rwsc

In addition to Leiter, read Schwitzgebel.

Canadian and U.S. programs are different. I have no experience in Canadian graduate programs so I cannot address their perceived value to admissions committees and I do not know whether they typically are funded or not. I agree that personal statements and writing samples ought to deserve higher consideration than GRE scores. Let me be clear: jferreir is right; you couldn't take an overall poor application and improve it by raising GRE scores alone. But a top GRE score will get your application read. It is the first step to getting anyone on the admissions committee to pay attention. Writing samples and personal statements are important - sure - but if the GRE isn't high enough, a committee member, who may have liked what you wrote, will have difficulty convincing his/her colleagues to admit you. If you have a high GRE and still have difficulties. It may have something to do with pedigree - where you went to school and who wrote you letters of recommendation. Getting an M.A. is one way to possibly improve that pedigree. But in the states, if you want to improve your pedigree that means attending a bigger name program where the M.A. is less likely to receive funding. If you can just write a check and go without debt, by all means go. Few people I expect can do that. If attending an unfunded M.A. program means large quantities of debt, then you have to seriously consider how much you're willing to pay for those letters of recommendation. jferreir is right that a polished writing sample and a well-researched personal statement showing "fit" in a program will go a very long way to improving your chances of admittance. However, my advice about avoiding unfunded, American M.A. programs centers on just why you believe you need to complete an M.A. If it's to improve pedigree, fine - but it's going to cost you, and you may have difficulty getting professors to pay attention. I think it a bit optimistic to imagine securing any publications as an M.A student let alone a few, but it's certainly been done. I, however, would be careful about what and where you want to publish while you're in this maturation process. But that's something else entirely.

To be perfectly frank, MAs give you more opportunities to fail at getting into a Ph.D. program; in fact, sometimes a school will further narrow your options (e.g., if you attend a militantly continental program, you'll have a tough time finding admission to even moderately analytic schools). If you didn't get in or didn't get funding, save your money and spend a year hammering out GRE practice tests until you hit that 1500+. In the current state of grade & recommendation inflation, GRE scores may be the only thing you've got to differentiate yourself (unless the committee is willing to read your writing sample [doubtful -- you're lucky if they skim it]). Whatever you do, don't accept admission to an unfunded MA; they're just exploiting your idealism and taking advantage of your naivete. This discipline has little self-respect. It's a complete mess, and yet here we are, trying.

Do not go to an M.A. program in philosophy unless you get some kind of funding. The M.A. programs without funding are essentially institutions taking advantage of your idealism. Ask the program if they can provide you detailed statistics about the rate of acceptance of their M.A.s into Ph.D. programs. You'll find many of them don't keep this data because (1) they don't want to know themselves and (2) they don't want you to know. M.A.s in philosophy without funding are cash-schemes all to the department's benefit.

If you haven't already read this, you may want to. Everything in the application process varies. I know members of admissions committee who do not even look at the writing sample.

At BC there's limited MA funding for students studying Lonergan. Any other funding usually comes from GA positions from the school proper, not the department. There are none (or very few) MA-student GAs. BC's MAs are their cash cows: How much do you want to pay for letters of recommendation from BC's faculty? Will you be able to acquire them within two years? It's not a fast track into the Ph.D. program either; they very rarely take internal candidates.

I'm at BC. Send me a PM if you're interested in what it's like.