ProfLorax

This is an often asked question. Here's my standard answer: the only way a PhD admissions committee will know if you did a thesis is if you explicitly mention it in your SoP. Sure, a thesis course may pop up on the transcript, but given how differently different MA programs approach the thesis (depending on the program, it could be a portfolio, an article-length and quality essay, or an 80+ page thesis), the only way a PhD program would really know what your thesis entailed is if you bring it up in your SoP. So, if we remove the "which would look better" element from the equation, we are left with the "which would prepare you better" element. A thesis could be a good experience to see if you enjoy sustained research and longer writing projects. It can help you connect better with professors who may be your letter writers. Depending on the required length, it could help you prepare your first publication. Comps could also be a helpful experience. You'll have to do comps in a PhD program, so you could view your MA comps as a practice round for your PhD comp exams (they'll be different, but you'll at least have experience with the format). Also, if you need to take the GRE Subject test for PhD applications, comps could help you study and prepare for that. Long story short: do what you think would best prepare you for PhD applications and study. Or, even better, do what you think you'll enjoy. Do you have a burning research question that deserves a whole semester of attention? Or are you thirsty for a broad understanding of literary studies and your field? Follow your heart, because honestly, you can frame either comps or thesis as positive experiences in your SoP for PhD applications.

One challenging aspect about discussing work schedule's is that people are notoriously bad at estimating their work hours. One of the articles I posted above includes a link to this study, which found that "The typical person who reported having worked 40 hours, for example, actually worked closer to 37. The report found that 'The greater the estimate, the greater the overestimate'; people who said they worked 75 hours actually worked closer to 50 hours. (That’s an overestimate of 25 hours, or 50 percent!) At the other end of the spectrum, people who worked relatively few hours (under around 25) actually ended to underestimate their hours."

Honestly, I felt much the same as you my first semester. But, looking back, that's largely because I wasn't working smartly. Let's say I'd designate four hours this afternoon to sit down and read for class. I'd really spend maybe two hours reading and two hours messing around my house or the Internet. I also read almost everything assigned. I eventually stopped reading every page, but it still took me a while to figure out what I should focus on and what I should skim. My second semester was much better. I set up a schedule to work a strict 40 hour work week. And yes, I really mean work--not mess around the Internet (I'm not saying you do this. I'm saying that I did/do this in a big big way). I also had a better idea of what I wanted to write for my dissertation, which helps me get through assigned coursework faster. I focus on the articles I can see being on my comps or used in my dissertation. For articles that are not useful to me, I skim in twenty minutes and make sure I have something to say in class. I don't feel bad for this practice, as it was my own professors (both at my current program and my former program) who suggested I work like this. After all, coursework and comps won't get you a job; your dissertation will. I also realized that everyone works at a different pace. One of my colleagues is much more methodical and precise in her coursework than I am; she also tends to be more stressed out and busy with coursework than I am. I'd say we are about equally accomplished in the program: both presenting at conferences, pursuing publications, applying for fellowships, etc. We just have different work schedules, and that's okay. I think lifestyle also may account for some differences among grad students. I'm expecting our first kid in December, so working ten or twelve hour days is just not an option. I also enjoy spending evenings and weekends with my partner. I prioritize my personal life above my work life and have found that my professors are very respectful of my hierarchy of needs. But, like I said in the beginning, it took me a full semester to figure out how to work efficiently. And I am still tweaking my work schedule! Given my low energy these days (thirty one weeks pregnant), I had to start scheduling almost daily naps and some of my work is now done on weekends. I just can't physically work eight straight hours anymore. So I'm still changing everything around and trying to figure this whole PhD life out. Here are some articles/blog posts that have been helpful for me when thinking about my schedule: http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2012/03/whats-matter-with-forty-hour-work-week.html http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/working-hours-for-graduate-students/43912 http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/expecting-balance-2/56487

My icon was illustrated by the great Theodor Seuss Geisel. Critics claim that this figure represents the relationship between empathy and advocacy. Also, he is known to speak for the trees.

Nope, they have a Communications Department: http://www.comm.umd.edu/graduate/overview

University of Maryland! I'm in the English Department, but I have taken courses in the Comm Department. You can get a minor certificate in Women and Gender Studies, and we have MITH (Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities).

