Which programs are best to apply to?

[PossumTheCat]

I finished my BA last spring and I am applying for graduate programs for the fall of 2020. I am interested in studying metaphysics and logic. I am a big fan of David Lewis. The analysis of possibility, ontology, formal systems, and the metaphysics of science are each contenders for my chief philosophical interest.

I do not know which programs I should be applying for. I plan on applying to a couple of terminal MA programs for general philosophy. I would like also to pursue MA/PhD programs and those programs with a strong faculty for metaphysics. Most of the programs I would like to apply to, given their faculties best suit my interests, are quite nice. That's a problem for me. My credentials are a mixed bag.

GPA BA -3.27

GRE 168/165/5.5

I seriously doubt the letters will be that strong. I had no issues in my courses but I withdrew for an extended period of time as per my financial disposition. While away from school, all my best candidate letter writers either passed on or moved out of the discipline. The rest just haven't instructed a course with me in too many years.

I am confident in the quality of my writing sample.

I plan on applying to the following schools:

Syracuse

Norther Illinois

Houston

NYU

Tufts

Rutgers

Southern California

I am under the impression I should apply to more schools. I don't know which ones though. I have already done considerable research (mostly by reading phil articles in journals) to find good matches at say Syracuse (Dowell, Heller) or Tufts (Denby). Now, I am running short on ideas. Also, I don't even know how practical or strong my list really is. Am I applying to too strong of programs? Should I give up on PhD programs?

Does anyone have any input otherwise? Any is appreciated.

Thank you.

[Glasperlenspieler]

It seems like you have a good list of programs for people doing Lewis-style metaphysics. Given your stats, you will probably have more luck with MA programs. It's probably still worth applying to a couple PhD programs, but the ones you list are likely sufficient (NYU and Rutgers will be ridiculously difficult to get into but that's the case for everyone; USC and Syracuse won't be a cakewalk either but they should be slightly less competitive). I might think about adding a couple more funded MA programs. While I think you've done a good job of identifying those MA programs especially strong in your area of interest, I'm not sure fit is as important when it comes to MAs. Take a look at places like UW-Milwaukee or Georgia State that offer full funding. They may not have anyone who specifically works in your area, but Lewis is well enough know that someone can certainly advise a master's thesis and your main goal with an MA would be to garner a high enough GPA and good enough letters so that you can be competitive for PhD programs down the line.

[lurkingfaculty]

Simon Fraser and UW-Milwaukee (both MA programs) both have excellent metaphysicians. I'd do research on which places have funding and apply to more MA programs. It's unlikely you'll get into any PhD program worth attending given your situation, but you sound like you'd be a good candidate for MA programs.

[PossumTheCat]

OK. Thank you so much. I will look up more funded MA programs to apply to. I think I will need to apply to a good number of schools.

 

If I do not get into a program this year, will I have any opportunity to improve my application other than to work on my CV?

[maxhgns]

5 minutes ago, PossumTheCat said:

If I do not get into a program this year, will I have any opportunity to improve my application other than to work on my CV?

You should spend time working on your writing sample and cover letter. The writing sample is most important, but the cover letter is often neglected and can make a big difference--what you want to do there is address your fit in the program, and why you're such a better bet than the other students. That means looking at opportunities in cognate disciplines, figuring out what kind of support there is for your other interests, looking at whether you can participate in related programs (such as certificate programs), etc.

Just to add to the excellent advice that's already been given: you need to know that there are virtually no jobs in metaphysics. Seriously, basically none, and there's no indication that the situation is going to improve over the next ten years. Pretty much the only people who do straight-up metaphysics who are being hired are people who attended tippity-top metaphysics programs, or with strong interests and credentials in mind (although the boom years for mind are behind us, too), metaethics (honestly, I think more and more metaphysicists are going into metaethics, where the prospects are better), and philosophy of science. Nobody can predict what the job market will look like ten years from now, but it's worth knowing what it's like now, and doing what you can to maximize your chances.

[PossumTheCat]

1 hour ago, maxhgns said:

That means looking at opportunities in cognate disciplines[...]

Just to add to the excellent advice that's already been given: you need to know that there are virtually no jobs in metaphysics.

I see. I am definitely capable and willing to shift my focuses to the philosophy of science or epistemology. Before jumping ship, I did have some interdisciplinary ideas in mind. I have foundational knowledge of the computer sciences, up to and including what is involved in writing from-scratch AI. AI, the mind, and metaphysics generally appear related to me. Or, at least each invokes questions of the others' discussions. Even if metaphysics is still shrinking at present, I expect AI is ballooning. I thought there could be some role for someone like myself in an AI project, or that a running AI could be likewise useful in some philosophical research project.

I might be reaching.

[maxhgns]

FWIW, the epistemology market isn't very good either. Nor is the language market. None of the "core" LEM areas have a ton of jobs going for them these days. And I don't think that's going to change any time soon, since so many people with LEM specializations also have more in-demand specializations that apply the LEM field to something else. The small good-news-caveat is that core LEM specialists seem to do pretty well when it comes to the open specialization jobs at fancy R1s--provided their PhD is sufficiently fancy, anyway.

I don't know that AI is booming, but there are some niche market things going on for people who do mind/cog-sci in an empirically-oriented manner, and some of that spills over into AI-related areas. I don't know that I'd count on that market expanding much, but if you could use that sort of experience to position yourself for the reach across the aisle to digital humanities stuff (which is big now, but may dry up), or to the tech industry, I suppose that could be helpful. You'll want to cultivate an exit strategy, so it's nice when it dovetails with your actual research.

That said, there's no point trying too hard to predict the market, or doing stuff you don't care about in an effort to position yourself for the market. Even if you love your AOS, you'll hate your dissertation before you're done with it; and the people who hate their AOS to begin with tend to flounder at the finishing stages. It's a hard and thankless process, and you shouldn't make it harder on yourself. The point was just that you should be aware of hiring trends, so that you're prepared for them when the time comes. And, in particular, you should know that prestige seems to matter a lot in core LEM hiring these days.

[lurkingfaculty]

P.S. I should have said: I didn't mean to discourage you from applying to PhD programs. You should! The most important thing for most places is the writing sample, and it can outshine less than stellar grades/letters. But just statistically your numbers don't look ideal, so I'd definitely suggest more MA programs too.