Fall 2014 applicants??

[shortstack51]

I guess we didn't make the cut, shortstack! That's quite unfortunate. Of all the schools I applied, I felt that one was the best fit! Oy vay!! Not the best sign. Lol.

Congrats you guys!!!! I am so happy for you all who got into NYU!! I bet you are all dying of excitement. . . So just go ahead and finish the dying process so I can get in.

I'm still holding out hope that they're not done yet! Not expecting to get in, though. I would have loved NYU. What is your concentration?

[andrewcycs]

I know, NYU was definitely, by far, my ultimate #1 choice! I would have probably been so elated that I had a heart attack if I got in.

I am critical theory! Represent.

[Kamisha]

There’s nothing quite like looking back over your application materials on a Sunday afternoon and realizing you accidentally cut out two crucial paragraphs in one of your statements of purpose. You know, the paragraphs that talk about your MA thesis and explain how your writing sample ties into your research interests. 

 

Whoopsie. Bye bye, University of Washington. The dream was nice, but I don’t think it’s going to last now. Haha. 

[andrewcycs]

I literally refuse to look at anything I've already submitted! It's already bad enough, I'm not going to make it worse by noticing all the mistakes I made. Lol.

[Kamisha]

I literally refuse to look at anything I've already submitted! It's already bad enough, I'm not going to make it worse by noticing all the mistakes I made. Lol.

 

Lol I wasn’t going to either, but I’ve been emailing the departments who rejected me (Duke, UNL, and Davis so far) and asking them what I can do to make myself a more competitive applicant in the future. I got some really interesting feedback from one of them that just didn’t make any sense. So I looked back at my statement of purpose and, sure enough, I now completely understand the rejection. Haha. I apparently made the same mistake on my Washington application, so I’m saying goodbye to that school, too. 

Edited February 9, 2014 by Kamisha

[andromache]

Lol I wasn’t going to either, but I’ve been emailing the departments who rejected me (Duke, UNL, and Davis so far) and asking them what I can do to make myself a more competitive applicant in the future. I got some really interesting feedback from one of them that just didn’t make any sense. So I looked back at my statement of purpose and, sure enough, I now completely understand the rejection. Haha. I apparently made the same mistake on my Washington application, so I’m saying goodbye to that school, too. 

 

Is emailing departments asking how to be a more competitive applicant in the future an acceptable thing to do? Do they look upon it as annoying? I've considered doing the same thing myself, but in just about ANY circumstance (even ones not at all related to the grad school process) I'm terrified I'm being annoying/imposing on them. 

 

If it's a good idea, who does one email? Just the general department email to be forwarded to the correct person, the DGS, someone else...?

 

I'd really like to find out where I went wrong with my applications as I start to receive more rejections.

[Kamisha]

Is emailing departments asking how to be a more competitive applicant in the future an acceptable thing to do? Do they look upon it as annoying? I've considered doing the same thing myself, but in just about ANY circumstance (even ones not at all related to the grad school process) I'm terrified I'm being annoying/imposing on them. 

 

If it's a good idea, who does one email? Just the general department email to be forwarded to the correct person, the DGS, someone else...?

 

I'd really like to find out where I went wrong with my applications as I start to receive more rejections.

 

I’m told that some departments don’t love it. Our school DGS told me that it’s common practice to do so, but most schools will just ignore you. That being said, I’m now to the point where I would recommend it. 

 

I was nervous, but had communicated with my POI at Duke, so I decided to go for it. I got a really wonderful, personalized response when I did, so I thought I would try my luck at my other schools. Thus far, it’s been EXTREMELY helpful and the DGS at each school have been very, very kind about it. One of them even thanked me for taking the initiative to do so and heartily encouraged me to apply again next year. 

 

If you choose to do so, I’d just email the DGS unless you’ve been in contact with someone else in the department. 

Edited February 9, 2014 by Kamisha

[andromache]

I’m told that some departments don’t love it. Our school DGS told me that it’s common practice to do so, but most schools will just ignore you. That being said, I’m now to the point where I would recommend it. 

 

I was nervous, but had communicated with my POI at Duke, so I decided to go for it. I got a really wonderful, personalized response when I did, so I thought I would try my luck at my other schools. Thus far, it’s been EXTREMELY helpful and the DGS at each school have been very, very kind about it. One of them even thanked me for taking the initiative to do so and heartily encouraged me to apply again next year. 

 

If you choose to do so, I’d just email the DGS unless you’ve been in contact with someone else in the department. 

 

I just emailed Northwestern! It would be lovely to hear something helpful back, but I'll understand if I don't.

[shortstack51]

I know, NYU was definitely, by far, my ultimate #1 choice! I would have probably been so elated that I had a heart attack if I got in.

