copyprinciple

Hello all. I am looking for a good, well-funded masters program that specializes in my interests. I am mostly interested in the history oh philosophy, mainly19th century German (Schopenhauer, Kant, German Idealism), but also Indian/Vedic, Neoplatonism, Plato, English Empiricism, Ancient Ethics (Epicureanism). Here is a list of schools I have researched and am considering. Georgia State, New Mexico, LSU, UT Knoxville, SIU Carbondale, Wisconsin Milwaukee, Kent State Does anyone with similar interests know of any schools I am leaving out? I am aware of Philosophical Gourmet rankings, but I'm looking for a program that matches the interests I stated. Thanks!

What kind of a person gets in to a top ranked philosophy program? Do you need to have published in a journal? Do you need to have new ideas or just a very strong grasp of old ideas? Do you need to be extroverted and good at making social connections? Do you have to be constantly working and reading? Do you need superb grades or excellent writing ability? Give me the profile of an attractive candidate for a top-ranked program. Thanks!

Does anyone know how important knowledge of the Russian language is when studying Russian art?

I've decided that I really want to pursue philosophy. My problem is that I'm not a philosophy major (I was a Russian/Spanish double, 3.89gpa). Because of this I think I should apply for a (terminal?) MA program in the US. I need to expand my philosophical knowledge and learn the ropes of academia before moving on to anything more ambitious. I'm worried about my credentials when applying to programs. While I'm not a philosophy major, I do have 12 credits of philosophy from Arizona. I read philosophy in my spare time and like to think I'm fairly well-informed. I feel confident in my intellectual capacity to engage with difficult philosophical texts as well as confident in my motivation. My interests are 19th century Continental (especially Schopenhauer), English empiricism, and ancient ethics, among others. I understand philosophy is a very competitive field but I am not shooting for the stars at the moment, I just want to build a philosophical foundation. My questions are: am I a potential candidate for MA programs and do I have a chance at being accepted? Is there anything I can do to improve my chances? Any comments or advice are appreciated. Thanks!