[M.A. Programs in Philosophy]

Don't take this as the final word, since I haven't been to any of these grad schools, but I am pretty sure that big programs like Columbia don't fund their MA students. Tufts has the best placement record of all the stand-alone MA programs. If you go to a school that doesn't have a PhD program, you are far more likely to get funding.

Check out Tufts, Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan, and UW-Milwaukee. There's a few other good ones, I think Texas Tech and possibly Texas A&M, but I am not sure. Philosophicalgourmet.com has an excellent section on this topic.

How do you know that Tufts has the best placement? They don't publish their placement records on-line, last I checked. My understanding is that their placement records vary year to year.

[Will an unclean record affect admission]

An underage drinking ticket will definitely not affect your chances of admission. They can't ask you if you have ever committed a crime - they can't even ask you if you have ever been arrested - all they can ask (which they won't) is if you have been convicted of a crime, which you have not. Don't sweat it.

[University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (UWM)]

Anybody going to UWM this year? Any budding philosophers?

[Retaking GREs]

It's really the writing I am worried about. I suppose if my sample is good they won't take the writing score so seriously. I hated that part of the test!! It was 9am, I had underslept (from nerves). That's why I think I could do better a second time around.

[Retaking GREs]

Except...they announced today that the new GRE is being cancelled, which I personally think is a good thing.

http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menu ... f95190RCRD

[Retaking GREs]

This fall I will be enrolling in an MA program in philosophy (U.Wisconsin-Milwaukee). While my GRE scores are high (800Q, 700V, 5/6 analytic), I think I can do better if I take them a second time. I really want to do my PhD at Harvard or NYU, so there might be practical value in taking them again and doing better. Any thoughts?

[Milwaukee, WI]

Yes, I am going to UWM's MA program in philosophy. Perhaps our paths will cross.