PossibleWorlds

Also, if it's any consolation, I and a few friends also regret not applying to Princeton this year. For some of us, it was a matter of the deadline coming so early and being in school, and for others, it was a matter of underestimating our chances at getting into top 10 schools. So a lot of us are right there with you. That said, there's still a very good chance that we each would have been rejected had we applied to Princeton, so maybe it was one less rejection to deal with. In any case, all of us have top 10 schools to go to, so we can't be too down.  (Sorry if that didn't sound sympathetic at the end -- I deeply, deeply regret not applying to Princeton. For various reasons, I think I would've stood a chance. One of them is that I wrote my thesis on a large body of one Princeton profs' work. It would've been a great fit for me, but alas.) 

No one talks much about transferring, but some profs have done it. I know one who transferred from USC to Princeton and another who transferred from Rutgers to Harvard. It's definitely a live option, and it's certainly easier to do if you're already at a top school

If I were you, I would definitely not do that. Columbia is a great school (it's top 10!), and it's fully funded. Most masters programs are not funded, and even if you go to one, there's no guarantee that you'll get into Princeton or NYU. Heck, there's no guarantee that you'd get into Columbia again (it seems impossible to predict admissions). If you really want to go to Princeton, you may be in a position to transfer there after a year at Columbia. If I were you, I'd try that. You may even really fall in love with Columbia! 

Also, if it's any consolation, I and a few friends also regret not applying to Princeton this year. For some of us, it was a matter of the deadline coming so early and being in school, and for others, it was a matter of underestimating our chances at getting into top 10 schools. So a lot of us are right there with you. That said, there's still a very good chance that we each would have been rejected had we applied to Princeton, so maybe it was one less rejection to deal with. In any case, all of us have top 10 schools to go to, so we can't be too down.  (Sorry if that didn't sound sympathetic at the end -- I deeply, deeply regret not applying to Princeton. For various reasons, I think I would've stood a chance. One of them is that I wrote my thesis on a large body of one Princeton profs' work. It would've been a great fit for me, but alas.) 

No one talks much about transferring, but some profs have done it. I know one who transferred from USC to Princeton and another who transferred from Rutgers to Harvard. It's definitely a live option, and it's certainly easier to do if you're already at a top school

Honestly, I think it's a terrible idea. There are zero guarantees here. People go to excellent MA's and get shut out, every year. Getting into a top 10 school is something everyone who goes to an MA hopes for. No need to spend the extra time and money when it's highly unlikely that you'll do better, and really not worth the risk. 
Trust me, this process is not rational or predictable. You can't just reapply and expect do better. 

I declined today if that's any consolation. 

I've been advised to only visit serious contenders. If that happens to be all the programs that I've been accepted at, then fine, but I was told to not waste people's (especially to waste the money that could go toward another more serious applicant's travel). 
I definitely understand what your advisor probably means. Make connections. Visit departments that you may not realize are perfect for you. I think that's all in good spirit, but also don't visit the school if it's definitely not comparing to another program. These schools can get really screwed over if a lot of people visit and then decline offers and other applicants miss out on good opportunities. (I've seen it happen the last two years with students applying from my undergraduate institution. They had to wait till the last minute to know what was happening and schools were really freaking out at them.)
If you're already well aware of all this and already turned down offers to the schools that aren't contending. I would guess the visitation dates for Columbia and Princeton would be early April. I'm not actually really basing this off of anything though except knowledge of when the visitation dates are of schools that have recently released. They're all in early April or late March. The other thing to consider is that you don't need to show up to their visitation weekends and can just show up any old time that is convenient for you.
I think it wouldn't be unreasonable to just tell all these programs that you'll have everything confirmed by this weekend or early next week. I would also inform them on contingency plans. (e.g. If I get into Princeton, I will decline your offer. or No matter what happens next week, I will be visiting, but I may have to move some stuff around if....). The other thing you can do is plan everything except the last trip. (You wont have the return trip planned but you'll have the flight to the last place planned from the place before it. Then, just inform that school that you'll get back to them within the next week and a half.) Then, plan the last trip around Columbia and Princeton if they give you an offer.
I hope this all wasn't completely obvious or was already considered. It's sometimes the obvious things we overlook (like how amazing it is that some of us have gotten into top programs!!!).
 