A few things to consider: given that most applicants will also have stellar grades, one semester of good grades won't get you into a program. That being said, if you feel like the work you are doing this semester is truly phenomenal, maybe have one of your letter writers touch upon what you're working on this semester. Or heck, you can bring it up yourself in your SoP: "This semester, I working on a paper on blah blah blah, which I hope to expand into a larger project on blah blah blah."

omensetter: I didn't apply to Harvard, but I don't see the harm in just following both sets of instructions. Many programs will have different needs than the grad school themselves. Are you concerned about needing to send a hardcopy of your transcript to the department?

I can't second this enough. This became doubly true for me. As soon as I announced my pregnancy, I was welcomed into an official cohort of parents in my program, who all have been amazing on offering advice regarding scheduling, childcare, parental leave, pediatricians, etc. And outside of the parent community, the older students in my program have been amazing, sharing their reading list for comps, study strategies, reading over article submissions, helping me tackle teaching issues, etc.

Also include a list of programs and deadlines. Beyond that, ask what they need. Some of my letter writers wanted copies of specific papers I wrote for their classes, so they could remind themselves of my academic work.

If you read through the guidebooks, they give a pretty clear picture of what kind of essay ETS wants. My first observation is your essay one has one body paragraph. You'll want to have three. You have many different supporting ideas wrapped up in your middle paragraph: separate those into their own paragraphs. Also, be sure to include a strong, direct thesis in your introduction. I wasn't sure of how you were responding to the prompt until your conclusion. It's okay to use the prompt as your thesis. "Some people believe the best way to teach is to praise positive actions and ignore negative ones, but I have found that a mixture of approaches geared toward the individual student is the best strategy." An outline could look like this: P1: Introduction with strong, clear thesis. P2: Benefits of positive reinforcement Ex1: P3: Benefits of negative reinforcement Ex1: P4: Why teachers should use both depending on the student Ex1: Conclusion: Wrap up your essay on a strong note.

I have never read an academic essay that couldn't be trimmed down. In grad school, you're going to have to learn to cut and expand your work. You'll have a 20 page seminar paper that will become a 250 word abstract and then an 8 page conference paper and then 15 page conference proceedings piece and then a 25+ page article submission. You have to get good at telling the same story multiple times with various constraints. Might as well practice this skill now.

I wouldn't do it, but mostly because I think hyperlinks in Word documents and PDF's look unprofessional and ugly. However, I would create an online portfolio of my work and mention it somewhere in my application, so that if adcomms are interested, they could easily go to one place to see my work.

Don't let that make you anxious! Honestly, if anything, it boosts my faith in the process. Adcomms really should make their decisions purely on the application packet and not on how much they like an applicant as a person.

I will both encourage your optimism and temper it. First of all, I don't know whether or not these responses are normal, but I do know that they shouldn't be expected. These professors were probably speaking honestly, and you can take to heart that, based on the information you provided in these emails, you are a strong candidate. Yay! That being said, their responses are no guarantee that you'll be accepted into that specific program because they have yet to look at your application in the context of all the other applications. I had positive interactions with POI's, like you, and I did do well in my application season. But I also got into schools where I had no previous contact with POIs and was rejected from schools where I had wonderfully positive interactions. So, do a dance! You are a strong candidate! Just don't go buying college memorabilia yet.

Hugs, ComeBackZinc. It is ugly out there. On the plus side, Cal Poly SLO, my alma mater, is hiring one TT rhet/comp assistant professor. You should apply simply because SLO one of the most beautiful places in the world and boasts great breakfast burritos and BBQ.

My academic mentor is also my advisor. I chose her because she represents the kind of professor I want to be: widely published, committed to teaching, never intimidating, and a mom. She always responds to my emails. She's very professional, so we don't hang out outside of academic contexts; that being said, she also understands that academics are more than their scholarship, so she'll ask me about life outside of school in our meetings as well. She's been a huge advocate for me, making sure I got a teaching schedule that would both fulfill my contract and give me time off once the baby comes. Honestly, the mentorship relationship came about during recruitment. She was the most active in recruiting me during the decision-making process, and she was one of my POI's. We Skyped and emailed before I accepted that university's offer. Once I met her in person, I confirmed she was the kind of person I wanted to oversee my academic career.

Second TakerUK's love of free pens! I also love these babies: They're colorful, so I just feel happier taking serious notes with my green or orange pen. And they have the cushy part near the point, which I appreciate because I have a permanent callous on my right middle finger.

After many many many bribes. Truthfully, just this morning! I feel fancy.

