Rhetoric/Composition 2014 hopefuls

[ComeBackZinc]

Hey there, I got my MA at URI's Writing and Rhetoric program. I really loved it, although its small size means you have to be strategic about how you approach the program. I believe that they only accept as many PhD students as they can fund, so you should be in good shape. 

Edited February 20, 2014 by ComeBackZinc

[Between Fields]

Awesome. Thanks. I'm finishing up my MA in English at Truman State University. It's a pretty tiny program (only 13 of us this year), so I'm accustomed to needing that sort of strategic thinking. It's one of the things that drew me to URI--it doesn't seem like you'd get lost in the crowd. My research interests are the center of a venn diagram made of rhet/comp, litcrit, and classical studies, so that does open the group of people I'd be able to work with up.

[driftlake]

Rhode Island just made me an offer for something around $18,000 renewable for four years, if that helps. They have a Feb. 28 deadline for the funding offer, though.

 

Anyone have a sense of URI's program against, say, Michigan State or Minnesota? Right now, I'm weighing a smaller program versus a larger one. My goal is to end up on the east coast doing digital rhetoric/humanities work, but beyond that...

[Between Fields]

How soon did you get that after the initial decision? Was it snail mail?

 

February 28th? That's... a little unrealistic, given how many programs haven't sent out decisions yet.

[ComeBackZinc]

Michigan State is definitely more prestigious. Not sure about Minnesota. I'm biased, obviously, but I really think that if you don't mind a small program and the limited course offerings that entails, it can be a great opportunity. And they've got a good track record for placement, including a friend of mine who just got a job at his dream program in an R1. (He hasn't gone public about it yet.) Southeastern Rhode Island has its ups and downs. Providence is lovely though. I will say that the area is expensive and $18,000 does not stretch far there.

[bhr]

Michigan State is definitely more prestigious. Not sure about Minnesota. I'm biased, obviously, but I really think that if you don't mind a small program and the limited course offerings that entails, it can be a great opportunity. And they've got a good track record for placement, including a friend of mine who just got a job at his dream program in an R1. (He hasn't gone public about it yet.) Southeastern Rhode Island has its ups and downs. Providence is lovely though. I will say that the area is expensive and $18,000 does not stretch far there.

Well, it's not like your money goes far in MSP either, sadly. Honestly, I asked about prestige last week (and applied to MSU and UM), but based on some conversations this week I honestly don't know how much program prestige matters (as long as it's in the general area of decent). If a program is helping you get published, present papers, attend conferences, that's the prestige you need personally. If you have an advisor who helps you get a paper in to the Cs, for example, I think you can be at bumblefuck U and still get a job, so find a place where you are happy.

[driftlake]

How soon did you get that after the initial decision? Was it snail mail?

 

February 28th? That's... a little unrealistic, given how many programs haven't sent out decisions yet.

 

It came by email six days after the first. And I was actually wrong--the email states that I need to let them know if I want a TAship by March 4th. For what that's worth. In which case, I guess URI might be out simply because I will still be visiting schools at that point.

 

Thanks for the info, ComeBackZinc. I talked to someone at URI who suggested that the digital side of things was just beginning to take shape there, which worries me a bit. However, everyone seems really lovely and I like the course listing. It's kind of my dream to live out in that region, preferably a little north of Boston, and my boyfriend lives out there, so it's tempting. But I have to consider sustainability and career goals first. Hm.

 

Thanks for the input, bhr. I can see this will (of course!) be an extremely hard choice. Exciting weeks ahead...

Edited February 20, 2014 by driftlake

[Between Fields]

March 4th is still crazy, considering my last application wasn't due until February 1. I'll likely be in the same boat. (I'm guessing it's sort of a faux pas to accept and then need to back out later when another school offers a lot more... lol.)

[driftlake]

I reckon you're right. Which is unfortunate.

 

On a semi-related note, I'm struck by how much more URI offers than programs such as MSU or UMN. I'm sure cost of living is a factor, but still--MSU and UMN both offer less than what I received as an MA at a very small program. 

[Between Fields]

My current stipend is $8k, so another $10k seems like quite the bounty indeed. (Even if living costs in RI are approximately 120% what my current costs are...)