I am critical theory! Represent.

 

My secondary concentration is Queer Theory, so I feel a kinship to my critical theory colleagues. My main concentration is Romanticism, and several faculty at NYU have done some work on what I am interested in researching.

 

Sigh! Well, I suppose that's how it goes. I think my best fit is University of Washington (they have at least one Romanticist who does almost exactly what I would like to do), but that's also a decently long long shot. Of course, I only applied to schools that would be a good "fit" anyway, so I'll be happy anywhere!

 

Meanwhile, I'm slogging through tons of grading I procrastinated on and I'm behind on this week's readings. Womp.

[Kamisha]

Congrats to the Emory acceptances!  

[Swagato]

It's probably better to wait until the admissions season winds down before soliciting feedback. 

[Katia_chan]

Yeah, I'd suggest this too.  Obviously, if you've done it, and it was good, that's awesome.  But many schools are dying right now with app stuff, so it could be overwhelming to them.  Not saying it's forbidden, but I'd consider it carefully first.

 

You're also less likely to hear anything from giant schools that get 600-700 applications, unless you've been in contact with someone personally.  So don't be upset if you don't hear anything.

[jazzyd]

I also recommend sticking to departments where you've had some sort of contact or exchange with a particular POI. I contacted a couple departments last year and didn't hear back from most; the one I did hear back from told me that with the season being closed, the department no longer had access to that information. Really, I'm guessing my application was one out of many that didn't make the final cut and/or it wasn't worth the department's time to try to dredge it up. But someone with whom you've spoken who maybe had an eye on your application, even if they weren't directly involved with the selection process could be of better assistance. 

Edited February 10, 2014 by jazzy dubois

[Kamisha]

I can see where the previous two comments are coming from. That being said, you probably don’t want to wait too long. Schools do get rid of application packets and, at the very least, you want the DGS to remember your file and feedback. If you wait until April, you may not have that luxury.

[rhetoricus aesalon]

FWIW, rhetoric is indeed already a part of many communication departments -- it is basically what founded that field. It seems like the main difference between comp/rhet. and rhetoric is whether the program cares much about whether you can do it rather than simply studying it. After that, of course, there are other differences, most importantly the context in which rhetoric is studied. The communication side of rhetoric is often focused much more on public/political rhetoric.

 

The justification, whether fair or not, for comp./rhet. being in English literature departments is the idea that it is invested in the creation of literary texts. Obviously, it would be easy to say that this is the vocation of creative writing rather than comp./rhet. I also think that most comp./rhet. folks here have a vision for the field beyond the "public communication" component as well.

 

Completely love this conversation, and I just wanted to say that I am very glad to have your voice as a comm student here.

 

I've been studying rhetoric for 8 years now (all my degrees are rhet/comp equivalents), and I think I've learned that even though division of fields (and sub-fields) is important, I'm usually delighted by how much more we have in common than we might initially think. I'm also really intrigued by your drawing out of "do" vs. "studying" because--to be honest--I'm not sure which you would apply to which ... I think for rhet/comp there is an interest in both, with the addition that there is also the felt need to teach how to do it, as well as teach how to interpret when and how to do it.

 

IMHO the main contexts differ in that comm usually interprets language as it is spoken vs. rhet/comp that tends toward the interpretation of language that is written or composed. This may be pigeon-holing both fields a bit, but in general I think comm gravitates toward speech and rhet/comp toward composition.

 

I also really love that rhet/comp, creative writing, and literature often get all thrown together--though sadly this is becoming less and less the norm. I think the three really compliment each other, and all are expanding on what composition is and what composition can do. I think, in a sense, we all need each other--though maybe it doesn't always feel that way.

 

 

TL;DR

 

All our fields rock, and I hope I can spend my life as a scholar learning where they each intersect and disconnect.

[Katia_chan]

Curious about the Boston rejection--from what we've heard, I'm assuming that they've done all their acceptances, and are now moving onto rejections.  But does anyone know if they give them out over a few days or something?  Or if perhaps that person only got notified because they were under consideration for the MA?

 

I'm assuming they are a no for me, but curious if anyone has any insight into their rejection process.

[lorekeeper139]

I've been lurking here, but I thought I'd respond to your question about BC's process, Katia_chan.  I'm a currently enrolled student with their MA program and applied to their PhD program.  Four seats, I'm a Victorianist and one of ours recently retired, and they know me so they had a very good idea of fit, but long story short I received the kindest rejection email I've ever read.

 

I know they're in the process of hiring a new Medievalist, tenure-track, so depending on how that shakes out that might be why it's taking longer to get back to you.

[CommPhD20]

Completely love this conversation, and I just wanted to say that I am very glad to have your voice as a comm student here.

