URI, anybody?

[hermia11]

I've seen a few acceptances go up for URI. I just got accepted there today and while I'm super happy about it (first news from anywhere I applied to), I'm also wondering if anyone's heard about funding. I got no notification about TAships or scholarships, etc. I've been told funding is notoriously scarce for URI. Any info would be appreciated!!

[TripWillis]

CONGRATS!

I've heard that too about the funding. I hope it comes through for you. I went there last year for a conference and... well, I'll just be honest -- I had a very negative experience with the students and faculty. BUT, others greatly enjoyed the conference!

Best of luck!

[ComeBackZinc]

Got my MA in the Writing & Rhetoric department there. Really loved it, though as with anywhere, there's good and bad. As far as funding goes, I think you just have to wait and see.

[TripWillis]

Got my MA in the Writing & Rhetoric department there. Really loved it, though as with anywhere, there's good and bad. As far as funding goes, I think you just have to wait and see.

I have to say, I sort of loved how it was basically in the middle of the New England domestic picturesque.

[ComeBackZinc]

Campus is quite lovely, too, now that they finished the construction. The English building isn't very nice, but then they so rarely are. The Writing department is getting folded into the new Harrington School of Communication and will be part of that new building, although I doubt it will be finished for years.

[ribeth]

I just got accepted too--but it was a nondescript letter from the grad school office, not the department. Perhaps the department will contact those with funding later?

I'll admit I'm not holding out for that, though. It seems that URI has trouble funding all of its PhD students, so, as an MA applicant, I'm probably not at the top of their list. My only hope is that the Writing & Rhetoric department has a little more funding available than the English (I had to apply through the English department, so I'm not sure how that works).

Edited March 2, 2012 by ribeth

[rainy_day]

I used to work with the Rhet/Comp faculty a few years ago, in a professional setting. They were so lovely and clearly really committed to pedagogy, etc. I really loved the energy of Rhet/Comp.

[ComeBackZinc]

I used to work with the Rhet/Comp faculty a few years ago, in a professional setting. They were so lovely and clearly really committed to pedagogy, etc. I really loved the energy of Rhet/Comp.

When I applied to PhD programs, the way they went to bat for me, and the enthusiasm and commitment they showed, was really humbling. I'll be seeing them in a couple weeks at C's.

[Julianne Pigoon]

URI is my backyard. I grew up in South Kingstown, and I went to the school for a year. It's beautiful, but boring as hell, just so all y'all know.

Good luck to those waiting!

[TripWillis]

I used to work with the Rhet/Comp faculty a few years ago, in a professional setting. They were so lovely and clearly really committed to pedagogy, etc. I really loved the energy of Rhet/Comp.

Huh, based on what you guys are saying about rhet/comp there, I must've just had a bad day or bad exposure to certain people. Oh well.

[ComeBackZinc]

Ah, well. Rhet/comp has nothing to do with the conference, beyond some of the presenters. The division between English and Writing is... wide. Separate buildings, separate funding, separate meetings, everything.

[hermia11]

Thanks all for the advice, tripwillis, comebackzinc, rainy_day, julianne! And congrats to you, ribeth.

I've heard generally good things about the department (while I'm not rhet/comp, happy to hear it was such a positive experience for you, comebackzinc!). I'm calling them tomorrow to ask whether not hearing about funding = no funding.

Worst case scenario here, if there is indeed no funding - would I be an idiot to go anyway? I'd obviously search aggressively for other outside sources of financial support, but... with no school support, is it worthwhile?

[rainy_day]

Worst case scenario here, if there is indeed no funding - would I be an idiot to go anyway? I'd obviously search aggressively for other outside sources of financial support, but... with no school support, is it worthwhile?

Honestly? Don't do it. You'd be far better off waiting another year and reapplying (including to URI) or getting an MA, even unfunded, because that's only 2 years and a PhD is going to be 5. That's a whole lot of debt, and we all have to acknowledge that we might not get a job on the other side of this.

[TripWillis]

Honestly? Don't do it. You'd be far better off waiting another year and reapplying (including to URI) or getting an MA, even unfunded, because that's only 2 years and a PhD is going to be 5. That's a whole lot of debt, and we all have to acknowledge that we might not get a job on the other side of this.

See, if it were in-state, I'd bite the bullet for the first year, but try to reapply as a transfer student for the 2nd year. I wonder if one's application gets more noticeable with a PhD acceptance already in hand.

[mrock]

Has anyone been accepted into the rhet/comp PhD at URI or just Literature and rhet/comp MA?

[rainy_day]

See, if it were in-state, I'd bite the bullet for the first year, but try to reapply as a transfer student for the 2nd year. I wonder if one's application gets more noticeable with a PhD acceptance already in hand.

I think (although I could be wrong) that it is generally considered poor form to transfer from one PhD program to another. People certainly do it, but I think you're stepping into a bit of a political situation that might count against you. But an in-state MA in one or two years, if you spend that time honing your research interests and getting strong LORs, etc? Could work wonders!

[Julianne Pigoon]

See, if it were in-state, I'd bite the bullet for the first year, but try to reapply as a transfer student for the 2nd year. I wonder if one's application gets more noticeable with a PhD acceptance already in hand.

Unfortunately URI has privatized their tuition in the past 4 years. Even for instate students, it's very, very expensive. It's the biggest reason, aside from program, that I transfered to the generally shittier but far cheaper Rhode Island College. Not that I suggest anyone go to RIC for graduate study, uh, just gon't go to URI unfunded, ever.

