ZiggyPhil

To reiterate what Johannes said, philosophy of art is a pretty niche area of analytic philosophy, but more popular in continental philosophy. If you decide to go that route I think you'd be fine to apply directly to continental Ph.D. programs. However, the whole "no gpa" thing may be a big problem, as the school has very little information that indicates that you are a serious student. To that end, I would study intently for the GRE. I think a mediocre score could hurt you more than other applicants because they will have (generally) high GPAs to offset their middling GREs. However, if you are adamant about pursuing analytic philosophy, this is what I'd do: 1.) Study like crazy for the GRE (same reason as above). 2.) Apply for the next school year as a non-degree-seeking student (usually this kind of admission is non-competitive) at the best university in your area that allows such students. 3.) At that university, spend a year taking intermediate/advanced classes in core areas (ancient, early modern, ethics, metaphysics, epistemology). Don't just audit them - you need grades and you need those grades to be A's. 4.) Be sure to form relationships with the professors who can write you recommendations. 5.) After that year (actually in the second semester) apply to terminal M.A. programs. When applying, I would not put too high an emphasis on your interest in philosophy of art. Of course mention it as your favorite subject, but the M.A. programs are general programs, and since most of your classes are going to be in other areas, the school wants to know that you are interested in those as well. When you apply for Ph.D. programs you can (and should) put more emphasis on your primary area of interest. I hope that helps.

Well, there are journals that have quick turnaround times for peer-review, so it's at least possible to have it accepted for publication before applying (of course that's only if you think it's ready for publication). There's a site that keeps records of such things, though the name escapes me at the moment. By the way, congrats on your first conference!

As the 2014 application season is essentially over, I thought I'd make a thread where 2015 applicants could introduce themselves. Is it too soon to do so? Perhaps, but I think grad school admissions are like congressional elections - as soon as one is over you've got to start preparing for the next one. So, on to my introduction. Undergrad: Went to a big and not particularly prestigious state school. Didn't major in philosophy and earned a terrible GPA from years of blowing off classes. Applied and got accepted to law school, but balked at the last minute because I didn't really want to be a lawyer. Found philosophy on my own, and went back to said big state school a couple years after graduating to get a second B.A. in philosophy. Cumulative GPA (combining both degrees) is 2.7 (yeah, I said terrible), philosophy GPA is 3.9. Grad: Currently attending a different big state school for my M.A. (not one of the leiter-mentioned programs, but it is funded). Grad GPA is 4.0. Other stuff: High GRE (except the stupid writing portion), which I'm hoping offsets some of the doubts my terrible undergrad GPA is sure to raise. No publications, but I am currently preparing a few papers for submission to conferences, and I'm working on a book review, so hopefully that will change by application time. Interests: Pretty much the entirety of analytic philosophy. My first love was philosophy of language, but recently I've been more interested in mind. But, I'm also quite interested in ethics and political philosophy. My writing sample will probably be in philosophy of mind. I've read a few continentals but don't get much out of it. Historical areas are somewhat interesting but not a favorite, especially not ancient. I applied to a lot of M.A. programs and did a ton of research about them, so I would happily answer questions from people looking to go that direction.

"I bet there's a 101 class out there that reads Sophie's World." You'd win that bet, as I know someone who teaches it (I have no basis for thinking that a good or bad idea, however) I do think it's best to play to someone preexisting interests, and I think someone who is interested in math is far more likely to enjoy Russell than Plato. However, if you think "On Denoting" is a good first exposure to philosophy, especially outside of a classroom where it can be thoroughly discussed/explained, I fear you have lost touch with what it's like to be a philosophical newcomer.

The classic recommendation would be Russell's The Problems of Philosophy. Since he likes math I'd stick to abstract, metaphysical or logical stuff, and avoid books that focus on value theory (Russell's books fits that description btw).

In my experience, the reading load is significantly higher in historical classes. In my seminars that focus on contemporary analytic, we've pretty much stuck to 1 article per class session (so 2 per week). Of course, this may vary widely with different professor styles.

