2018 Acceptance/Rejection Thread

[Needle in the Hay]

I was accepted at FSU last night with full funding. The timing suggests that I was on a hidden waitlist.

Very excited to have this option, but still waiting on other schools and hoping some waitlists come through.

[Schwarzwald]

19 minutes ago, incredulous_stare said:

Anybody else who hasn't heard back from Columbia?

Yeah, presuming rejection though. Looks like they just haven't gotten to us.

[philoguy]

Is it appropriate to follow up on applications and inquire into the specifics of why you were rejected?

[machineghost]

13 minutes ago, philoguy said:

Is it appropriate to follow up on applications and inquire into the specifics of why you were rejected?

Yes, especially if you are planning to apply out next year. I’ve emailed a few schools and about half of them responded and the information that I received was helpful, at least in one case.

[kretschmar]

3 hours ago, incredulous_stare said:

Anybody else who hasn't heard back from Columbia?

I haven't. Looks like they employ the apathetic-episodic rejection style.

[Plslol]

When it comes time to apply again for those of us shut out of phd programs, is it recommended against to use the same, but edited, writing sample?

[Prose]

4 minutes ago, Plslol said:

When it comes time to apply again for those of us shut out of phd programs, is it recommended against to use the same, but edited, writing sample?

I'm just a pleb and this is my first cycle, but I'm going to use the paper I produce for the Michaelmas term of my MSt. I had a lot of things weighing down on me that kept me from working on my writing sample last semester, and I just think it's a bad idea to try to resurrect it. I think the general answer here is, though, that it doesn't matter one bit, as long as it's significantly better than your first sample and you've gone through 10+ drafts of it read by professors with some standing and experience in the discipline (or at the very least the best professors available to you). My problems this cycle were: lack of pedigree, poor sample, and bad fit. The first thing is out of my (and your(?)) control. I had no idea going into college that going to a small liberal arts college that, while prestigious, didn't have a ranked PhD program, would hurt me SIGNIFICANTLY. The other two things, however, are in my control, and hence the things I'll work on. I'd probably encourage you to do the same. Write up a brilliant sample and put in the extra hours to explain in your SoP why you're a good fit for the program (and do try to make your sample subject be your AOI).

[LORDBACON]

1 hour ago, Prose said:

Write up a brilliant sample and put in the extra hours to explain in your SoP why you're a good fit for the program (and do try to make your sample subject be your AOI).

What I'm beginning to wonder is how and who to try to convince to review my next sample over and over again once I have graduated in May.  Should I just cut to the chase and hit up my POI's from the depts where I got rejected and ask them for comments?  If I have one good idea in my life please let this be it.

[eigenname]

4 hours ago, LORDBACON said:

What I'm beginning to wonder is how and who to try to convince to review my next sample over and over again once I have graduated in May.  Should I just cut to the chase and hit up my POI's from the depts where I got rejected and ask them for comments?  If I have one good idea in my life please let this be it.

That's not a bad idea, but from experience last year they don't tend to give anything too substantial (makes sense, they don't want everyone asking for detailed comments) beyond 'you can improve on it more'. I would focus on working with people you personally work with, and either developing a new idea or revising and polishing your current one. But that's just my own opinion.

[Hekkue]

Long time onlooker, 

What is up with the one rejection reported from Vanderbilt?

Do you guys think it was a mistake or spam?  

[thehegeldialectic]

9 hours ago, LORDBACON said:

What I'm beginning to wonder is how and who to try to convince to review my next sample over and over again once I have graduated in May.  Should I just cut to the chase and hit up my POI's from the depts where I got rejected and ask them for comments?  If I have one good idea in my life please let this be it.

I would present it at a conference or colloquium (several if possible). That should give you some really good feedback and let you know what parts are interesting and where you can look for improvement. Next, ask your friends or colleagues for feedback. Finally, it's hard to get professors to take the time (and sometimes for them to be honest), but it's worth a shot.

11 hours ago, Plslol said:

When it comes time to apply again for those of us shut out of phd programs, is it recommended against to use the same, but edited, writing sample?