[ComeBackZinc]

Well, it's not like your money goes far in MSP either, sadly. Honestly, I asked about prestige last week (and applied to MSU and UM), but based on some conversations this week I honestly don't know how much program prestige matters (as long as it's in the general area of decent). If a program is helping you get published, present papers, attend conferences, that's the prestige you need personally. If you have an advisor who helps you get a paper in to the Cs, for example, I think you can be at bumblefuck U and still get a job, so find a place where you are happy.

 

As is often the case, I think it depends on what we mean by prestige. People get hired from lots and lots of programs. I think it certainly helps to come from a school with a large network in the field when it comes to the job market, but ultimately it's up to you as an individual to do good work.

[Between Fields]

I got an email back from URI and apparently May 1 is the deadline without funding to accept or reject, and that the graduate director would follow up about funding. I hope that's just a boilerplate and not indicative of a lack of funding. 

[iExcelAtMicrosoftPuns]

On the topic of prestige: I want to believe that it's all on the individual.
 

 I certainly hope that is the case anyways. But if my life's worth of anecdotal evidence means anything (perhaps it doesn't) - systems outside of the individual matter and they matter a lot.

The cards are occasionally stacked against you - I could give examples and hypotheticals but y'all know it.

Yeah - but it doesn't matter to me. I'm applying to programs that can help me reach my goals. Don't care who ranks it where.

[ComeBackZinc]

I like that attitude a lot. Control what you can control, but don't be naive about what you can't control.

[iExcelAtMicrosoftPuns]

I like that attitude a lot. Control what you can control, but don't be naive about what you can't control.

You're welcome to adopt, share, adapt, etc.

[rhetoricus aesalon]

Question for you all: I've come from small departments where rhet is more of a not-so-secret, secret area of study, if that makes sense. Very hipster, if you will, BowTies. Kind of like, "Oh I study rhetoric, but you've probably never heard of it." (Of course, I see the irony in that statement, but hopefully that helps paint a general picture.)

 

I'm a bit nervous about the prospect of going into a larger program, where this sense of mystery is gone. I've heard from advisers that larger programs, aside from being more prestigious, are also helpful because there is a cohort-wide sense of pushing your work further, so it tends to be easier to feel pressure to publish, present, etc. Of course, funding also tends to be more secure.

 

I was wondering what your experiences/opinions are on the matter. How do you feel about larger vs. smaller programs? What have been your concerns, if any? 

[Flibbertigibbet]

Question for you all: I've come from small departments where rhet is more of a not-so-secret, secret area of study, if that makes sense. Very hipster, if you will, BowTies. Kind of like, "Oh I study rhetoric, but you've probably never heard of it." (Of course, I see the irony in that statement, but hopefully that helps paint a general picture.)

 

I'm a bit nervous about the prospect of going into a larger program, where this sense of mystery is gone. I've heard from advisers that larger programs, aside from being more prestigious, are also helpful because there is a cohort-wide sense of pushing your work further, so it tends to be easier to feel pressure to publish, present, etc. Of course, funding also tends to be more secure.

 

I was wondering what your experiences/opinions are on the matter. How do you feel about larger vs. smaller programs? What have been your concerns, if any? 

 

I'm glad someone else is nervous. I came pretty late to the rhetoric game, and I'm terrified about falling behind everyone else if I'm accepted anywhere.There's no rhet/comp program in my department, so my training's in literature. 

 

What I know about comp theory comes from begging my professors for reading material. I think that's what I'm most nervous about in a large program--failing from unpreparedness. Anyone else? 

[dmariebelle]

Rejection email from Syracuse today. Sobbing.

[driftlake]

Hey, dmariebelle. This is unlikely to make you feel better, but I received an emailed rejection from Syracuse today too.   It's a small program, and they only admit one person per focus/area within rhetoric each year. I feel like it was a long shot for me, at least, especially since my focus and theirs are least aligned of the schools to which I applied.

 

Do you have other programs you're applying to? 

[dmariebelle]

Hi Drift,

Well, I applied to UNH, UMass Amherst, Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Wisconsin at Madison, Miami of Ohio, Penn State, and Syracuse.

 

I got a rejection notification from UMass on Tuesday, and then the terribleness today. Feeling blue, as they were my first choice. Though Penn State is a close second... I see you've been accepted into 4 program- Congrats!! Where are you leaning towards?

