Nichi

At this stage, getting your writing sample as good as you can is the most important thing to do. If you're worried about the GRE, you may benefit from studying for it. If you do, time yourself because the hardest part of the exam is the absurd time limits.
Given you'll probably have one more semester on your records you submit, loading your fall semester with philosophy classes is probably a good idea. I also got a late start, not deciding to do a philosophy major until my junior year. I imagine having an A in metaphysics this fall was to my benefit. Also, get A's in your classes, preferrably without minuses. If your school does A+'s, try to get a few of those.

Just moved off the waitlist and onto the accept list at Arizona! 

Thank you for sharing that!
Interesting again how placement and ranking don't have a reliable correlation...
 

Thank you for sharing that!
Interesting again how placement and ranking don't have a reliable correlation...
 

Five years, $16.5k stipend plus tuition and health insurance, 0.5 FTE, contingent on continued availability of funds and performance in TAing and student work. Looks like they also help students acquire outside funding.

Five years, $16.5k stipend plus tuition and health insurance, 0.5 FTE, contingent on continued availability of funds and performance in TAing and student work. Looks like they also help students acquire outside funding.

Just moved off the waitlist and onto the accept list at Arizona! 

Just moved off the waitlist and onto the accept list at Arizona! 

Just moved off the waitlist and onto the accept list at Arizona! 

Just moved off the waitlist and onto the accept list at Arizona! 

Just moved off the waitlist and onto the accept list at Arizona! 

Just moved off the waitlist and onto the accept list at Arizona! 

Just moved off the waitlist and onto the accept list at Arizona! 

Just moved off the waitlist and onto the accept list at Arizona! 

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.

I finally got a rejection! Also Syracuse. 

A sincere expression of gratitude followed by a brief explanation for why you're moving. Also probably the information that you're moving somewhere in there.

Waitlisted at Arizona!!!

With just over a month before the deadline. Congrats!

Waitlisted at Arizona!!!

Waitlisted at Arizona!!!

Some aren't even that clean, and the decision making process occurs each time someone is to be promoted off the waitlist.

When I visited this past weekend nobody really expected any substantial philosophical discussions. Faculty were generally willing to talk about their work and the work of their students, but the focus was very much on the general stuff like what the program is like, general matching interests between people, etc. I think digging into philosophy is good for getting a feel for how philosophy is done there (and for seeing what the grad students there are doing), but unless Mizzou was an odd case, you needn't worry much.
I read some papers of the philosophers there beforehand, but that seemed like it wasn't expected. (Though not unexpected.)
 

When I visited this past weekend nobody really expected any substantial philosophical discussions. Faculty were generally willing to talk about their work and the work of their students, but the focus was very much on the general stuff like what the program is like, general matching interests between people, etc. I think digging into philosophy is good for getting a feel for how philosophy is done there (and for seeing what the grad students there are doing), but unless Mizzou was an odd case, you needn't worry much.
I read some papers of the philosophers there beforehand, but that seemed like it wasn't expected. (Though not unexpected.)
 

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