hgtvdeathdrive

I got my MFA in 2017, and am starting a lit PhD in the Fall with no MA My BA also isn't in English lit. I did get a ton of rejections (I also only spent a month applying), and one of the schools I was accepted to did expect me to complete a predoctoral MA at the institution, but most PhDs will have a MA coursework built in as long as they want you/you demonstrate adequate preparation in other areas (SoP, WS), like @merry night wanderer said. I think it completely depends on where you're applying, too. It most likely just means more coursework wherever you end up.

You might also want to consider schools with experimental/non-traditional Rhetoric programs. My former supervisor, an Eisner-winning scholar in visual rhetoric and comic studies, did her PhD in Composition & Rhetoric at University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her dissertation focused on Lynda Barry, and she is now not only the Director of Rhet/Comp but also Director of the new Comic Studies Program (an undergraduate program) at Portland State University.

@ArcaMajora i'm out of reacts today but thank you so so much! this response really seals the deal. I'm also really invested in interdisciplinary study and didn't even *want* to do a regular English PhD when I started my process last year (as goofy as that sounds, since i ended up applying to so many of them)--and i think i got caught up in a lot of factors without considering the program itself.

I feel that! I'm also working on my career as a poet--which was another big factor for me, because Buffalo values creative output and funds it as well. Many current PhDs have told me to really look for a school that will value that and not see your creative or non-academic work as a detriment/something to devalue you as a student by. That was a big factor for me!

Just confirmed with SUNY Buffalo Poetics!!!!!!!!! I am going to drink a beer the size of my face!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! stay tuned for my tell all memoir regarding that deleted post from earlier this week lmao!!!!

@adornianjazz @The Wordsworthian @swarthmawr @arbie thank you all so much! I just confirmed my decision with Buffalo. I knew it in my heart but having such immediate responses in confirmation (plus one from my mom) helped so much. @adornianjazz you sound exactly like me!! the constant back and forth literally made me sick. I spent the last week in bed with a fever/sinus infection! My visits really gave me the gut feeling, and I based it on the departmental approach to study as well as the fact that I just wanted to scream w/ excitement over their course catalog for Fall. UMass, not so much. Also keep in mind that 10 semester of teaching, despite the lower stipend, could be really good for your CV. I'm not concerned with a lighter teaching load (1:1 at Buffalo vs 2:1 at UMass) because I already have 4 years of teaching and an MFA. AHHHH THANK YOU ALL I'M SO HAPPY

Has anyone turned down larger funding offers for a better fit? It's gonna hurt so much to turn down the extra $4,000 per year plus 3 years of summer support (out of 6 summers) plus better health insurance at UMass but the fit, program, and approach to study at Buffalo is what I reallly, really, really want. So little time to decide

thank you, i'll PM you but i'm actually going to delete my post because i'm afraid they'll find it and use it against me

congrats & it was nice to briefly meet you i'm still on the fence, although the visit was totally amazing and really made me excited about the program! i'm still confused about marketability/placement and the prospect of living in buffalo for that long....

still deciding between UMass Amherst and Buffalo ? I'm talking to several professors on the phone this week at UMass because they don't have a prospective students event, which is really throwing me decision off! I hope that plus the April 2-3 visit to Buffalo will help me decide. it truly feels like a 50/50 coin toss. I'm literally writing this from a bar because I'm trying not to stress out so much

@Bopie5 don't get down on yourself! i have a feeling that was the "reason" they chose for most of us, unless we see some variation from other folks who post here.

lmaooooo got the rejection from Davis too–– The program to which you applied indicated the following as the reason(s) that you were not selected for admission:- Not competitive with other applicants because: - Statement of Purpose/Written work

Do you mean they let you know you were rejected? I'm sorry Does her message maybe mean that they're sending out official admissions to follow up on the unofficial phone calls that went out in early Feb? BLERG

I'm a creative writer too––with no higher training or background in English, just an aptitude for it. I have a BA in Linguistics from a non-Ivy but somewhat good private university and an MFA from a non-prestigious school (I mentioned this in our DMs!). Obviously I didn't get into any Ivy's/Ivy-adjacent schools but I got into places with great fits for me in the long run; ultimately I want to teach creative writing at the college level & also keep writing in my PhD but didn't want to do a Rhet/Comp PhD and also wanted to deepen my literary ability at the same time. Amherst and Buffalo are both great schools for me to pursue this! But I do think my lack of preparation (either a BA or MA in the field) hurt me for some of the more competitive schools, like Penn and UChicago. Or maybe it's a crap shoot. Have you taken the English Subject GRE? I wonder if that could boost your stats and demonstrate your preparedness. Your recs will be fine (my profs were 1 lit PhD, 1 rhet/comp PhD, and one MFA), but I think the biggest thing to think about is your writing sample, and how you demonstrate your critical ability ––what kind of writing did you do in your creative MA? Did you write any seminar papers? I truly believe my writing sample is what pulled me through my lack of English/lit crit background and got me into two places; a POI at Buffalo mentioned it specifically to me in a recent email.

@Bopie5 @mandelbulb gonna keep it funky––looking back 6 years there has never been a late breaking acceptance ¯\_(ツ)_/¯