[dmariebelle]

Annnndddd.... Madison Wisconsin says 'Denied'. 

[bhr]

The WPA listserv is going to kill me. Random emails with "Congratulations" as the title, or a stray email from someone on one of the adcomms. The one that got me today was seeing a From: from one of my DGSs, just to see a bit of CCCC spam. Killing me.

[ComeBackZinc]

Were you on the listserve for the Great Bedbug Freakout of 2013?

[WendyWonderland]

Rejection email from Syracuse today. Sobbing.

I also got mine today. They said because it's a small program. I guess because I focus too much on literature.

[ProfLorax]

I was wondering what your experiences/opinions are on the matter. How do you feel about larger vs. smaller programs? What have been your concerns, if any? 

 

Last year, I took the jump after teaching for three years and applied to rhet/comp programs. I ended up getting into five. Of those five, four were big name programs with big cohorts (Illinois, Miami, Arizona, UMass Amherst), while Maryland was a small program. Long story short, I chose Maryland, but not because of its size. In fact, the size of the student cohort was the only con on the Maryland list. Fortunately, despite the small group of rhet/comp students (we have six. Total.), we have as many rhet/comp faculty as the big programs. Faculty size is important, because you will want your choice of faculty to work with, and you don't want to have to choose between three professors, and then one retires. Now that I am here, I still better the pros and cons about a small program. The cons are the lack of rhet/comp community and rhet/comp coursework. However, I have found ways to work around this challenges. The six rhet/comp students in the English department are tightknit and supportive, and I am very close with my fellow first year English PhD's. And thanks to an interdisciplinary, cross-campus seminar last semester, I also have close colleagues in the UMD Communication Department and Penn State. As for coursework, I quickly discovered that most grad departments don't offer a wide array of coursework, regardless of the focus. I have worked around this by taking every single rhet/comp class offered by the English Department, doing independent studies, sitting in on rhetoric-focused undergrad classes, and taking classes in the Communications department. 

 

There are the pros of a small program. You certainly don't get lost in the mix! As the only rhet/comp PhD student enter last year, I got so much wonderful attention from the faculty. I imagine some large programs also manage to shower their incoming students with attention, but I imagine it's harder for the faculty to show consistently focused on six students. Also, we get our choice of classes to teach, once we are further along in our career, we can easily choose to do an administrative position, like Assistant Director of the Writing Program, without much competition. 

 

I'm at a small program and am quite happy, but ultimately, I don't know if I can weigh in on small versus large. There are good and bad, and even though size of the program was a consideration, it wasn't a deciding factor. I chose UMD despite the small size because of the funding, teaching load, faculty, resources, and great environment. 

 

I'm glad someone else is nervous. I came pretty late to the rhetoric game, and I'm terrified about falling behind everyone else if I'm accepted anywhere.There's no rhet/comp program in my department, so my training's in literature. 

 

What I know about comp theory comes from begging my professors for reading material. I think that's what I'm most nervous about in a large program--failing from unpreparedness. Anyone else? 

I was just like you! My BA and MA are both in literature, so even though I had taken one class in composition and taught comp for three years, I felt desperately behind from the day I got my first acceptance letter. The good news is that many people come in with little to no training in rhet/comp. The other good news is that most large programs will offer or even mandate introductory coursework that will quickly put everyone on the same page. 

 

I noticed quickly that rhetoric and literary study are not that different, in terms of methodology. Lots of close reading, though with different vocabulary and a slightly different lens. Composition, however, is another beast, and there are so many qualitative and quantitate methods that will be new to you. Last semester, I took the required Introduction to College Composition course that all teaching grad students are required to take; then, I met with the professor every other week to do extra readings on methods and methodology in composition. It was immensely helpful. Your program will most likely provide this sort of education, and if it doesn't, you can most likely find opportunities to get this experience and education like I did.

 

If you are anxious about not having read enough material, was posted here last year; I've kept in bookmarked. I also asked my main point of contact for a reading list before the semester started, and she sent me a small rhet/comp starter kit. 

 

I still have so much to learn (I just read Aristotle for the first time!), but I am definitely getting the hang out of it. I'm presenting at Computers and Writing in June, and I'm working with a professor to turn a seminar paper into an article. So, it's definitely possible to come from a literature world and succeed in a rhet/comp universe.