PHILOSOPHY M.A. ACCEPTANCE/REJECTION 2018

[Rose-Colored Beetle]

In at WMU, but waitlisted for assistantship. Since it's almost unthinkable to do an MA unfunded, as even my acceptance letter implies, I wonder how this is much different from a straight-up waitlist.

I'm wondering what qualified those who did get an assistantship, as I already have a little experience in teaching philosophy, collaborative philosophy writing, and conference management. At any rate, at least the acceptance is nice to have.

[Descartes blanche]

29 minutes ago, Rose-Colored Dasein said:

In at WMU, but waitlisted for assistantship. Since it's almost unthinkable to do an MA unfunded, as even my acceptance letter implies, I wonder how this is much different from a straight-up waitlist.

I'm wondering what qualified those who did get an assistantship, as I already have a little experience in teaching philosophy, collaborative philosophy writing, and conference management. At any rate, at least the acceptance is nice to have.

If worse came to worse, and it was the only offer you had (unfunded), the cost of living in Kalamazoo is a lot less than probably just about every other M.A. program worth applying to. Also, the grad students there have often been given various opportunities to earn more money (summer teaching/research positions, additional grading assignments, hired onto faculty grants etc..) Lastly, just keep your hopes up, a friend of mine did his M.A. there and he said they always end up digging into their waitlist. Also, they're cultivating an increasingly impressive placement record. 

Edited March 8, 2018 by Descartes blanche

[soproperlybasic]

1 hour ago, Rose-Colored Dasein said:

In at WMU, but waitlisted for assistantship. Since it's almost unthinkable to do an MA unfunded, as even my acceptance letter implies, I wonder how this is much different from a straight-up waitlist.

I'm wondering what qualified those who did get an assistantship, as I already have a little experience in teaching philosophy, collaborative philosophy writing, and conference management. At any rate, at least the acceptance is nice to have.

If it helps, I got an assistantship and will be turning it down if NIU comes through with funding.

[Zimmy64]

17 hours ago, Descartes blanche said:

I agree. I wouldn't even say that it has been "misused," so much as it has simply evolved like so many other concepts. Many American liberals, as affiliated with the Democratic party, can acknowledge that their values and policies differ from that of classical liberalism and its early proponents. Much of that shift can be characterized in the work of - like you said - Rawls and Kant (though I would also add Pettit as a major contemporary influence away from classical liberalism). All of them take some allegiance to liberalism in the broader sense, I just think it's a matter of how they choose to conceptualize and defend the notion of liberty, or freedom. 

No doubt that "liberal" can refer to more than just classical liberal. As you mentioned I would definitely consider both Petit and Rawls "liberals" even though they are not "classical liberals." Interestingly their is a debate within classical liberal circles over whether Kant is a classical liberal. I used to think that he was not a classical liberal though I have heard arguments that he does belong right in the middle of the classical liberal canon and is often excluded because he wrote in German rather than English. Certainty there are a number of classical liberals and libertarians who have been influenced by Kant like Robert Nozick and Mark LeBar.  

As you said it depends how one conceptualizes the often nebulous concept of "liberty." Its a topic I have dedicated a significant amount of time to and the diversity of views within liberalism can be very intellectually stimulating. Even though I don't often agree with Rawls or Petit they present interesting, plausible views that need to be wrestled with and considered. 

[JeshZhavvorsa]

8 hours ago, downwardabsolute said:

I haven't yet heard about funding, and I may not until as late as April 13th (I apologize in advance to anyone wanting my NIU assistantship). 

Are Tufts and Oxford still ahead if NIU for you? (Shamelessly trying to find out if I’ll get offered an assistantship at NIU)

[Descartes blanche]

1 hour ago, Zimmy64 said:

No doubt that "liberal" can refer to more than just classical liberal. As you mentioned I would definitely consider both Petit and Rawls "liberals" even though they are not "classical liberals." Interestingly their is a debate within classical liberal circles over whether Kant is a classical liberal. I used to think that he was not a classical liberal though I have heard arguments that he does belong right in the middle of the classical liberal canon and is often excluded because he wrote in German rather than English. Certainty there are a number of classical liberals and libertarians who have been influenced by Kant like Robert Nozick and Mark LeBar.  

As you said it depends how one conceptualizes the often nebulous concept of "liberty." Its a topic I have dedicated a significant amount of time to and the diversity of views within liberalism can be very intellectually stimulating. Even though I don't often agree with Rawls or Petit they present interesting, plausible views that need to be wrestled with and considered. 

Yeah, I always felt that Rawls and Nozick were having a tug of war with Kant. Some have even gone so far as to put him in a similar camp with Aristotle (Korsgaard). Personally, I'm somewhat critical of the whole project itself and have taken a more Aristotelian approach to political life (with the exception of slavery of course). Sounds like we have a lot of similar interests though. If I ever get off the waitlist at GSU, maybe we could talk more about it. I wasn't sure how I'd do considering that my work flies square in the face of what many are doing at GSU but it was encouraging to be waitlisted despite that fact. 

