philosophy chic

I would suggest contacting a current grad student in your department. some departments are really casual; some would be offended if you didn't wear a tie. A safe middle of the way approach would probably be a nice pair of khakis and a button down for guys (with a blazer and tie packed just in case). Women have more options. Depending on the weather, a dressy casual knee length dress or skirt could be appropriate (at my undergrad institution women wore these rather often). A more business-y skirt with a cute sweater or caradign is still dressy but not as formal (or as stuffy) as a business skirt with a button down blouse. This way you won't stand out even if the other students go for dressy casual or for business formal. Even dress pants and a nice top would work (same rational as skirt with cardigan). *IF* the current students say that the department is very casual and you will be there for a few days, then I might say that a nice top with a nice pair of dark/dress denim and heels/dressy flats would be fine. To state the obvious, skirts should be a decent length and appropriate for ones age, and check to make sure the tops are not too revealing. It's also a good idea to take a final glance before leaving your room to make sure no bra straps, bra lines, or panty lines are showing. One should also consider the amount of walking one will do when picking out footwear...It also never hurts to bring band-aids in case of blisters.

Early in the admission season, I was wait-listed at school A and, at that time, indicated that I would like to be kept informed about changes to my admission status and remain on the wait list. However, I've now been accepted into schools B & C, both of which I would prefer over A and both of which come with very nice funding. Should I notify school A that I wish to be removed from the waitlist, or is it ok just to not say anything unless they formally accept me? thanks!

My flight from Japan to Michigan to Pittsburgh back to Japan cost a little over 1200, so a 1000 flight from the UK to the US does sound a bit strange... anyways, something I learned from my searches: multi-city flights are often cheaper than a round trip from a to b and then b to c (and a-b-c-a is a lot less flying than a-b-c-b-a).

I'm asking myself the same question, just about their philosophy programs instead of their respective strengths in Colombian and Mexican literature and film. You may have already done these, but some things I found useful were: asking the professors at my undergraduate institution their opinions (or asking them to ask other professors in the field their opinions) reading some of the works written by faculty at each institution contacting the professors about their research interests looking at job placements (it may be especially helpful to see what and where a recent graduate with similar interests is doing) good luck!

So long as you're sure about your decision, then I would say go ahead and follow wanderlust07's good advice.

Most universities, at least the ones that are part of the CGS (council of graduate schools), have an April 15 deadline, meaning that a institution cannot ask for your final decision before that date. If you applied for a PhD program, then you're probably being considered for funding even if you didn't specifically apply for a fellowship. As for the response....I do think that it is appropriate to acknowledge that you have received the email. You may also want to ask if you could email a current student with some questions (most likely about the atmosphere of the department and city, living expenses, accessibility of professors, and anything else you want to know about living wherever the school is located - public transit, international food, etc.) and some professors about their current and future interest (if you would like to hear about your department's research in more detail). So maybe something roughly like: Dr. Smith Thank you for the wonderful news. [comment on anything relevant in the email. most emails include something about an accepted students day, which you could mention that you would be able/unable to attend, and some ask about calling you to discuss something, what the best means of communication is, etc]. If possible, could you place me in contact with a current student? I would like to ask him/her a few questions about the campus and surrounding area. I also would be interested in contacting a few professors to discuss their current and future research plans. [add any questions you may have for the person who contacted you about the program] Regards/Cheers/Best/whatever salutation you would like Your Name I am coming from a humanities background though, so things may be slightly different in your field. I don't imagine it would vary too much, but you should definitely look at others' suggestions as well.

