philstudent1991

I think that sounds like a promising project. Just make sure you look into more nuanced issues in the text and not just point out obvious things. This sounds obvious, but the tone of an undergraduate paper tends to be synoptic and introductory, and that is unlikely to impress so make sure it's on a higher level than that.

I am but I'm equally interested in ethics so I'm applying to a mix. And if MIT were free then why not; I'd go to a top ten department no matter what they wanted to teach me lol. But since it's 75 I won't apply (hopefully that frees up a space for someone else to get in, LOL)

Anyone know if MIT has an app fee and if so what it is? I couldn't find a word about it on their site...but it's probably like 80 or more given comparable departments...

Philosophy of all sorts for me. Are you taking the GRE soon?

They have a respectable PGR rank that's about all I know

I definitely am! What's your field?

I agree with everything you pointed out, especially that one's odds are not good no matter who they are and where they apply. I also acknowledge that many applicants apply to unranked schools. In the program I am in, there are 3 or 4 of us applying to grad school, only one of whom (me) seems to have PGR aspirations. In any case, however, it seems that if the top ten schools all had the same applicants, they would for the most part all pick the same people. This means that despite the subjective element, there is nonetheless a very objective element to the process. This means that there could, in theory, be a ranking of applicants, 1-2,000. What I want to know is of course where I fall in that range, but it seems that we are far too soon in the season for that. I also want to know, though, how many applicants get those coveted PGR plus a few spots, because then if I knew more or less my range, I could estimate where I'd have better chances, if I had any chances at all. And I know just about everyone on here is wondering the same thing.

How many competitive applicants are there each year? I figure there are roughly 50 PGR schools in the US, plus a couple in the UK (Oxford, Cambridge, etc.) and Canada (Toronto, McGill, etc.), plus a couple schools that aren't ranked but have strong specialty areas (Vanderbilt, Emory, etc.), plus the top MA programs (Tufts, Georgia State, Houston, etc.). So let's say there are 70-75ish programs that top applicants might be looking at. The number of applicants each one takes varies widely (Georgia State somewhere like 22, U Chicago 10, Yale 5, etc.), but perhaps we can say that the average program of the sort we are considering takes 4-6 each year (if anyone has contrary information, by all means share). Given these rudimentary calculations, that means that between 280-450 spots exist each year in competitive programs (quite helpful range lol). The first thing to do is to get a more accurate number of total spots. All I've done is make a very uninformed guess. But the real question for me is, how many applicants are there to fill those spots? Yale received 300 apps for 5 spots, but I have no doubt that a vast, vast, vast majority of those applicants applied all throughout the PGR as well. Perhaps the 300 applicants applying at the top 10 schools are roughly the same group of students, and therefore roughly 50 get picked by top schools then maybe lower tier schools pick up more of them and then we get into the 300s, 400s, 500s?, etc. I really have no idea. Any thoughts on how large the TOTAL APPLICANT POOL for competitive positions is? Or, any idea how many TOTAL SPOTS AVAILABLE there are in competitive (70-75 schools I mentioned) programs? I know you guys are out there creepin on this forum, so please chime in!!!

I am curious if anyone has any particular information about this. While I'm no expert, I noticed that Rice has lost one professor since 2006 while hiring 5 more. This seems to me to be a mark of a department that is growing and, most likely, improving as well. Any other such programs? Or, are there any programs obviously on the decline? I have heard this about Kentucky, but again I do not know for sure I can just reflect what I have read and heard.

No idea how competitive food science is but with the Ivy League I'd think 325 or higher to be a real contender, higher if your other application components aren't too strong.

I don't think it's a necessity to submit papers in your aoi. I'm an applying student so i'm no guru, but from what I have read, while writing a paper on your areas of specialty is a good opportunity to show off and particularly to show a program you share interests with them, a paper on a general topic can be fine too (Kant or Descartes or something). However, a particularly general paper, and particularly a paper that is a synopsis of an argument or a review of a debate but makes no actual arguments itself is not likely to impress

Don't think that the GRE will be just like the SAT, it's a whole different animal that will require a good deal of preparation. And without a GRE estimate, it is impossible to estimate where you would be competitive. 80% on Verbal is essentially a minimum qualification for good programs, with 90% being perhaps closer to the average. While a good GPA, writing sample and letters can counteract a mediocre GRE, it would be foolish to hurt your application by not taking the GRE seriously

Sophia: 322 is right on target for a lot of good programs! While nothing is a sure thing, that's a respectable score. Many many schools have strengths in Kant and history of philosophy so it shouldn't be too hard to come up with a list, also factoring in proximity if that's an issue for you.

I thought I'd start a thread for us to share our thoughts, advice, concerns, etc. My big problem right now is finding a good list of schools to apply to. There are no sure things of course, but knowing where I'd actually be a competitive applicant would be nice. It's tough to know what my range should be. Any thoughts? Interests are ethics and continental, GPA 3.92 (4.0 phil), double major, probs around a 320 GRE mid 160s V low mid 150s Q, great letters and probably an exceptional writing sample, and coming from a state school. Should I even mess with a top 20? top 40? Ranked? Any justifiable opinions would be nice and I hope others will post their questions on here too. I'm looking into: Vanderbilt Houston Georgia State Emory Wisconsin Texas Austin others

oh I see that's an interesting little twist. Well good luck!

thanks, you're fall 2014?? why not apply this year?

That's almost 20 schools you're applying to? Do you think you might be able to weed a few out so you can put more attention toward the ones you really care about? Like Vanderbilt and Loyola, you just said you're applying because it's free. I understand that, but is it worth the time and effort of the app? That's gonna be a lot of application fees.

bar scene: sure, or tell me where this other thread is haha this is my first day on this site. I haven't read anything by her I will definitely have to look into it!

Are you looking into PhD programs now bar scene? Ya, UT Austin is already on my list. I'm in the Midwest so while I'm not opposed to any particular region, staying within a days drive or so of home is a plus.

Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus, Marx, etc. And yes, I know continental isn't really strong in the us so I just mean departments that are pluralistic and just happen to have a strength in continental. Thanks!

3.9 GPA (4.0 in philosophy) coming from a big state school, will have great LORs and writing sample, GRE will probably be in the 320-322 range (90th + percentile V, 70ish percentile Q). Interests are ethics and continental. Terminal MA and PhD programs. I'm definitely looking for ranked schools. not Harvard or NYU or anything, but competitive schools with good placement. any thoughts? Thanks guys