Dialectica

Thank you! And I'll make sure to put in a good word

Accepted at Brandeis! 50% funding and TA-ship. I'm pumped about their program. But dang that city is expensive.

Accepted at Brandeis! 50% funding and TA-ship.

I'm still aggregating positives and negatives on programs (trying to get student's perspectives on programs). In addition to the information I weigh (as I posted earlier) I'm visiting WMU's program next week, so hopefully that gives me a better feel of the environment. I'm also waiting on funding information from NIU. If the news is in my favor, I'll be leaning pretty heavily towards NIU (I know some folks there, all of whom have had great experiences there). That said, I'm still waiting on Milwaukee, Brandeis, and SFSU. So I'm withholding any final judgement on the matter.

Like Edit_Undo, I look at placement to programs of interest (e.g., relevant to AOI). I also try to get a feel of the program from current or recent grads from the program. More specifically I look for answers to the following questions: how supportive are the faculty members? how prepared did you feel for Phd programs as a result of your program? Do you feel that your phd apps will be/were competitive as a result of your MA program? That said, this decision is pretty difficult for me. I'm attracted to all the programs in one way or another.

How were you notified of this? I still haven't heard anything from them. :/

If anybody has experience (and useful information as a result) at either Western Michigan's or Northern Illinois' MA programs, feel free to PM me. I've heard a small range of perspectives on each.

Ulixes, thank you for starting this thread. I was thinking of making one myself, but I felt there was a dearth of MA applicants this year. Accordingly, I'm happy you have made your presence known here. Much of this is found in my signature, but here it goes: I've been accepted to NIU, Western Michigan, and Virginia Tech. I have only received funding from Western Michigan (full funding at that (thank goodness)); I've been rejected from GSU and Tufts; and I'm eagerly awaiting responses from Milwaukee, Brandeis, and SFSU.

I'm a bit late to the party, and although I'm applying only to MA programs, I figure I should post my scores: 164 verbal, 146 quant., and 5.5 AW. Quant is atrocious, I know.

Milwaukee usually sends out notifications right around this time; I would be surprised if they didn't send out any by saturday. I haven't checked up on Brandeis. Given past years, it is very likely that WMU has only sent out first round. But I'm not certain about this.

This is just obviously false. First, Loux's Metaphysics book as nothing to do with God or philosophy of religion for that matter. It is on the list because it is a well-known and commonly used in intro courses in metaphysics. Second, as Establishment has satirically noted, Van Inwagen's Material Beings has nothing to do with a Christian or theist agenda. Thirdly, Plantinga's Nature of Necessity is incredibly well-known as a seminal work in modal metaphysics (just look at how many times it is cited in metaphysics volumes/articles, without mention of its latter chapters that are explicitly theistic). While Plantinga's work on warrant has been very influential in epistemology, despite its ties to Plantinga's larger project of warrant with respect to theism and christian belief. Without any argument for why these authors shouldn't be on the list (other than the fact they are Christian), your post sounds just as silly as the following: Anyone who lists Dretske, Ayer, Mackie (three very anti-religious philosophers) as the most important/central/fundamental writers on metaphysics (or anything other than mainstream anti-Christian apology) is exposing some extreme anti-Christian centrism and taking you on a ride. If you are only interested in anti-religiously-motivated metaphysics or anti-Christian apology/atheism, they might be a good place to start, but by no means do those philosophers accurately represent a "groundwork in analytic philosophy." It is a groundwork in anti-Christian philosophy and anti-Christian metaphysics/ethics.

Given their placement records, I would choose NIU over Virginia Tech. I know a handful of people that went through NIU's program, all with great things to say about it. On the other hand, if VT decided to fund me, I would have to choose VT's program over NIU. Im thrilled to be in a position with such options, though I almost wish I had just one. I'm assuming you have unfunded offers from both? Did you apply to WMU at all?

Thanks, MattDest, for the advice. What you have suggested I suspect is true, but some anecdotal confirmation is nice. My next question would be the following: given the benefits of an assistantship, should an assistantship from one MA program outweigh the offer from a higher ranked program with better placement, w/o an assistantship (in this case: WMU and NIU respectively)?

I understood you were just following the premise; I just wanted to correct myself more than anything. I applied for the tuition waiver; I'm hoping to hear back soon, as that would make NIU a much more reasonable option. Regarding Graduate Assistantships (this might make for a good thread): do you feel they give a leg up in PhD admissions in any way (e.g., better letters of rec, a significant boost on one's CV, better experience, etc.)? I ask because I've been offered one at WMU, but if funding comes through for NIU, and I attend as a result, I, at least in the first year, would not have a GA at NIU. (This question goes out to anyone, of course). I'm assuming you didn't get one (at least not initially), if you hadn't been given a funded offer.

Perhaps "slightly" is misleading. I would say NIU's and VT's placement is more consistent than anything. While WMU's placement is fairly comparable in terms of the ranking of programs into which it places its graduates, the consistency is a concern of mine. (sorry to bump this conversation, but I haven't been on in a bit.)

I'm in the same situation regarding Virginia Tech. I would really like to join their program, but funding is a big deal for me. I'm also in the sticky situation (get ready for it, this will annoy some) of a fully funded offer (with a GA) at Wester Michigan, but I have two other offers, though unfunded, whose placement is slightly better. If anybody has any information about NIU, VT, or WMU, feel free to PM me; I need help weighing these options.

I got that too!!! Talk about your teases.

In my experience, the hipsters in Seattle say "tight" only when it's meant to be just about as ironic as "groovy".

My impression is that, on the West Coast (I'm a Washingtonian), 'tight' is a relic of the mid-late 90's/early 00's vernacular.

I received an e-mail around 7pm indicating that I had been accepted to Western Michigan's MA program—full funding with graduate assistantship. Great news!

The indicator switched to 'accepted' today. I called to verify everything was in order, being that the acceptances that were sent out today, apparently, didn't come with e-mails. They said to only expect a physical letter, which seemed strange to me. Why would they e-mail acceptances one day and "snail"-mail the next batch of acceptances?

Thank you both for the encouragement. Also, apparently I miscalculated: I have seven left to hear from. Thank goodness.

I've applied to 7 terminal MA programs. I just heard back from the first one, Georgia State University: Rejected. Pretty bummed about this. I was under the impression that GSU's program would be one of the less difficult to get into, being that they had 23 spots open.

I feel that this thread would be much more interesting, as well as more fruitful, if folks stated why an argument is the worst. I also fear this thread might turn into disgracefully dancing on the graves of long dead philosophers. These were human beings, who thought long and hard on these things, whose arguments are well known for good reason.