philstudent1991

dfindley, I think it shows a lot of initiative that you have gone to the trouble to self publish a book, and that you are really committed to the material! I don't doubt your drive and potential. However, the graduate school process is about showcasing and packaging that potential. The GPA, GRE, letters and writing sample combine to do this. While you may feel that you have a very string writing sample, I'm not sure why you think these top programs should break their rules just for you. There are dozens if not scores of applicants coming from top schools with excellent GPAs, great letters, 95%+ GREs, AND great writing samples. I think you need to take a step back and work on improving your dossier. The GRE isn't for everyone, and GPAs can be deceiving. The thing that is most troubling to me about your application is why you only have one letter of recommendation. I can't imagine why that would be, unless perhaps you don't speak in class or perhaps you speak far too much in class. I'm not sure, and I'm in no position to judge you, but that to me is what the red flag in your application would be. I think you should consider applying to MAs, definitely, or just taking a year to see where life takes you. Best of luck friend!

Can I just end these threads once and for all? I completely understand applicants angst with regard to low GRE scores. But it's November, and apps are due in the next month or two. Literally everything else is more important than the GRE right now. Focus on this semester's grades, focus on your sample, focus on hunting down your letter writers and getting everything in shape for applying. Even if your GRE scores are truly abysmal, do you think you can change that in the next month? I don't mean anything against the OP, who had a 161, 161, 4.5, but those scores are just fine, and in the grand scheme of things they are really pretty good. Could they be better? Of course. But unless you got a 170, 170, 6, whose couldn't? Just focus on what really matters now, which is literally everything except for the GRE

Doesn't help you but otherwise your scores are great and if your sample is great then no problem.

ya, youre scores are already decent. bigger fish to fry than that

I am in philosophy so perhaps this isn't universal, but here's my understanding: sometimes good but non top schools have top departments in a given field. In philosophy such examples are NYU, Rutgers and Pitt. All are reputable schools, but not Ivy League status. However, their philosophy departments compete with top programs for applicants (competing with Harvard, Stanford, Yale, etc.). So, they ask that in order to show higher level administrators that their department is indeed competing for top applicants, and this gives them some firepower in budgeting talks. That's my understanding at least! As far as the strategic side of it for you...I'm not sure. Does listing only a few schools hurt you? Does listing a lot of schools hurt you? What if the school you are applying to is the least prestigious on the list? What if it's the most? These are the thoughts I have on that particularly question lol and unfortunately all I can do is just put where else I'm applying and get on with it. I have no way of knowing what the implications may be, but I think at most they would be minimal to irrelevant.

Any thoughts? I'm in philosophy but I imagine it's a pretty general question....a week before? A month before? I don't want my apps to get overlooked or anything but I'd lovvveeeee to get them submitted already.

Ok, I've already submitted one as well. Thanks for the input. Best of luck to you guys! It's pretty much a hunger games type situation now

Do most people submit on the deadline, or a week before...a month before? Anyone know?

hard to imagine it would hurt...just me tho. if you're at a t10 school, chances are they have a top philosophy department as well. Definitely try to take a class or two, or at least audit.

I think such an understandable error will be forgiven

Alright, hopefully this will help us all get a sense of the competition (and hopefully more applicants will start sharing!) Big state school, 3.92 GPA (4.0 major), double major (Philosophy and a foreign language) 169V/156Q/5 GRE Should have very strong letters and a good writing sample Applying to one top 10 school (North Carolina), and the rest mostly in the lower half of the top 25, a few unranked and a few MAs. 10-15 programs total. Main interests: metaethics, epistemology, continental, phil of biology

the obvious other side of this coin is that you risk coming across as emailing them under the transparent pretense of obtaining some useless knowledge and they will know you are really just trying to get your name in the mix, and that probably hurts you if you seem like an ass kisser. some professors don't mess with such emails, precisely because they know people try to do this. I'd recommend contacting because some will be helpful. But some will not; don't take it personally they are likely just trying to keep the playing field fair.

I don't think it'll sink you. But regardless, don't waste the time and money messing with it. Focus on getting strong letters and a strong sample. Just my 2 cents

I definitely can relate to the choice between doing what you love and doing what seems to make sense, financially and otherwise. In your case, I would be so, so hesitant to leave a top 5 law school to go pursue a degree in philosophy, just in order to apply to a continental phd program, many of which are among the most competitive of all. I know you've already thought of this and it's not what you want to hear, but I just wouldn't want the buzz of the prospect of positive change to blind you to the bad side of this, which is that you are sacrificing a better part of a decade in earning potential, and even on the other side of the degree the job prospects are scarce, very much the opposite of the prospects you will have as a graduate of a top 5 law school. Since you're at a top 5 law school, your philosophy department is probably top 10 or so. Definitely, as the above poster said, audit some undergraduate courses, talk with professors, etc. Maybe that can help you both find your way and boost your chances. I think if I were you I would apply straight into PhD programs as is. Your chances will be meager, no doubt. But your chances will be only slightly less meager with another degree, which will take thousands of dollars and years of your time. This way, if you don't get in anywhere you can stay in school and still say you tried, and if you do get in somewhere then great. But I wouldn't make such a leap as leaving school. I just wouldn't do it. But it's a choice only you can make.

if you take some graduate classes for undergrad credit and your sample is truly improved by it, no I wouldn't think it would hurt you

Same problem. Want to show I know something....but not sound like I already have my mind made up :/

My major GPA is a 4.0 and my GRE verbal is 99th percentile. My letters will say I am one of the best out of the department in years, and my sample, I think, will be pretty solid. Yet, I wonder if I can get in to any Leiter T 20 program. This is because I go to a school that does not have a PhD program, and is not a SLAC or Dartmouth or anything of the sort. It's not a community college or anything either, but it does not have an overwhelming academic reputation. I would be curious to hear from those that got into top schools with less that outstanding pedigree as to whether this weakness is damning to an otherwise exceptional application. (And yes, I know I should apply to some MAs).

GRE score is no doubt a factor, but I agree MA programs would be a good route for you! I think your list is pretty complete

Retake if and only if you have good reason to think you will do markedly better. Don't throw away 185 bucks or whatever plus all the time and money of preparing if you don't put 100% into it. I recommend the online material through Barron's. But in the end, only you can answer this question, because only you really know what the standards are of the schools you are looking at. If you want to go to Princeton, then ya obviously you need to retake but at many other lower ranked schools, these scores might not be damning as long as you give the committee other reasons to believe you are a good applicant. Another thought: stay off grad café until after the test. You absorb some important info the first day or two on here but after that it is useless and a waste of valuable time you could be using for studying. Good luck!!!

I'm inclined to think that your GRE score will survive the initial cut, if there is one, just about anywhere. Of course there is no guarantee of anything in this process, and while the correlation between high GREs and acceptances is undoubtedly positive, I think the correlation is an even bigger deal between writing sample and acceptance and, unfortunately for everybody, between prestige of undergrad institution and acceptance.

No those scores are pretty good, unless your writing was like a 2 then don't retake

Well try to remember, worrying about it accomplishes nothing, and if anything just hurts you by being distracting. So try not to worry

And of course, it depends on what those grades are whether it is better to include your first semester of senior year grades or not.

Wasn't the OP asking about GRE prep materials? I used Barron's online material and it really helped!

Just gotta email them. Some don't respond on principle, because they want to be impartial to all applicants. Some do respond. Be sure to mention your interest in their work in your SOP, within reason of course