perpetuavix

It's important to write down every step you do, whether in your head or in your calculator. I found that organizing my scratch paper really helped with this. I fold my paper 4 times in half so that when I unfold it, I have 16 small boxes. I usually don't label them with the numbers, but I follow them in order. If I skip question 11, I skip box 11. (If you write big, you might want to fold the paper only 3 times, so you end up with 8 boxes). Anything I do for a given problem goes in the box; that includes calculations or eliminating answer choices. It makes it easy to see what I've done and what I'm doing now, especially if I come back to a problem after having started it. I also like to hide the clock. It distracts me, and makes me worry more about time. I know some people need to see it pace themselves, but maybe you can practice both ways and see which one stresses you out the least.

I have a 3.27 undergrad GPA, and I was reasonably successful this year. I think two things (other than my LORs and writing sample) really helped me: I have teaching experience, and I had an excellent GPA from my (education) masters. I really think your teaching experience is an asset, although I think it matters more to PhD programs than to terminal Masters programs (since pretty much all PhDs have teaching requirements, but only some Masters do). It's something you should talk about in your SOP. I used the data from APA about which schools give primarily/exclusively teaching fellowships (which to me, signifies that they value teaching) to decide where to apply and tailor my SOP. I got the info from here: http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.apaonline.org/resource/resmgr/grad_guide/gg12_phdcomp.pdf?hhSearchTerms=%22gg12%22 although I can't find a comparable format for the 2013 data on APA's website. It does seem like proving yourself in graduate level work would help your chances. You could apply to philosophy or English Masters programs, but you could also take philosophy classes as a nondegree student. Since you're still in the DC area, You can look at UMD or UVa to see if they accept nondegree students. I would imagine they do, because most schools are more than happy to take your money. PhD admissions have a great deal of randomness in them to start with. I think there are probably some schools where your GPA will automatically disqualify, no matter what else your file looks like. But there are probably other schools where you still stand a chance, as long as you make every other part as strong as possible. It sounds like you'll have strong LORs, but what about your writing sample? Your statement of purpose? Your GREs? As much as people don't like GREs, I think a strong score (165+ V and 160+ Q) would be very valuable to show that your GPA isn't representative of your ability.

I think you should check with the school, but I would be very surprised if they said you weren't required to have an academic reference. Also, 3 years really isn't that long? I had two recommendations from my undergrad institution; I graduated in 2010. If you haven't been in touch with any of your professors, there's still plenty you can do to get a letter that's better than "she was a good student". Get in touch with a professor who knew you well (you took multiple classes with, went to office hours, or something like that). Make sure you can provide them with all sorts of info: your best work in their classes, your transcripts, your current CV, your statement of purpose, maybe even your writing sample. If you can give your letter writer a reminder about how awesome you were, and context for why you're applying to a program in a totally different field, you can get a solid letter out of them (and satisfy the requirements of the school you're applying to).

They rejected you. Why would you want to go there?

I'm not excited about moving across the country, but I'm pretty excited about everything else.

Obvious advice is obvious, but: have you tried reaching out to the department?

I want to be close to campus. I'd consider UDistrict, but it seems like I might be happier somewhere more like Ravenna. I'm hoping there's more non-student-rented apartments (ie. ones not on a September lease schedule) further away from campus. PS. Best of luck in NYC! Let me know if you have any awesome tips about Seattle

I really loved the program when I visited and they have more faculty in phil sci doing work I'm interested in. I hope I will agree with your inequality when I get there, although I'm not excited about moving across the country....

Turned down CUNY for UWashington, and it feels so good.

Will you have a stipend from your school? Most rental companies are happy to accept an offer letter in lieu of pay stubs for the income requirements. If your credit score is low and you're saving some money up, one thing you can do is offer more money up front. If they ask for first month's and deposit, offer last's month rent as well. Obviously, you need to have enough money to do this saved, but it can encourage a landlord who wouldn't otherwise consider you. You can also look into subletting an apartment. Most people don't run credit checks on the people they sublet to; some rental history (which you have) is likely enough. Good luck!