[downwardabsolute]

2 hours ago, JeshZhavvorsa said:

Are Tufts and Oxford still ahead if NIU for you? (Shamelessly trying to find out if I’ll get offered an assistantship at NIU)

Modulo funding, yes.

[Descartes blanche]

1 hour ago, downwardabsolute said:

Modulo funding, yes.

What did you do your sample on? 

 

[downwardabsolute]

7 minutes ago, Descartes blanche said:

What did you do your sample on? 

 

Philosophy of physics; more specifically, I argued that one cannot reliably draw metaphysical conclusions from quantum mechanics. 

[downwardabsolute]

Is it too early to start worrying about Tufts? 

[Hekkue]

1 hour ago, downwardabsolute said:

Is it too early to start worrying about Tufts? 

We need someone call them !

There are people in the forum who are in that program

[Metanoia]

1 hour ago, downwardabsolute said:

Is it too early to start worrying about Tufts? 

 

10 minutes ago, Hekkue said:

We need someone call them !

There are people in the forum who are in that program

I'll try to find out, tomorrow. But in the past, decisions have sometimes been sent out over a couple of days.

Edited March 8, 2018 by Metanoia

[Hekkue]

7 minutes ago, Metanoia said:

 

I'll try to find out, tomorrow. 

Yes, I was thinking of you

Very thankful, 

[Kantattheairport]

23 hours ago, Descartes blanche said:

What was your sample on? 

 

Transformative experience and the imagination.

[Hekkue]

I just got accepted at the Boston College (MA). 

This is my best offer so far. 

If you are waiting for a response, just send them an e-mail to know. 

[Rose-Colored Beetle]

23 hours ago, Hekkue said:

I just got accepted at the Boston College (MA). 

This is my best offer so far. 

If you are waiting for a response, just send them an e-mail to know. 

Congrats! Hopefully this means they'll be sending out PhD acceptances soon... Did you have any faculty members you were particularly interested in?

[TomKatze]

On 2018/3/8 at 12:57 PM, Descartes blanche said:

I got the same at WMU too. Unfortunately, WMU (accepted) and GSU (currently waitlisted) have been the only schools - for me at least -  to respond with anything. I'm still waiting on UW-Milwaukee, VT, UMSL, U Houston, and Simon Fraser. I saw Houston and Fraser make an appearance, so I might just have a silent rejection with those two. Congrats on your winning streak though. Maybe you could use some of that as funding leverage with Oxford if it came down to it. 

"a silent rejaction"? Will they reject a student without informing the student? 

[machineghost]

4 hours ago, TomKatze said:

"a silent rejaction"? Will they reject a student without informing the student? 

No, they will inform the applicant, but maybe not until well past the time when the applicant figures out that they’ve been rejected. 

[Neither Here Nor There]

On 3/11/2018 at 12:59 AM, Rose-Colored Dasein said:

Congrats! Hopefully this means they'll be sending out PhD acceptances soon... Did you have any faculty members you were particularly interested in?

they already sent out phd acceptances last month. I wouldn't expect more than 2 people to get off the waitlists. 

[Descartes blanche]

9 hours ago, TomKatze said:

"a silent rejaction"? Will they reject a student without informing the student? 

Or an "implicit rejection," or whatever the term is. I don't think they would reject you without notifying you, at least not on purpose. An "implicit/silent" rejection is when acceptances and/or waitlists appear to have been sent out and you currently don't have either (meaning you will probably receive a rejection a few weeks down the line). 

[Descartes blanche]

Is there any kind of standard expectation when it comes to getting off of an M.A. waitlist? I was told that I was #3 at one of the schools I'd been waitlisted on. Are those good odds? Does anyone have a crazy waitlist story? 

[lyellgeo]

Depending on the program, those are good odds. Usually MA applicants are more likely to decline than phd applicants, as many if not most are applying to PhDs as well.

Edited March 13, 2018 by lyellgeo

[jukeboxhero]

Just declined offers with assistantships from Texas Tech University, Western Michigan University, and Ohio University. 

[Rose-Colored Beetle]

16 hours ago, Neither Here Nor There said:

they already sent out phd acceptances last month. I wouldn't expect more than 2 people to get off the waitlists. 

Did they really? I totally missed it. And I'm not the only one who's been watching this... We're talking about Boston College (not university), right?

[Neither Here Nor There]

7 hours ago, Rose-Colored Dasein said:

Did they really? I totally missed it. And I'm not the only one who's been watching this... We're talking about Boston College (not university), right?

are you talking about their master's program? I think BC just sent out master's acceptances ,so yes, if you applied to the master's, you could be hearing from them via postal service any day now. As far as the phd, they were sent out the first of February and 5 offers were made. Sorry if you were talking about master's; my misunderstanding.