Duns Eith

Good luck! Yes, emphatically, yes. Make sure you have an argument and that each major move is clear. It doesn't matter whether you have just one author in view, but you should have a definite thesis in view. It is good to indicate that you know where this specific discussion fits in the literature, but don't let all of the possible connections to related fields slow you down. That would become unwieldy. It is good to zoom out (give a 500 meter aerial view) so that someone who isn't familiar with your precise debate still can understand what is going on. Your sample will likely be read by multiple people, including those outside your area of interest. So, expect someone in ethics or metaphysics to be reading it. Even if only epistemologists read it, your paper will have the virtue of being sufficiently clear and easy to read.

The advice that @Olórin gives is great. You might find this other relatively recent thread useful to you: For example, the poster asks about whether leaving will involve burning bridges or how the program will treat them differently.

This is amazing! I literally wanted to make this years ago but had neither the software chops nor the time. You are amazing. Thanks for sharing and making this available!!

Is that true for Philosophy at U of M?

Indeed it is! Lol (to some extent, and toward some certification in higher ed)

I love that you all are working together. This is exactly what this board needs. I had this resource with my colleagues at my MA in philosophy, since we were all applying out at the same time. One thing that is critical you need to negotiate: a deadline back, well in advance of your first app being due! Just unsolicited advice! Good luck!

I want to chime in here, but I don't know if any advice I'd give is good. I didn't submit my GRE scores to any school that didn't require it. Mine were 157v, 155q, 5.5a. Some said that they don't weigh it heavily; others say that they will take it into consideration if they are supplied. But I hear that some graduate colleges, which regulate the individual departments, basically require the GRE for benchmarks and justifications for funding in terms of TA'ships, even if the department doesn't require it specifically for their determination. For a private school, I imagine that is less of an issue. They might have funding sources or fellowships that isn't structured the same way.

It is fascinating what those numbers look like. Kind of off-topic, but Philosophy and Theology/Religion scored the highest mean in verbal with above average quant scores. Social work and Special Education, though...

Why do you sorta think this? I have read on FAQs for different schools that about 162-164 is the average for accepted applicants, oftentimes. I guess it would make sense that the average applicant would be lower, like 156 or so. Either way, I didn't know if you had a source. Like, if you collected all of the scores posted on GradCafe's survey or if you had a different source.

I think since you're engaging with a topic that is at the intersection of ethics and phil action, you are in good shape for being accessible to a wide audience for the admissions committee. If you get that writing sample done, this sounds like you've got a competitive app. Don't worry about the GRE. It matters the least. It matters, but your writing sample matters far, far, far more. If you are devoting more time to your GRE prep than you are your writing sample, I might say to just accept your verbal trajectory right now and put all the effort into the WS. It is November, you should have a pretty specific list around now. Choose only ones that you know a) that there are enough people who could be on your committee, and b) that there is at least one person of interest that you would be joyful (not just OK) to work with, and lastly c) a wide range of prestige. You want to go somewhere you can say "I am going to [university x] to study under [professor y], since topic z is their specialty..." So, I would encourage you to avoid applying to a school for its prestige if there is not someone you'd be excited about working it. Now, you will get advice that you will possibly change your mind what you want to study while in your program. This pushes against my advice to narrow your search to schools only to ones with people in your area that you would delight in working with - the concern is that it is forcing you to be too narrow. This is a good concern, so it is worth it to apply only to programs where they have wide enough competence that you could switch to something else if you really shift dramatically in research interest. Either way, you will want to look at the individual departments and see their faculty, and connect in your mind whether any faculty at that school are in literature you've read or specializing in a topic you are confident you want to study I think you should prioritize PhDs over MAs. An MA is a great thing. I encourage it to everyone. But if you are short on funds, you might find it a better use of your money to just go straight for the PhD. Your "condition" is pretty good.

I knew they had a PhD program that they started like 6 years ago or something, but discontinuing the MA? This is news to me! "General admissions for the terminal MA program are no longer being accepted. "

Sorry but you're talking about MA programs with funding? I think you mean Western Michigan University, not MSU. And does University of Houston? I think you might mean Texas Tech or perhaps Texas A&M? Maybe I am misunderstanding you.

whatcha mean?

It isn't unethical to wait. You are under no obligation. Suppose you decide to do the MA, and you change your mind in a year from now: would you really think it would be morally best for you to communicate a change of plans, twice? You can decide later. It is up to you. You are under no compulsion. This is a good reason to not let them know. Again, you are under no compulsion to remain in the program, whether a semester from now or 3 years from now. It seems that it is in your interest to do all the PhD things until you need to do the MA thesis (or whatever the unique requirements are). If this means doing things that PhDs are required to do that you just don't want to do (e.g., a course on teaching? writing seminar? logic exam? what?), is this just way too hard to do? Or is it just that not-interesting? But you also might change your mind. After a year, you tend to grow a lot and get used to things, become more confident. You will probably be more confident about the job market (that it isn't going to work, or that you have a chance). You might grow to like the program. It is always awkward going in. Really it is. But suppose you end up deciding you want the MA: I know it is hard to accept this, but you aren't pissing people off if you choose to get an MA. You didn't accept their initial offer just to get an MA; it just turned out that way that you only got an MA. Usually professors get this. They know your life isn't grad school. As far as burning bridges - I don't know what you mean. Socially, if you leave a program, you're basically out, gone -- out of sight, out of mind. No one is offended, and few to no-one will care. You aren't burning any bridges. When you leave, usually there is a "bridge closed" sign. Nothing on fire. Just few or no one will cross. Unless you have made strong friendships, then in the grand scheme this MA program will feel like a short excursion in the trip, or a side story chapter in a book.

P.S. Regarding opportunity cost - what makes you think you have to decide to leave academia at the end of the PhD? You can quit in 3 years at either institution