What's the rental market like during the summer? It's looking like I'll be moving to Seattle, and I'd like to do so in July or August. Are full-term leases available around those times, or is it mostly summer sublets?

If you think your interests are moving towards language, you should probably go to the school with more strength in language. I think we've all heard the idea that your interests change in grad school, but it's likely your interests will change in ways that are supported by the faculty members of wherever you end up. Unless you have an unusual amount of time to do outside reading, your interests will probably change because of the classes you take. Professors generally teach classes on topics where they have a great deal of knowledge, so it seems unlikely you'll develop a new interest that the faculty can't support.

I got my Masters in NY to teach in NY. But I know a teacher who got her degree in NY and planned to transfer her license to NJ. It turned out to be a lot more challenging than she thought it would be. The program barely understood the NYS requirements and weren't able to help her at all with the NJ process. Yes, NY does have reciprocity with most other states. That's likely because it has the most involved certification process I've ever heard of. The initial license requires 2 tests ($120 each when you do the computer-based version); the professional license will soon require 3 tests, for probably the same price per test. If you want to transfer your license to MA, you still have to take the MA required test. PA uses Praxis tests, which are pretty common across most states, but aren't used in MA or NY; they cost $85-$135 each and there's usually multiple required, depending on your subject area. I just don't know why you would spend money and time to get a license in a state solely so you can immediately spend more time and money to transfer it to a different one, especially in a field where it doesn't matter where you go to school.

There's a thread of people with GPAs below 3.0 who were accepted to various programs: You can browse and see if anyone has had success in anthropology. But that is a pretty low GPA. If you want to get into a good program right after graduation, you would need the rest of your application to be stellar. You could also take graduate level classes as a non-matriculated student to show that you can handle grad level work. It also might help if you waited a few years before applying; the further out you are from undergrad, the less your GPA matters (especially if you have relevant work experience).

If the research is a better fit AND you like the location better, it sounds like that easily trumps prestige. Your post here sounds like you're much more positive about Montana, honestly.

I'm struggling with this as well. I really think I would do better work at UW and have more potential advisors, but my life is in New York. My fiance also would prefer staying here (although he would come with me if I decided on UW). Right now, we've agreed to follow the money. I have full funding at UW and am waitlisted for funding at CUNY. If I don't hear from CUNY, we're going to Seattle (which makes me happy) and if the money does happen, we'll stay (which makes my fiance happy).

Are you waitlisted for admission, or waitlisted for funding? I was briefly waitlisted for admission, but now just funding. I'm actually worried I gave them the impression that I would attend without funding when I visited; I was asking about other alternative sources, which there actually are some since I already live here and can easily get in state tuition. But I'm worried they don't feel like they need to fund me. I assume you got the same bcc email about funding?

I'm not so sure philosophers will come out ahead in the revolution.....

Your POI is someone that could possibly be the chair of your dissertation committee. It's pretty common to have one person who guides your dissertation process, and the committee is only involved at certain points (ie, you meet weekly with your advisor and send your committee work once a month/semester), but I guess it varies by school/department. In applying, it's a good idea to have more than one POI, just because you might not connect with one or more of your POIs when you actually need to select your dissertation chair. I included POIs in all my SOPs, which worked out for me but some people think you shouldn't name names (and also had success with that). There is a lot of talk about 'fit' in humanities grad school admissions. Schools want to accept students that they can support; if you expect to work in a field where professors don't have any experience, you probably won't be admitted. In math/science, it's pretty important to connect with people you could work with and encourage them to admit you. That doesn't seem to be the case in humanities. You might get a small boost if your POI is on the admissions committee or if you've made a real connection with your POI (ie. don't email them just to email them; have something substantive to say). I didn't contact any of my POIs and it worked out fine for me.

