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Thanks for your inputs, especially in the cases they were pertinent Thanks a lot, I'm glad this score isn't terrible just like that. I guess it's relatively positive that it is above average... Thanks for your questions. I'll consider the things you mention. Thanks again

Hi! First of all, thank you all for your inputs! Thanks for your questions. I could eventually afford the retake. I'm quite scared because I don't have a lot of time and I don't know how much I could improve my score. Thanks a lot. I'm glad this score isn't automatically perceived as terrible. I'll see if I have time to retake it and any chance of improving my score, but I'll devote more time to SOPs and WS given that this score might not be as pernicious to my application as I thought.

Hi, I really need advice. Today I took the GRE and got 158V/156Q. I'm really worried because I'm planning to apply to some top schools, like Columbia (Philosophy) and Chicago (Committee on Social Thought), and I'm afraid they won't even consider my application because of this score, especially because of the Verbal score. Do you think I should sit again for the test? I'm Latin American and, though I have good English, I'm not at all used to reading and understanding texts in little time. Skimming in a foreign language requires a lot of practice. I've become better in these last months, but it wasn't enough. I don't know I should take the test again because maybe I'd be better off working on my writing sample, and I wonder how important is this stupid test considering that other parts of my application are strong (very good letters of recommendation and writing sample, 11 conference presentations, 2 peer-reviewed publications and 12 non peer-reviewed publications). Any advice would be extremely useful. Thanks in advance!!

Hi, I really need advice. Today I took the GRE and got 158V/156Q. I'm really worried because I'm planning to apply to some top schools, like NYU Comp. Lit. and Berkeley Rhetoric, and I'm afraid they won't even consider my application because of this score, especially because of the Verbal score. Do you think I should sit again for the test? I'm Latin American and, though I have good English, I'm not at all used to reading and understanding texts in little time. Skimming in a foreign language requires a lot of practice. I've become better in these last months, but it wasn't enough. I don't know I should take the test again because maybe I'd be better off working on my writing sample, and I wonder how important is this stupid test considering that other parts of my application are strong (very good letters of recommendation and writing sample, 11 conference presentations, 2 peer-reviewed publications and 12 non peer-reviewed publications). Any advice would be extremely useful. Thanks in advance!!

I haven't read it myself, but there are some text on philosophy of science by Baudrillard, you should check that. And I agree with The Pedanticist, you could read something by Babette Babich.

Well, if you're polite and ask the right questions (I started this topic to know precisely this), I don't see why that would give a bad self image.

Great advice, thank you all! I thought writing to every single POI was just usual because I read it somewhere in TGC, but now I see it's not so clear. I'm Latin American so I'm not familiar with the academic protocol in the US. Anyway, writing to professors to ask if they'll be taking students it's important, especially when only few professors do research in you area of interest... generativeIR, let us know when you get your answer!

Hi! I want to write to the professors I'd like to work with in the universities I'll apply for. I understand how this could be beneficial, but I find myself hesitating a lot when thinking what I would say. Do you talk about yourself? Do you send your resume? Do you say you want to work with them? Do you ask for advice with the SOP? Do you ask if you would be a good fit? I want to know how much I am supposed to ask or say to profit the fact that I'm writing to them but I definitely don't want to give a bad impression just for not knowing how this works. Thanks in advance!

Thesis Hi! Thanks so much for your inputs. Maybe it is a good thing to be able to tell my LOR writers what to write! About telling that I am a nice person, is that necessary? I didn't think it was important until I read a bunch of posts and stuff about LOR, but then I got convinced again it was not important when I was told talking about personality is important in MBA or that kind of other graduate programs. Do you know for sure we should be described as people as much as being described as academics?

Thanks a lot! The thing with searching for samples in Google is that there are more samples of LOR for MAs and MBAs than for PhDs. I believe there is a difference because personal skills such as leadership are important in an MBA but not at all for a PhD in philosophy. The packet method is very good, I'll use it!

Hi! I'm planning to apply for a PhD in Philosophy this year and I'm Latin American, so I really need advice about letters of recommendation! In my country writing such letters is not at all common, and even when they are required, they are super short and quite formal. I heard the type of letter graduate schools ask for is not only about academic stuff but also about you being a committed and nice person. Is that so? What do I need to tell my professors when I ask for their letters? What kind of 'instructions' should I give them? How am I supposed to be presented if my professors are unknowns to the graduate committee? What is considered a good letter, besides the fact that they should say good things about you? Well, any piece of advice will be welcome! Thank you very much in advance!

Not actually a college? Why?

Hi! First of all, thanks A LOT for your answers. They are very useful. Unfortunately, I can’t consider all of the programs you mentioned for geographic reasons. I’m planning to go with my boyfriend, who also wants to apply to a Ph.D. (though not in Philosophy), so we have to consider big cities like NY, Boston, Chicago. Great question, thanks for asking. I would say I’m more interested in critical theory, though I wouldn’t like my interests to be defined only by language; of course it would be great to choose a program where you can learn different things. But I definitely wouldn’t like to be in a school only focused in post-structuralism. Greetings! It’s great that someone recommends Columbia. I would love to work with Lydia Goehr, and I’ve seen there are other professors who are interested in continental philosophy.

Hi! I'm looking for Ph.D. programs in Philosophy or Comp. Lit. My main area of interest is Aesthetics but I'm also very interested in Political Philosophy. I'm more on the "continental" side, and I would like to know which good programs there are in continental political philosophy. Do you know any? Which scholars are well-known in the area? I'm Argentinian, so I'm not familiar with professor names and so. Thanks in advance!