In response to the responses.... I agree that students should be paid for any work they do as a TA or research assistant. If one provides a service of value to the institution then one should be compensated for it. (Like Kam750 I am used to getting paid for my work as well). I could even maybe see the reasoning behind a school paying a particular student who legitimately is a genius, has published numerous works in prestigious journals, and gains enough attention to draw other students to the program (It would be like a brand getting an athlete to endorse its product). However, I am unsure how reading texts and writing papers necessary for classes one must pass in order to get a degree without which one presumably would not be able to work in their chosen profession produces anything for which a student should monetarily be compensated. Yes, hopefully PhD's will become famous and thus increase the prestige of their school, but 1) this is not a given for all - or maybe even most - students, 2) do we expect to paid by every institution whose reputation we possibly may increase, and 3) does the benefit schools gain from having John Smith listed among their graduates provide a significant increase in revenue to justify providing funding for every student? Yes, graduate school is hard work, and one does invest a lot of time and effort into earning a PhD. In the end though, we go for the degree - for the thing we actually need if we want to continue in our current life plans. Med students, law students, and MA students put in just as much effort as PhD candidates do, but yet, from what I can tell at least, they typically do not complain about how universities do not pay them for earning the degree that will be useful in earning their own future income. So yes, pay students for teaching undergrads and helping professors with research, but to assume that we should be paid to attend lectures, read texts, and write a dissertation sounds, at least to me, to be slightly presumptuous. Disclaimer: I am speaking from a humanities background.

Be polite, respectful, and honest. The POI's have been through this process before; they know what to expect. Trying to hide something will just make you seem....silly? shady even?

Congrats on getting in! my advice? listen to most of the other poster's comments. wait until april 15 with the peace of mind of knowing that next year you will be going to a school you like.

I personally appreciate having the results section available. Knowing when other students have heard back won't in any way affect whether i get in or not, but I just like having the information available. (I'm one of those people who love having schedules and knowing specific dates/times before hand even if it has no effect whatsoever on the actual events or results.) I also am rather chill about rejections - feeling heartbroken about them won't change anything, so why get up all upset and waste one's time and energy when only bad things will come of it? However, I do realize that others don't share my approach; some do take the news harder than other. I found it nice to hear about your concern for others and agree with YA_RLY on the following: "No, you are not being a wuss. You have to decide what feels right to you. You are being a considerate fellow Gradcafe member." Not posting your results will not any way hurt other members but will make you feel more at ease with your conscious and does reflect a certain kindness of spirit. On the other hand, posting your results does not mean that you are not a considerate fellow gradcafe member (so long as what you post is true to the best of your knowledge). Everyone on here is an autonomous agent - no one forces another to look at the results page, and everyone should be smart enough to realize that bad news may await them. You should not feel guilty about the results of another's actions. I would now like to ask a slightly different question but on the same topic. I am considered not so much about the students but about the violation trust with the schools. I have received a few unofficial acceptances. Most I am ok with posting because they are of the "technically the graduate school has to admit you; the department can only recommend students for admittance...but you're in once the paperwork goes through" kind. However, what about more unofficial acceptances? like ones where the person from the admission board says that most decisions won't be made for another week or so but I just wanted to let you know that the deadline for certain university fellowships is now and we nominated you? or ones from a professor on the admission council that you know and may just be giving you an early heads up?

I'm trying to do the same thing. make sure the schools know about your situation though; some may be willing to cover more for international visits.

I would definitely call someone at school A and continue to call until I had answers. If they continue to be vague, let them know that you need funding information to make a decision (and perhaps mention that this decision is between their school and school B which has been forthright about funding information). To determine if school A is part of the CGS (council of graduate schools), go here: http://www.cgsnet.org/Default.aspx?tabid=102 If it is, then I would recommend looking here as well: http://www.cgsnet.org/Default.aspx?tabid=201 The above link is to the Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees, and Assistants. the summary provides states: "The general spirit of the Resolution is that students should have an opportunity to consider more than one offer and should have until April 15 to do so, that institutions and students should be able to view acceptances in force after April 15 as binding, that everyone should know what the rules are, and that an offer by the institution and its acceptance by the student constitute an agreement which both expect to honor. The Resolution acknowledges that students, after having accepted an offer, may change their minds and withdraw that acceptance." I'm pretty sure that there is nothing that school A, if part of CGS ,can do if you change your mind. In fact, it may already be in violation of the resolution. Even if it is not though, I doubt that the agreement would be binding if you haven't signed anything formal yet. However, keep in mind that you should be as polite as possible so as not to anger anyone who you potentially be going to for a job. This by no stretch of the imagination means that you must stay at an institution which does not seem to treat its (at least prospective) students well or which offers less funding. good luck!

