astreaux

First year PhD student here who had multiple offers from top programs-- at twice the age of the youngest first year PhD students in my program. If the fit, grades, scores, recs, and statement(s) meet the programs' expectations, your life experiences should enhance your application.

Wow. Way to go with the notifications, Duke!

No, your quant score does not disqualify you from consideration. I have a number of great offers this cycle, and although my verbal is 99th percentile, my quant score is actually a couple of points lower than yours. The biggest takeaway lesson from my cycle was that having a single red mark on your application is not a deal breaker if the program is a great fit for your research interests. That said, apply broadly. Identify several more schools that could be good fits for you. The admissions process is full of surprises because decisions are made by human beings. There's no magical formula. I was rejected from most of the programs that I thought were my best shots, and admitted to programs that I considered way out of my league.

It's too late for this cycle, but for those interested in studying philosophy and law, Berkeley Law has an interdisciplinary PhD program (Jurisprudence and Social Policy) that allows you to choose "philosophy and law" as your major field. Some students apply to the PhD program alone. Others apply to the PhD and JD programs together. http://www.law.berkeley.edu/jsp.htm

This is a very good question, and I will be interested to see what other responses you get. I attended a low-prestige commuter school for undergrad, but I worked with top notch professors there who gave me a number of opportunities to distinguish myself academically, and who gave me (according to PhD programs that have since admitted me) outstanding LOR. I have several good offers, including the two most prestigious public programs in my field. Not a single private PhD program admitted me. I honestly do not know if this is a pattern or a coincidence, and in the end, I don't know if it matters. Institutional prestige (particular insofar as it's a proxy for academic rigor) obviously counts for something, but I am living, breathing proof that it's possible to get into highly competitive PhD programs from highly uncomeptitive undergrad schools if you work hard to set yourself apart as someone who will thrive in a more challenging environment. Best of luck to you with your applications!

Those who get emails re: rejections usually initiate the discussion themselves. I would encourage you to contact the graduate coordinator at both programs if you're eager for status updates.

I contacted Fonda Anthony, Duke's graduate program coordinator, who confirmed that "Our admissions committee met several times to review and select the candidates to whom they wanted to offer admission and those candidates have been notified. The decline letters will be sent soon."

Sorry to hear it-- I did too. It's disappointing, of course, but huge props to Harvard for how quickly and courteously they respond to email.

Still waiting. The website says not to bug them unless we don't hear by Friday 3/7.

I'm only sorry I can't up-vote this twice. Congratulations!

Hoping for official rejections soon from Chicago and Duke... that will be the dot on my last i and the cross on my last t. Congrats to those who have made decisions!

If he wants to be a really pretentious grad student, Kermit Lynch's wine shop is in Berkeley. It's the mothership of traditionally made wines., and it's already in my Berkeley pros column

Chicago's website says it ain't over until next Friday. I wouldn't be surprised if there are more MAPSS offers, though. Some folks applied directly there and are submitting MAPSS acceptances here, but in previous years, those who applied and were rejected to the PhD program posted their MAPSS offers as PhD rejections a few days later. Perhaps those notifications will go out next. So as Toni said, don't give up hope. https://socialsciences.uchicago.edu/announcement/admissions-decisions-being-sent-out

For what it's worth (and it's worth a lot given the unprofessional communication some of us have had from other departments) he got back to me almost instantly, and he seemed genuinely eager to let folks know exactly where they are in the process.

I did. Thom Wall confirmed that there have been no offers yet, and that decisions will be made next week at the earliest-- probably late next week.