zblaesi

First of all, I am so sorry to hear this, Ian. We all owe you a huge thanks for everything you've done this application season. You took a terrible, anxiety-inducing process and made it a little less horrible. This is very revealing. I wrote in metaethics and drew on work in experimental philosophy. This could partly explain my rejections. I had a feeling this could screw me, but I didn't realize it was a hot topic right now. (In fact, I got the impression from Street that I was working in a relatively unexplored area.)

In reference to all the "go with your heart" suggestions, I guess I'm feeling guilty about abandoning UW-M primarily because I really like Russ Shafer-Landau. I've read a number of his works, and I hold his writing style in high esteem. However, my research hasn't brought me into direct contact with any of the faculty at UT. I get the sense that if I had read more works by, say, Dancy, I would be more excited about UT. So, I guess I'm feeling the reason versus emotion effect: my heart is with Russ Shafer-Landau, but my criteria seem to point toward UT.

I've looked at the records, but I don't really know how to go about weighing them.

Thanks for this very tactful post. I guess I'm not so sure going to Texas means abandoning metaethics. I've talked to some students doing ethics at Texas, and they seem happy. Jonathan Dancy, for example, is supposed to be good in metaethics, even though he's only there in the spring. Based on my experiences at NYU, it can be easier to get valuable input from philosophers of language on metaethical issues than the vice versa. In fact, Stephen Schiffer has done some significant metaethics (not many people know this), and he was, in certain ways, much more helpful to me than some of the folks concentrating in metaethics. I guess I get the feeling that it might be easier to do well in metaethics at UT than it would be to do well in language at UW.

One other factor I forgot to emphasize: UT offers six years of financial support, versus UW, which offers only five.

What would personally tip you in favor of UW-M? I think I'm struggling so much because my heart is so divided. I don't feel a strong intuition one way or another.

I am actually really interested in experimental philosophy in general and empirically-informed metaethics in particular, so if you guys know anything about the other departments (e.g., in the sciences) at either school, that information could be helpful.

I think you're right: I'm going to feel a sense of loss no matter which program I turn down. I'm just trying to stay clear-headed in my decision. If you have experience with Madison, maybe you can tell me how often it snows. I agree with you that Austin seems like the better city. In terms of moving/proximity to family/etc., they seem evenly matched. My parents are from NJ, and most of my friends are in NYC. The only possible advantage to UW-M is that I know a guy who has some friends there, but that isn't really a weighing factor. In terms of funding, I have information that seems to tip the scale far in UT's favor. First of all, I confirmed that I will receive a $5000 recruiting fund the first year. Second, the graduate coordinator informed me that UT is hoping to implement a system where, for one semester, students will have the option to not TA, while retaining full financial benefits. As far as I know, UW-M isn't offering anything like that. How in the world did you estimate $16k? Maybe I am misreading the letter. Regarding the weather, I talked to the graduate coordinator over the phone. She's from the East Coast, and she argued that the weather in Austin is quite nice. I hate the heat in NYC, but a large part of that is the humidity. She was explaining that Austin has much less humidity, so the heat isn't as bad.

But I do hate the heat. I tend to run hot and sweat easily. I dread the idea of getting sweaty walking to class during the hotter months. But I really have no sense of how the weather at Austin compares to NYC. I've heard that there have been issues with sexual harassment at UT, but that's about it.

