the admissions committee will recognize the merit of completing independent research projects. That's an important achievement for an undergraduate and will be useful because grad school definitely has more independent projects than undergrad programs.
What's most important is that your chosen sample offers them a taste of your best writing, shows the committee the kind of work you can do, and leaves them feeling impressed in some way (or, at least not UNimpressed). What was your feedback from professors on these projects? Was it positive? Do you have ideas on how to improve it/sophisticate it? Maybe you can use these projects as a base and re-work them a bit, perhaps fixing some of the methods and design (time permitting, of course).

It sounds like you have a good amount of experience under your belt already. What's your GPA? If it's on the higher end, then this paired with your existing activities puts you in a competitive position (especially at the MA level).
Regarding what else you could possibly do, is there any way for you to get some teaching experience at the college-level?  You've already got some secondary teaching experience, and college-level teaching experience could help even more. At my undergrad institution, for example, they offered an upper-level class where I served as a professor's undergrad TA. I helped the professor design classroom activities, responded to the students' weekly forum posts, helped lead class discussion, taught a couple classes on my own, held meetings with the students at the writing center, etc. It really helped me gain an understanding of what I'd be doing as a writing instructor and also helped bolster my application. 
Also, have you taken any rhet/comp courses? It might be beneficial for you to start learning about the field now. If you can't take a course in the field, maybe try reading up on it by leafing through the field's major journals to learn about how the field developed and has expanded (if you haven't learned about this already, that is).
That'll be helpful for when you craft your SoP because, if you can indicate that you understand and appreciate where the field has come from, it'll give you a good advantage (at least I'd imagine). The SoP is hard, but you should really focus on how each particular program can help you become the scholar/person you want to be. You definitely can tie in your WC experience and show how you're already devoted to helping others learn how to write, and depending on your specific research interests, you can also tie it in to work faculty are already doing and show how you would fit in with the department.
I don't know anything about those programs, unfortunately, but hopefully others can chime in.
Best of luck!