Ikari Gendo

I dont't see why/how this would be considered unprofessional, but again, I barely know this kind of stuff.

I'd send ALL programs an e-mail, asking if they could provide any feedback on my application package. Then I'd ask the advice of my letter writers. What is the topic of your writing sample? Maybe I could provide some feedback, if it is something I am familiar with.

Declined University of Miami's offer and will be accepting Central European University's offer tomorrow.

There is almost no analytic philosophy in the original series (the TV series + 2 movies), though I can see some connections with continental and eastern philosophy. For the rebuild, we have to wait for the fourth movie. Seriously though, if you ever write such a paper, let me know.

Got an offer from Central European University. Thus: 2 acceptances/5 rejections/0 pending. So happy that this application period is over.

Much appreciated. If you like Evangelion, make sure to watch Twin Peaks and Petscop.

Just got accepted to Miami off the waitlist. Finally, some good news.

Thanks Now it is the waiting game. Also had a decent interview with CEU a few weeks ago, which of I am quite hopeful.

Waitlisted at Miami, got an e-mail three days ago, but saw it just today.

A slight correction: You need to account that some people will be rejected by programs you applied to, but also will be accepted by some other programs you applied. But the moral still stands: The higher the number of programs you apply to, the higher your chance of admission is.

http://www.phdstipends.com/results

Any department that funds a student for his or her time during the program expects certain things: (At least) Decent TA'ship (which requires good people skills), high potential/skills in philosophy (so he or she can produce quality academic work such as articles etc.) etc. A student that meets such criterion can be taken to be a "safe" student, in the sense that it is likely that the student can meet these expectations. On the other hand, if the person has superb potential/skills in philosophy, but terrible people skills (so his/her being a TA might yield problems), the department has almost no reason to take the risk. While this might sound quite cold-blooded, at the end, it is a trade or an investment: The department provides certain things and expects the student to provide some kind of yield. Though note that I am a non-US grad student, so this might be completely wrong. Just speaking from experience as a person who got rejected from the master's program of the department I got my undergraduate degree. Also: Do not miss that I have been rejected from 4 programs that I have applied so far. It is quite likely that my SoP and/or writing sample is not of the quality I thought they were or that simply my people skills are not good enough to be there.

"They are safer students, not better students." This plays a huge part, you cannot overestimate its importance for some programs, if not all. Especially given that they will be "pouring" some financial resources to people who they admit. They (rightly) expect some kind of results at the end, whether publications in top tier journals or whatever. They can have a reliable expectation from safer students, but not from better and not "safer" ones.

A few days ago, I had a similar dream, getting an e-mail from Kit Fine. Was not able to read it as well. Now I leave my phone exactly where it was in my dream, when I go to bed.

Will be interviewed by Central European University the next week. Some (relatively) good news at last. Does anyone have any advice that could help me? This is going to be my first time getting interviewed by a non-local philosophy program.