sierriously94

Howdy, Colin! I am wandering somewhat-erratically amidst ROUND TWO of graduate school applications. I would love some thoughts and advice. I got my BA in Philosophy in May and graduated Cum Laude with a 3.5 overall GPA (4.0 Major). I attended Texas A&M University which has a fairly small Philosophy department, but a top 100 graduate program. I applied last year at only three programs (I paid my way through college on my own so I didn't have the opportunity to sow seeds like I would've liked). I was rejected from University of Oregon, Rice University, and was waitlisted at my alma mater, Texas A&M. I was ultimately not admitted off of the waitlist and from asking around, it appears as though it came down to me and one other applicant-- they went with the other applicant. I've had 6 months to recover from this disappointment. I've been blissfully following my SO around the country on his traveling job and I hadn't thought I would be ready to apply again for a few years. Yet here I am, ready to shoot another shot. My heart is with the University of Oregon. I've researched other schools, but it's definitely the school for me. My SO and I are determined to end up in the Pacific Northwest and the program is PERFECT for me. From what I've been told, there is an extremely limited number of departments that have focuses in Latin American Philosophy, and this is one of them. (My alma mater is one of the other few.) During my senior year I took a class with the professor who oversees graduate Latin American philosophy studies and then in the spring I did a semester-long research project with him where I translated two original Spanish philosophy pieces. One has been published, one will be published this semester. The whole department is strong in Continental Philosophy which has influenced my tendency towards that area and the U of O department. I'm bilingual, grew up in South America, and have translated professionally for one year now. (I want to take on German once I get into a program). Being that there are so few Latin American philosophy programs, my thought is that there wouldn't be as much competition for those spots. I'm not kidding myself, I know I'm still going to have to fight tooth and nail, but is there any truth to that claim? My greatest weakness has to be my GRE scores. I took the test twice in the semester before applying and only managed to land a 308 / V:156 Q: 152 W: 5.0 my second round. I know this has to look bad. My advisor and several of my professors emphasized how the admissions committees will look into my overall pakckage but I can't help but be paranoid that my scores lost me any credibility. Looking back, my writing sample was underdeveloped and didn't showcase my writing very well. I know I can come up with a much better writing sample this time. I have now translated several works and have another semester of classes under my belt to conjure inspiration. My letter of intent was also bland, but I think these six months of being away from school (which has been mildly traumatic) and my final semester of courses added a lot of perspective into what I want to do and why philosophy is the only way I can see myself being happy in the future. I can kick these up so many notches. My letters had to be killer. 1) Took two classes with him, kicked butt and showed tremendous growth. He referred me to the Latin American studies professor which sparked that relationship and path. 2) Latin American studies professor; took a class with him and he oversaw my semester-long research study. Absolutely loves me. Still keep in touch. (He also referred me to a colleague in Spain who I did paid work for over the summer)[he's also a close friend of the guy at U of O that I want to work with]. 3) the department head; took his class, he was involved in Phil Club regularly, and we held casual discussion meetings for the rest of the year (fairly well known professor with lots of friends). 4) brand new professor (just got her first independent job); I had her in her final semester as a Phd student. her LoR was just an extra tag on. she still had wonderful things to say. ---- I can get all 4 to reproduce letters and #2 especially will have much more to say about me since we have conducted research together. I was a part of Philosophy Club for two years, secretary then VP. I was involved in a lot of clubs and organizations on campus and as I self-funded my studies, I also worked part time and full time during the entirety of my undergraduate career. I apologize for the novel of information. I suppose I would like to hear your insight on the following: --Why might I have been rejected last year? --(Side Note: after I applied for U of O last fall, the professor I wanted to work with told me that he was going on sabbatical this year [the year I would've began].) Could that have played into my not having been accepted? --How much do GRE scores actually matter? --Is applying to a program like Latin American philosophy (which is small/new) going to increase my chances of getting in? (Also considering I am finely tuned to the program with my background & Spanish fluency) --Tips for an amazing Statement of Purpose --Should I reach out to current graduate students in the program and pick their brains? (Is that weird?) [I've always been super close to the grad students at A&M, they're all extremely cool and approachable.] --Should I reach out to faculty at the program beyond the specific professor I want to work with? (I've met three professors over the last two years at conferences at A&M) --Is there any way to inquire about feedback on previous applications? I would love for them to tell me what was wrong about my applications last year. --Do departments care about what I did outside of school? For instance, constantly working part and full time and being involved on campus? Furthermore, should I include my professional resume with my applications or is that completely trivial? --ANY tips you might have regarding any aspect of applying for Phd programs Again, sorry for the long post, but I'm hoping you can shed some light on my concerns. Thank you and have a great day!