HarlanTheTechnician

Yes, I will be attending the official visit day. I am looking forward to having a somewhat captive audience with some of the greatest thinkers in the world. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity! HAHAHA! @To φ or not to φ The potential conflict of interest is not lost on me.

Thanks for the response. I am familiar with the leiter reports and other relevant rankings. I was in contact with a professor at Rutgers today, and it seems that my interests would fit quite well there. For me, a big concern is placement at the end of the program, and, in this case, there is no comparison between the two. The non-standard political philosophy I am interested in (Weberian/realist thought) is hard to identify by the rankings, and it is closely linked to epistemology. Also, my interests go beyond these areas. The only factor still left is 'atmosphere' which is very ambiguous and contingent. I appreciate your response.

I have removed myself from the waitlist at Rice. Hope this helps someone!

Hey everyone, This is my first post. I have been sifting through these forums for the past couple weeks. I am currently a MA student at a program that has a decent placement record. My primary interests are, broadly, Political Philosophy, Epistemology and Africana Philosophy. I applied to 12 schools this season: 2 acceptances (UVA and Rutgers), 1 waitlist (Rice), and 4 definitive rejections (Georgetown, MIT, WashU, Brown) with the rest expected rejections. I have already contacted Rice that I would not be attending their program, and that they should free up the waitlist spot. So, my decision is between UVA and Rutgers. (I will make a definitive decision after my visits to both schools.) But the distinction of Rutgers' faculty, the generous funding and the alignment of my interests makes it hard to turn down. I am really in shock that I got in. Thoughts or useful anecdotes?