[rainy_day]

Unfortunately URI has privatized their tuition in the past 4 years. Even for instate students, it's very, very expensive. It's the biggest reason, aside from program, that I transfered to the generally shittier but far cheaper Rhode Island College. Not that I suggest anyone go to RIC for graduate study, uh, just gon't go to URI unfunded, ever.

Although, RIC does have an MA in English, and I someone in the PhD program at my current school came from RIC for undergrad!

[ComeBackZinc]

My first year as an MA student, I was unfunded. Had to take out loans, which sucks, and I'll be paying them forever. But my second year I was able to get funding. I believe the same thing happened to the next MA candidate (writing and rhet typically only has one at a time), but I don't want to act as if that's a given.

So for an MA, it may be worth it. My advice on PhD programs is always not to go unless you get funded.

I am unaware of any rhet/comp PhDs that have been unfunded, ribeth, for whatever that's worth.

I'm afraid that the whole state of Rhode Island is in a severe fiscal crisis. It was neck and neck with Michigan for highest unemployment for awhile there.

[ribeth]

Unfortunately URI has privatized their tuition in the past 4 years. Even for instate students, it's very, very expensive. It's the biggest reason, aside from program, that I transfered to the generally shittier but far cheaper Rhode Island College. Not that I suggest anyone go to RIC for graduate study, uh, just gon't go to URI unfunded, ever.

Yes, I looked it up to see how much debt I could potentially rack up, and tuition at URI is currently $25,000 per semester. Very frightening. o.O

Thanks for the reassurance, ComeBackZinc. Unfortunately, I've applied to the MA program, so I don't know whether they'd offer me funding for my first year. To be honest, I probably won't attend if I can't get, at the very least, tuition remission. But that's ok--that's why I applied to two funded MA programs as well (who I haven't heard back from at all...eep).

[Julianne Pigoon]

Although, RIC does have an MA in English, and I someone in the PhD program at my current school came from RIC for undergrad!

Oh, wow! I may know them peripherally. Yes, one of my profs has been trying sneakily to get me to stay for the MA. RIC has an absolutely fantastic faculty and, in my experience, a superior undergraduate program to URI because of the teaching focus. I considered it for that reason, but I really need to get out of RI. Also, RIC has a terrible reputation in this region, and I'm not entirely sure how that translates to everyone else in the country. Some of my professors say the rap doesn't carry, but others are convinced it's looked down upon. In any case, RIC has the worst campus in the history of campuses, I'm pretty sure. Unless you're really into American Brutalist architecture and concrete quads. It was a shock after basically living at URI for 12 years.

[rainy_day]

Oh, wow! I may know them peripherally. Yes, one of my profs has been trying sneakily to get me to stay for the MA. RIC has an absolutely fantastic faculty and, in my experience, a superior undergraduate program to URI because of the teaching focus. I considered it for that reason, but I really need to get out of RI. Also, RIC has a terrible reputation in this region, and I'm not entirely sure how that translates to everyone else in the country. Some of my professors say the rap doesn't carry, but others are convinced it's looked down upon. In any case, RIC has the worst campus in the history of campuses, I'm pretty sure. Unless you're really into American Brutalist architecture and concrete quads. It was a shock after basically living at URI for 12 years.

Clearly you've never spent much time at the UMass Dartmouth campus. The walls are cement, made to look like corrugated cardboard. It oozes gloom & despair.

I used to have to visit RI/Southern MA campuses for my job, so I have a pretty strong opinion on the aesthetics of each campus and could go on for far too long about this topic. CCRI Warwick is also worse than RIC. Did you know the guy who designed that went on to design prisions?

Edited March 2, 2012 by rainy_day

[Julianne Pigoon]

Clearly you've never spent much time at the UMass Dartmouth campus. The walls are cement, made to look like corrugated cardboard. It oozes gloom & despair.

I used to have to visit RI/Southern MA campuses for my job, so I have a pretty strong opinion on the aesthetics of each campus and could go on for far too long about this topic. CCRI Warwick is also worse than RIC. Did you know the guy who designed that went on to design prisions?

Your point about CCRI is well taken. No one should ever be allowed to create a concrete ship and call it a college campus. This prison thing does not surprise me. I'm interested to know if he has designed any of them to look like airplanes or jetskis or a Microbus. Seriously, who approved that project? Just how hard were they chilling that day?

I have been to UMass Dartmouth, but only briefly. It sounds like a place of many agonies.

P.S. Apologies to OP and other people actually interesting in URI for co-opting this thread.

Edited March 2, 2012 by Julianne Pigoon

[TripWillis]

$25,000 a semester?? I've never even paid 1/5th of that for a semester of college. That's crazy. I agree now; finding a cheap/funded M.A. would be better. Mine was unfunded, but I eventually got them to hire me as an adjunct and a writing tutor and I won a scholarship my second year, so the second year was basically paid for.

Still in a lot more debt than I'd like... ugh.

[hermia11]

I got my M.A. in 2010, which I've paid off (miracle of miracles!), and which means a bit less time/money spent toward the PhD. I also qualify for regional tuition (shoutout to New England), which is $18,000 - not awesome, but not $25,000 either.

I'm tempted to go anyway. But, I still have schools I'm waiting to hear from, so that may just make my decision for me!