NotMyAncestorsPhilosophy

This is my first post here - the above post motivated me to create an account and share my experiences. I applied to 13 programs, hoping for an acceptance to an MA program or two, but prepared for the real possibility of being shut out, based on what I'd read here and heard from others about how competitive admission is these days. Especially since everyone here seems so knowledgable and accomplished! 

So far I've been accepted to 7 PhD programs and rejected from 1, and still have to hear back from the other 5. I have been in shock the past couple weeks; I seriously can't believe my good fortune! My acceptances, in order of when I heard from each program, are: Stony Brook, DePaul, Penn State, Emory, Vanderbilt, Loyola Chicago, and Duquesne. My rejection is from Northwestern. I have yet to hear back from: UC Riverside, UC Irvine, New Mexico, Memphis, and Oregon.

I am totally thrilled as this is beyond anything I could have imagined. At this point, I have absolutely no idea which program I will attend, and because of that, I haven't declined an offer yet. But I promise, as soon as I decide not to attend one, I'll notify the department immediately so a spot will open up to the next very deserving applicant! 

I wish all the best for everyone! Stay hopeful!   

Visits are giving me major anxiety. One school called me first and I agreed to visit them (no official admit yet) from 3/1 to 3/3. Another school admitted and their open house is those exact same days. I emailed and asked if I could visit other days and they said yes and to give em days I'll be available. Well, I got accepted to another school and they haven't provided any info on their open house and I'm still hoping my top choice calls me in for an interview.
All of these unknown dates and the thought of cramming them into a single month and trying to make it work with my job which is having it's annual event at the end of March is making me stressed.

Hey, just finished a Terminal MA program and was accepted into a PhD program (along with a few others from the program). I'll try and take these in turn, and as usual, grain of salt.
 
1. If you don't find yourself wishing you were doing something else. Or, if it makes you unhappy. Not like existential dread, that's not bad and sort of part of the gig. But if you're wishing you were doing a 9-5 or bagging groceries instead of writing a paper on what you assume is your area of interest....well...
2. You'll do both in a terminal MA program depending on the program itself. You'll take some courses that'll make you research in your area of interest, and odds are you'll be TAing or taking seminars in things not directly related to your immediate interests that'll broaden you out. Also, you might have an exam depending on your program that'll require you to have a broad understanding of the history of philosophy more generally. That being said, yes, make time to get good in your area of interest. Ideally that's what you'll spend the rest of your life doing, now is as good a time as ever to get a foundation in it.
3. My program was large but wholly non-competitive; my closest friends were the ones sending the same apps to the same schools with the same committees doing work in the same fields. It's a lottery, and there's no real need to feel like you've gotta be better than the person next to you. That being said, that doesn't mean be lazy. Go to conferences, polish your papers, ask for feedback, and make sure to keep in contact with your professors in your area of interest. Do the work and do it as well as you can. This is your job now.
4. I don't have any immediate regrets, but I will say that once you find your 'niche,' find someone who does it and publishes in it and try to get some time in with them, even if it's just asking for a reading list (independent studies are also great for this). This might add a bit to my answer in #2.
5. Yes. Your life changes in grad school. The kind of work is different not just in degree of difficulty but in the type of work (production of knowledge instead of regurgitation). It is difficult for a lot of reasons that aren't academic. Have a support system in place and do not stagnate and dwell on the 'what could have been.' Don't be that person bragging about lack of hours of sleep and not having anything but coffee in your body. Take care of yourself - existence precedes essence, so make sure you're kicking ass at existing and then worry about being a philosopher (your essence in this not-well-formed-or-thought-out-but-still-maybe-neat-analogy). There's no reason to not try and be healthy (in all applicable ways and in light of all possible constraints) and happy doing this IF this is what you want to do.
Good luck.