It looks very likely that I'll be getting offers from both UT-Austin and UW-Madison today, which I didn't anticipate. I've been leaning toward choosing UT, but now that both options are (nearly) on the table, I'm feeling some last minute anxiety over my decision. For background, my AOI are metaethics/language/epistemology. Here are some factors I've considered... UT is higher ranked - and I get the impression it is climbing. UW-M would be great for metaethics, whereas UT would be great for language. UW-M seems to have much less support in language. (Sidelle referred me to John Mackay, an assistant professor, and Martha Gibson.) I feel like I am becoming increasingly interested in language over and above metaethics, plus I've been told that your interests tend to change in grad school. Therefore, UT seems like the safer program, in terms of offering the most all-around support for my current interests. UT isn't great in metaethics, from what I can tell. Jonathan Dancy only teaches during the spring. It may be hard to find support in metaethics, though the graduate students I've spoken to seem to be doing fine. UW-M offers me easy access to the annual metaethics conference. Only two grad students at UW-M list language as an AOI, versus two grad students at UT who list metaethics as an AOI, plus about an additional 12 who list ethics as an AOI. I might have a better time interacting with the students at UT than UW-M, given my AOI. UT seems slightly better funded (I roughly estimate $13,410 for the year versus $13,368 at UW-M). But it depends on how much the student fees at UW-M amount to. On the other hand, Austin seems more expensive. However, UT offers six years of support versus the five years of support at UW-M. http://phiplaces.wordpress.com/placements-2007-2013-2/ - based on this, UW-M seems to have a better placement record. Texas is supposed to be very hot. (I hate the heat.) By contrast, UW-M is supposed to be very cold, plus it gets a lot of snow. (I don't mind the cold, but I don't look forward to wearing huge jackets and trudging through snow.) As an undergraduate, I was also a film production major, so it is important to me to stay in touch with the film world specifically and the arts more generally. Austin has a budding film community, and moving from NYC to Austin seems like less of a drastic change than moving from NYC to Madison. Crispin Wright, my one letter-writer, seems to have connections at UT. The same goes for Stephen Schiffer. If I plan to re-apply and possibly transfer from UT, it might be easier to do this at UT than UW-M. (On the other hand, I'm sure Sharon Street knows Shafer-Landau quite well.) At the end of the day, I think it comes down to choosing the department with the most support in my primary AOI and a great adviser, versus choosing the overall better program. I'm still leaning toward UT, but what do you guys think? Is there anything I haven't considered? WHAT DO I DO?! -- EDIT -- New consideration in favor of UT: I will indeed receive the $5000 recruiting fund, plus there is a possibility that UT will be offering students a semester with full-benefits but without any teaching.

It has been a really tough choice, and as much as I want to work with Shafer-Landau, I feel UW-M could eventually be a bad fit for me. I'm becoming increasingly interested in philosophy of language, and UW-M seems to offer very little support in that area, whereas UT has amazing faculty in both language and epistemology. Having said that, if I end up going to UW-M, I'll probably be happy regardless.

Just got an offer from UW-M! I need advice on two things, and maybe you guys can help... 1) I still would rather go to UT, but I have to accept the offer to UW-M by noon tomorrow. I emailed the graduate coordinator at UT to inform her of this. In the event that they can't let me know by tomorrow morning, do you guys think I should accept UW-M? I've been told that I am top on the wait-list at UT and "very, very" likely to get an offer. But I don't want to turn down a good offer for the uncertainty of another offer. 2) Should I start drinking tonight, or wait until I have certain news from UT? -- EDIT -- I just got an email from the admissions chair at UT, who told me that I am "legally entitled to have until 5pm" to make a decision; if I am forced to make a decision before noon, and UT makes me an offer before 5pm, then I am legally entitled to turn down Wisconsin after accepting their offer and go to UT. Hopefully he's right!

I was told that there is one position available. They are waiting to hear from this student by tomorrow. And I'm "#1" on the wait-list. But, as I said, I am very likely accepting UT's offer, if they extend me one (which they very likely will), so this means whoever is #2 on the UW-M wait-list is in good shape, as far as I can tell.

This is my lucky day! I was also informed I'm next in line at Wisconsin. I still think UT is the right choice, but honestly... having both options on the table, it's tough!

Just got an email from Texas informing me that I will very likely get an offer. I will accept if so, and promptly remove myself from the Wisconsin wait-list. The waiting is killing me though!

Yeah. I'm just trying to prepare myself for the event that UW-M calls me on the 15th earlier in the day, and yet I'm still waiting on UT. UT is my top choice, but I'd be happy to attend UW-M, so I want to make sure I don't inadvertently screw myself over.

Two questions: 1) Do you guys know if departments will make decisions on wait-listed students no later than the 15th? Or could it conceivably be days or weeks after the 15th? 2) Imagine you're wait-listed at two schools, X and Y. X is your top choice, but you get a call from Y wanting to admit you. How would you respond to Y? I'm just wondering if a school will accept someone else in your place if you don't accept the offer immediately.

Right now, Texas is my top-choice, but its funding seems similar to Wisconsin's. Am I missing something? Or does Texas just have bad funding, too?

Still waiting to hear about Texas and Wisconsin!

Can you elaborate on what you have in mind?

I am supposedly close to top for both programs, so maybe it'd make sense in my case. But I don't even know how to approach it.

Guys, don't worry: CUNY wants to admit me into their MA program for liberal arts.

I'm still wait-listed and hoping for the best. I've been considering contacting some professors in my areas of interest, since I imagine it can't hurt to start building relationships with professors you might end up working with, but I worry that this might be too risky. What do you guys think? What has your approach been?

Great minds think alike