I felt the same way when I was teaching! Like you said, I could have made time for writing and research, but it would have never been part of my job. At my institution, that just wasn't valued. I'm really happy to be in a place where both scholarship and teaching is valued. And you're right; there are some Education programs that do great work related to your interests! After I posted, I remembered that I met several Ed PhD students from UC Davis at Computers and Writing this summer. UCD is outside of your desired region, but you may want to check out the program just for funsies! I think one aspect that helped me during application season was I crafted an applicant identity that was consistently demonstrated throughout my application. I presented myself as the scholar-teacher, who loved both identities but never had the opportunity to merge the two. I talked up my teaching experience in relation to my research interests and framed my primarily literature background in rhetorical terms. I think, as rhetoricians, we are especially skilled at considering what our audience wants to hear and then crafting a rhetorical appeal based on that. To be clear, everything I said was genuine and 100% true, but I definitely worked at framing my experiences in such a way that would appeal to an adcomm.

I'm an English, but I imagine History and English PhD programs tend to be structured similarly (disregard this post if I'm wrong). I think what is productive for your first summer depends on your need. For my first summer, I needed to complete my language requirement, make money, and stay home. I applied for a graduate school summer research grant specifically for students early in the PhD program and used the $5,000 to pay for a local language immersion program and to pay bills. I was shocked to find out that only two people from my program applied for the funding, and since each program can nominate up to two applications, I had no competition. I had heard from faculty that grad students don't apply for enough funding opportunities early in their career, and I guess they are right! Next summer, I'll have an infant in tow and will hopefully be working on my prospectus. I will apply for that same summer research fellowship, and if I don't get that, push to get some online teaching opportunities on campus. Other first years in my program focused on working since they needed to make money. Some of them found jobs that will add to their CV (teaching); others did not (barista). A friend of mine, who also needed more language expertise, applied for and received funding to study Spanish in Costa Rica. Those with children took the opportunity to not pay for childcare and hang out with the kids while reading and writing for independent projects. I will suggest that even if you are working in any sense, try to make some time to be "off." Yes, I did complete the language immersion programs and my language requirement (holla!), but I also visited my family and the in-laws in California for two weeks and visited Savannah for fun. It's good to take summers as an opportunity to get ahead and be productive, but it's also important to take a breather too!

I think this question is dependent on your department culture and whether or not you are funded. As a funded PhD student, I figure that the departmental events (not all, but some) are part of my job. As a first year, I went to as many as I could and was interested in. In terms of culture, last year, our grad student org president emailed a scathing email to all first-years claiming that faculty and staff pay attention who show up and who don't. It was pretty apparent that we are expected to participate in departmental culture, and that first and second years (pre-ABD status) are doubly expected to attend department activities. Personally, it was helpful for me to be involved and active early on; now that I am physically unable (yay seven months pregnant!) to be on campus for long days, I am still recognized as an active participant in our community. So, ask around! See what your departmental culture is. And at the end of the day, your wellness and your research are your top priorities, no matter what the departmental culture dictates.

Holla! Glad to see this thread up and rolling. I'm no longer an applicant, but I'm happy to answer questions. I had a successful round of applications a few years ago, so I have a good grasp of a handful of rhet/comp programs (unfortunately, none that you are applying to, JaimeA). Also, JaimeA: I'm intrigued you're applying to some Ed programs. I considered a similar path but later realized that Ed is far too sociological in its methods/methodology for me. I'm just a humanities gal at heart, it seems. Also, I feel you regarding community college teaching. I loved teaching community college students, but alas, missed writing and research too much to stick it out. However, I was an adjunct at the time; I don't know how I would have felt if I were full-time. How do you feel about potentially leaving a full-time position for grad school?

It's definitely normal! A few things to consider: right now, you just aren't their priority. But this is a good thing! Their current students are their priority, and once you are a current student, you'll have similar access to them. Or they just suck at email. One of my advisors is a fantastic advisor. He's open and kind and provides fantastic feedback, but man, he sucks at replying to emails. But I know this, so I just understand that I have to email him twice before getting a response (something I wouldn't suggest to applicants). This is the kind of insider information you as an applicant aren't privy to. In conclusion, a delayed reply is nothing to sweat! You just don't know the email habits of these professors.

An academic paper is incomplete without the works cited page. If I were on an adcomm and reading a writing sample sans works cited page, I would assume that the student didn't understand how to cite his or her sources, basic MLA format, or the importance of showing where they found their information.