Rhet Man

If anyone would like to help me TRY to interpret the data I received on UW's tenure-track placement rates at some point (from Kathy; via email), that would be wonderful. I would like to restate that I'm THRILLED with this school as an academic fit, and with the surrounding situation. I'm a little frustrated, however, with how hard it's been to work out the concrete, practical realities of the program.

I will self-servingly BUMP this forever if I must! Anyone out there with a pending acceptance?

Bill-Hart Davidson informs me that his five new PhD candidates have been chosen. Am said to not be one, but Michigan State has been an AWESOME school to communicate with anyway.

Thanks for the well-wishes. I'll be just fine. Three excellent PhD programs are possible, and my employment situation doesn't suck in case I decide to wait a year.

Thanks Truckbasket...I just meant to say humorously that I don't need much advice on program selection. I feel like, should I have to apply again next year, I'll be in a very strong and informed position. It wasn't funny because my April 15th stuff was less than fun (though nothing actually went wrong). I can certainly use a good book for the remainder of the PhD-gettin' process.

What aspect of the graduate experience does the book focus on? I don't want to read a book that details how to make good choices in areas I've already screwed up.

I'd like to say: A. Right on to everyone in here, especially Tortola. That was a very heartwarming and inspiring message and I'm so glad things have worked out for you. Clearly you deserve it. B. I look forward to being in a position to celebrate with you all, whether it's in a couple of days, a couple of weeks, or a year from now. In the meantime, I'm still waiting/confused. Moreover, I've had a curveball or two thrown in my direction right around the time when things are supposed to be clearing up. As I've discovered, "The Day After" is not a unifying day of resolution. This will be something I encourage folks to keep in mind next year on this forum, which I will frequent whether or not I decide to take what this year gives me. C. Again, all my best to everyone in here. This is a wonderful community I'm so glad to have found.

Just received a message indicating that the rhetoric PhD is still in flux. If anyone has any info about the status of their application (especially an accepted application, of course), I'd appreciate it.

Well hey, unless the circumstances of your decline were negative, that works out well for me (and anyone else who may or may not be on the list).

Sivie: Sorry to hear we won't be working together at UWa. Thanks for all of the conversations we got to have (I'm not sure I would've taken the trip to Seattle without your input). Best of luck!

Was your UW offer funded?

Sorry I won't see you at UW (if I end up there) Tortola, but congratulations!!!!!

Sanchez: The director of my potential program...which, as you've indicated, is not the same as yours...replied to an email I sent to her and told me that the total number of applicants on their list is "no bigger than ten." That includes all original acceptances and waitlists. She would not offer specifics regarding my place in that ten-or-less person list, saying that me knowing that part wouldn't make any difference in my chances. Finally, she told me I belonged among "the best and the brightest," which was of course very flattering. I suggest contacting the director of your program, asking him/her for stats (make that the exclusive purpose of the inquiry). Or alternately just hang in there for 11 days, as I'm trying my best to do.

Self-serving BUMP #2. Would love to hear from anyone accepted or waitlisted for the PhD in Rhetoric; I don't see any people falling into either category in "Waitlisters Paradise" either.

Self-serving BUMP #1. I don't see any comments in "Waitlisters Paradise" on this program and would love to know what the originally-accepted students are thinking, aside from "stamoci."

As well it should! There's great Comp./Rhet. faculty at UW. My dissertation will be dealing with the question of narrative in what we call the "Israeli-Palestinian conflict"...good to have people like Sandra Silberstein and Anis Bawarshi on the faculty (Anis actually just got started on similar work himself).

Congratulations! What's your subfield?

Remind me, Tortola, are you a language and rhetoric person at UW? You told me English privately, but not the subfield.

Brian Reed informed me that I can notify them well after April 15th. He's well-aware of my waitlist scenarios (see above).

Also, one stat for language and rhetoric people: There were 12 total acceptances, according to Brian Reed.

Self-update: I visited UW Wednesday-Friday. I was blown away by the environment...everything from the vibrant-yet-comfortable city to the breathtakingly beautiful campus (I'm being literal when I say breathtaking) to the profs. I met, whose compatibilities with my project and personality are almost eerie. After this trip, I'm not sure that either Carnegie Mellon or Michigan State would be higher on my list if funding were guaranteed at UW, even given those two school's reps in this subfield. As it's not, I'd take a funded offer off the waitlist from them, but I'd be very happy to attend UW even without first-year funding if that doesn't happen. That's how incredible my visit was.

I'll go ahead and request updates RE Carnegie Mellon's Rhetoric and Michigan State's Rhetoric and Writing PhD programs (even though I've inquired in separate threads). I'm waitlisted at both. I'll share that UWashington's language and rhetoric PhD would be a great fit for me were it not for funding problems in year one. and that I'll gladly accept even an imperfectly-unfunded offer if the other two don't work out.

I'd add to the above criticism by pointing out that the language of the originating post suggests that ALL University of California campuses should be avoided, in ALL of the humanities. I'd be pretty pissed right now if I were professionally attached to ANY of those state schools. Moreover, the idea that someone would enroll in a PhD program without knowing as much as possible about its funding situation is (I hope) preposterous.

Well, I actually informed them today about my waitlist schools, and that if either came through with first-year funding, I would be going with them instead. So essentially this is my "backup plan" (although that's not the most accurate way to describe it). There are definitely negatives to doing the one-quarter and on-leave option, but at least I wouldn't be in the hole for those two quarters of tuition. That takes it from a "definitely not" to a "possible yes" for me, if the alternative is waiting another year to get started.

Hope appears not lost for me and Washington. They're proposing that I attend for one-quarter and then go on-leave in year one. I am currently asking them about the details of this scenario. Brian and Kathy are really good at their jobs (which are obviously pretty hard at the moment).