Yes, I'm talking about teacher education programs. I have one friend who did the Masters in math education, and a few who went through their special ed department. In talking to them, their programs actually taught them things about child development and educational theory. I don't think that a Masters degree actually prepares anyone to teach, but I really wish I had more theory and knowledge about current research, which is something a Masters can and should provide and mine did not. I repeatedly wrote 'my teaching philosophy' and that was about the extent of my grad school work. If you plan to teach in MA, why wouldn't you go to a school there? Teaching is a professional degree; it's easiest to get the degree where you plan to work. It doesn't mean you can't get a degree in a place that you don't plan to teach, it just means you will likely have to do the certification process without a lot of help from your program.

I'm not really sure who considers TC a diploma mill? I have a Masters in education and I know people who went to programs throughout the city, including TC. If you mean they grant a lot of diplomas, I guess that's true, but I wrote fewer pages over my entire program than most TC students wrote in one semester. TC is pretty rigorous, especially compared to many, many other education programs. Where are you planning to teach? New York has a pretty intense certification process (that is about to get even longer and more expensive). I would try to get certified in the state where you actually want to teach. I know that New York has reciprocity with other states, but if I had tried to get certified somewhere else, no one in my program would've been able to help me; they only (barely) knew the NYC requirements.

Brooklyn Heights is a super nice area. It's really very safe (as is the vast majority of New York), and it's a short commute to NYU; probably 20 minutes, including walking. I think finding all those amenities is definitely possible, but you'll obviously be looking at big, new buildings. You might also look in Financial District (you might be slightly priced out there, but the majority of buildings offer those amenities). There's also a lot of new buildings in Long Island City and Williamsburg that might have what you're looking for. As to where I'm going, I went and visited this week (I'd never been to Seattle and the department paid for plane tickets and lodging) and I absolutely loved the program out there. But I really love NYC and my fiance wants to stay here for his job/future school prospects. He's at NYU now in psychology and he really likes it. I'm super torn! Good luck!

Then $2000 is probably a good estimate. But four weeks out is probably even still a little too early. Real estate in New York moves very, very quickly. The last time I moved, I was the first person to see my apartment and moved in two days later. I also made appointments to see places the next day, only to find they had already been rented. Landlords have a strong incentive to fill apartments as quickly as possible; they're losing money when it's empty. So if you start looking for something four weeks out, I don't think you'll find many landlords who would take your application over someone who needs to move sooner. It's stressful, sure, but I wouldn't start seriously looking (ie making appointments to see places) until 2 weeks before, but I would go to every viewing with all my paperwork in hand and ready to go.

It's hard to say whether specific students in the philosophy departments across the schools are actually participating, but I'm not sure what the strike would do to the departments themselves? As for people with acceptances, as long as your acceptance is definitely funded, I would take this to be a good sign. Generally, a strike leads directly to new contract negotiations and gives the union a great deal of leverage to get what they want. The strike will likely (hopefully?) results in better working conditions for grad students across the system, and perhaps better pay (although that doesn't seem to be the main issue in this case). For waitlisted students, it's probably a little murkier; I could see how departments might be unwilling to dip into the waitlist if they think having a smaller class this year might be beneficial for the department if costs increase. But it's also possible departments will be unaffected and will not change their planned enrollment size.

I got my Masters at St John's. Trekking to the Queens campus is not an experience I would want to repeat ever again. They do have a Manhattan campus that's right near WTC, but they generally offer limited classes down there. Just so you know, Queens is a borough; I think you mean 'neighborhoods'. The E and the F are the closest to St John's so you'll probably want to look at places near those trains. Specific neighborhoods would be Jackson Heights and Elmhurst, and possibly Woodside (although you'd be on the local subway line, which would require a transfer to get to St John's and would increase the amount of time it takes to get to Manhattan. Not sure if St John's gave you any funding, but you could probably live in any of those neighborhoods close enough to the subway stop if you lived with roommates for a reasonable price.