Than you, Gustav and somethinbruin!! Gustav, it's really good to know that is how the program is considered. My main problem with Comp. Lit. programs is that I'm not particularly interested in literature, so I'm afraid I might not be at all suited for them, though continental philosophy may be there... Thank you very much for your recommendations, I think it's a good idea to write an e-mail to Prof. Lezra.

Hi! Thank you! I've seen Warwick and you are completely right, it's great, but is it possible to get funding there? I heard you have to ask for funding for the MA and then repeat the process for de Ph.D., and that's too risky for me because I'm applying with my boyfriend, so I need safe options... Maybe you know more about this than me. About Comp. Lit. programs, well, I'm not at all interested in literature, I love philosophy, and within philosophy, aesthetics, but more focused on music and visual art. I've been checking Comp. Lit. programs because many people say continental philosophy is "happening" there, so that's why. I'm trying to find programs in Philosophy strong in continental philosophy and especially aesthetics (or at least with a few great professors there, like Lydia Goehr in Columbia) or programs in Comp. Lit. strong philosophy, but it's not that easy... Thanks magog! I'll check Northwestern Comp. Lit.

Hi! I'm looking for Ph.D. programs in Philosophy (or Comp. Lit.) where I can focus con aesthetics. I'm interested in "continental" philosophy, and I've seen the "continental programs", but most of the times they are stronger in french philosophy (let's say Derrida, Deleuze, Levinas, and others) and I think I would prefer a department stronger in the Frankfurt School, especially Adorno. New School is of course a GREAT option, but the funding issue worries me, and of course I would like to find other options. What do you think? Thanks a lot!

Thank you! Yes, I've been checking out the faculty and the Ph.D. program in some of those faculties, but sometimes I find them too... literary, like in the case of Columbia's Ph.D. program in Comp. Lit. New School is GREAT, but I think it's really difficult to get funding there. I will check out the programs you mention that I didn't know.

Ok, thanks a lot! Here from the distance it seems possible to work with a celebrity like him, but now that I think of it, it's quite naïf. Which other programs like this (maybe with a focus in philosophical aesthetics) do you know?

Hi! I'm a Philosophy student in Argentina and I'm looking for Ph.D. programs in Philosophy or Comp. Lit. I'm interested in continental aesthetics, and some people recommended me the Ph.D. program in Comp. Lit. in NYU. I didn't find many comments on that program, and I wonder why! What do you think about it? Do you think it's possible to do philosophical research in aesthetics there? I'm sure it is possible with Zizek, but I wonder if he won't retire anytime soon... Any comment will be useful. Thanks!!

Hi! I would like to know what you think of my profile and which programs would be a good fit for me. I'm looking for Ph.D. programs in Philosophy in the US. I'm interested in continental aesthetics. Some of my favorite thinkers would be Adorno, Nietzsche and Kant. I won't tell which programs I found interesting not to influence your recommendations. Profile: as I am from Argentina, I can't say what my GPA is in the same terms as you do: mine is 9.56 out of 10. I have 2 peer-reviewed publications, 6 non peer-reviewed publications, 9 conference papers. LOR from internationally unknown professors, though I expect them to be really good. What do you think? Thank you!!

Thanks a LOT. All you said was really helpful. As to location, my boyfriend will apply to a Ph.D. en Economics, so we’re not looking at the same places in the same way. Location is important for me, because as I’m interested in Aesthetics, I would like to live in a city that has an interesting cultural world, and NYC would be just perfect. But I understand what you said about fit, and I agree. The reason for which I have this philosophy vs. comp. lit. doubt is because continental programs in philosophy are interesting, but comp. lit. have positive things like multidisciplinary programs, and more freedom as to areas of study. All you said about international students is really useful, thank you so much!

Ok, thanks everyone for your inputs!! Thank you very much. So, I’ve studied a lot of modern philosophy (Spinoza, Descartes, Kant (a lot), Hume, Fichte, Schelling, Nietzsche (a lot), etc.), but now I would like to start studying more contemporary philosophy. Right now my research is focused on the relationship between museum culture and philosophy, so that goes from modernity up to now. I wanted to apply to a Ph.D. program in Philosophy, but I would like to do something more interdisciplinary (in some Philosophy departments it is possible, in others not so much). I’m interested in taking my research from philosophy to painting, music, dance, cinema. Does that help a little? If not, please ask me. Thank you really much for your help Another thing: I intend to apply with my boyfriend, so we’re aiming at universities in NYC, Boston and Chicago especially, and universities in the UK close to London, so that we have more chances of being accepted in the same place. Thanks again!!

Hi! I'm a Philosophy student and I intend to apply to a Ph.D. Since I'm interested in Aesthetics in continental philosophy, I've started thinking about applying to a Comp. Lit. or Rhetoric program. I've seen some of the coursework is philosophical, but I would like to know if you think it is possible to do philosophical research in those Ph.D. programs. Could you help me telling me your experiences or mentioning interesting people in those programs who are philosophers? Thanks!

Thanks a lot!!! I will PM you right now! As for question 4, what I wanted to know is what should my student profile be like, because in the US I guess every student must know what to say, how to say it, what not to say, if to include in the SOP that he/she played the piano or wrote in the newspaper or whatever. That is to say, what is it that is considered valuable in a student, besides good GPA, good GRE scores, etc.