I agree with Vacuum on this one. Getting accepted into a program is an honor. So many student's today seem to expect that getting into a grad school is just like getting into college -its going to happen; it should happen. But grad schools are not undergrad institutions. Having someone acknowledge the time and effort you put into your undergraduate education and graduate application is worth something. It is complaining that a school won't pay you to further your own education which sounds like the words of a someone who's from a "privileged background." If a graduate degree is something you want, then work for it. Go out and get a job to save up for it or find a way to work while earning the degree. Don't complain because the department won't pamper you at a time when their own funding is most likely being significantly reduced.

In all of my responses, I've said something along the lines of "thank you for the wonderful news" and then went on to either address questions posed in the email (like, when would be a good time to call) or to mention a few questions I might have about the program. So long as you're polite though, I'm sure most anything is fine.

I applied to U.S schools but am currently living in Japan. As of now, most schools have been understanding about my situation; some have even offered an increase in the amount they are willing to reimburse me for. As of now, I do think that I will be returning. When added up, the amounts from all the schools are a decent amount, so I won't have to pay too much out of pocket. I also would really like to see some campuses and meet professors before I accept.

this thread made me smile (and was informative too). thanks to whoever started it!

Pi Beta Phi (alumna as two months ago - still feels strange to say that...)

Boulder, CO is a great place to live without a car. The city has amazing bike trails and, as was mentioned earlier, a good public transportation system. Big cities like DC and NY have good transits as well. I've lived in both Knoxville, TN and Lexington, VA. I would strongly recommend a car for Knoxville, but you could get by without one in Lexington if you lived in town. Lexington is a really small town though, so if you plan on going to a bigger city, airport, or train station, you will have to find a ride or pay a taxi.

US and UK schools also have different teaching styles. You should consider that as well and also look into professors you may be able to work with at each institution.

So, my first acceptance email came a few days ago (yay!) from Vanderbilt, and I was hoping to get in touch with some other accepted students.

I attended Colorado's summer seminar for philosophy last summer and had a wonderful time. It's under a different director this year, but I imagine the program will largely be the same. You take classes with a variety of CO profs relating to the year's theme (this year is will and desire I believe), write 2 short papers and one long paper, and can earn 3 grad credits. There are also a variety of opportunities to interact with the profs and grad students outside of the classroom, and plenty of philosophical discussion is held among the participants. The cost is about 1,000 usd, which includes housing, classes, a few outings, and some meals. Registration fees for RoME (Rocky Mt. Ethics conference) might be included again this year as well. I can't recall if they offered scholarships, but I do know that some of the participants mentioned that their schools paid for everything. It was a great experience and definitely worth looking into. Here's the link to the web page: http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/outreach_summer_seminar.shtml Best of luck!

Thank you!

I hate the cold but am stubborn enough to grin and bear it for something that I want (like a PhD from a great school). It all comes down to what you can tolerate for something you want. Complaining about the University of the Virgin Islands lack of a stellar graduate program is still perfectly acceptable though.

I'm in a similar situation - japan instead of Taiwan though. The above advice worked well for me. If you have someone in the states who you feel comfortable speaking on your behalf or having messages/mail passed through, you may want to mention that as well. Congrats again

I had thought that philosophy PhD programs didn't start sending out letters until late Feb at the earliest, but, much to my surprise, I had emails from both UC Davis and Vanderbilt in my inbox this morning. I was wondering if anyone had heard back from anywhere else (Notre Dame, Rutgers, Brown, WUSTL, Stanford, NYU, Harvard, UVA, Georgetown, Michigan (Ann Arbor), Wisconsin (Madison), Arizona State, Princeton, UNC, Emory, Pitt, or Cornell).