overoverover

Welcome, FellowSufferer! And I wouldn't worry about your AW. You're sending in a writing sample—ad coms probably think that's a better indicator of writing ability than some essay from a standardized test.

I think it's probably true that having well-known professors write you letters is a good thing. But there are a lot of other factors in a good application, and it's definitely false that unknown letter-writers will sink your applications. I wouldn't worry about the letters too much. They are the part of the application that you just can't control after you've selected the writers. I understand it's easy to stress about it all (that's why we're here!), but I wouldn't be too concerned.

Sounds to me like MA programs would be your best bet. Maybe apply to a few MAs like Tufts, Brandeis, and GSU and a couple of PhDs, but only PhD institutions where you'd actually be happy. I don't think Brandeis and Tufts fully fund, but I know GSU does. I don't know about other MA programs.

I think I was a little vague. I don't think there was a causal link from PI to disliking existentialism, but something a bit weaker. PI got me interested in philosophy of language, and then that led me to just ignoring the existentialists. When I came back to them, I had lost the taste.

I'm also a big fan of B&T, though just psychologically I tend not to associate Heidegger with Sartre, Camus, Kierkegaard, etc. I think some of Division 1 of B&T is just flat-out brilliant. Also, if you haven't read Husserl before, you should! I'm sort of paging through the Logical Investigations and really liking it. It's very similar to Frege, and in fact Dummett writes in the preface that in his opinion, the "Analytic" and "Continental" traditions were never closer than when Husserl published LI and Frege published Foundations of Arithmetic.

I was definitely one of those angsty high schoolers who got into philosophy through the existentialists. I lost my taste for them shortly after reading Philosophical Investigations!

I'm hoping to go my entire philosophical career without reading it, mostly for giggles. (And like you I don't have any real historical interests, though I've been exposed pretty widely to history of philosophy.)

I can beat that: I haven't read Plato's freaking Republic.

So what I'm hearing is that we're all supposed to get drunk when we do logic homework?

I was being a little ironic— no matter what, it'll feel too long. Time to read good books and drink good beer.

It's not so bad: some schools might get back to us in late February!

Finally, somebody admits it!

Thanks. I'll give it a look. I've actually been lucky because my current logic class, and the one I'll be taking in the spring, are actually cross-listed in math and philosophy and taught by a mathematician. I also definitely want to check out More Precisely.

How is How to Prove It ? I know it doesn't require much of a math background, but how much of a logic background is too much for the book to be useful?

That was a great book to read. Also, I pressed the wrong arrow on your reply---sorry about that, didn't mean to down vote you!

If you're anything like me, you're already going a little crazy. I find that I'm reading a lot more philosophy (and some fiction) in order to stay sane. Anybody else doing the same thing? In addition to my school stuff, I've been reading parts of David Enoch's Taking Morality Seriously and I just started Stephen Yablo's Aboutness. Probably going to read Epistemic Modality (ed. Egan and Weatherson) afterward (or at least some of the chapters). On the lighter side, I just read Never Let Me Go. So, what are you reading? Anything awesome that everybody should check out?

Same goes for UMass. I thought it might be because they're state schools or something, but UConn, Berkeley, and UCLA all use the same application service as Harvard and USC. The strangest part about Rutgers is that you can only submit your supporting materials after you've submitted the application itself. You pay, submit the app, and then have to wait 24 hours to upload your writing sample!

Looking at you, Rutgers.

I've been reporting highest scores. They'll get the full score report anyway

Yes, you can submit before the letters are submitted. In fact, some schools don't send out letter requests until after you've paid!

I guess I should say where I am: I've submitted my applications. I finished my sample a few weeks ago, and my statements of purpose a bit after that. I have a few letters that need submitting, but they have plenty of time

I'll be emailing admissions offices.

Sorry to hear about the conversion rate troubles—that's a real bummer. But good luck!

Damn! But oh well. I might send some emails just to see, but I won't get my hopes up.

So, almost November now. How's everybody doing? How're the apps coming? Also, anybody know how long schools hold on to GREs? I'm applying to a few schools that I applied to two years ago—what's the likelihood they kept my GRE scores on file? (That'd save some money during this wallet-draining process!)