kira16

Do you happen to know if they sent out acceptances yet? I have yet to hear from them and fearing the worst now that it looks like several people have been notified of the wait list

Oh no, mine said the same thing. I just meant that I don't think my credentials are fit for WUSTL, and their program doesn't really fit with my interests, so I agree with admissions because they clearly think I'm not a good candidate for their school. Sorry for the confusion!

I know I posted this a while ago, but I just logged back into this site and thought I would give an update! I ended up applying to 9 programs, both funded MA and PhD, mostly top 50 ranked. So far, I got one rejection (WUSTL, knew I wouldn't get in but wanted to shoot my shot haha) and waitlisted at Ohio State (fully funded PhD, ranked #28 on PG). So I think I might have a chance at getting into a PhD program worth going to, we'll just have to wait and see! But I appreciate your advice, and I did apply to several funded MA programs in case I decide that's the route I want to go, or I don't get in anywhere else.

Rejected by WUSTL on 1/29 also! Had no high hopes though, I agree with admissions committee that I am probably not a good fit ?

Also waitlisted at OSU! Here's to hope for us ? Anyone know the details of their waitlist, is it ranked, what are the chances of getting in, etc? Rejected from WUSTL but did not expect to even have my application read by them, haha. Haven't heard back from anywhere else yet

Hi there! So this is somewhat a specific question for me and my qualifications (if anyone would be kind enough to give input on that), but also a more general question considering the current circumstances of Covid applications. It's been my dream for many years to pursue a PhD in philosophy but unfortunately I feel that I'm not the most competitive applicant, especially now that times are tough and I suspect there will be fewer graduate admissions this year due to the pandemic. Here's a bit about my academic history: - I did not do very well in high school, so I went to an average university for my freshman year and continued my not-so-great track record with a low GPA. I took 3 PHIL courses my freshman year (2016-17) and did well in 2 of them but badly in one. - I then dropped out of that school and took a year off studying, then went back to my home state and enrolled in a local community college, where I finally got re-focused on my academic pursuits, got a 4.0 and earned my associate's degree (no PHIL courses there). - Then I transferred to a good state school (University of Washington Seattle) to finish my BA. I double majored in Philosophy and Political Science and got a 3.92 cumulative GPA and 3.99 Philosophy GPA. I graduated Spring 2020 with departmental honors in PHIL but no other awards or recognition. I know I have one or two professors who will write good letters of recommendation for me, but I'm not sure about a third because I switched schools so many times and didn't get the chance to really get to know many of them (especially because I double majored and tried to do it in the quickest time possible, so I had to also focus on completing my Political Science requirements). Also, I know that UW is considered a good school in my state and for STEM/Computer Science majors, but the Philosophy department is pretty small and not so prestigious. My writing sample so far is good, but not great, and it's not in my area of interest. I still have time to improve it, but I don't know if that will even matter considering my other downfalls. Basically I'm worried that despite my great GPA for the past few years, my freshman year failures and my lack of any outstanding accomplishments will ruin my chances of getting into any MA or PhD program. I'm interested in studying Ethics and Political Philosophy, but I haven't taken many courses in those areas (not many offered at UW). Still, I've done research on where I want to go that might be within reason, and I've come up with University of Colorado Boulder. A bonus point for that school is that I took a couple classes with a professor at my freshman year college in which we read a book by a CU professor that really resonated with me. That professor still teaches there in Ethics & Political Philosophy, so I could write that into my letter of intent. But I know that they too will be receiving hundreds of applications and only accepting a few. So my questions are: I'm not in the best financial situation (unemployed due to Covid), so is it worth it to spend money and time on applications this cycle, or should I wait another year? Or perhaps just accept defeat due to the competitiveness of academic philosophy and pursue another career? If I do apply, would it be advisable to apply to only CU, UW since it's local, and maybe one other school? I know that most people recommend applying to up to 10 or more schools, but I don't feel that I'm ready for that at all, financially or otherwise. Are there any schools you might recommend to me to apply to that may be easier for me to get into (I'm aiming for a PhD, but I would be absolutely happy to start with an MA too)? And finally, what are your thoughts on how Covid is impacting this year's admissions? Thank you to all who respond!