UCLA's admissions process has been ridiculous to the point where I just accepted at another institution and was glad of it. Even if I got in, I wouldn't want to go there after seeing how they handle their affairs. Best of luck to those still waiting though.
We'll see! I should add that you shouldn't look down on your writing sample too much. At least with UVa, there were apparently 26 people competing for each individual spot this year. Your sample must've caught the eye of the committee for you to have been waitlisted at all.
One of my professors at my undergrad institution started his Ph.D program at Syracuse University. Halfway through the program there was for some reason a mass exodus of Syracuse's then-most-recognized philosophy professors -- severely decreasing the strength of the department. My professor and many of his colleagues opted to transfer, and he ended up at Rutgers where he graduated.
So there you have an example of a transfer who had good reason to transfer, without stepping on anybody's toes, who ended up at a top tier school in the process.
I was in contact with a philosopher of mind at Freiburg who read one of my papers and said she would be really happy to work with me. However, when I told her that I had only bachelors degrees from the U.S., she said her university's rules would prevent me from enrolling as a Ph.D student. Apparently the norm for European universities is a M.A. prerequisite to the Ph.D. Can anyone confirm or correct me?
Thanks.
Lurker here. I, too, received the USC email this morning and just got off the phone with them. They found the transcript and say they'll have it merged with the rest of my app within the next 1-3 days. The guy also said that, though he is not on the committee, the decisions should be released within a month.
Good luck all.