I'm in my first year of an MA at a notable program.
1. An MA is a good way to test the waters. Make sure you're aware of the job market in relation to your plans for an academic career. Graduate study in philosophy means (most of the time) living on very little money for a long time and working very hard, with no guarantee of a job at the end of it. You probably won't get a job, and if you do, it won't be a "good" one (i.e. tenure-track, pays well, at a research institution, etc).
2. Generally, the advice is to explore your interests, but also develop a broad background/expand your knowledge at least a bit. Getting some exposure is also good if you didn't major in philosophy as an undergraduate. If you're going into an MA, you're not going to be able to specialize that much, and there's no real reason to do so. Most programs will have some kind of area requirements you'll need to meet, particularly if you didn't do philosophy for your undergraduate degree. Focus on doing well in your coursework in your first year, and pick a project that you're excited about for your sample/thesis based on the work you've done in that first year.
3. Competitive in what sense? In the sense of people trying to one-up each other? No, I haven't. Different programs may have a different flavor though, so it's a good idea to talk to current students and visit if you can to get a sense of the program's culture.
Edit--OK, I just re-read your comment. I'm not through yet, but I suspect that this might be pretty program-dependent. There are no duds in my program, though. Sometimes smart people end up at unranked programs. There can be any number of reasons for that.
4. I'm not quite through my first year yet...but definitely don't be afraid to ask your advisor for feedback/input/etc on your work. Faculty are busy, and they won't necessarily hold your hand by offering things. However, in my experience, if you ask, you'll get what you need.
5. Here are a few things:
Even MA programs that are fully-funded often don't tell you that you'll (usually) be paying fees every semester (which can be a lot) and don't always make it clear that you generally can't quite actually live on the stipend. Long story short--expect to take out some loans, even with "full" funding, unless you have savings or support from your family. Keep in mind cost-of-living in relation to where the program is located.
If there's a faculty-member you really want to work with, make sure that he or she is actually teaching while you'll be there. If you want to develop work with that person into a thesis and/or sample, that'll be easier if she or he is teaching in your first year. Most people develop their samples/theses from something they wrote in their first year.
Keep in mind how big the faculty/cohorts are. Will you have access to lots of different faculty if your interests change/will you have a chance to explore those interests a bit? Having a larger faculty can be good for that. Will you be competing for faculty attention with a large cohort?
Keep in mind that teaching requirements at different programs can very quite a bit (if you have a TA-ship). Grading is less work than TAing a few discussion sections a semester, which is less work than teaching your own course. Teaching your own course can be good experience, but also eat into time you have for coursework/thesis/sample/being human--go into programs that require independent teaching with your eyes open.
If you don't love everything about the program, don't fret. It goes by really quickly. It doesn't need to be perfect.
 

In at Brown

So who else is struggling with impostor syndrome in making their decision?   I know that the adcoms must have thought I could succeed in the program,  but I feel like they don't realize that I am not actually as great as they think I am and will fail quals and have to leave.   I literally only applied to a certain program because it had a free application so why not? It was a total impulse decision.     And then I got in and realized that they are tied for #10 in my field.  It's not that I don't want to go there, but I seriously doubted that I would ever get in.  Am I at 21 years old ready to start a top ten PhD program?   I thought I would be limited to second-tier programs and now that I have gotten in places across the spectrum I have no idea where I want to go.   I know many people would love to have 4 funded offers at great programs but it kinda sucks.   I envy those who get a single offer.  I know I should pick the better programs if I want a TT job at a great statistics department, but I don't know if that's what I want.   Should I go to the place where I know I'll graduate and be successful and may not have the opportunities I would have elsewhere?  And I haven't heard from my first choice yet,  and considering my success so far I think I will get in (it's nowhere near as competitive as some of my other programs),  but you never know.  I just felt like I belonged there.   The base stipend is best,  the completion rate is the best,  the male/female ratio domestic/international ratio is good,  the professors are great,  the structure is great.  It's perfect for me,  but I haven't been accepted yet.  I thought my stress levels would be better once I got my first offer,  but it has gotten worse.  

Haven't even done all my interviews yet and already freaking out about not loving schools I thought I wanted to go to, loving schools I didn't think I wanted to go to, deciding between prestige and comfort, and figuring out how my decision will affect my significant other's career.