What calibre of program should I apply to?

[sokratis]

Deleted

Edited December 23, 2019 by sokratis
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[maxhgns]

Don't think of programs as being in or out of your range. Apply to the best programs for your interests, and let them do the sorting and cutting. Honestly, you should attend the best program you can, given your interests, not just any old program. It really makes a difference on the job market. Stanford and Rutgers, for example, are great, but don't go there primarily to do aesthetics/philosophy of art. (That said, 'the best program for your interests' may not strictly track the PGR rankings. Pay careful attention to the specialty rankings, to the number of people working in your areas of interest and their impact on the field, and to recent placements. Don't rely on the overall rankings as an ordinal ranking. But do also remember that prestige really does have a big effect on the job market.)

By the by, the PGR is a ranking of PhD programs, and does not translate to a ranking of undergraduate or Master's programs.

[syn]

I mostly agree with max, though I do want to note one thing: if you're financially limited, it makes good sense to apply for programs that you think you have a reasonable chance of getting into. While optimally you'd apply to every program with strengths in your area of interest, I can't imagine many of us are in a position to do that, especially with the average application cost somewhere around $70ish USD. I can't see your post anymore, so I can't give any advice to what I think (not that I claim any expertise in the area; only what I'd do), but nonetheless I still think it's fair to consider your chances of realistically getting in if your means are limited.