Could be, though it could also be due to losing a bunch of professors in the last year (I have no idea whether this is the case). I would think if you wanted to start a grad program you'd make more senior hires (these are all asst. profs). If it is leading to a new grad program, I'm hoping it's an M.A. rather than a Ph.D. I really think there's a dearth of funded M.A.'s and a glut of un(der)funded Ph.D.'s.

Hard to say. I was insistent on not taking out more debt for the M.A, and I passed on perhaps better-known schools to go somewhere that funded me. I don't see anything wrong with leaning the other way though, as long as one has a full understanding of the situation regarding philosophical employment.

I'm also skeptical that they would be ranked. Anyone notice this statement on their faculty page?: "The information provided here, as well as subsequent daughter pages, is presented with the intention of providing a resource for those interested in contacting our faculty. Appropriate action will be taken against those who misuse this information." Seems pretty clearly to be in reference to rankings like Leiter's... I doubt they have any right (moral or legal) to control public information in this way, but regardless, having such an obvious (it's in bold at the top of the page, not in fine print at the bottom) but also confusingly vague threat of legal action on your faculty page seems like a terrible idea.

Oh certainly. If you're interested in continental thinkers and you have the necessary language(s), European programs are going to be very attractive - most on this board (myself included) simply don't know enough about European PhD programs to be of help.

I just want to note that this is not universally true. My stipend, for example, is exempt from most taxes. I don't know what the relevant difference is, but I'd suggest asking your graduate program director or university bursar for information.

I think it's safe to assume that there will not be any PhD programs that specialize in such a specific area. So, it seems that your best bet would be to look into primarily continental programs (lots of places to find that info) with one person who has interest in that area (I really doubt you'll find more than one at any particular school). SUNY Stony Brook, for example, would fit both criteria, since that is where Ihlde teaches.

I can't really speak to how to accomplish it, since school is so different in our fields, but you absolutely should not sacrifice sleep. Many of your activities in grad school require intense and focused mental efforts. Such efforts are impeded when you are lacking sleep, so trading sleep for more time reading/writing/in the lab is self-defeating. It will take you longer to understand things, you will not retain as much of what you learn, and you will be more prone to errors.

There's an ambiguity what was asked, so different people are answering different questions. Do you mean to ask how many students are admitted to the program, or how many are in enrolled in any one course?

A bit of clarification, since you say you were advised to apply "after I've finished". Is this meant to imply that they are looking specifically for people with an M.A. already in hand at time of application? This would be news to me, since I took it as the norm that people would be applying in their final year of the masters.

If you don't list them, I feel like the person reading it has to assume they are very small amounts. Since a couple thousand is much more than the smallest amount they might assume (which would I think be a few hundred dollars), I say it behooves you to list the amount.

Two points: 1.) I'm assuming, based on several clues, that you are an international applicant, and the assistantship is vital to securing a visa. If this is so, you may have better luck getting answers in the international students' forum. 2.) I don't know the school's schedule, but a lot of universities are on spring break around this time, which may be why you had trouble getting ahold of someone. I don't know who you've been trying to call, but I think usually the best bet is to email the department secretary/admin asst., and they can point you in the right direction.

I'd wait until after your first year at GSU to worry about it. Since you have divergent interests (so do I, nothing wrong with that), you may find that one becomes primary, and then choosing schools will be easier.

Why would experience at a different school help? Most departments have explicit policies regarding transfer credit, and those policies vary widely.

I don't think a book review would add much to your CV beyond filling in a blank section (assuming you have no other publications). Side note, this may help you avoid the temptation to list papers "in review" on your CV to fill in that space, which I've read is generally bad practice, since it is not an achievement in any sense. However, this doesn't mean they're not worthwhile. Assuming that you wanted to read the book anyway the time a review takes will be pretty small. For that minimal investment of time you get a free book, good practice writing and polishing your prose for publication, experience with the publication process, and maybe a small boost to your professional prospects. Seems like a good deal to me.

