DHumeDominates

Thanks, Platonist. Harvard is indeed among my top choices (exactly where it stands I don't even know). So, I will turn down some other stuff. But I'm prepared to hang onto the Yale wait list (for example). Deal?

So, unless someone is playing an evil prank on me, I believe Jeffrey McDonough just sent me an email admitting me to Harvard! ... what?!?! I am absolutely STUNNED and, of course, thrilled! EDIT: I hope no one hacked into McDonough's email account and sent me a fraudulent email. That is how shocking news of admission is to me. But I'm sooo excited!!!

Well, there's the results page for philosophy. Click on Results Search (at the top of the page). Then type "philosophy" into the search box. All acceptances, wait lists, and rejections posted to TGC will appear. There are many pages to scroll through.

Congrats! I'm very pleased you've finally heard some positive news.

I really don't think it's that risky at all to accept a student with an excellent application who comes from a really good liberal arts college (say, Williams, Dartmouth, Middlebury). What would be especially risky about that? These students should be able to compete with excellent students from Princeton, Georgetown, Arizona, etc.

I thought I'd tell you a bit more about myself, bar_scene_gambler. I have a BA but not an MA. My BA is not from a PGR top-50 program. In fact, it's from a liberal arts college without a graduate school (ipso facto without a graduate program in philosophy). The liberal arts college in question is in the U.S. News and World Report top-50 (I don't recall exactly where). EDIT: That is, the top-50 liberal arts colleges.

Regarding the text in bold, my thoughts exactly. Of course, even if they weren't fake, I'm cautiously optimistic that Michigan isn't finished sending acceptances and wait lists, especially since so few were posted (you'd think more people would post acceptances from a very highly ranked school). Anyway, we'll find out soon enough!

Thanks for the reply. Is it cool if I assume that the previous Michigan posts were vicious lies? jk

So, Michigan. What's the deal? Several days ago someone said that (s)he thought that Michigan hadn't finished releasing first round acceptances. Is this the opinion of others? Can anyone claim a Michigan acceptance or wait list or rejection?

Wait listed at Wisconsin-Madison! Hooray!

Right, well the impression is not without some logic to it. Anyway, thanks for your insights.

Well, whatever. You think it's not a great program to go to. All of this matters a lot to me, since I've been admitted to Notre Dame (and now Indiana) and need to figure out what to do!

Food for thought. There seem to be three points being made: (1) Philosophy of religion is looked down upon. Even if this is true, I don't care. I'm not particularly interested in the philosophy of religion. (2) Notre Dame isn't as good now that several big names have retired (Plantinga, e.g.). Fair enough. Obviously, this is unfortunate, but it's probably not reason "to avoid Notre Dame like the plague." A lot of programs lose stature; a lot of programs (re)gain it. There's a far bit of fluctuation. (3) Notre Dame is reputed to produce "philosophers of Christ"; and admissions committees don't like that. It doesn't surprise me that, by and large, admissions committees wouldn't like that. But it'd be a damn shame if they overlooked the candidate's qualifications simply because he went to a school that happens to produce many Christian philosophers. (For the record, I'm not a Christian.) Anyway, this is an interesting discussion. I also noticed that there are many Biola grads at Notre Dame, MattDest. But I think we're probably jumping to conclusions when we say that Notre Dame should be "avoided like the plague."

zblaesi, if you actually know what you're talking about (and I'm not assuming that you do), I'd like to hear more. Is your point that hiring committees are reluctant to hire Notre Dame PhDs because (i) the Notre Dame program is most known for (and has a strong) philosophy of religion focus and yet (ii) most philosophers (including most philosophers on hiring committees) "hate" the philosophy of religion? I highly doubt that that is true. But if you know what you're talking about, do enlighten me.

Thanks! And congrats on your decision to attend Arizona (if I haven't already congratulated you ... can't recall)!

This is a very good idea. Many of us would very much like to know when someone turns down an offer or removes oneself from a wait list.

So, I was just admitted to Indiana off of the wait list. Happy about that!

I haven't been reading much philosophy. It bothers me that I haven't. I need to start doing it again, and consistently. I've been reading some fiction (just started A Confederacy of Dunces, which is fucking phenomenal). I tell myself that I'll keep up with Game of Thrones and House of Cards. Then I don't. I've begun exercising. That really does wonders.

You might consult the link below. It was referenced in an email I received from one of the schools that wait listed me. It's not about funding offers; it's about cost of living. Still, it might prove helpful. http://www.bestplaces.net/cost-of-living/

Random comment: Note that, as we have started to hear good news from programs (acceptances and wait list notifications), Loric has disappeared. ... Interesting.

While I want to publish more than I want to teach, I think (hope) I would love teaching.

Regarding your first question, I don't know my exact position, no. But I was told that I am "near the top" of the wait list, from which it follows that the wait list is ranked.

Well, the wait list is ranked, so there's less uncertainty than there would otherwise be.

True and unsurprising. Let's hope they're not being disingenuous. For what it's worth, I think the GRE is a terrible indicator of graduate school success, just as I think the SAT is a terrible indicator of undergraduate success. ... Granted, I don't have the best quantitative score, so maybe I'm not an exception to the "pattern."

Wait listed at Indiana! Fantastic. I really, really like this department. According to Charles McCarty's email, I'm "near the top" of the wait list. Also, ianfaircloud, this is a wait list from the philosophy program, not the history of philosophy and science one.