Nichi

My life has just been changed forever until April 15. Thanks!

Why are all the application pages so much of a pain to find? On so many sites even when I get to a page for prospective students it's still a maze with some guesswork to find the application login. I appreciate the one school with a big apply button right on top of the page.

I provided two sets of names of professors I'd like to meet--a smaller group who I imagine I'd be interested in working with a lot (quantity, not degree)--and then a second set who I think is interesting and who cover more broad interests, but with a note that if I asked for too many or some of the second group are super busy, I made the division on purpose. But then my ideal would be meeting everyone. Also, asking who in the department is interested in the same things you're interested in can give you some surprising results. Some faculty (especially younger ones) have broader interests than their publications let on.

After having gone on a visit, I think some questions like this one are better figured out by observation. Unless you can get some privacy with a grad student or two. Even then, unless things are seriously wrong (I imagine a high number of transfers out would be a clear indicator of this), people aren't super likely to bash their own school.

From the UCR Phil Dept website (emphasis mine): While offers vary due to state funding constraints, the Philosophy Department generally provides up to five years of financial support to incoming Ph.D. students. This typically consists of a full fellowship the first year and TA appointments for several years after that. Students are encouraged to seek additional funding through other fellowships and grants. I wasn't told anything beyond this in the acceptance email or any following correspondence.

I imagine if this were the case, "backup schools" wouldn't be advised as often/strongly. (And instead spending those application fees on more "appropriate" schools.)

There is the randomness factor involved, but I wouldn't discount this. For two reasons. One, I've heard of applications being more or less tossed from the start if the GREs are bad. When there's a ton of applications to read through, easy ways to cut out the apparently unqualified are always tempting. Two, similarly but less severely, the scores are often seen first and color the rest of the application. Even if unconsciously, the applicant with the low score is likely going to be read less charitably. Of course many schools have some sort of anonymization in the reading of other pieces of the file so this wouldn't be a factor for them. At the same time, standardized tests are used in large part because things like GPA and how well your letter writers compare you to your peers will be total variable on how your program is. (Granted, if you're going to a T10 program then perhaps this isn't so much a worry for you as it is for people from no-name schools.)

If all the schools with secret waitlists could go ahead and send out emails letting people know if they're on such a list, that would be fantastic.

Would it be of any use to include information on what the target size is if we know that but not how many initial offers are made?

All of the schools I have applied to have sent out at least one wave of acceptances. I guess now is a good time to give up hope on them and focus on the four with (semi-)positive responses? (Though I won't be able to make any decisions until I visit at least two of them to be able to actually compare them. Mizzou next weekend, FSU three weeks later, and then UCR two days later. ND is in late March....hopefully if I get off the waitlist it's before that. Though I live within driving distance, so another visit wouldn't be impossible if they'd allow.)

I agree an MA gives you more time and training to become more skilled at doing philosophy. On the other hand, I've read (on Schwitzgebel's blog, if I recall correctly) that many top programs will be more likely to take people right out of undergrad (and school in general who want to shape students instead of getting students more set in their ways). So there's a bit of a double-edged sword. I suppose coming from a small, unknown school without even a master's program I should expect the T20 rejections to start rolling in any day. (Minus the one waitlist.)

I just had a small bit of excitement when I saw an email from ``Stanford Online'' appear in my inbox. Then I remembered I didn't even apply to Stanford. (The email was about their new MOOCs.)

I'm a bit late with this, but mention of NYU reminded me how applications really felt like this:

I'd have to visit each and do more research on ND before I could figure that one out. Each has some reasons for and against (UCR does more action, ND looks like it does more metaphysics, I spent undergrad at a religious university in Indiana and I kinda want something different, South Bend is more affordable than Riverside, ND has fewer students, ND is in the top 20, USC is near other high quality schools.) On the bright side, if I get accepted after the visit day for ND, it's only about an hour away by car, so making a visit would be easy enough.

19:37 central standard time. I just woke up.

The waitlist email said they sent out acceptances today.

Just got waitlisted at Notre Dame.

My professor to me yesterday: "You've been accepted to Florida State which has Al Mele and UC Riverside which has John Martin Fischer. How will you decide?"

While I stop hoping after the wave of acceptances goes out without me, I've heard some acceptances are sent as late as April 15th. Granted, that's because of people turning down their offers, and I have a feeling NYU doesn't dig deep into their waitlist

Regarding USC: I also saw the phone call. Only one thus far, so my hope still burns. Regarding PhD vs MA: Yeah, I don't see much of an advantage to going for the MA first if your goal is the PhD unless you can't get into a PhD program. Also being in one PhD program for awhile and then trying to move up is a valid move. (Though I'll note in case any admissions people are reading this that I have no intention of doing so...but I'm guessing top 20 programs aren't worried about that anyway....)

Hey everyone, guess what just happened! Edit: This is probably the worst thing to complain about.

Just got UCR!! https://www.myinstants.com/instant/yeah/ EDIT: I also got a fellowship with it.

I've been expressing my transcendental freedom all day and it's been fantastic.

I wonder how much the causation is going in either direction...

The "hidden waitlist" being a thing that sometimes exists only exacerbates the problem. If I'm not going to get into anymore schools, I'd like to know so I can get on with my decision. Making a decision before April 15 would be great. Doing so while waiting on a response would be silly, though.