I just made this account to say, please be careful of what you write here as there are people you are insulting with what is essentially your reverse racism/sexism vent.  Has it occurred to you how much harder it might be for those women not having the white privilege or male privilege that so many others have?  You do not understand the struggles women and minorities face, and it could just be that their applications were stronger than yours or had more potential (you said they were of equal caliber).  The fact that you actually think the only factor of your rejections is your race or gender suggests your understanding of institutional bias/discrimination is shallow itself, as there is frequently unconscious bias toward minorities and women that you won't ever have to face.  Your frustration is also very entitled because you make it sound as though they received acceptances that *belong* to you or that you are worthier of.  Has it occurred to you that maybe women and minorities get as many if not more rejections (plus getting shut out all the time) than you?  Another unconscious bias: infantilizing grown women by calling them "gals".  Even though this is a venting thread, it shouldn't unfairly discriminate against anyone.

But knowing what we know about implicit bias, it is more than likely that you are underestimating the abilities your female peers, while overestimating the abilities of your male peers.
 
Also, philosophy ladies and minorities: you are badass, and you deserve every spot you're offered. Don't listen to any sore jerk who says otherwise!

Also claiming an acceptance from USC! Extremely excited. 

Jac! Jac! Jac! Restoring faith! Saving democracy! A natural born leader! Jac! Jac! Jac for president!

I knew I didn't include enough stuff on my CV...
Hey, Princeton!: I got an A in intro to psychology, I organize a weekly game of trivial pursuit, my high school sociology teacher thought I was really smart, AND I have a really good ear for harmony!

I mean I'm kind of dying. Before it's deleted, for your viewing pleasure:
Yale, Philosophy Phd, Accepted: "Expected. 2 pubs in geology, pre-calc tutor, 2 letters of rec all from berkeley phds in geology, 3 letter of rec from a john jopkins phds in philosophy. undergrad research in continental w/ a faculty here at Texas A&M"
 
Plus... I'm sure they *totally* called on a Sunday at 10:30 pm, haha
 
 

Congrats to both you and @violaina!!

Does anyone know how long going through the call list usually takes? Should I have expected to hear from Pitt already if I was accepted?
Note: My surname is at the end of the alphabet.   

I also just got into Pitt!!!  And I was a bumbling mess on the phone...
I wouldn't worry yet. I had a missed phone call at 11:20 or so, and just saw it and called back  (But note that they didn't try again in those 2 hours, so it wasn't done in one quick sweep.) 

I suspect it is a pretty long process. Both calls I got lasted 10 or 15 minutes. They gave me the rundown of the offer package, details about campus visit, and allowed me to ask any questions I had. The day is young. Keep your phone close by. 

Another Berkeley wait list... 

Got some information that Pitt is making final decisions this Friday. Expect acceptances to come out soon after.

Accepted to Virginia with a fellowship nomination, so that's pretty cool 

I'm not entirely sure if Berkeley is done or that there is a reason why almost all are international. It very well could be that they had a list, funding was discussed first for international, and the US applicants will hear next week. 
Not to keep your hopes up too high, because it seems like an appropriate number of people have been accepted already and posted on grad cafe, but one of the two patterns for Berkeley is to see them send out a few more wait lists and acceptances the second week of February. (Again, thinking this is true because of funding and personalized emails.) However, it is still possible that they are nearly is not completely done sending out emails. 
Give up hope at the end of next week. 
For those of you who didn't apply to the logic group but still are logic, phil science, phil language, phil math, formal epistemology,...etc...oriented, there have been people in the past who have been considered and even accepted into the logic group after being rejected from the phil pool. This also happens in the other direction; that is, being accepted into phil or math phd after being rejected from the logic group. Similarly, I would suppose, for classics/ancient phil. 
Wishing you all success next week. 

I just called Berkeley and was told that students are usually notified around the beginning of March. The few students who were offered admission a few days ago were the ones received campus-wide fellowships (usually based largely on GRE scores, I've heard). Based on past years' data, it seems that acceptances and wait lists will come out within the next week and rejections toward the end of Feb. 

I just called Berkeley and was told that students are usually notified around the beginning of March. The few students who were offered admission a few days ago were the ones received campus-wide fellowships (usually based largely on GRE scores, I've heard). Based on past years' data, it seems that acceptances and wait lists will come out within the next week and rejections toward the end of Feb. 

I just called Berkeley and was told that students are usually notified around the beginning of March. The few students who were offered admission a few days ago were the ones received campus-wide fellowships (usually based largely on GRE scores, I've heard). Based on past years' data, it seems that acceptances and wait lists will come out within the next week and rejections toward the end of Feb. 

I just called Berkeley and was told that students are usually notified around the beginning of March. The few students who were offered admission a few days ago were the ones received campus-wide fellowships (usually based largely on GRE scores, I've heard). Based on past years' data, it seems that acceptances and wait lists will come out within the next week and rejections toward the end of Feb.