Infinite Zest

Thanks! I'll PM you.

Thanks! Also just got into Berkeley!

Got into Pitt!

I would like to add that my friend, who applied to grad programs last year, had some very crazy, bizarre experiences while visiting the PhD programs which he got into. In other words, his 8 pm cocktail party didn't go until 10 pm . . .

I just finished I Am a Strange Loop!

I had similar feelings about a week ago when I read a philosophy paper after a long break. Refreshing!

Auditing right now!

I mean, if you can afford it and you really know you want to do philosophy, is there really a better investment? My cousin saved up for years so that he could buy a Porsche. I'd rather have a chance at a life as a philosopher than a Porsche.

Same!

Hopefully, this also means a rise in acceptance rates. I wouldn't be surprised. Professors are constantly telling students not to get PhDs in philosophy. Maybe some of them are actually listening.

On that note, we should all be thankful that it is now customary for philosophy grad programs to post their placement records. I know this is not the case in many other fields, even fields with job prospects worse than in philosophy.

I was thinking about the value of writing, only to later delete, a fairly expansive literature review before beginning to write any of my "real" papers. This way, nobody, other than myself, would see all of my muddled, early thoughts. I'm sure this would be a time consuming process, but I also think it would be incredibly useful.

Nevertheless, an MA in philosophy is probably a useless degree unless you intend to enter a PhD program. (Useless in an economic sense, at least.)

From what I've heard, MA degrees aren't looked down upon by PhD programs.

Hello there!

Descartes is on a flight. The flight attendant says, "Hello Mr. Descartes, would you like anything to drink?" "What do you have?" asks Descartes. "Let's see. We have orange juice, tea, coffee, and water," the flight attendant responds. "Let me think about it," says Descartes. And then he disappeared.

I think a big part of my writing process involves gaining a deep understanding of what I'm actually writing about. As surprising as it sounds, I don't think I fully understand the topic until I finish writing at least a first draft.

I think this really helped me with my writing sample. I had to set it aside for some time and then come back to it.

Also, when are you applying? If you're shooting to apply a year from now, it might be worth taking the time to revise the Quine paper a bit more.

Based on what you've said, in terms of quality, it looks like a close call between the Plato and the Quine paper. If this is true, it may not be a super clear cut case. Maybe ask professors for advice.

From what I've heard, it's mostly a case of whether or not the paper's good.

With all due respect, I think we are making different points. I'd agree with you that, with a bit of work, MAE could get into a PhD program without an MA degree. On the other hand, I believe that spending some time in a strong MA program can turn "reach" schools into more reasonable prospects. This looks like a viable option, at least to me, especially when you consider that there are some high caliber, funded MA programs out there. Once again, look at the facts (or what I think the facts are): MAE has been out of school for some time, had a good but not spectacular GPA, may not have a very tight relationship with his letter writers, and still has to work on a writing sample. Based on the above, he looks like a very promising candidate, but the evidence that he will perform well in a PhD program isn't yet tangible. I think performing well in an MA program can fix all of this potential holes in your application. Of course, I mean none of this in an offensive light. I think everyone's application has holes. I have almost a 3.9 from an T10 university, and I still feel like my grades are the weak point in my application; for instance, all the people who've applied from my school have GPAs at least as high, if not higher, than mine.

Or you could be really "philosophical" and upload a .jpeg of you submitting your first writing sample.

I agree with isostheneia. It's hard to give advice with so many missing variables, but I think that if you plan on a career in academia, then I'd go with the MA route. Financial burdens aside, an MA would only improve your chances of getting into a good PhD program. In turn, getting a PhD from a solid school makes it much easier to get a good job in academia. Basically, from what I've heard, everything's easier in academia when you have a PhD from a well-known institution. Also, an MA would give you the valuable opportunity to work one on one crafting a writing sample with a professor. Reiterating the above, this will play the key role in determining your admission into graduate school. One of the perks of an MA program is that ample time is set aside for this very task.

Agreed.