 

I've been studying rhetoric for 8 years now (all my degrees are rhet/comp equivalents), and I think I've learned that even though division of fields (and sub-fields) is important, I'm usually delighted by how much more we have in common than we might initially think. I'm also really intrigued by your drawing out of "do" vs. "studying" because--to be honest--I'm not sure which you would apply to which ... I think for rhet/comp there is an interest in both, with the addition that there is also the felt need to teach how to do it, as well as teach how to interpret when and how to do it.

 

IMHO the main contexts differ in that comm usually interprets language as it is spoken vs. rhet/comp that tends toward the interpretation of language that is written or composed. This may be pigeon-holing both fields a bit, but in general I think comm gravitates toward speech and rhet/comp toward composition.

 

I also really love that rhet/comp, creative writing, and literature often get all thrown together--though sadly this is becoming less and less the norm. I think the three really compliment each other, and all are expanding on what composition is and what composition can do. I think, in a sense, we all need each other--though maybe it doesn't always feel that way.

 

 

TL;DR

 

All our fields rock, and I hope I can spend my life as a scholar learning where they each intersect and disconnect.

 

Yeah, I think you've hit the nail on the head that the comm side of rhetoric seems to be more invested in the spoken word, though it is rather funny that the academic work always ends up as words on the page when all is said and done. 

 

As far as disciplines and their similarities, this has always intrigued me. I was lucky to go to a SLAC that really encouraged the questioning of disciplinary divisions. It turned out that my interests straddle the humanistic and social scientific, which is why I feel kinship with the folks in here (and even moreso the Film Studies people) despite the fact that many of my target programs would be identified on the social scientific side of the divide. I ended up finding the vaguely defined field of communication more flexible than "English," which is wonderful in its own ways but has much more entrenched disciplinary methods and the like.

 

I like the discussion of rhetoric from the program description at Northwestern's Rhetoric and Public Culture program -

 

 

 

"Rhetoric" refers to systematic study of how texts, images, and other media operate as a mode of action. It comprises a civic art, a hermeneutical method, and a continuing challenge to all systems of classification. Historically, this study has ranged from reflection on the practice of public address within the first democratic societies, to a tradition of technical craft and instruction in civic, clerical, and literary composition, to a general theory of the discursive constitution of knowledge and power. Because of the scope of the linguistic turn in the human sciences during the 20th century, "rhetoric" also provides a pertinent basis for reflection on the discursive and organizational conventions of contemporary scholarship.

[Kamisha]

Is there a way to find out who is looking at your profile on Academia.edu rather than just the state (or, if international, country) from which the person has searched for you? It’s driving me crazy. 

[iExcelAtMicrosoftPuns]

Is there a way to find out who is looking at your profile on Academia.edu rather than just the state (or, if international, country) from which the person has searched for you? It’s driving me crazy.

NSA?

They might be able to tell you.

[Katia_chan]

I've been lurking here, but I thought I'd respond to your question about BC's process, Katia_chan.  I'm a currently enrolled student with their MA program and applied to their PhD program.  Four seats, I'm a Victorianist and one of ours recently retired, and they know me so they had a very good idea of fit, but long story short I received the kindest rejection email I've ever read.

 

I know they're in the process of hiring a new Medievalist, tenure-track, so depending on how that shakes out that might be why it's taking longer to get back to you.

 

Thanks so much for this info.  I'm trying to be careful not to get my hopes up, but this is a nice little "maybe" to keep in my mind.

 

I know you won't necessarily know the answer to this, but, if you knew others who applied or something, are they switching to Emails this year for notification?  Last year it looks like they rejected by post, but I've heard one or two things this year about them sending Emails.  But maybe that is just for certain candidates.

 

It's not all that important, really.  Just a matter for "hmm-ing

[ComeBackZinc]

Is there a way to find out who is looking at your profile on Academia.edu rather than just the state (or, if international, country) from which the person has searched for you? It’s driving me crazy. 

 

Nope, afraid not. Academia surely has the IP addresses, but typically websites keep that information very secret, and anyway they are easily faked.

[despejado]

Based on previous years, UT Austin should be notifying this week... Crap. I'm not ready for that just yet.

[andrewcycs]

Despejado you will be in my thoughts this week!!! I hope you get in.

My goal is to see you, Kamisha, and shortstack into a school! Lol. That way I can feel victorious even in my defeats!

[despejado]

Despejado you will be in my thoughts this week!!! I hope you get in.

My goal is to see you, Kamisha, and shortstack into a school! Lol. That way I can feel victorious even in my defeats!

Awh thank you! That's very sweet. I will make it my personal goal to will you into a school as well, though I'm sure it's not necessary