I would say no. You might try to rework  the argument of the current sample or  improve the engagement with the literature, and take the same general idea to the next level, but I think it's a bad idea to try to play the exact same hand again. 

Some exceptions might be if:

(a) You only applied to a few programs, enough to not rule out bad luck.
(b) You were waitlisted at several programs, suggesting that they might have liked the sample, but couldn't squeeze you in.
(c) You are applying to different programs, ones more suited to your interests. 

If you apply to the same program with the same writing sample, they might reject you for the same reason.

I will say that when I applied two years ago before my MA, I thought my writing sample was perfect. Two years later, I see that, despite its strengths, it contained a major/flaw oversight that I was only able to recognize by engaging more with the literature. 
 

1 hour ago, Hekkue said:

What is up with the one rejection reported from Vanderbilt? Do you guys think it was a mistake or spam?  

It's not the last minute, which means we can definitely rule out Vanderbilt sending rejections. Therefore it's either spam or they wrote the department and asked. 

Edited March 3, 2018 by iunoionnis

[dormouse]

Waitlisted at Boston University! Someone please decline your offer and make my dream come true. 

[Xia1]

My status still hasn't changed nor have I received an email from Notre Dame after all the rejects, waitlists, and accepts. Why are they torturing me. Also, all their accepts (at least here on GC) have perfect 170V GRE scores. I wonder if that's coincidence, I know they highly value GRE scores but dang!

[big modality]

21 minutes ago, Xia1 said:

My status still hasn't changed nor have I received an email from Notre Dame after all the rejects, waitlists, and accepts. Why are they torturing me. Also, all their accepts (at least here on GC) have perfect 170V GRE scores. I wonder if that's coincidence, I know they highly value GRE scores but dang!

My verbal was 166 and i've been accepted at Notre Dame (which I will decline). 

[Philodoxia]

Anyone waitlisted at Amherst yet? No postings on the gradcafe, though Amherst usually sends out their waitlists right after their admissions.

[Metanoia]

Accepted at Cornell via email today. 

[Prose]

Ditto^

FINALLY

[philosophyswede]

Saw someone just posted a CUNY acceptance on fb - does anyone know if they send their acceptances out all at once or if there's still hope of good news?

[Metanoia]

7 minutes ago, Prose said:

Ditto^

FINALLY

Congratulations!  Is this your first PhD acceptance in this cycle? And are you going for the visit?

[Prose]

4 minutes ago, Metanoia said:

Congratulations!  Is this your first PhD acceptance in this cycle? And are you going for the visit?

It is! I'd been pretty hopeless so far because I'm coming straight from a small liberal arts college without a graduate program in philosophy. I was pretty much accepting my fate of doing the MSt but this is honestly just a better offer. I probably won't go to the visit, just not enough time in the day this semester

[Metanoia]

Really heartbroken about not hearing back from Stanford since it was my top choice. Still holding out hope for a waitlist. Do any of the admitted folk know if they're done?

[Metanoia]

3 minutes ago, Prose said:

It is! I'd been pretty hopeless so far because I'm coming straight from a small liberal arts college without a graduate program in philosophy. I was pretty much accepting my fate of doing the MSt but this is honestly just a better offer. I probably won't go to the visit, just not enough time in the day this semester

Yes, this is clearly a better offer. It's very hard to get funding at Oxford anyway. I take it that you're interested in ancient philosophy (me too!), and Cornell's ancient philosophy program is top notch. I don't think I'll be visiting either because the visit clashes with Harvard's. 

[quinessloopypun]

14 minutes ago, Metanoia said:

Accepted at Cornell via email today. 

Congratulations! Is this off the waitlist, because I think I saw some acceptances a few weeks back?

[Metanoia]

I don't know because I was never formally waitlisted. I'm guessing they had some sort of a hidden waitlist.

[Pythian]

I see a lot of people with Notre Dame waitlists, and some new Notre Dame rejections. I still haven't received any information from them. Anyone got a inkling for why this might be the case? A hidden waitlist perhaps?

I also haven't heard from Cornell yet. Not sure what to make of this either.

Good news is, I got waitlisted at U Texas Austin!