I guess I'm not really seeing how visual distraction from laptops is any different from audible distraction from talking. Neither actually blocks the information from the professor, but both create unavoidable extraneous stimuli that distract attention from the lecture. You can't close your eyes in a lecture any more than you can close your ears without missing important information. Here's a study that suggests that the distraction from others' laptops is in fact the number one distraction in modern classrooms, even more distracting than other students talking: http://www.mcla.edu/Academics/uploads/textWidget/3424.00018/documents/laptop_use_in_the_classroom.pdf On the other hand, I am in agreement about avoiding arbitrary rules, and I have no interest in forcing students to learn who are intent on zoning out during class. My only concern is the effect on other students, and that's why I've settled on only allowing laptop use in the back row, where that is not an issue (of course with exceptions in the case of physical impairments that preclude that option).

I don't think this is a reasonable interpretation of what's happening. If you sit behind someone playing youtube videos all class (especially if you sit diagonally behind them, so that their body is not blocking the screen), you will inevitably be distracted through no fault of your own. Would you let some students talk all through class, and say to the others that they should have the self-control to ignore the other conversations going on in the room? Of course not, and the only difference is that the instructor can hear the talking, but can't see the screen.

Apologies if I am misreading your tone, but this comes across as more than a little condescending. A few points: 1.) I didn't suggest alcohol was a solution to everyday stress - we're talking about a particular event that is far more stressful than most people experience in the normal lives (and I actually didn't suggest alcohol at all, I was just pointing out a disconnect between what people actually do and what was being reported in this thread). Obviously, turning to any potentially addictive and harmful substance as your primary means of dealing with stress is dangerous - I assumed this went without saying among people well-educated enough to be applying to graduate school. 2.) I myself cautioned against overuse and suggested an alternative, so why respond as if I said "Just drink all your problems away" ? 3.) If you use a sedative-hypnotic drug (eg alcohol), it's a bit silly to pretend that you don't use it to achieve it's primary effect (relaxation). 4.) A blanket statement like "alcohol will kill you" is obviously and empirically false, and smacks of puritanical moralizing.

(I'm not currently waiting to hear, but I was last year and will be again next year) Either we've got a forum full of teetotalers or people aren't being forthcoming. Alcohol is remarkably anxiety-reducing, but for health reasons this shouldn't be your primary technique given how long the waiting season is. Other substances can be equally effective. I myself find it very difficult to focus on reading of any kind when I'm anxious, and something dense like philosophy is totally out of the question. For me, TV works best, particularly watching DVDs of a show you've seen before but don't remember the details of. Since you know the gist of the story it keeps you entertained without requiring real concentration, and the just-one-more-episode syndrome helps keep you from deciding to get back online when each episode ends. Buffy got me through my last application season, and I expect it will be West Wing that does it next year.

Regarding stats and getting in: I was in a similar though not identical situation, and am currently in a fully funded M.A. program. My overall GPA was actually lower than yours, but my major GPA was higher. However, my philosophy classes were not spread out, as I went back to earn a second B.A. in philosophy a couple years after graduating (at the same school, so the GPA was just averaged with my old GPA). I think in order to have a good shot you need essentially all A's in your remaining coursework (and try to impress the profs... in situations like ours I think letters are especially important). I would also study very hard and get an excellent score on the GRE, even if it is optional for admission. A high GRE combined with excellent recent grades can help assure the M.A. program that your past work is not indicative of your future potential. If you need funding I would apply to more than those three programs. I had to apply to more than a dozen school to find funding. If you don't need it (especially since it sounds like you'll be paying in-state tuition), you may be okay with just those three. Regarding writing sample: If you're really interested in continental, I wouldn't try to write an analytic writing sample. First, it's highly unlikely you'll be able to do it well (just as I could not produce a good writing sample on a continental figure). Second, any program that doesn't take a continental writing sample seriously won't take continental philosophy seriously, and why would you want to spend 2 years in a department that doesn't share your main interests?